How to Hold Your Head Up When Guy Kawasaki Says You Suck
Guy Kawasaki told me I sucked over the holidays. OK, he didn't say it directly to me, and I am only 50% guilty of what I was accused of, but when internationally acclaimed rogue marketers point out things that you're doing that don't quite hit the mark, you've gotta listen. More than when E.F. Hutton talks.
As the new decade dawns--the decade in which I will turn 50, send my children to college and see Bright Sky Press turn into a wonder of modern publishing love and joy, God willing--I have to say that I am open for inspiration and improvement. On every level. I'll start with the basics: mental, physical, spiritual, and social remedial.
With nothing but holiday obligations on my mind, I was randomly trolling Twitter, and I saw an entry: 10 Reasons Your Blog Might Suck. Holy Kaw. Being old enough to know better than to blog, but young enough to still want to, I of course clicked on the proffered tr.im.
Guy--or more specifically, the blogging tutorial that he shouted out--pretty much had my number. I was guilty of 5 out of 10 heinous blogging crimes, offenses unknown to the universe at Y2K.
So my New Year's Resolution, as it pertains to Words on Books, is to not suck quite so much. And to change my ways quickly, because I hate it when my daughters use that word. They say it's innocuous, but like limbs to a Victorian, it's still pretty racy to me. So, I'm aiming to fix the problem before I have to label it again and answer to a bunch of opinionated tweens.
But what do you call Blog Goals? Globs? What ever you name them, a rose by any other name would still have thorns. In 2010 look for more frequent posts--every day, except for when my human weakness and general over-committed, over-idealistic and under-realistic life gets in the way; shorter posts--except when my inability to edit myself and lack of knowledge of when to shut up prevents conciseness; and less about me--except I don't get out much so this is my world and welcome to it.
Hopefully if I can at least strive towards these Globs, next year when I randomly come across Guy's insouciantly tossed off judgment, I can say, "I pity the fool."
Not now. Not 2009. But a new year, a whole--as said daughters say--frickin' new decade awaits, and I have no where to go but up. Especially with a gang as inspirational, quirky and fun as the Bright Sky Press Extended Family. The Bizpuff, we'll call them.
So HNY, 2 U and yrs. Thanks for your interest in the Press this past year, and hopefully, you Guys will find it easier to be interested in 2010. I'm making it a core value this year.
Here are some thoughts from Sam T. Chambers and Dr. Bob Rotella, authors of our book Head Case Lacrosse Goalie on making your core values your lifestyle, to help you with your own goals this year:
"Other people can derail you from your quest for success--sometimes they don't mean to get in your way, and sometimes they do. If you have a non-negotiable set of core values in place, choices are easier to make.
Core values are the ways you have decided to live your life to reach your dream. Your core values are as unique as your dream and the map you create to reach it. Core values can be any promise you make yourself [substitute your real grown up values for the youth lacrosse emphasis here] I will practice ground balls twenty minutes every day; I will get eight hours of sleep every night; I will learn from players that I respect by making time to watch them on television, read about them in the newspaper and go to their games whenever possible...the possibilities are endless. Non-negotiable means you are doing it--no matter what. You won't let people talk you out of it....
Your core values give you the mental strength to be in charge of the way you live your life, instead of letting your friends, TV or the Internet tell you who to be."
It's settled. Non-negotiable. In 2010, I will not suck at blogging.
And I will watch my mouth.
You are never to old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
~C.S. Lewis.
full disclosure:. Aforementioned Sam T. Chambers the famous youth lacrosse coach is my husband. I think he's really cute, but that is not why we published his book or why I mention it here. It just seemed pretty pertinent to setting goals for the New Year. He is not paying me or getting anything for this mention, so no worries.
