Well, it’s finally happened. After 50 or so posts, I am writing my first ‘keeping you in the loop post’, in other words, a post about not posting.
I’ve agonised over leaving the blog blank while I get my thoughts into gear, or whether to throw out an update, but in realising that I myself go on and on about social media being relational, I can’t not practise what I preach. So, here goes with my first ‘keeping you in the loop’.
Of course, I’m not embarrassed or ashamed about this. In actual fact I’ve received loads of support from you all on my latest projects:
1. He Saved The Day – our church’s first men’s conference, from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October. I’ve helped run loads of women’s conferences but this is the first mens’ one, so it is hard work really thinking through what it is that men want and need to get out of a conference.
2. Like Minds – my first social media conference, a week after He Saved The Day, on Friday 16th October. This is really stretching me beyond what started out as a small idea and has become an international event. The thrill on this is going from an event that existed in concept, to one that now has great speakers, great sponsors, and great buzz.
I’ve also had the pleasure of writing two guest posts, the first on ‘Brand Experience: Real Differentiation‘ for Exeter’s Alder and Alder, and then a post on ‘Innovation Over Tradition‘ for Josh Chandler.
On top of that, I’ve got a few other things brewing, as well as some serious business thought with help from Jim and Robin, as I documented the other week, meaning in all, I’m quite a busy boy.
And, on top of that, I have the unfortunate confession that whilst my GTD system has held up under intense pressure before, these last two weeks since being back from holiday have been a hard slog and my system has not quite kept it together, and has become (in my English understatement) a little bit overgrown.
What I’m realising in all of this is how vital it is to deliver the basics well. And in times like this, you need good disciplines to help you focus on delivering those basics well, and not get caught up into the hype of activity and buzz without being firm in your foundations.
And I’m also realising that you really do need strong convictions that have become actions to set daily routines that help keep you focussed, on target, and performing the necessary tasks with excellence.
I do have some really great things to write about this week, so do keep in touch. And if you’re a reader and have never commented, then do me a big favour, and make me feel loved.
2009 ended and 2010 began with two huge headlines for the mainstream adoption of Digital and Social Medias, on the back of what I documented last week as what I consider will be looked back on as a landmark case study with Rage Against The Machine’s Christmas Number 1 victory over the X-Factor. I’ll go into some analysis in a moment, but first, here are the headlines: