Struggling With Elements You Cannot Control Offline or Online

I recently wrote the blog post "7 Ways Moving Is Like Online Marketing" and I'm sitting at my computer contemplating a sequel to that post.

In the sequel I would like to include more insights I have learned over the intervening time between the two posts.

Yet what I most want to write about is how, no matter how much planning you do, you cannot always control what happens.

I have spent hours trying to donate an office desk and matching credenza to a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles. It appears that I am unlikely to be successful in this endeavor. This means I will have to pay GotJunk.com to remove the items even though someone could use these.

Now I'm faced with the decision of whether to keep plugging (translation: spend more of my time) trying to find a nonprofit to take the office furniture. Or do I admit this project is not the most productive use of my time and pay for someone to solve the issue for me?

The same decision-making process is required when determining which online marketing projects are worth the time, effort and frustration to be done by you or instead by someone you hire to do these projects for you.

I spoke to a prospective social media client who told me he had to run a business and, therefore, could not take the few minutes a couple of times a day to participate on Twitter.

I repeated that I was only talking about a few minutes a day – maybe a couple of times when he took a short break for coffee or whatever.

This second time he actually heard what I said and began to understand I was not suggesting a commitment of two hours a day.

It is at least worth his taking the time to further explore this topic of Twitter participation before making a decision because Twitter used strategically can help him promote his business.

On the other hand, perhaps I should spend the money to have the office furniture picked up by GotJunk.com rather than spend more of my time trying to find a nonprofit organization who wants the furniture.

Oh, well, I'll go accept more invites on LinkedIn or find some great links to retweet on Twitter while I ponder "to do or not to do — that is the question."

© 2012 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company www.MillerMosaicLLC.com, which helps clients effectively use social media and other online marketing strategies and has just received WBENC certification.

Visit Phyllis' Google Plus profile.

Check out Phyllis' books and other projects at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com