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	<title>Life's An Adventure | ChrisMarsden.com</title>
	
	<link>http://chrismarsden.com</link>
	<description>The Everyday Real Life Adventures of Chris Marsden</description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy… And Some Blogs You Should Be Reading</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/503582235/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/how-to-read-blogs-without-going-crazy-and-some-blogs-you-should-be-reading/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[apple gazette]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chris Brogan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[dilbert]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[feed reader]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[GTD]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Jon Swanson]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[newspaper]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[rss]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ypulse]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=111</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Blog reading has been the joy and plague of my life for the last couple years. I truly enjoying catching up with people, news and ideas from all over the world, but at times, my blogreader feels like an obligation that I am just not interested.

The last couple weeks I have had the whole family [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/69716477/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/69716477/');"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/20/69716477_625f5e5383.jpg" alt="" width="265" height="500" /></a>Blog reading has been the joy and plague of my life for the last couple years. I truly enjoying catching up with people, news and ideas from all over the world, but at times, my blogreader feels like an obligation that I am just not interested.</p>

<p>The last couple weeks I have had the whole family at home because of Christmas break. Needless to say, I have been less than productive. When I get this far behind on reading blogs, I use a little productivity trick to get myself back to current. I treat my blog reader like old unread newspapers. I throw a bunch out, skim some of the others, and move on to the present. Best part of it is I can &#8220;be green&#8221; without having to recycle.</p>

<p>Just think about it. You go on vacation for a few weeks (or even a few days) and get back to a pile of newspapers. Who in their right mind is going to stop and read every word (or even any words) from old news. But because of the persistent nature of the web, we seem to think that anything we didn&#8217;t get to HAS to be gotten to. And we find ourselves with another inbox that never quite reaches zero.</p>

<h3>Organizing My Feedreader</h3>

<p>So starting today (first business day of 2009), I am reorganizing my feedreader. I cleaned it out the other day and now its time to lump things into workable chunks.</p>

<p>Up until this point, I have had my feeds primarily organized by topic/connection. And I primarily read them by that organizational system. I would read all my Apple related posts, then my social media posts, then my writing posts, etc&#8230; </p>

<p>But in real life, this isn&#8217;t remotely how I read content. Ocassionally, I will read a magazine cover to cover, but generally I consume print media with a but more discernment. Let&#8217;s look at how I read the newspaper (when I bother reading the newspaper) as an example.</p>

<ol>
<li><p><strong>Comics first, right?!?</strong> Ok&#8230; not always, but I do read the comics first in my feedreader, and depending on mood, it is either the first or last thing I read in a physical paper as well (also depends on whether my wife has already snagged that section). Nothing like starting your day with Dilbert and Pearls Before Swine.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Front Page.</strong> First headlines, then front page portion of the story, then follow anything that interests me.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Editorial Page.</strong> This is where the best writers of that particular paper are typically writing. This is also where ideas are discussed instead of just facts being reported. The better the paper, the better the editorial section.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>First Page of Each Section.</strong> Repeat step two for each section of the paper. Depending on how much time I have, I may limit this to just one or two sections or I may read all of them. Keep in mind, I am not necessarily interested in all of them, but I skim over all of them to help make/keep me a balanced person. Who wants to talk to someone who only knows a ton about one topic.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Columnists.</strong> I have never read any one newspaper consistently enough to have any favorite columnists, but I think they could go 3, 4, or 5, depending on mood and who they are. Some of the &#8220;columnists&#8221; in my newsreader get read with the &#8220;editorials&#8221; while others get left to the end. And mood is definitely a factor in whether I read them. This might be the one section, though, that I would save until another time/day to read anyways, even if I ran out of time. They are <em>people</em> who I care about and I want to know what they have to say.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>That&#8217;s It.</strong> Usually, this is the end of my newspaper reading. On rare occasions, I will go back and read some of the little articles buried in each section. If I have the time, I start back with section 1, then the local section, then as mood/time permits. If I&#8217;m busy, I might only get through the first couple steps.</p></li>
</ol>

<h3>So back to my feedreader&#8230;</h3>

<p>One of the joys of the Internet vs. traditional media&#8217;s printed papers is that I get to decide the sections and what is included in them. I get to decide who makes the &#8220;front page&#8221; and what&#8217;s below the fold. So for 2009, I&#8217;m thinking about lumping everything into four broad categories.</p>

<ol>
<li><p><strong>Comics</strong> (of course)</p></li>
<li><p><strong>First thing:</strong> This would be 2, 3, &amp; 4 from above. I will probably subcategorize within here (like sections of the newspaper). Most days, I&#8217;ll skim and read as one large category, but just like busy days means step 4 gets skipped above, the same will be true here. For me, this is one of the first things I do each morning (hence the name)</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Must Reads:</strong> This would be the columnists of my world. People whose thoughts and opinions I want/need to read and are worth saving a few days if I don&#8217;t have time to read them right away.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Maybes:</strong> Just like the newspaper, the web is full of content that is worth reading if you have time, but certainly isn&#8217;t pressing if you don&#8217;t have time. </p></li>
</ol>

<h3>Now What</h3>

<p>So first thing in the morning, skim/flag/bookmark/read the First thing category. All the way to zero. And read the comics of course. Then as I have time and/or schedule some time (like while I&#8217;m eating lunch), read through the Must Reads and skim/flag/bookmark/read the Maybes.</p>

<p>At the end of everyday I will have already read my First Thing category to zero, which means anything new is new for tomorrow. Must reads can keep for a few days. And the maybes get one last skim before all being marked as read to be zero and fresh for the new day tomorrow.</p>

