Think of a number, any number...
I notice it's Reflection Week, so I'm not going to reflect on everything I haven't posted on yet (I could ironically say 'think of a number again', but I won't!) because that's what I'll use this week for.
What I am going to reflect on just now is general trends (perhaps) in how people are finding it all as a sideways approach to Thing 2 done a bit later than most! I thought of a fairly low number, and I went through the CPD23 alphabetic list of blogs applying that number and reading every 'x' blog accordingly. Some I read everything on, others just the more recent parts. I wanted a 'feel' for how people were finding it all (as well as being interested in what they were saying) that was systematic but wasn't about sector or geography.
So how does my sample break down?
The Waste Land or Waiting For The Return
This category is kind of shells of blogs created for the process but without content or blogs which only have a couple of posts in general relating to very early Things (circa 1-4). Mostly what I get from these is hope (posting about Thing 1 and why they were doing it and what they wanted from it) and enthusiasm (Things involving exploring various social tools / online profile and discussing what they used and how). And then there's emptiness / drought.
I don't think this is at all unusual, I would suspect there's far more 'Waste Land' blogs than 'Green And Verdant Valley' blogs around on the internet generally. Because people fail to find the time, or get stuck, or feel too much time has passed to go back, or have unrealistic expecations about how much or often they should blog, or get discouraged or priorities change, or encounter all kinds of other problems. It's a general thing, not unique to any individual.
But what I see mostly is the hope and enthusiasm. So if those folk think that somehow everyone else is marching relentlessly and immaculately on, then maybe this post is for you. They're not necessarily, and you really can go back to it if you want to.
Perhaps Slightly Erratic But Holding On In There
This is a large category of which I claim Esteemed Membership, and I think it's generally reassuring too! People are doing it in all kinds of different ways to slightly different patterns in order to fit it in. Whether that's 'good' weeks and a few 'bad' weeks and catch-up, or whether it's doing one post to cover various 'Things' or skipping some that seem less relevant or just in order to 'keep even' with the schedule... or changing the order around a wee bit, or doing it in order but not quite to the overall timetable. A category that speaks to my heart indeed!
The Green and Verdant Valley
This is a fairly smallish category of my sample of folk who are managing to do every Thing to time, in order, and if they're frothing at the mouth at all in doing so are hiding it very well(!!)
Why did I do the sample?
Simply put because I'm 'erratic' contingent and was wincing at how many Things behind I was and I noticed I hadn't even posted on Thing 2! I was fairly sure there'd be a lot like me nonetheless (always reassuring!).
Conclusion
For anyone who sees a 'Reflection' week as 'Catch-up Opportunity', I'd give it a go....! If you want reassured, try just Thinking Of A Number and applying it. If nothing else you'll read lots of interesting blogs in the process.
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