Shifting Over

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Challenge Yourself From Time to Time

It's important to challenge yourself from time to time.  Sometimes I challenge myself too much, by making things harder than I need too, but that's for discussion another time.  Just as we need short-term, medium and long-term goals, we need small medium and larger challenges that test our assumptions, and maybe our abilities.  There are two challenges I'm embarking I thought I'd share.

The first is, you are reading this blog via Word Press and via my site "Reflections on Leadership".  I've never used Word Press before.  I had been content with Blogger for several years.  But it's time for change.  I want this blog to be more accessible.  I want more people to find and comment on it and learn how I think.  When I first started blogging it was because I had the goal to "go public" with my writing.  It's been rewarding thus far.  Now it's time to step it up.  My goal is to blog more frequently.  My posts may not all be gems.  Some things people will disagree with.  A few may find inspiration.  All of that is good.  It lets me know I'm doing something right.  Those who know me know I like to tinker with things to try to make them better.  That will be very evident with this site as I continue to learn and grow.  What you see today is likely to change.  So subscribe and check back often and share your feedback.

The second challenge is a medium one.  I've decided to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo.  You can read about it here.  Essentially, it's a way to challenge yourself to write 50,000 words in one month.  That's approximately the length of a short novel.  I have not written fiction of any length for a long time.  It's a daunting task when you consider I still have no plot, character development nor theme defined yet.  Also, I've trained myself to make most of my non-fiction writing to be "sound-bite size".  There are many other things I could and some my say should be focusing on that would be a better use of time.  Maybe.  But what fun is that?  Remember, I tend to make challenges for myself.  Already the experience has exposed me to other writers I may have never met, and within a month, if all goes well, I'll have the first draft of my first novel.

What about you?  Have you set a challenge for yourself?  Something a little off the norm that you want to accomplish in 30 days or so.  Think of something that if you're successful will make you beam with a sense of pride.  And if you fall short, you still will have gained knowledge and experience that can help you with other endeavors.