<p>No matter how great a writer is, I can&#8217;t leave their stuff unread forever. So once a week or so, I mark everything older than 7 days old as read, no matter which category it falls into or who wrote it. At a certain point, old is old and it&#8217;s time to move on.</p>

<h3>Blogs You Should Be Reading</h3>

<p>These are just 4 sites you should be subscribed to and reading regularly (1 for each category above). What particular category you put each in will depend on your interests and job obligations, but here&#8217;s my list.</p>

<ol>
<li><p><a href="http://dilbert.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://dilbert.com');">Dilbert</a> - If you are geeky enough to have read my post about productive and blog feeds, you are probably already reading Dilbert. If not&#8230; why not?</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://chrisbrogan.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrisbrogan.com');">Chris Brogan</a> - Chris is one of <em>the</em> social media guys on the planet you should be following. He generally writes original pieces that fall into either the  front page or editorial categories.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://levite.wordpress.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://levite.wordpress.com');">Jon Swanson</a> - Jon is definitely one of my &#8220;columnists&#8221;. I try to read everything Jon writes because beyond being a great writer and thinker, he is a good friend. If you are alive, you should probably being reading his blog since he writes about life.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://ypulse.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://ypulse.com');">YPulse</a> - At one point, YPulse would have made my front page category. With my current life/interests, it is probably high on the list of blogs to check if there is time. If you are working with teens or marketing to teens, it should be high on your Front Page.</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://applegazette.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://applegazette.com');">AppleGazette</a> - I know I said four, but I couldn&#8217;t leave out AppleGazette. It migrates between categories 2, 3, &amp; 4 depending on the time of year and my stress level, but it is the only Apple site that I consistently read and never think about deleting. Michael does a good job of balancing Apple news, reviews, and rumors while developing a good community and not coming across as one of <em>those</em> mac fans. With MacWorld coming up, it is definitely a Front Page site for me right now.</p></li>
</ol>

<h3>What about you?</h3>

<p>Have you found a better way to organize your feed reader? Do have any must read sites you&#8217;d add to my list? Let me know what you think. And please, point out any flaws or improvements you see in my suggested system. I can certainly tweak it if it means being more productive.</p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

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		<title>Sites Almost Done and Migrated</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/501047996/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/sites-almost-done-and-migrated/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2009 02:35:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[ArchivedPosts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">3.869</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is primarily a test post, but the sites are almost done and files are moving.

Random Posts

A Return to Text Editing and Markdown (0)ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again) (0)A New Adventure (Part two) (0)A New Adventure (0)Teaching the Little Things (0)A Quick Look Back at 2008 (3)How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy&#8230; And Some Blogs [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is primarily a test post, but the sites are almost done and files are moving.</p>

<h3>Random Posts</h3>

<ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/');" title="A Quick Look Back at 2008">A Quick Look Back at 2008 (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/');" title="Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started">Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/');" title="A New Adventure (Part two)">A New Adventure (Part two) (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/');" title="And 2009 Begins">And 2009 Begins (1)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/7-things-about-chris-marsden/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/7-things-about-chris-marsden/');" title="7 Things About Chris Marsden">7 Things About Chris Marsden (1)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/how-to-read-blogs-without-going-crazy-and-some-blogs-you-should-be-reading/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/how-to-read-blogs-without-going-crazy-and-some-blogs-you-should-be-reading/');" title="How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy&#8230; And Some Blogs You Should Be Reading">How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy&#8230; And Some Blogs You Should Be Reading (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure/');" title="A New Adventure">A New Adventure (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/on-meeting-rockstars/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/on-meeting-rockstars/');" title="On Meeting Rockstars">On Meeting Rockstars (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/');" title="ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again)">ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again) (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/');" title="A Return to Text Editing and Markdown">A Return to Text Editing and Markdown (0)</a></li></ul>
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		<item>
		<title>A Return to Text Editing and Markdown</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/500478029/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:35:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[markdown]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[text edit]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[textmate]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[textwrangler]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[wordpress]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[workflow]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Early in my adventures in blogging while digging into productivity sites and tools I discovered the joys of plain text and Markdown. When I found out that WordPress could decode my Markdown with a simple plugin, I was hooked.

Except, I really wanted to find a tool that allowed me to write, edit, and post my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Early in my adventures in blogging while digging into productivity sites and tools I discovered the joys of plain text and <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/');">Markdown</a>. When I found out that WordPress could decode my <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/');">Markdown</a> with a simple plugin, I was hooked.</p>

<p>Except, I really wanted to find a tool that allowed me to write, edit, and post my blog posts automatically. With a text editor, I was forced to cut and paste every article from my text editor to the new post tab of Word Press. And then, later, when I would decide a post needed editing, I was either out of sync, or I had to perform more cut and paste action.</p>

<p>At some point I got a copy of <a href="http://macromates.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://macromates.com/');">TextMate</a>. It quickly became my favorite and replaced TextWrangler for my everyday text editor. Meanwhile, I download and demoed various blog editing software, eventually settling for just writing and editing posts directly in WordPress.</p>

<p>And then, today, I discovered a <em>bundle</em> for <a href="http://macromates.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://macromates.com/');">TextMate</a> that gave me the tools I needed to write, edit, and publish my posts all from within my text editor. And, of course, <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/');">Markdown</a> is still built in. Of course my Markdown syntax is a little rusty at this point, but CTRL + H quickly gives me a cheat sheet.</p>

<p>I still long for the perfect offline blog editing tool, ideally one that handles Word Press Custom fields so I don&#8217;t have to tweak anything after I hit publish. Until then, this is a huge step towards an <em>easy</em> workflow that allows me to focus more on my words than my format.</p>

<p>What do you use to author your blog?</p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

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		<item>
		<title>And 2009 Begins</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/500405727/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:35:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[2009]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[commitment]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[new year]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[resolutions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s that time of year again. A new beginning, a fresh slate. We&#8217;ve looked back and reflected on the last year and we&#8217;re beginning to look forward to and plan for the new year.

