Ah, Google.
If only I had a record of everything I’ve ever typed into that all-too-familiar text bar. From emerging problems to changing life phases to bidding curiosities, Google knows a hell of a lot about me!
I’ve discovered that especially when it comes to new mommyhood, most people I talk to tell me that the absolute worst thing I can do is Google my questions.
I disagree strongly.
Googling Means You Have DRIVE
In this day and age, if you’re lost, if you don’t have the answers, if you don’t know how to do something, if you want to know something … there’s no excuse for not using what we all have at our disposal!
Picture the world 50 years ago.
When our parents and grandparents had questions, curiosities, problems – there was only one place to go: the library. They’d have to look things up in databases, references and encyclopedias. Wow. Imagine telling today’s impatient, demanding, go-getter-type Millennials that in order to get an answer to one of their questions they’d have to drive (or walk, or take public transit) to the nearest library and look it up using a paper, alphabetical filing system?
Ha! They’d laugh in your face.
And when we think of it this way, we must take advantage of what we have. It takes seconds to Google something. But as simple and convenient as it is, if you do it, it shows you have DRIVE. You want the answer to that question. You need to find out how to do something. You crave access to a world of information at your fingertips.
And that’s a very good thing.
Googling Means You’re RESOURCEFUL
At one of my regular waxing appointments a couple of months ago, I was spilling the beans to my esthetician about my breastfeeding woes. I told her about my lactation consultant. About my little guy’s tongue tie, lip tie and tight jaw. About our visits to the breastfeeding clinic and the osteopath. About it all.
You know what she said?
Good for you for being so resourceful. And I thought to myself, huh. I hadn’t realized that’s what I was doing. When it came to my breastfeeding problems, the only thing going through my mind was, “I am determined to breastfeed my son. I am in excruciating pain. I must fix this and figure it out.”
Where do you think I began the process?
Google.
I tapped into the resources at my disposal to find information, to find answers, to find help.
Googling Provides You With INFORMATION
We can’t make good decisions without good information. Now, granted, everything that pops up in Google’s search results isn’t accurate, valuable and reliable. But it’s information nonetheless. It’s up to you to sift through the clutter, to decide what’s usable and what’s not, and to take everything you come across with a grain of salt.
No one said you have to listen to everything you find through Google. On the contrary. But more information is better than less information. The more informed and educated you are about a particular topic, the better able you’ll be to solve your issues, to figure out the best answers for you and your life, and to put good solutions into action.
Googling Gives You PERSPECTIVE
Sometimes you’ve gotta see what’s out there so you can put any given situation into a little perspective.
Examples:
“My business is having a dead month.”
Googling tells you that January is, in fact, usually a much slower month in your industry. Now, you stop worrying.
“My six month old doesn’t like to nap.”
Googling tells you that so many other parents have babies who not only don’t like to nap, but sleep only a couple hours at night! Now, instead of feeling annoyed, you feel lucky.
“I need help with my new CRM software system.”
Googling helps you find a website that walks you step-by-step through the exact issues you’re facing. Now, you understand.
“I don’t want to feed my baby rice cereal as a first food.”
Googling tells you that other moms feel the same way and actually feed their babies a host of other foods (arguably better foods) before ever introducing rice cereal. Now, you discover the world of “superfoods” for your baby.
Ahhh. That feels better. Google put my concerns into perspective.
So You’re a Googler … And That’s a Very Good Thing
Especially if you’re a mom.
Or an entrepreneur.
Or both.
Here’s why:
A Googler is a good mom because…
- She cares.
- She puts in the effort.
- She has a thirst to learn.
- She finds answers to her questions.
- She takes it upon herself to research and gather ideas.
- She understands that motherhood is a constantly evolving process.
- She’s determined to do what’s best for her child.
- She acknowledges the fact that the only way for her to make the best decisions is to make sure she’s well informed.
- She’s not afraid to expand her horizons and challenge the norm.
- She doesn’t say, “I don’t know” but rather, “Here’s what I know”.
A Googler is a good entrepreneur because…
- She’s curious.
- She’s driven.
- She’s anything but lazy.
- She enjoys learning and expanding her knowledge base.
- She is fast and efficient.
- She remembers that much of what she’s accomplished has been self-taught.
- She understands that entrepreneurship is about continuous personal development.
- She invests her time in education – in herself.
- She acknowledges the fact that her business, her industry, her world is constantly changing.
- She doesn’t say, “That’s something I’ve been meaning to do…” but rather, “I’m in the process of completing that task”.
Are you Google obsessed?
Good for you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
How does it make you a better mom and entrepreneur?
You’ve got free reigns to sit there and complain about the fact that your new baby leaves you with little to no time for yourself. Or, you can chalk it up to an albeit different interpretation but one that actually has great benefit.
As I listen to my husband’s stories of the new programming code he mastered that day, of how many visitors his website got, of the new client that hired him…I can’t help but feel, well, a little lacking in the intellectual stimulation department. And as I get friend invites to go on Vegas trips and I watch new pics of wild nights out get posted on social media…I can’t help but feel left out.