Going somewhere?

Think about your car (or truck) for a moment. Leisurely Sunday drives aside, before we even start the engine, we have a destination in mind. We’re driving to work, the grocery store, and so on – we know where we’re going. Social media is no different. We can enjoy the random joy ride, but most of the time we get behind the wheel we’re going somewhere.

Where Are We Going?
I remember a recent afternoon spent running errands. I had to deposit a check at the bank, drop off some dry cleaning, get something to drink, and pick up cat litter at Target. Obviously, I took the Galant. Before I even unlocked the car, I was considering the route I would take based on where each stop was located relative to my house. Sound familiar?

Only when we know where we want to be relative where we currently are can we plan the best route.

Are We There Yet?
I stopped at the bank first because it was closest, then I dropped the dry cleaning off and got my drink at the QuickTrip right next door. I paused to snap a picture of a Dodge Viper double parked in a handicapped spot in front of Hydroponics Depot.

Within 30 minutes of backing out of my driveway, I had 75% of my objectives – the easy wins – knocked out. I was making the relatively longer drive to Target, where I would have to find a parking space, walk deep into the store, load up 70lbs of “Gritty Kitty,” queue for a register, walk back out, secure the litter in the trunk, and complete the loop home. I knew I was almost done. All told, my Adventures in Afternoon Errands took just over an hour to complete.

Knowing the waypoints along our route makes progress measurable, helping us figure out when we’ll get there.

Joy Rides
Vehicles represent personal freedom. They extend our potential deep into the world beyond our fingertips. This means they’re also great for exploring unknown territories. If we want to shift gears and point our vehicles into the unknown for sheer sake of curiosity (or stress, or boredom, or…), that’s our prerogative. Even the laziest Sunday joy ride brings the potential for discovery.

“And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.”
Ayrton Senna

Social Media IS a Vehicle
But if we’re going to do anything more than burn expensive fuel driving in circles, we need to recognize where we are right now relative our vision of the future. We need to consider each leg of the journey, working backward from our next destination to determine the waypoints along the route which help us evaluate our progress and renew our confidence. And we need to make the discoveries only found while joy riding.

I love a good automotive metaphor and would like to thank John Falchetto for sharing this one with me the other night on a Skype call. Social media is what you make of it. Like the car in your driveway, nothing happens if you’re not behind the wheel and paying attention.

• Where are you going?
• Are you there yet?
• How often do you go for a joy ride?

In the glovebox:

• Update: Evolution of a Blog
• TWICs XXIX
• TWICs XXVI