Thursday, May 11, 2006

Thursday 13, Blog Goals Edition

Today I list 13 things I want to do with this blog.

Every organization can use a mission statement that answers the question, “Why do we exist?” Today’s Thursday 13 thrashes around with that question for this blog. It doesn’t answer it, but it lays out a set of thoughts about why I’m doing this. I’m not quite sure where this will lead, but the exercise itself will help clarify the matter.

1. Learn from others about life. Jake Silver, Lawman, Arizona Cheesehead and Angel lead lives very different from mine. They have expanded my horizons tremendously. I vicariously live tiny parts of their lives through their blogs.

2. Teach my children about communicating. When you are trying to make a point, what’s the best way to do it?

3. Learn about charitable organizations first hand. Because I blog, I can advertise myself as a citizen-journalist and get access to their events.

4. Publicize acts of kindness. The world is not what you see on TV nor hear on the radio. All the shouting and reading from police blotters warps our perception of the world as a dangerous place filled with evil. It simply isn’t reality.

5. Attempt to prove that kindness is profitable. The best salespeople become their customers’ teammates. Who ever heard of a good teammate who was unkind to you?

6. Encourage calm conversations. Rage and vitriol can be exciting in the short run, but of limited long term value. Anger is appropriate when dealing with nihilistic maniacs like Zarqawi, but hardly fitting when discussing George Bush or Hillary Clinton.

7. Keep current with technology. Once upon a time I was a scientist and an engineer. Now I’m a marketer. Blogging helps me keep up to date.

8. Improve my business case analysis skills. I learn best by doing things. I’m trying to use this blog to examine the world through the lens of a businessman.

9. Improve my marketing skills. Getting people to read your blog is an act of marketing. What do readers want and how can I deliver it?

10. Make social connections through the blogosphere. For all practical purposes, the connections across the blogosphere are infinite. Who can I reach today?

11. Improve my writing skills. Tighter, cleaner, crisper. I find that I have to go back two and three times over my posts to remove excess words.

12. Make readers smile. Hopefully I can blog with humor.

13. Hear what you have to say.

That’s all for this week. Please visit my weekly World of Good posts if you get a chance. Links to those are always gratefully accepted!

Other Thursday 13 Sites

Pupski
Cheryl
Jackie
Eve
Mandy
Mar

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9 comments:

Julia said...

very good goals!

Cheryl said...

ditto!
Nice one. :-)

Jackie said...

Wow, you've really thought that through. It never even crossed my mind to have goals for blogging beyond "write something every day".

Anonymous said...

happy thursday,, it's a great thing to have goals in life

Anonymous said...

I've never thought of it that way. I suppose there's a goal to reach whatever we do in life.. including blogging :)

MaR said...

You have a very clever perspective. Happy TT and happy blogging!

Nature Girl said...

What a great list of goals. I too have learned much through my blog friends. I agree..anger is often misplaced and rarely solves anything (paraphrasing of course) ;) Great TT, Mine is up too. Stacie

Nature Girl said...

What a great list of goals. I too have learned much through my blog friends. I agree..anger is often misplaced and rarely solves anything (paraphrasing of course) ;) Great TT, Mine is up too. Stacie

YellowRose said...

Great list and great goals!!

Happy Thursday!