For much of my life, New Year&#8217;s came and went without much thought or reflection. The August to June schedule of being [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s that time of year again. A new beginning, a fresh slate. <a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/');">We&#8217;ve looked back</a> and reflected on the last year and we&#8217;re beginning to look forward to and plan for the new year.</p>

<p>For much of my life, New Year&#8217;s came and went without much thought or reflection. The August to June schedule of being in school meant January 1 (and Christmas break) was just the halfway pause before the final laps. But as jobs have changed and I&#8217;ve gotten older, the new year has become a great time for reflection and planning. It is just 23 short days before my birthday and another year slipping by.</p>

<p>Yesterday I took a little <a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/');">look back on the last year</a> and today I looked back on my New Year posts for the last few years (<a href="http://archives.chrismarsden.com/the-first-post-of-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://archives.chrismarsden.com/the-first-post-of-2008/');">2008</a>, <a href="http://archives.chrismarsden.com/i-am-resolved-for-the-new-year/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://archives.chrismarsden.com/i-am-resolved-for-the-new-year/');">2007</a>, <a href="http://archives.chrismarsden.com/life/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://archives.chrismarsden.com/life/');">2006</a>). A lot has happened in just a few short years. No wonder things feel a bit chaotic and confusing these days.</p>

<p>So 2009 has begun, and I am looking forward to another new year. A new adventure. A new story. I&#8217;ve redesigned (and completely reinstalled) my blogs. I&#8217;ve begun some behind the scenes work on some potentially huge new projects. I&#8217;ve done the looking back and its time to do some looking forward.</p>

<h3>Resolutions</h3>

<p>This is the word most people are using this time of year. They are making New Year&#8217;s resolutions and setting goals they can&#8217;t seem to keep. In addition to often being impossibly large goals, they tend to be focused on fixing negative behaviors. I have a few of these of course (lose weight, get active), but after the negatives of the last two years (and my unsuccessful resolutions), I don&#8217;t want to start this year with:
1. Lose 20 lbs (or else)
2. Walk 2 miles per day (or else)
3. Go down a pant size (or else)</p>

<p>Of course the or else is mine to inflict and what the or else really becomes is complete your resolutions or else you are a failure. Who wants to start a new year (a blank slate) with nothing but the possibility for failure.</p>

<h3>Plans</h3>

<p>So I am making plans for success. Not necessarily the kind of success that the American Dream is all about, but success that leads to my family being health and content in where we are.</p>

<p>In early 2007 I met Alex McManus and Dean Sharp and was introduced to Voxtropolis and the IMN. This revolutionized my views on the future of Art and Music and the Church. And yet, as key as those relationships have played in my development as a person, a musician, and a follower of Christ, I have not been able to find the time or energy to stay involved and make a difference in that movement. Maybe it was only meant to be a part the learning experiment of the last 2 years or maybe it is a part of my future. It is time to make the decision and commit one way or the other.</p>

<p>The last couple years of my life have involved a ton of non-profit volunteering and donations that, due to the nature of how I gave the items/money/time, did not lead to a tax deduction. In addition to that, I have found myself wanting to do things and getting shot down because I am either an individual or a for-profit company, not a 501c3 non-profit. So one of my plans for 2009 is to incorporate a 501c3 non-profit so that my efforts will help my taxes and can be expanded into other areas. (You can actually help me raise the startup funds.)</p>

<p>Develop <a href="http://nomorebox.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://nomorebox.com');">No More Box</a> into the company I planned it to be when I started it two years ago. To be fair, I have walked a rather windy road since then and have had a few legitimate distractions. But a lot of the reasons it is not what it should be is simply that I haven&#8217;t given it the time and attention it needs. No More Box is about helping people and small businesses realize that there is no box. They don&#8217;t need to think outside the box, they just need to realize it isn&#8217;t there to begin with, now go do what you need to do. If it&#8217;s true for other people, it should probably be true for me.</p>

<p>A lot of my initial huge traffic at ChrisMarsden.com came from a series of GTD posts I wrote about Kinkless (precursor to OmniFocus) and productivity theory in general. While I have not always been as organized as I would like, productivity is one of those areas that I have had good success with consulting/coaching others. I am an office supply junky and have helped people tweak and tune their own personal organizational system. And yet, at some point, I quit writing about it and quit practicing it in my own life. Time to puts some focus on productivity.</p>

<p>When I was young I spent a ton of time in the outdoors. I was a boy scout who camped 7-10 weekends a year. I owned several sailboats and started water-skiing in high school. I snorkeled. I regularly biked 15-20 miles a week. I walked a mile and half to the bus stop every morning. And now I spend a lot of time indoors. So 2009 is going to bring about more camping, more bike riding, more time at the park, and more time in my backyard.</p>

<h3>Commitments</h3>

<p>I guess for me the new year is a time to renew commitments. Not commitments to weight-loss or quitting bad habits. Not even, necessarily, commitments to the kinds of plans I&#8217;ve made for this year. But a renewal of those core commitments that help make up my identity as a person. A commitment to those things that, even if I lost and failed at everything else, would still be the primary commitments of my life.</p>

