This paragraph comprises the first words published on this blog since I asked for your opinions on blogging frequency seven days ago. Never before in the history of this blog (or, at least over the past 18 months) has a week transpired without new content.

This is a picture of a man holding the globe

Kim Woodbridge set the tone of nearly every subsequent comment or inspired reactions in (dis)agreement when she shared that the only person who really knew or cared what the schedule was — on her blog — was her. She owned her world.

Those are powerful words. We use social networking sites for different reasons, but it is crucial to grasp the WHY.

Without knowing WHY we do something — and be willing to deviate and reassess our reasons when necessary — we’ll never understand HOW to do it or WHAT to do.

Once Kim recognized she was responsible for why she wrote articles on her blog and only she cared how often people read her stuff and decided to comment on it, she could continue beyond The Dip and create content that mattered on a schedule she owned.

It is common to do things because other people do them. That’s not a reason to do it. We owe it to ourselves to continue doing things — raking leaves, running errands, posting status messages on social networking sites — on our own schedules and for our own reasons.

  • Doing something because a neighbor or family member is doing it is a poor reason for doing it.

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  • Doing something because a competitor or industry analyst is doing it is a poor reason for doing it.

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  • Doing something because it is an extension of our missions and visions is always the best reason.

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When I wrote an article 14 days ago about accepting all Facebook friendships, I shared why I made that change. Nearly 200 people subsequently accepted my friend requests. To date, only two people have said no — citing their unwillingness to be friended, unfriended, and friended again. Others wrote me they appreciated my friend request despite being unfriended in the past, which goes to show people use social media differently.

My message to you is that you, and only you, know why you are reading this sentence.

Think about that for a moment and translate “this sentence” to everything else. If there’s no reason for doing something, stop doing it. Or, at the least, take a break as I did.

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