Reflecting back on what has been a month since I was in the hospital, it was clear I needed to make some changes in a lot of facets of my life to get into the right head space to not only be successful as a human being but also be a good leader and provider for all of you here.
It's been quite a crazy month of appointments, utilizing the different changes I've made and being sure I am present here.
While I won't get into everything, maybe someday I will share the longer story, I will share the kind of changes I'm making which only make me better here. I assure you, you'll see very little dropoff.
- Going for a walk: It sounds so silly but I have been walking almost every single day and it's amazing how uncluttered your head feels after you're done. I always said I was too busy to take 15-20 minutes of my day to detach myself. Don't listen to that side. A walk has been incredible for me and I have seen the benefits.
- It's OK to take time away: I am trying to retrain my mind that it's OK to take time away from this site and focus on yourself. I would feel guilty about not being around or even freak out when I planned a vacation to Australia (which I had to reschedule to March). I had to do it by default in the hospital and I have a great team who is very capable of handling things in my absence. I am trying to take more breaks away from the message boards, away from social media and invest it into myself and my mind. That doesn't mean I am inaccessible or completely ghost, I am always near my phone and check in even if I don't post or respond to a discussion. If something big happens, I am there. If there's a little bit of a lull, I allow myself time to unplug.
- Stop obsessing: The obsession I had over numbers, content and other things had a very firm grip on me. I thoroughly believed it would drive me to an early grave if I kept on the current path. I can't control the uncontrollable. What I can control the effort I put in, the content we provide and the community we are fostering here. If there's a day where content is light, I'm good with that. As long as we're not ignoring big stories or simply not doing the work, I am good with what comes next. We've always been a proponent of no-BS when it comes to stories. No clickbait, no fluff, etc. If that means we're lighter on content to follow that golden rule, I'm going to be ok. No more feeling guilty if things are slow from a content standpoint.
- Kick ass: This one is the most important for me. Even though I am taking steps to avoid being chronically online, I am still going to be the same me. Still going to work hard for you, still going to be on top of the stories and information you deserve if you choose us. I am going to kick ass for you and always will. I don't care if we're first, third or 102nd when posting something. All I care about is being right and accurate. I am holding myself to a high standard and that will never change. I am just making some tweaks to be a better person so the standard doesn't have to change.
Sorry, that was a novel but a lot of people have been reaching out privately asking me how I've been or telling me they are happy to see me back. Just wanted to say I appreciate all of it. It truly means a lot to me. The team we've built here is strong and I trust them with everything.
We're building something special here. I truly believe it.
It's been quite a crazy month of appointments, utilizing the different changes I've made and being sure I am present here.
While I won't get into everything, maybe someday I will share the longer story, I will share the kind of changes I'm making which only make me better here. I assure you, you'll see very little dropoff.
- Going for a walk: It sounds so silly but I have been walking almost every single day and it's amazing how uncluttered your head feels after you're done. I always said I was too busy to take 15-20 minutes of my day to detach myself. Don't listen to that side. A walk has been incredible for me and I have seen the benefits.
- It's OK to take time away: I am trying to retrain my mind that it's OK to take time away from this site and focus on yourself. I would feel guilty about not being around or even freak out when I planned a vacation to Australia (which I had to reschedule to March). I had to do it by default in the hospital and I have a great team who is very capable of handling things in my absence. I am trying to take more breaks away from the message boards, away from social media and invest it into myself and my mind. That doesn't mean I am inaccessible or completely ghost, I am always near my phone and check in even if I don't post or respond to a discussion. If something big happens, I am there. If there's a little bit of a lull, I allow myself time to unplug.
- Stop obsessing: The obsession I had over numbers, content and other things had a very firm grip on me. I thoroughly believed it would drive me to an early grave if I kept on the current path. I can't control the uncontrollable. What I can control the effort I put in, the content we provide and the community we are fostering here. If there's a day where content is light, I'm good with that. As long as we're not ignoring big stories or simply not doing the work, I am good with what comes next. We've always been a proponent of no-BS when it comes to stories. No clickbait, no fluff, etc. If that means we're lighter on content to follow that golden rule, I'm going to be ok. No more feeling guilty if things are slow from a content standpoint.
- Kick ass: This one is the most important for me. Even though I am taking steps to avoid being chronically online, I am still going to be the same me. Still going to work hard for you, still going to be on top of the stories and information you deserve if you choose us. I am going to kick ass for you and always will. I don't care if we're first, third or 102nd when posting something. All I care about is being right and accurate. I am holding myself to a high standard and that will never change. I am just making some tweaks to be a better person so the standard doesn't have to change.
Sorry, that was a novel but a lot of people have been reaching out privately asking me how I've been or telling me they are happy to see me back. Just wanted to say I appreciate all of it. It truly means a lot to me. The team we've built here is strong and I trust them with everything.
We're building something special here. I truly believe it.