<p>So to my wife and to my girls, I am yours. Hopefully 2009 will be smoother/easier/better than 2008, but no matter the details I am yours.</p>

<p>The last 2 years have been a pilgrimage away from &#8220;ministry&#8221; and &#8220;the church&#8221; and yet it has been a journey closer and closer, step by step, to the heart of God. And while this next year looks as if it may be a bit of a return towards the institutional church and ministry in a traditional sense, regardless of the details, I am committed, more than ever, to discovering and journeying towards the heart of God.</p>

<h3>How About You</h3>

<p>Have you made resolutions for the new year? What about plans for what you might be doing this next year? Have you made any new commitments or renewed the ones that matter? I hope that you start 2009 with a plan for success and a commitment to the things that matter, no matter the details.</p>

<p><strong>Photo Credits:</strong>
<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/toniphotos/340201106/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://flickr.com/photos/toniphotos/340201106/');"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/340201106_2b52865833_s.jpg" alt="Photo CC by Toni_V" />Photo CC by Toni_V</a></p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

<ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/');" title="A Quick Look Back at 2008">A Quick Look Back at 2008 (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/7-things-about-chris-marsden/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/7-things-about-chris-marsden/');" title="7 Things About Chris Marsden">7 Things About Chris Marsden (1)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/');" title="Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started">Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/');" title="A New Adventure (Part two)">A New Adventure (Part two) (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/');" title="ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again)">ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again) (0)</a></li></ul>
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		<title>A Quick Look Back at 2008</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/499098444/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:17:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[2008]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=88</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wow&#8230; What a year. I am not sure where to begin except at the beginning (aka&#8230; January). These are just a handful of the events of the last year.



January
2007 began with the ball dropping at Gregg&#8217;s old house (my boss at the time). A short while later came him moving, my birthday (30th), and a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wow&#8230; What a year. I am not sure where to begin except at the beginning (aka&#8230; January). These are just a handful of the events of the last year.</p>

<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/675810372/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/675810372/');"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1026/675810372_8c495f7b1a.jpg" alt="Photo CC by WLT photos" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>

<p><strong>January</strong>
2007 began with the ball dropping at Gregg&#8217;s old house (my boss at the time). A short while later came him moving, my birthday (30th), and a new tattoo.</p>

<p><strong>February</strong>
February a year of coffee with Mark (the other Marsden) and my first Humana conference. I MC&#8217;ed the Ocoee leg of the World Music Jam and helped line up some of the talent.</p>

<p><strong>March</strong>
My oldest turned 6. Really helps me start to feel old.</p>

<p>The middle of this month also brought the closing of Garden Music Center. As it turned out, I stayed on with the new owner to be the manager and we shifted focus to a more education centered business model. From the business side of things, the changes were good. Personally, it was a rough few months. I&#8217;m still not sure if I should have stayed, but 18 instructors and almost 300 students still had lessons because I stayed.</p>

<p><strong>April</strong>
Looking back on the few things I wrote in April and all I can say is we were busy. Really, really busy. Somewhere during the month of April I made a plan of what to do professionally once the baby came. I started to make initial steps. And I chickened out. In some ways, I am just now getting around to what I started thinking about in April. If only I still had all the money I&#8217;ve spent in the mean time.</p>

<p><strong>May</strong>
I took a blogging gig with b5media for theaftermac.com. I love the idea of blogging for someone else, but my insanity and some of the changes that came a bit later equalled that it didn&#8217;t last very long. Besides&#8230; as much as I like mac, there is only so much you can write about a product that only changes significantly every couple years and is run by a secretive ego maniac. I think most mac sites are regurgitated crap and I really struggled not to become one of them.</p>

<p><strong>June</strong>
My wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. Pregnant as she was and broke as we were, we just took a night to ourselves. Dinner at Manuel&#8217;s on the 28th. A night in a hotel overlooking Lake Eola.</p>

<p>Later in the month was camp. Camp was a blast, but with my wife 8+ months pregnant, it was a little trying. This was my 4th year as Program Director and third with my current team. This team gets more solid every year. I can&#8217;t wait to see what we put together this next year.</p>

<p><strong>July</strong>
This was the Peak of 2008. Our new baby girl was born. This, of course, changed everything.</p>

<p><strong>August</strong>
With a new baby girl in the house and my wife heading back to work full time (teaching), it was time to look at finding a new job that insured we could pay all the bills and ideally had me home at night.</p>

<p><strong>September</strong>
I started working for Liberty National Life Insurance doing outside sales. This definitely taught me a lot about marketing, branding, and taught me things about sales I thought I already new.</p>

<p><strong>October</strong>
With the Winter Garden Music Fest came my last official days at Garden Music School. That place is such a part of my life education and who I am. Definitely hard to leave, but it was hard to stay without Gregg as well. Ultimately, it was a time/money decision that forced the transition, but still.</p>

<p><strong>November</strong>
After a few months with Liberty National and no big successes (and bills piling up) we decided to pull the little ones out of day care and me devote the bulk of my time to design and marketing endeavors. I have been busy ever since. (But at least my girls are home with me.)</p>

<p>Oh yeah, I also cooked my first Thanksgiving Dinner as my Mother-In-Law had to work all day. Didn&#8217;t go as well as I had hoped, but it wasn&#8217;t my kitchen so I&#8217;ll blame it on that.</p>

<p><strong>December</strong>
My girls quit going to daycare, I met some rockstars, and I made steady behind the scenes progress on my small business. The littlest girl had her first Christmas and I went camping with the older two and my parents.</p>

