Blogs, like life, are a work in progress. This is the story of one pilgrim’s progress.
I’ve talked about having a blog format website for months–even years. But there has been one huge barrier to getting it done: Me.
I tend to procrastinate anyway, so that hasn’t helped. Plus, I didn’t want to keep a journal in the literal sense. Primarily I wanted to share and compare thoughts about the areas in which I train and present. And, I had felt if I couldn’t produce something like the best of the others I’ve seen, I didn’t want to do it. (I’m over that now.) Then, there is the ongoing issue of having limited time for writing brilliant entries. (I’m over that illusion, too.) Another issue is that I wanted to combine a business website with a blog, but didn’t want it to seem like either. That is why I’m calling this a training journal.
For years I’ve told people that one day I’d have a way for them to contact me, find out about training and presentations and share thoughts about supervision, leadership, personal and professional development, favorite quotations and interesting trivia–including the trivia of some of my activities. However, in spite of thinking about doing it, talking about doing it, wanting to do it, being encouraged to do it and knowing I needed to do it for business reasons, it never happened.
This is the first entry, and before long I’ll be able to say (casually, as though it’s a minor detail and I don’t want any fuss or bally-hoo over it) “Yeah, I have an online training journal. Check it out if you want to. No big deal. Just something I threw together in 1,356.5 hours.” There will be changes over time–some of them over the next few days and weeks–but I’m hoping to keep it simple with the primary goal of posting regularly.
Thank you Dr. Jeff Adams www.drjeffadams.com for your encouragement. Really, you were the one who made it happen. Cheryl, you will undoubtedly get a crown in Heaven for your patience when I’ve called Jeff so often. Also, thank you Shannon, Casey, and Larry, for listening to me fidget about this project.
Thank you Dr. William Gorden of the Ask The Workplace Doctors website www.workplacedoctors.com as well as Robert Adams (aka Pastor Bulldog) http://bulldogs-are-survivors.blogspot.com, and my very young, older brother, Julian Lewis, for demonstrating the importance of gaining and using technological saavy, even past the time of having a career need for it.
Thank you Troy Vitullo of Troy Vitullo Consulting, who has been doing web consulting since 1997. Check him out at www.troyvit.com. Troy has been a great source of advice about this project as well as other website development issues I’ve had. He must think I’m the biggest idiot in the world, but he’s never once acted like it.
Thank you Mark, Ava, Hutch, Angela, Rich, Pat, Patty, Darrin, Letty, Dean, Janet, Karen, Sharon, Tom and Gail, and especially Marcia, who have proven to be wonderful sources of support and fun over time–and to whom I’ll refer often, and also use you as guest contributors now and then. I think that will add to the usefulness of the site, and give you something to do with your idle hours.
Now do your duty: Read regularly, comment often and forward the link to your hundred or so dearest friends.
Someone suggested that I develop a catch-phrase to close every entry, but that doesn’t work well for me. So, this first entry will close with a quote most of you have heard me use many times. Thomas Carlysle said it in the 1800’s and it’s still true:
“Blessed is he who has found his work. Let him ask no other blessedness.” If you found your work and can still find reasons to enjoy it, you ARE truly blessed. Share your positive feelings with others–that’s what I’m hoping to do with this blog training journal! ###
