Taking Inventory
There are two pieces of advice my grandfather gave me that stand out most. The first was something he said to me when I was thinking about leaving my first job:
Faryl, every once in a while, you need to stop and take inventory of your life.
It’s something I try to do three times a year – my birthday (summer), the Jewish New Year (autumn) and again on New Year’s Eve. Yesterday was my one month blog-a-versary and I thought it would be a good time to take inventory on my blogging experiences thus far.
I thought I’d share my observations as I reflect on this first month with you:
Blogging is fun!
weeee! this is fun!
When I began this blog, I honestly thought it would become a chore to try to come up with something to write; to consistently add new content. To the contrary, days I’ve not posted something is usually because I’ve forced myself to focus on my offline life a bit. In fact, I think what I’ve been most surprised by is the degree to which I find myself looking forward to spending time here.
Blogging is hard!
As much as I love this blog, it’s not easy per se. Figuring out the ins-and-outs of WordPress, feeds, blogosphere etiquette or even how to include links takes effort. Finding the perfect picture (and giving photo credits) takes time. I have a whole new appreciation for what the other bloggers do to bring us quality content each day. I’m especially in awe of those who have full time jobs and/or are traveling on top of their blogs. And still manage to remain accessible and responsive.
photo by h.koppdelaney
What I want to write about isn’t always what I enjoy writing about.
I want to write a blog helps bridge the gap between those of us who live online and those who are perched on the outside, not quite ready to jump in. Yet I’ve found myself drawn to writing about social media trends that probably don’t appeal to the “perchers”. This is something I’ve been chewing on – I don’t know that the internet needs yet another social media blog; yet it’s important to me to write what I’m motivated to write about. I’m going to give myself up to the muses, go along for the ride, and see what happens.
I’m in love with my readers.
I LOVE that you - yes you – have taken time from your day to read this. There is so much out there for us all to read, and I feel privileged that you’ve chosen my blog as part of that. I get a kick out of each comment or tweet from you – each one is like embarking on a conversation with a new friend and I love that the internet makes that possible. I respect and appreciate you! It does present a challenge though . . .
In which direction should I go?
(photo: RyanBSchultz)
I find myself torn between writing for you and writing for me.
This is the one I’ve found myself giving the most thought to.
I’ll share my thoughts on that, plus some of the lessons I’ve learned in my next post.
In the meantime, I’m interested in what you have to say.
How often do you stop to reflect on your life? Is it part of your daily routine? Monthly? Yearly?
Do you apply this to your career performance and/or goals, or to your life as a whole?
Bloggers, what do you remember about your first month blogging? Did it meet your expectations?
As a reader, what makes you feel valued when you’re visiting a blog?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
(As for my grandfather’s second piece of advice? I’ll share that in the next post too!)
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Your grandfather was a very wise man and looks from his picture to be a lovely man as well.
It is vital to stop and take stock of your life every so often. It is the opportunity to make sure you are following the path you really want to follow. It is all too easy to allow yourself to get stuck in a rut with dialy life.
I tend to look at my life every month, I try and see what I achieved in the past 4 weeks and where I see the next 4 weeks taking me. It is a time of inner reflection, am I really happy with what I am doing and can I do anything about it if I am not. It is not always easy and sometimes I come across areas I don't want to face but have learnt that I have to if I am going to move forward.
MA
I reflect on my life and lack of accomplishments way too much, which sometimes serves as a way to talk myself out of trying new things; therefore, it's best that I don't schedule any official self-reflection time! Love your blog BTW :)
I have integrated reflection time into my life because I have very ambitious goals, one of which is to be able to retire by 65 with enough income-producing investments that I won't need to rely upon Social Security payments to get by. People in my family have been known to live into their mid-80's, so I know I need to plan for at least 20 years of post-labor income. It takes a lot of assets to produce that kind of income, so I have to plan very carefully to eliminate debts and increase my net worth. Month by month.
And at work, I have a million projects going on simultaneously. (Okay, it's around 245, but it FEELS like a million.) In order to get to the finish line on all those projects, from voice work to film work to software development to writing, to real estate investing, to increasing my education, I have to keep an organized checklist and set goals. I use OmniPlan so I can check things off when I complete them. I re-prioritize all the time, and I have a discipline not the beat myself up for the things I have not yet accomplished. (That list is the largest.)
I use my list every day, keep it open on my desktop, and do a little happy dance every time I check something off.
I meet weekly with my boss and discuss grander plans and where we are taking our company, and that sets the tone for how I'm going to prioritize my projects. My goal is to remain in the driver's seat of my life, and to be in charge of the things I want to do, including wading through the ones that are less pleasant but definitely required for me to reach my goals. The frequency of my reviews really helps me reach goals faster and minimize my tendency to want to procrastinate on the icky projects (e.g. accounting).
Good luck!
You also asked about what makes you feel valued when you visit a blog… in my case, I'm still somewhat "anonymous" with most blogs I read. I feel that honesty and openness in the writer is the most valuable. I learn a lot from what other people go through and think about, and draw my own parallels to my own life and circumstances. Therefore, being true to yourself as an author and to what interests YOU lets me participate vicariously in your experience. Further, the ability to comment and chatter about ideas is valuable. I like how you have set up a venue to make that possible.
Hi MA! I like your perspective on taking stock on your life frequently. Regular intervals make it easier to keep track things to keep life on course, I would think. (and thank you for the kind words about my grandfather!)
Hi Carma! Welcome :-) It's good you've acknowledged that self-reflection was perhaps becoming a barrier instead of propelling you. I love reading about everyone's approaches to life – it's the best part of having a blog!
Wow! You have a LOT going on! It makes me feel more special that you take the time to read my blog and comment :-) I'm so impressed by your goals too!
Thanks, Anne! Getting comments is what I look forward most to with the blog I think. Not from an ego perspective, but more because I find people interesting and am interested to hear what's going on in everyone else's heads and hearts.
I actually had spend most of my time up until the past couple of months being "anonymous" as well. It was when I started the blog that I kind of made the conscious decision to start participating in the online community.
To be honest, I think having this blog helped with that. It's almost like finally having my own phone or something – now that I have a number to give out where people can find me, I'm more apt to make calls and leave messages myself :-)
I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and share – please keep it up!!! xoxo
FARYL! I love your writing. I like how you talk about what you are experiencing as you write your new blog. It's fun and exciting. I JUST purchased a new domain name that will be a non-anonymous, fully claimed website of my own! I'm excited, but nervous. I'm enjoying seeing your non-anonymous online journey and you are giving me inspiration as I embark on my own.
Thanks, April! YOU GO GIRL!!!! Be sure to share your site's details once it's up and running. And if you need any help with set up/hosting/design, etc. let me know. Good luck!!!