<hr />

<p>It has been a long year. In some ways, it has been one of the best years and it has certainly been one of the hardest. Another girl, shifting finances, a broken van, a new van, a broken air conditioner (in august in florida with a new baby), a new job that never quite pays enough&#8230; you get the idea.</p>

<p>And yet, as we get ready to start the next year, with no idea of how, exactly, we are going to pay all the bills, I can&#8217;t help but feel optimistic.</p>

<p>Maybe you had a better year than I did or maybe yours was worse. Maybe you got everything you had hoped for on Christmas day or maybe you got nothing. One thing I know, if we spend our time focused on the past and the could have, should have, would have kind of thinking, we&#8217;ll get nowhere. But tomorrow holds possibilities. And maybe they are as bad as the last year, but maybe, we can turn the possibilities into something more. At the very least, there is adventure to be had, and I can&#8217;t wait.</p>

<p><strong>Photo Credit:</strong>
<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/675810372/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/675810372/');"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1026/675810372_8c495f7b1a_s.jpg" alt="Photo CC by WTL photos" width="60" height="60" /></a> Photo CC by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/');">WTL photos</a></p>

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		<title>On Meeting Rockstars</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/499070473/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/on-meeting-rockstars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:19:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Bryan Villarin]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chris Brogan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Dana Wilhoit]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[guitar]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Jeremy Schoemaker]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Jon Swanson]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Modern Mami]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[modernmami]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Rockstars]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[shoemoney]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Ted Murphy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=84</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My life has been lucky, I guess. I have had the opportunity, on several occasions, to meet Rockstars. And yes, I literally mean rockstars and at the same time, I simply mean the famous-ish people who crowds flock after whenever they are seen in public.

One of my best friends is a rockstar. We would go [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/2617926014/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/2617926014/');"><img class="alignleft" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2617926014_9cce0cda49_m.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="180" /></a>My life has been lucky, I guess. I have had the opportunity, on several occasions, to meet Rockstars. And yes, I literally mean <em>rock</em>stars and at the same time, I simply mean the famous-ish people who crowds flock after whenever they are seen in public.</p>

<p>One of my best friends is a rockstar. We would go to conventions or be out working somewhere and people would flock around him, all wanting to say hello, all the while ignoring me as if I was just some intern flunky (I&#8217;m not bitter&#8230; no really.)</p>

<p>In college I sat next to a future rockstar. He would sit and &#8220;take notes&#8221; during class, often oblivious to what the professor was talking about. I have often wondered whether any of those &#8220;notes&#8221; turned out to be a future song. Maybe one of my favorites.</p>

<p>A couple of years ago at a conference, I met THE rockstar of that particular event and all I said was &#8220;Do you know where your brother is?&#8221; His brother is a rockstar is his own right, but since he lives nearby (vs. in LA) and I see him pretty regularly, it seems silly to have missed the opportunity to meet someone new just to find someone I already knew.</p>

<p>And recently, I got to meet a crowd of rockstars from twitter. Guys like <a href="http://chrisbrogan.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrisbrogan.com');">Chris Brogan</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/chrisbrogan" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/chrisbrogan');">@chrisbrogan</a>], <a href="http://shoemoney.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://shoemoney.com');">Jeremy Schoemaker</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/shoemoney" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/shoemoney');">@shoemoney</a>], and <a href="http://www.ted.me/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.ted.me/');">Ted Murphy</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/tedmurphy" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/tedmurphy');">@tedmurphy</a>]. And seriously, these guys are rockstars, but I met (and connected) with a bunch of other people that night who didn&#8217;t have quite the global pull or name recognition, but were just as much rockstars. People like <a href="http://modernmami.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://modernmami.com');">Melanie</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/modernmami" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/modernmami');">@modernmami</a>], <a href="http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/');">Dana</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/dana_wilhoit" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/dana_wilhoit');">@dana_wilhoit</a>], and <a href="http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing');">Susan</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/eggmarketing" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/eggmarketing');">@eggmarketing</a>]. And it got me thinking about the whole rockstar thing in general.</p>

<p><strong>So what makes a Rockstar a rockstar?</strong></p>

<p>Since the easiest way for me to evaluate this term is in its original definition, lets start with Rock and Roll rockstars. What makes a rockstar a rockstar?</p>

<p><strong>Talent?</strong> Um&#8230; no! Do you listen to the radio? A lot of those people clearly lack talent.</p>

<p><strong>Looks?</strong> Maybe&#8230; certainly the pretty people seem to go farther on MTV and American Idol. But really those mediums seem to promote popstars better than rockstars. </p>

<p><strong>Personality? </strong>The right personality, regardless of looks or talent, can turn a mediocre song into an anthem. The right personality can gather a tribe. Of course that is mostly stage personality. A lot of rockstars, like actors, have a great personality in front of the crowd, but many are quiet wall flowers or ego centric jerks. (Not all, obviously, but you know what I mean.)</p>

<p><strong>Luck?</strong> Certainly luck plays a part. The right place at the right time. And the right sound (thought) at the right time. And knowing the right people certainly can&#8217;t hurt. Whether it&#8217;s the music industry or blogging/twitter rockstars, the right connection at the right time can propel you from being big in your local context to huge on a global scale. I know plenty of bands who have struggled to do anything with their career and have seen others become the biggest name in music in just a few years (and often the perpetual local band had more talent.)</p>

