Hello again, my readers (aka Ginny, Matt, Sam, and maybe Dan),
I’m back, and I’m hungry. Or at least, I’m hungry for hunger.
I started this year with a commitment to writing 24 posts over the year. And I actually did pretty well for a while before suddenly stopping. I didn’t even leave a “Dear John” letter. How inconsiderate am I?
Well, I was working on a book. The focus was first on how to build skill, then it changed to how to improve yourself post-mistakes, then how to bring your A-Game to the table. I did quite a bit of research, made a few detailed outlines. And then when it came time to actually start writing…I didn’t actually feel like I had something worth saying.
I’m back here at the drawing board, trying to find a topic and something to say that I’m deeply excited about. I want a cause. Something to be proud of proclaiming as loudly as I can because the world will be so much richer, powerful, and happier for it.
I’m a little discouraged about the setback and have been tempted at times to think of it as outright defeat. But I do think that setbacks are normal. The best things in my life are the things that had the bumpiest roads. I don’t think it’s the difficulty that makes them great–that just speaks to the height and rarity of the goal. But the difficulty makes me feel like I deserve the prize. One of my favorite quotes is from Randy Pausch: “The brick walls aren’t there to stop you. The brick walls are there to show you how much you want something.”
I also think that I did make progress in the interim. I did a lot of solid thinking and research over the last few months, and I’m excited about sharing it with others. Expect posts on risk, focus, priorities, worst case scenarios, all of which I think have merit. I’d be surprised if my ultimate point weren’t directly related to one of these topics.
More importantly, I think I’m returning to the blog with a stronger goal. Where before my intention was to explore my field in a meandering way, I am now on a quest for something I >needdramatic< value. Though probably not without a few more setbacks.
