Goals and Milestones - how Twitter helped me set, celebrate and achieve them!

My introduction to Twitter was at TCEA last year with Dr. Howie DiBlasi.  I'm not going to lie - I thought...he's pretty old (sorry @hdiblasi!)...if he can do it, SURELY I can, too!  I left his session with these tips:

• Start following 10 people.  Use Google to find people of interest and then see who THEY follow!
• Just lurk and soak it up until you get the hang of it.  Then retweet until you find your own voice.
• DIVE IN!  Build your PLN and enjoy having thousands of experts at your fingertips.

I was sold.  I went back to the hotel that night and tweeted away.  (I think my sister  {hotelmate} was annoyed that I was all of a sudden Twitter crazed!)

And Twitter crazed I was.  I did exactly as Dr. Howie suggested.  I followed 10 people and read everything they said.  Then I followed 10 more.  Then I sent my OWN original Tweet!  (EEK!)  I secretly made goals for myself to tweet relevant content, get retweeted, gain followers, and maybe...just maybe participate in a chat.  When I hit 1000 tweets I took a screenshot.  :)

I took another screenshot when I reached 500 followers.  (I even sent it to my mom and my husband!  I can't help it!  I was proud - and so were they!)

It's funny the validation you feel when certain things happen on Twitter.  It's exhilarating when you get your first follower (even if it is your sister...because you made her).  It's flattering when you get retweeted for the first time (again...even if it is your sister...thank you, @kanongourault).  It's flabbergasting when someone you truly admire professionally follows you or retweets you or when you reach goals you had set for yourself.  Who knew Twitter would evoke all of these emotions in me!?  

About two weeks ago I attended my first chat on Twitter.  (#txed - you HAVE to check it out!) I was simply dumbfounded that at 9:00 at night in a hotel room in Beaumont, TX {while my husband read on his iPad and my kids slept on a pull-out sofa} I attended one of the most stimulating professional development experiences of my last three years.  While eating cold pizza.  Really.  We have taken professional development to a whole new level and have brought the goods right to our hotel room.  I mean doorstep.

In conclusion, I have to say this...  If you are not on Twitter - GET THERE!  Need help?  Look here.  If you are on Twitter - SET GOALS and mark your milestones!  Celebrate when you reach them and keep pushing yourself to help others and help yourself.  Reach out to your PLN - you won't be sorry!