Sure, we’d all love to be magically blessed with the willpower to wake up at 5:30 every morning, run 5 miles and to follow the kind of budget that will allow us to retire at 45. And every January, we get tricked into thinking THIS will be the year – the one where we finally get our lives in order. But those goals are a little too grand (and would seriously hamper our Mexican food/late night fun regiment), so we’ve put together a list of a few simple changes you can make without setting yourself up for failure. Yes, there are risks, but you can do it. And yes, they involve social media.

  1. Surprise your followers. You visit the same 10-20 blogs and websites every day, and the majority of your Tweets and Facebook posts come from there. It makes sense – those blogs and websites are a part of your brand (personal or otherwise). In the New Year, why not explore a little? If you are an expert in spider monkeys, perhaps broaden your spectrum to gorillas. If your life revolves around local coffee shops, why not explore local ice cream stores? Or, ask someone for a list of their 10 favorite blogs and add one you’ve never visited into your circulation. Whatever you do, find another new source or topic that you can work into your daily routine. Your followers will appreciate the fresh content, and you just might learn something too.
  2. Talk to someone else. Many studies and reports have indicated that the number of friends and followers you have does not necessarily translate to your number of REAL friends and followers. So you met someone at a bar, became Facebook friends the next day and never talked again. Why not? Unless Mr. Jack N. Coke was a total weirdo (as evidenced in his consistent updates about his gerbil collection), reach out. “Like” one of his comments and provide feedback. This might even be a good chance for you to work on tip #1 as well.
  3. Reach further. If you have friends you talk to every day, yet you refer to them as @souperchicken in conversation, it’s time you became first-name pals. Insist on getting to know one another face-to-face – you won’t even have to communicate in 140-character phrases! This goes for businesses AND personal users. If you don’t know some of your fans in the real world, you are not taking full advantage of social media.
  4. Update your profiles. If your interests include the 2008 election and your last quote was “Don’t tase me, bro!” it’s time to move on. If you are trying to establish a personal brand, you need to be current and use social media to accurately represent the best possible you. If you are using social media for a company brand, it’s still important to make sure your message and bio are as up-to-date as possible – not a thrown together mess.
  5. Clean house. As we said before, the New Year presents the perfect opportunity for engaging new people in your network. It’s also a great time to cut the clutter. If you have no intentions of talking to your fourth-grade friend or can’t remember how you even know that creepy guy with the gerbil, it’s time to lose them. If you are following people who aren’t following you back, do the same (unless they’re really interesting). Social media is about interaction, not racking up numbers, so make sure you’re using it wisely.
  6. Get back to your roots. Yes, it’s always good to improve yourself – and your business. But what have you done lately to make a difference in the community or to support the local scene? Exactly. There’s no time like the present to join forces with a fellow business owner or get in on a charitable cause. After all, where would you be without your neighbors?

See? Those don’t sound too bad. Way better than the horrors of JOGGING, that’s for sure. In order to make sure you stay on track, we recommend printing out the following image and hanging it near your workspace as a constant reminder of your full potential. Ready, set, 2011!