483 versus 500

Pixabay

The other day I decided to count the number of blogs I’ve written over the years and the current count is 483*. What was interesting about this exercise is my first thought wasn’t that this is a respectable body of work or to simply reflect how far I have come, but rather“500 blogs would be a more satisfying number”.

As I reflect on the journey to get to 483, I can still remember early on in my blogging efforts being questioned (in a rather aggressive way) why I would write blogs instead of doing other things to drive my business interests forward. Answers such as proving domain expertise, developing content for my social channels, improving my writing skills, and attempting something I had never done before were met with skepticism. Still I kept blogging. One person, who worked for a UK Newspaper said my writing style was, “comfortable; like falling into soft pillows”. And still I kept blogging.

500 blogs now hangs in the air. Why is 483 not good enough? It’s 96.6 % of 500, and on a test that would be impressive by anyone’s standards. Is it because of some misguided sensibility for even numbers or that 500 seems more powerful in some way? I think it simple reflects a desire to progress.

prog·ress

noun /ˈpräɡrəs/ forward or onward movement toward a destination

verb /prəˈɡres/move forward or onward in space or time.

As a noun or a verb, it speaks to forward or onward movement and with it, the opportunity to develop the discipline, actions, and character for growth. The underlying golden rule of any progress is you need a goal; something to move you toward. And for the pessimists in the group, yes goals are also involved to regress, but most people who are stagnating tend not to realize the goal they have set for themselves. Progress is growth, and a growth journey is where the joy and fulfillment are found; even when the goal is a challenge. Stagnation not so much.

Ultimately the idea of 500 blogs was a result of an innate desire I have to progress; to keep moving the bar, to keep growing — to keep the journey going! And if you are saying to yourself, “500 blogs is really more of an objective”, you would be correct. In the end though, like a goal, it’s just another tool for moving forward.

Progress is everything and maybe really the only thing for a successful journey. And to that end, I have an objective to bench press 200 lbs by the end of the year — if I’m having a good day and my shoulder isn’t bothering me, I think I have a shot. No matter what… PROGRESS!

iamgpe

*the 483 does not include anything I have written for others.

"How are you doing?"

Decades of sitting behind desks, in airplanes or in a car has blessed me with very tight hips which, when not tended to, can be a crippling and painful proposition until the anti-inflammatories kick in. One of my preventative strategies is to walk each and every day which not only helps me deal with the bane of my existence but also gives me an opportunity to enjoy the neighbourhood, and its cast of characters (myself included).

The bows in his legs reminded me of cowboy caricature, like a cartoon character you would find each Saturday morning shooting his way through the wild wild, west; the six-shooter in each hand however had been replaced with canes. It was obvious as I approached each step was a painful venture and as I passed him I nodded and habitually asked, “How are you doing?”

I heard him quietly reply, “I’m not doing as well as you are”.

I will admit this was a number of weeks ago and I’m still trying to unpack and understand the response — was I surprised with his boldness for not offering up the obligatory response to a stranger, was it the realization that my sporadic mobility issues pale in comparison to real challenges, was it a reminder that perspective is everything, or maybe simply that life is sometimes an unfair proposition. In the end, the interaction has reminded me that success and happiness need to be aligned with personal benchmarks.

I can only speculate what his answer would have been if we had met as I hobbled along piloted by an anti-inflammatory haze; probably something different would be my guess. None of this is meant to discount the challenges we all face as we make our way but I think this is a nice example of the importance for measuring to internal milestone because as we all know, at any given time, you can always find someone who is richer, smarter, prettier, faster, healthier or stronger… just check out your social media feeds. “How are you doing?” (or in a slightly wordier form“How is the progress to your goals going?”) can only be measured against the milestones you set for yourself, and these become the reference points when you are looking for the answer. Remember the operative word in this question is “you” and it is “your” progress.

Looking for outside references simply surrenders ownership, and as you probably know, there can only be one owner. It’s best that it’s you.

iamgpe

PS: I hope everyone is doing well and everything is going according to plan!