F-List Cull and Other Stuff...

[roh_wyn]

I've been really, really busy at work. I don't know how it happened exactly, but I went from having almost nothing to do to having so many ongoing projects that I've started working weekends, for the first time in nearly three years.



I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm actually happy over this turn of events. I'm now in my fifth year of practice, and I feel like it's high time I try to do something to advance my career. I opted out of partnership consideration when I cut back my hours a year ago, and business ownership was never my long-term goal anyway. But it bothers me that in five years, I have not found myself a niche at my firm, that I haven't become the go-to person for a particular sort of client and/or project.

I only have myself to blame for that, really. I'm not aggressive by nature, and for the past few years, I've been more than happy to treat my job like it's just a fun hobby. That stops now. I feel like I'm on the cusp of real responsibility (and possible success) at work, and I really want to give that all the attention it deserves.

With that in mind, I'm sort of unplugging from online life. Not entirely, because, really, I could never do that. But I've already severely limited by Twitter and Facebook presence, and I've cut way down on posting to my own LJ. I have barely had any time to even read my f-list, which brings me to the dreaded f-list cull.

I've never done this before, and it's the one aspect of social networking sites like Livejournal that I really hate. But I want everyone to know that my decision is not personal AT ALL. I'm making no value judgments here of any sort. Basically, this is what I'm doing.

(1) Unsubscribing from a bunch of LJ comms I no longer visit and am no longer interested in. 85% of these are fandom comms that are either dead or that I feel no connection to. I'm not leaving the HP or LotR fandoms, but I feel increasingly separate from them anyway, and this just puts a formal stamp on it.

(2) Removing anyone whose journal is deleted/empty/not used in over six months. In most cases, these are people I interact with outside of LJ anyway, so it's not a removal as much as a reorganization. (There are some exceptions to this...you know who you are, lol).

(3) Removing people who have moved on from LJ and now blog somewhere else. Some of these people still have an LJ presence, but they just cross-post to LJ, and they never comment/visit my journal. I can catch their blogs on an RSS feed, so again, it's just a reorganization. :)

(4) Removing people who I friended but who never friended me back. I feel a bit weird about this...like I'm giving up on someone. But hey, these people have had years to react to the friending, and I just don't see the point now. *sigh*

(5) Removing alternate journals for people who have two journals, but only use one. (Again, there are exceptions, and you know who you are).

Finally, for those of you who don't fall into any of the above categories, this is an open invitation to remove me from your friends lists, if you feel we no longer have anything in common and I bore you to death or something. I promise not to take it personally, lol.

Comments

[wastingyourgum.livejournal.com]

Good job you didn't just become mod of a land community... ;)

We're still friends, right? I didn't see
6) Removing people who hideously embarass me in front of cute British actors...

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Heh. Your penance for that will have to be something different, Al. I haven't decided what yet, lol.

[wastingyourgum.livejournal.com]

I thought my penance was having to listen to you whine about Team Leather sucking for the next three months? ;)

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That's penance you're doing for having to listen to applebeing whine about Team Leather sucking.

You're not getting off that easily for the incident chez West End. ;)

[ladylovelace.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear things are picking up for you at work, if that's what you want (and I'm assuming it is, so go you!).

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's what I want. There's nothing worse than having nothing to do at work while your colleagues are so busy they can barely breathe.

What's up with you? Keeping busy? Staying out of trouble? ;)

[javidan.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm on the cusp of real responsibility (and possible success) at work, and I really want to give that all the attention it deserves.
Sounds good!

I keep attempting to 'organize' myself--my primary goal being able to devote more time to my art (and get my husband off my back, lol).

Good luck!

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Organizing is hard, isn't it? We're going to start packing house this weekend (we're moving at the end of May), and just the thought of having to get organized is scaring me a little! :)

[javidan.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness, I didn't know you were moving!
I've moved a household 3 times and always kick myself for not getting prescription tranquilizers, lol.
LOTS of good luck!

[jagnikjen.livejournal.com]

Good luck at the job!

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Jen. :)

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're busy and have found something to light a fire under your butt.

