People like us do things like this

I had the pleasure of attending the Real Skills Virtual Conference yesterday. It’s described by the conference producers as a “worldwide conference for people who care about the work they do.” Who are the producers? None other than Seth Godin’s Akimbo workshops.

This isn’t my first rodeo with Akimbo or participating with Seth and the community he has created. It is full of people who are really up to producing something of value in the world. It’s not a community where ‘hiding’ is the norm. “What are you up to?” and “How can I help you get there?” are two very frequent questions from this group. Add a nudge here, a bit of generosity there and a passing comment on a thread as a part of the conference follow up found me spending a chunk of my Saturday getting this blog up and running.

Its something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’ve thought about the blog; I’ve even mentioned it to friends. But posting about it in the thread titled “Small Commitments” generated a response from one participant asking “What are the three small steps you can commit to in the next three days to get the ball rolling out of hiding and into the world?”

Wow.

Things just got real. No more talking. No more hiding. No more story. Do something.

I listed three things I would do to get this blog rolling: 1. pull out the WordPress book and am working on the set up the site. One small step daily. 2. Work out the focus of the blog and answer the question “What is it for?” 3. …and I’m blocking daily time…the habit is more important than “polish.”

The look isn’t “perfect” and I’ve got more to do, but it’s “good enough” to get started. I’ve got this….my first “real post” up. That progress is worth the entire cost (in both time and money) for the workshop.

A huge thank you to Rick Kitagawa, Enrika Greathouse, Carolyn Hestand Kennedy, Jeb Dickerson, and everyone else participating in the “Small Commitments” thread. You made a difference.

People like us do things like this.