<p><strong>Recognition? </strong>So ultimately, the difference between a rockstar and just some guy with a guitar is recognition. Do people care who you are? When people say Bono, is there any question about who we&#8217;re talking about? What about Elvis, Paul, John, George, Ringo, Phil Collins&#8230; </p>

<p>Sometimes a rockstar&#8217;s influence is limited to a particular genre. Not everybody knows James Hetfield&#8217;s name, but the right crowd does. Even fewer know Cliff Burton, but that doesn&#8217;t make him less the rockstar.</p>

<p>What about Victor Wooten? If you play bass or listen to jazz you may know, otherwise the name becomes less recognizable. How about Sammy Witness? Now you are getting down to a regional musician with an up and coming following. But if you&#8217;ve seen one of her shows, I guarantee you&#8217;d recognize her the next time you saw her. And the word would spread.</p>

<p><strong>So what can you do?</strong></p>

<p>I think most people think being (and becoming) a rockstar requires some magic formula of talent + looks + personality with a little bit of luck which equals the recognition that defines being a rockstar. And their not entirely wrong, but I think perhaps we have a little more control over this than we allow ourselves.</p>

<p>Ok&#8230; to become a global rockstar on par with Elvis a whole lot of luck along with the talent, looks, and personality that demands that kind of attention, becoming a rockstar is about recognition and one more thing.</p>

<p><strong>Value!</strong> The great rockstars in the history of Rock and Roll not only were recognized, they added something of value to the genre (or created a new genre). Knowing who K-fed is, is not the same as K-fed having offered the music industry something worth talking about. There has to be value to what you are offering.</p>

<p>So recognition is a simple as people knowing who you are and value means you are giving those people something worth recognizing you for. And that means we can all be rockstars.</p>

<p>I have met people, face to face, through twitter and through blogging. I have connected online with people who value what I contribute to the global conversation. Others are rockstars in my eyes and I look forward to their <a href="http://levite.wordpress.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://levite.wordpress.com/');">next article</a> or their <a href="http://allnarfedup.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://allnarfedup.com/');">next photograph</a>.</p>

<p>So maybe you are looking for global recognition or perhaps you are content with a small following of local fans, start the new year with a commitment to adding value to world around you. Maybe you&#8217;ll get that lucky break and be a star overnight or maybe, like others, you will have to gain one fan at a time until momentum takes over.</p>

<p><strong>Advice for those wishing to meet rockstars</strong></p>

<p>Let me leave with this <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/open-invitation-for-all-of-you/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.chrisbrogan.com/open-invitation-for-all-of-you/');">little bit of advice that Chris Brogan</a> recorded the night after I got to meet him in Orlando. If you want to meet rockstars, take his advice. And if you want to be a rockstars, Chris could probably give you a few suggestions of how to be a good one.</p>

<p><strong>Photo Credits:
</strong> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilmutent/384401502/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilmutent/384401502/');"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/384401502_07b98d5247_s.jpg" alt="" width="60" height="60" /></a> by <strong><a title="Link to evilmutent's photostream" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilmutent/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilmutent/');">evilmutent</a>     </strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/2617926014/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/2617926014/');"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2617926014_9cce0cda49_s.jpg" alt="" width="60" height="60" /></a> by <a title="Link to .....dotted.....'s photostream" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/colourcrazy/');"><strong>&#8230;..dotted&#8230;..</strong></a></p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

<ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/how-to-read-blogs-without-going-crazy-and-some-blogs-you-should-be-reading/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/how-to-read-blogs-without-going-crazy-and-some-blogs-you-should-be-reading/');" title="How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy&#8230; And Some Blogs You Should Be Reading">How To Read Blogs Without Going Crazy&#8230; And Some Blogs You Should Be Reading (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-return-to-text-editing-and-markdown/');" title="A Return to Text Editing and Markdown">A Return to Text Editing and Markdown (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/photography-is-art-and-social-commentary/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/photography-is-art-and-social-commentary/');" title="Photography Is Art and Social Commentary">Photography Is Art and Social Commentary (0)</a></li></ul>
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		<item>
		<title>7 Things About Chris Marsden</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/485768722/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/7-things-about-chris-marsden/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:26:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[bananakin]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chris Marsden]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Damien Basile]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Dana Willhoit]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[eggmarketing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[friends]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Jen Rose]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Melanie]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[peglegpug]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Susan Payton]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=77</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So I&#8217;ve relaunched ChrisMarsden.com and I am still finishing all the sub pages and details so I thought this would be a great way to help you get to know me, and for me to introduce you to several of my new friends that I have recently been introduced to.


    While I&#8217;ve [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So I&#8217;ve relaunched ChrisMarsden.com and I am still finishing all the sub pages and details so I thought this would be a great way to help you get to know me, and for me to introduce you to several of my new friends that I have recently been introduced to.</p>

<ol>
    <li>While I&#8217;ve been on stage in front of approximately 1200 people I&#8217;ve also taught a &#8220;class&#8221; to 1 middle school student</li>
    <li>I am the cook in my family and am regularly discovering new flavors and dishes. I viewing cooking as an experiment with loose rules and unlimited possibilities. Simple is not only OK, it is preferred.</li>
    <li>Growing up I always had a boat and enjoy sailing more than just about any other thing. We are currently 2-ish hours from the Gulf or Atlantic and are exiled to the lakes of Central Florida.</li>
    <li>I&#8217;ve had success in the past with Fishing, but I mostly can&#8217;t stand it. I love the idea of it and wish I were good at it, but just can&#8217;t get into it.</li>
    <li>I have had a rather diverse variety of jobs in my relatively short working life. Everything from fast-food to retail management, ministry positions to outside sales. The highlight (at least in terms of weird)&#8230; professional Christmas Decorator.</li>
    <li>If I could do anything for a living, I would write all day and give money away.</li>
    <li>I am perpetually looking for the next great project. The next thing to not only make me some money, but keep me busy and make a difference. Currently I am starting a non-profit, developing a WordPress based CMS solution for small businesses and nonprofits, putting together a series of health and safety events, and doing some design and marketing work for a couple of businesses and non-profits. PLUS&#8230; planning for my week of camp, working on reinventing a youth convention, and working with a team to reinvent to music and arts world. But I&#8217;m not too busy&#8230; really&#8230; so if you have any ideas (especially if they pay), let me know.</li>
</ol>

