As of this writing, my daughter, Abby, just turned two years old. She is full of excitement and curiosity about the world. One of her favorite things in the world are playgroups. At playgroups she gets to:

1. Meet and play with other kids.
2. Play with toys she's not seen before.
3. Get a snack.
4. Have someone read a story she's not heard before.
5. Walk out with new friends she can look forward to seeing again.

How wonderful, right? Ah, to be a child again.

But what does that have to do with networking?

Well, I was thinking about networking events and the fact that a lot of people don't like attending them. If you really think about it, though, those events aren't that much different from my daughter's play groups. You get to:

1. Meet and chat with other professionals.
2. Hear ideas that you've not considered before.
3. Get refreshments (or maybe a meal).
4. Have someone give a presentation you've not heard before.
5. Walk out with new connections you can look forward to seeing again.

Hey, networking events are just play groups for adults! The only real difference is us. If we approached networking events with all the joy and anticipation that a toddler brings to the table, we would have a lot more fun.

And probably make a lot more friends (long-term, mutually beneficial relationships), too.

Greg Peters, founder of The Reluctant Networker LLC, writes, speaks and coaches about good networking practice. For more tips that can help your connections count, go to 52-tips.thereluctantnetworker.com.