Here’s what I learned running a blog through 42 blog articles this year.
1. Learned how to start up and maintain a website.
2. Developed better writing skills.
3. Learned how to create content that adds value to 80% of the blog visitors.
4. Learned how to use web-based tools to increase security on my website.
5. Gained a better understanding of Google Analytics functionality.
6. Began learning the art of SEO management.
7. Realize that most people are online to either solve a problem or be entertained. (mostly to be entertained).
8. Discovered that gratitude is much more difficult to measure than accomplishments.
There are plenty of other soft skills that I learned, and I’m certain that continuing the list would not be entertaining for you.
Speaking of lists, here’s what I have not figured out yet. It goes on my technical to-do list for 2018.
1. Create another valuable post that would have a moment of impact that would result in having the reader to leave a comment on the blog article itself. (comments on Linkedin and Facebook are very appreciated).
2. How to promote the blog outside of my circle of influence.
3. How to embed a graph or a survey/poll into the body of the post.
4. How to automatically send a new post out to email subscribers.
Back to you.
1. What have you learned this year?
2. What have you learned from reading blogs?
3. What have done with the things that you learned?
4. What do you plan on doing for the next three months, six, nine, or twelve months?
I certainly wish I had a good publishable answer to question 2, though I learned plenty of technical stuff. More importantly, I’m becoming aware of the things that I don’t know as l I learn what I should know. I follow about seven blogs and ironically seven podcasts trying to build plans to address questions 3 and 4.
Case in point. I’ve looked over the edge of retirement several times due to “amateurs” who will never make it onto my leader list.
Two things kept me grounded. One is my accountability to my team and my innate desire to develop the next generation of leaders. The second one is, again, Mrs.fromthebachrow, who is the voice of logic and reason. “What are you going to retire to?” she would ask. As usual, she’s got a good point and right again, because I neglected spending time on developing that part of the plan. My post-retirement plan sucks.
Cash accumulation plan, check. The spending plan, check. Cash flow statement, check. The net worth statement, check. Post W-2 job draw-down plan, check.
Written plan to enjoy my freedom with purpose and meaning with activities, nope. Not even f%@# close. From my cheap metal winter seats in Chicago, I don’t believe I have enough to keep busy the other 20 hours a week I need to fill. However, I’m in good company. It took Lee Iacocca several times to get good at retiring.
What I learned from a successful escape velocity is that one does not retire from something, one must retire to something. The blogs and the podcasts that I follow do not offer me the custom fit plan that I wanted. It requires planning and a certain degree of trial and error. Sure, I can go through my bucket list and start checking them off in my remaining 29,200+ days. Where’s the purpose, the meaning that I can substitute for the thirty years that I’ve been helping people make some awesome therapeutic medicines while developing individuals on a team and creating value and revenue? How do I answer question 4 in this post and question #2 in a previous post? I thought I nailed it, but it’s not a robust plan because it’s not written down.
For the moment, I’ll just fall back on my notes and start writing this plan over the next six weeks.
While I’m at it, might as well tackle number 8: Gratitude. There’s so much to be grateful for and it’s never been easier to do so during the Holidays.
This week’s bottom line:
1. Have a robust written plan and act on it.
2. Appreciate what you have.
3. Cook with wine and enjoy.