<p>So here is the really cool thing about this particular meme. I was tagged by <a href="http://www.edragonu.ro/7-things-about-me/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.edragonu.ro/7-things-about-me/');">edragonu.ro</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/edragonu" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/edragonu');">@edragonu</a>]. And while he tagged me in the post (as per the rules (see below)), I got the tag notification <a href="http://twitter.com/edragonu/statuses/1058061529" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/edragonu/statuses/1058061529');">via twitter</a>. (And actually <a href="http://tweetlater.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://tweetlater.com');">TweetLater</a> sent me an email to let me know). As busy and disconnected as I have been over the last several days, I may never have discovered that I&#8217;d been tagged at all.</p>

<p>And that got me thinking. I usually don&#8217;t do meme&#8217;s, not because it is a hassle to fill them out, but because I don&#8217;t want to harass anybody else when I tag them. But there are a ton of new people I have met via twitter (and in person because of twitter) and I thought I&#8217;d tag them not only to get the answers and learn a little more about my new friends but to tell you about my new friends too. SO&#8230; in no particular order</p>

<ul>
    <li>Dana Willhoit - <a href="http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/');">http://www.thepressreleasesite.com/</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/Dana_Willhoit" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/Dana_Willhoit');">@Dana_Willhoit</a></li>
    <li>Jen Rose - <a href="http://divinest-sense.blogspot.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://divinest-sense.blogspot.com/');">http://divinest-sense.blogspot.com/</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/jen_rose" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/jen_rose');">@jen_rose</a></li>
    <li>Melanie - <a href="http://modernmami.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://modernmami.com/');">http://modernmami.com/</a> - Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/modernmami" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/modernmami');">@modernmami</a></li>
    <li>Damien Basile - <a href="http://thecauseisthehabit.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://thecauseisthehabit.com/');">http://thecauseisthehabit.com/</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/DamienBasile" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/DamienBasile');">@DamienBasile</a></li>
    <li> peglegpug - <a href="http://peglegpug.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://peglegpug.com/');">http://peglegpug.com/</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/peglegpug" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/peglegpug');">@peglegpug</a></li>
    <li>bananakin - <a href="http://peakarts.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://peakarts.com/');">http://peakarts.com/</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/bananakin" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/bananakin');">@bananakin</a></li>
    <li>Susan Payton - <a href="http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing');">http://www.sparkplugging.com/marketing</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/eggmarketing" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/eggmarketing');">@eggmarketing</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Check out their sites. Follow them on Twitter. And if you want, consider yourself tagged as well, follow the rules below, and leave a comment here with your blog address and twitter address. And don&#8217;t forget to follow me on twitter too [<a href="http://twitter.com/cruciformity" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://twitter.com/cruciformity');">@cruciformity</a>]!</p>

<p><strong>THE RULES:</strong></p>

<ul>
    <li>Link to the original tagger(s), and list these rules on my blog.</li>
    <li>Share 7 facts about myself in the post - some random, some weird.</li>
    <li>Tag 7 people at the end of my post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.</li>
    <li>Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or Twitter.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

<ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/and-2009-begins/');" title="And 2009 Begins">And 2009 Begins (1)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-quick-look-back-at-2008/');" title="A Quick Look Back at 2008">A Quick Look Back at 2008 (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/');" title="Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started">Don&#8217;t Wait For All Your Ducks&#8230; Just Get Started (3)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/');" title="A New Adventure (Part two)">A New Adventure (Part two) (0)</a></li><li><a href="http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/');" title="ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again)">ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again) (0)</a></li></ul>
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		<item>
		<title>Don’t Wait For All Your Ducks… Just Get Started</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/481013353/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/dont-wait-for-all-your-ducks-just-get-started/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:49:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ducks]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[GTD]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=68</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You should see my desk. It is a mess. I mean, A MESS. And really, it is not even a desk. It is a table in the middle of my living room that my monitor and keyboard sit on and I set my laptop on when I&#8217;m working. I need to build my new desk [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 510px"><a class="flickr-image" title="Look left, right and left again..." href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35995738@N00/3095555307/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/35995738@N00/3095555307/');"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/3095555307_da0b6b74ac.jpg" alt="Look left, right and left again..." width="500" height="231" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text"> CC by Effervescing Elephant</p></div></p>

<p>You should see my desk. It is a mess. I mean, A MESS. And really, it is not even a desk. It is a table in the middle of my living room that my monitor and keyboard sit on and I set my laptop on when I&#8217;m working. I need to build my new desk and get this junk out of here.</p>

<p>And then there is my websites. I need to finish them. I need to tweak all the details to make them look good, work well, and provide all the proper information to everyone.</p>

