This Blog Has Been A Major Distraction For Me

Yes, you read that right. This blog has been a major distraction for me.

Yet, the doors it has opened, the interests it has spawned, the friends I've met and the communities I've discovered are so worth the time, effort, blood, sweat, tears (!) 

Ha, it's not that bad but it most definitely is a commitment and one worth its weight in gold.

I was presenting a session on the benefits of blogging a few weeks ago and one participant asked, "how do you find the time?" My response, "I am a blogger. I make the time. It's that important to me."

There are HR pros, recruiters, career-advisors, coaches, leadership pros, writers and more breaking ground and making a difference every day from conferences, meetups and webinars to newsletters, radio shows, and more. For each one I linked to, there are many, many more out there.

This is not about me, it's about people knocking down doors and taking names. Here are some of the wonderful organizations and conferences  I've recently had, or will have, the honor of being part of in one way or another:    

   

   

  

 

 

Yup, this blog has been a major distraction for me . . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Cast Of Characters

Check out the HR Cast of Characters! Kudos, backslaps, hugs and handshakes to SteveBoese for getting us together for HR Happy Hour #2. On line and with call ins, it was by all accounts, a big hit!

Subscribe in a reader

Why Do You Blog?

I have a reader (yes, I do have 1 as far as I can tell) and she is thinking of starting a blog. She would like to gather insights from those of us who have already done so.

She asks,"How did you determine to begin a blog? What are your process ? Are there any pitfalls?"

I will start and then open the conversation up to anyone who wants to join in. Yes, that means you!

I started to blog because my very best friend from college told me to. Do I usually do what she tells me to do? Usually. So, although I started because of someone else, I continue for myself. I continue to blog because of 3 simple reasons:

• I love to write
• I have something to say
• I am part of a much larger conversation

I have been blogging for about 2 1/2 years and it continues to be a journey for me. Hindsight is 20/20 and rather than speaking from what I know now, I will share posts that reflect my steps along the way.

Early on I considered who I would tell about my blog and whether or not I wanted to post anonymously. I discovered that blogging allowed me to move forward while capturing the past. My journey was not at all bump free and some of my bumps included the blogging blues and finding my niche.

Blogging is about taking an issue that resonates with you and creating connections with other people, their thoughts, and their ideas. It is about learning from others and expanding your horizons and it is about new ideas. Blogging is about reflection. Blogging is about insight that moves you forward by small steps and then, when you are least expecting it, by a light year.

Some newer blogs and their authors to check out are Micheal Long, The Red Recruiter, Trish McFarlane, HR Ringleader's Blog; Kelly Mittons, Life Student; Ben Eubanks, Upstart HR and ADowling, Psuedohr's Blog. These are just a few, there are so many more! You can check out more blogs on my Great Reads list.

So in response to your question, blogging is definitely something you should try. If you have any questions or need any support, advice or assistance along the way, I am here to help.

Who's with me on this?

 Subscribe in a reader

Photocredit iStockphoto

I Lost My Blog and Found My Voice

I lost my blog Friday night.

I lost my posts. I lost my comments. I lost my categories. I lost my tags. I lost my words. I lost my thoughts. By morning, I was mourning. It was not about the links, the badges, the templates, or the visitor counts and maps. It was about me and the loss of an important part of who I am today.

I tweeted about it and jessica_lee replied, "oh goodness... just saw your tweet. sorry... oh dear." I responded back, "there is a lesson in here for me somewhere I am sure, just not seeing it right now."

By mid-morning Saturday, I had myself convinced that the blog was gone for good and soon had a plan. I was going to get what I could from my last data capture in August, transfer my December posts saved as Facebook notes back into blog posts and move forward from there. As it turns out, my blog was restored rather quickly, and embarrassingly easy, by the Squarespace support team.

I never thought, when I first started blogging, that I would feel what I did. I am who I am today, in part, because of the thoughts, ideas, learnings, and insights gained by, and reflected in, my posts. Wow.

Thinking I lost my words, I realized I found my voice.