And I know for a fact you're not cutting me. In fact I'd put cash money on it- I amuse you far, FAR too much. i will look forward to your occasional posts, I've got your email and your phone number. In short, you no can get rid of me that easy. Oongawah.

And I am VERY happy for you, because spending 8 hours a day feeling "blah" about your job? NOT GOOD. Go forth and conquer, hon. :)

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a good feeling. I mean, I'm stressed out by being busy, but I'm feeling good about my career for the first time in more than a year.

And yeah, there's no way I'm cutting you, even if you want me to, lol. :)

[omteddy2006.livejournal.com]

Well, that would be the OTHER approach to getting rid of the work blahs.

My going part-time has been bliss, but only because there was NO WAY my job was going to get any more interesting/challenging. (I am going to sit around and wait for the director of the museum to die, then I'll make my move.)

Don't cut me. I'm fragile-like. And can be mean when poked with a stick.

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love being part-time, but out of sight is out of mind for some of my colleagues, so every now and then, I'll show up unexpectedly, just to get roped into new projects. We'll see how it goes.

There's no way I'm cutting you. You think you're getting rid of me that easily? ;)

[coffee-cup.livejournal.com]

Excellent thoughts about getting serious at work. Ive been teaching for 3 years now and it's dawning on me that I can actually do it really well so I have been getting more and more serious about it too!

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Icon love! ♥

I think it's the rare person who makes a good teacher, so good for you, and I hope it turns into a very satisfying career for you. :)

[mai-shiranui.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the job!

Removing people who I friended but who never friended me back. I feel a bit weird about this...like I'm giving up on someone. But hey, these people have had years to react to the friending, and I just don't see the point now. *sigh*

ME TOO! It's just weird really, because why hang onto someone that hasn't taken the time to friend you back?

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

IKR?! But it took me this long (in one case, over four years) to actually bite the bullet and do it. I'm obviously very hopeful about stuff like this, lol.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_grayswandir_/]

Man, I've been wanting to make a post like this for ages, but I've still never gotten around to it. Instead I've chickened out and just started reading my f-list on a filter, so that I skip over all the posts in communities I no longer care about and people I only friended because it seemed the polite thing to do, even though I have nothing in common with them.

Anyway, I'm glad not to have been deleted, and intend to stick around, if you'll have me. :)

Best of luck with your work!

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought about filtering too, but something told me I needed to clean up around here, which is what prompted this post. To be honest, there were a couple of people that I had some angst over deleting, but I had to do it.

I'm not deleting you, bb! I like reading about all your linguistic adventures. :)

[cb-s.livejournal.com]

i kind of fit into number 3 but just wanted 2 let u know that imusuing LJ a lot more now that im back from voerseas... and id never blog on my personal life on my wordpress which is tennis only.
anyway, do i follow u ontwitter? id be keen 2 exchange follows...

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

First, welcome back! I've been reading about your adventures on your LJ, but sorry, I just haven't had much time to comment.

I'm roh_wyn on Twitter as well, if you'd like to follow me. But fair warning, I'm even less interesting over there than I am here, lol.

[cb-s.livejournal.com]

following :)
o dnt worry i havent had a tonload of time either until sorta now, but without a lappy its still hard!

[ctquill.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the changes at work, it sounds exciting!

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

It's not so much a change at work, as a sort of recommitting on my part...one that's long overdue, actually.

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

Glad you have loads to do at work. It definitely is better than not having much to do at all.

Heh, I basically am full time on Twitter now, basically. My posts on LJ are usually few and far in between (depends on the season, I guess) but yeah, I hear you about limiting online time. For me, esp. with exams coming up, I need to go on a mini hiatus (esp. to keep me off Twitter! Oh now that clay season has begun...that's going to be hard!)

[robinfanatic.livejournal.com]

Sounds like exciting possibilities for work are ahead for you! I understand your reorg efforts with social networking. I actually had the misconception (HA!) that I'd have more free time while on sabbatical but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. I am doing a lousy job keeping up with f-lists and am so far behind in reading new fics or chapter updates. :( I can barely keep up with my writing responsibilities for Denial at the moment and dread that hoodland will be starting up again in a week...'course I bet you won't mind if I can't help Team Outlaws too much this time around. ;)