<p>I Need To Get My Ducks In A Row&#8230; Right?!?</p>

<p>Well yes&#8230; and no. I do need to get my desk built/rearranged. Especially since the tree is up now and Christmas is approaching. And I need to finish my websites and not just throw them online half done. Have order to my life always leads to more productivity (this might not apply to you, but it does to me). But sometimes you can&#8217;t wait for all your ducks. You have to just get started.</p>

<p>Two-Minute Rule</p>

<p>Do you remember that whole two-rule in GTD? If it can be done in 2 minutes, just do it. I am buried under two-minute projects. My &#8220;job&#8221; has changed, my workspace is different, and I can&#8217;t dig down to the bottom to start from scratch the way I should. It makes it easy to get discouraged.</p>

<p>And so instead of getting discouraged, instead of digging to the bottom so I can dig my way back up, I am just going to begin.</p>

<p>Long Journey&#8217;s Take Preparation</p>

<p>Some adventures require advanced planning and packing. Without the right tools and the right preparation, the adventure is going to be difficult. You could get lost (or caught in the rain without matches or a cloak). And when possible, that preparation should definitely be done up front&#8230; but what about perpetual procrastination.</p>

<blockquote>I&#8217;ll get married when I can afford it. We&#8217;ll have kids once I get that promotion. I&#8217;ll start my novel when the kids get a little older. I&#8217;ll get back to blogging as soon as I can redesign all my sites and am able to commit to blogging everyday again. I can&#8217;t go out to dinner at the fancy restaurant (your treat) because I already started dinner.</blockquote>

<p><div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><a class="flickr-image" title="Coin-coin sort de l'oeuf 1" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28404335@N08/3096853723/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/28404335@N08/3096853723/');"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/3096853723_75d22dcffa_m.jpg" alt="Coin-coin sort de l'oeuf 1" width="240" height="155" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text"> CC by tany_kely</p></div></p>

<p>Man do we come up with excuses for not joining the adventure. Well for me&#8230; It is time to begin. I&#8217;m hoping some of my ducks catch up. I might have to go back for a few. It may cost me more along the way, but there is no more delay, no more excuses. It is time to just begin.</p>

<p>So what are you procrastinating on? What are you making excuses for not starting? Don&#8217;t wait for New Year&#8217;s to make a resolution. Today is start without the ducks day. It&#8217;s time to begin.</p>

<p><a title="Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License" rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">
</a></p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

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		<item>
		<title>A New Adventure (Part two)</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/481013354/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/a-new-adventure-part-two/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:57:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=64</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The beginning of last summer, I wrote a post about the new adventure I was embarking on. I was excited. I was prepared for anything. And I was scared out of my mind. And so, instead of sticking with the plan and pursuing the summit, I turned back.

When it comes to adventure, tons of people [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 170px"><a class="flickr-image" title="I just realized i forgot to upload this with my alaska pictures" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17294332@N00/3096142948/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/17294332@N00/3096142948/');"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/3096142948_6390a0ea33_m.jpg" alt="I just realized i forgot to upload this with my alaska pictures" width="160" height="240" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text"> by rocktheglobe8</p></div></p>

<p>The beginning of last summer, I wrote a post about the new adventure I was embarking on. I was excited. I was prepared for anything. And I was scared out of my mind. And so, instead of sticking with the plan and pursuing the summit, I turned back.</p>

<p>When it comes to adventure, tons of people turn back. They get close to the summit (or the end of the trail) and something gets in the way. Perhaps a storm sets in and they can&#8217;t move forward. Maybe someone is injured and they have to go for help. For me, it was the what ifs. I got a case of the what ifs and I turned around before ever setting out on the journey.</p>

<p>I had plans for this site, plans to do some other blogging, and plans for my business. I had plans with and for my family. And six months later, I am setting out on that adventure all over again.</p>

<p>Starting this week, I am staying home with my two youngest girls. I will be blogging and designing and hanging out with my girlies. I&#8217;m looking for either a part time evening/night job or, ideally, a regular blogging/social media gig.</p>

<p>Already I have a ton of projects in the hopper and I&#8217;m having a blast with my girls.</p>

<p>So I&#8217;m back on the adventure. It is a long way to the top and I may have to turn around at some point, but at least I&#8217;m on the trail.</p>

<h3>Related Posts</h3>

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		<title>ChrisMarsden.com is Live (again)</title>
		<link>http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ChrisMarsden/~3/481013355/</link>
		<comments>http://chrismarsden.com/chrismarsdencom-is-live-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:16:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Marsden</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chrismarsden.com/?p=62</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well after several changes to the blueprints, partial reconstruction, further blueprint changes, and some hard work and SQL work, ChrisMarsden.com is live again. As part of this latest release of ChrisMarsden.com, NoMoreBox.com will once again have its own private home on the web. Between now and the First of the Year, I will be working [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 250px"><a class="flickr-image" title="Back to Work" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7884518@N04/2144987101/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://www.flickr.com/photos/7884518@N04/2144987101/');"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2144987101_dd8a93361c_m.jpg" alt="Back to Work" width="240" height="240" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text"> by 427</p></div></p>

<p>Well after several changes to the blueprints, partial reconstruction, further blueprint changes, and some hard work and SQL work, ChrisMarsden.com is live again. As part of this latest release of ChrisMarsden.com, NoMoreBox.com will once again have its own private home on the web. Between now and the First of the Year, I will be working out some bugs and adding features. My new GTD theory says &#8220;don&#8217;t wait for all the ducks, just get it done,&#8221; so that&#8217;s what I am doing. Please let me know your thoughts, tips, and suggestions. And be sure to subscribe to the site, either via RSS or via Email.</p>

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