Sometimes NOT Blogging Is A Good Thing

Here we are. The year of 2011. It's been a full 3 months since my last blog post, but luckily for me, I don't dwell on the past. The lack of blog posts actually speaks to some of the great things that have been going on in my life lately, both on the personal and professional side.

Here's the quick recap of the last 3 months!

Personal:
-I finished up my volunteer position with the Chris Tindal campaign. Unfortunately Chris didn't win but he had a strong showing against some season veterans in city politics.
-I wrote my GMAT and got a decent score. Of course I likely could have done better, but I'm satisfied with where I ended up
-On Nov. 1 I began a new lifestyle which involved working out regularly, eating as healthy as I can, and generally worshiping my body instead of treating it like something that is going to be young forever. I joined Crossfit Quantum in Toronto, and if you are looking for a fun, motivating environment to "get huge", I highly recommend them. The trainers are great and I'm after 3 months I'm in the best shape of my life.
-I spent a glorious two weeks with my little brother, who is making his family so proud. He is current in Halifax serving with the Canadian Navy Reserve and is on the adventure of a lifetime. As his older brother I am honoured to tell the people I know that my brother is serving is country and bettering himself at the same time.

Professional:
-As of October 1st I got a new manager and a new 1 up manager. Both of them have been great at both supporting me in my work and pushing me to always be better. For that I thank both of them.
-In the next few months they are going to be expanding my role to include more work on US research, which I'm very excited about. This is further going to drive my understanding of the North American market, which I think it a great skill set and experience to have.

So with that I look forward to the year ahead, and frankly, I think it's going to be a defining one in my life. When I talk to my mentors, they often look back on their lives and tell me stories about a defining moment or a defining decision that set them on a different path had they chose a different answer. With all of the things going on in my life, I truly feel like this year could be one of those, but I suppose only time can tell!

I'm not a big New Years resolution guy, but I am a goal setter and the new year is a great time to review your current goals, set new ones, and craft an action plan. I'll spare all of the process details since there are other blogs for that, and skip straight to the goals.

1-Accelerate the new found love for my body. I'm not perfect, I never will be. However the small changes in my life have made me feel infinitely better about myself, and others have noticed too. Not a week goes by where I don't get a compliment on how I am looking good, and there is still much work to do. Sometimes this attitude comes across as a "holier than thou" message, but I assure you this is not my intent. I just know where I was 3 months ago and know where I am now and I can't help but tell people how great of an experience it is! Along these lines, 2011 is when I can do a full set of real push-ups and a full set of real chin ups. Those are real challenges that I'm going to have to work hard for.

2-Live in another country. While this may not happen this year, it's one of the reasons I'm doing the work I do now. This is still a big goal of mine and everything I do in 2011 will be related to this somehow. More networking, more projects, and more results will hopefully get me there.

3-Help others more than they help me. I really enjoy helping others, but sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of taking more than giving. My first couple of years out of school has put me in this position, mostly out of necessity. This year is going to be about giving back, both at work and my personal life.

4-Be more disciplined with my finances. Although I am a great planner and have the best of intentions, when it comes to shopping I have low will power. I am also a very social person so I almost can never say no to a social situation, regardless of cost. The discipline comes in two forms; One is sticking to the monthly budget I've set out, and the other is when I do decide to go to a social interaction, to be very thoughtful of what I really need to spend money on and what is just my innate desire to blow cash.

They are broad, they are big, but these are the goals I'm working towards. I can assure you that I have an action plan against each of these, and I'm hoping I'm be able to share progession with you as they start to come to fruition.

So 3 months of not blogging and I feel better than ever. I guess now I have something to blog about!


With that, I leave you with a quote and a video that exemplifies my feeling right at this moment.

"We've come a long long way together, through the hard times and the good..." -Fatboy Slim



PS: My favourite part is around 3:07. Only people who truly enjoy their work could pull that kind of awesome off!

Make $25CAD... the easy way!!

Want to win $25 in cold hard, Canadian cash? If so, check out coreytyhurst.com on Facebook and let me know what you think of my new website mockup! In collaboration with kaitsouch.com, I am launching the official coreytyhurst.com website in a few weeks, and I want my loyal fans (all 8 of you!) to give feedback and help make the site as good as it can be!

Kaitlyn Souch is a fledgling web designer and she has done a great job in preparing a site that really reflects my personal brand. I would recommend her work to anyone, so I thought I would share her expertise with the world by asking for input into the design of coreytyhurst.com.

Leave your comments... when the site launches Kait and I will pick the best fan feedback and I will send then $25CAD in cold, hard cash. It's easy, give constructive feedback, make sure it's better than everyone else', and you win $$$
(Note, this contest is for individuals only; no companies or 3rd party advertisers are permitted to win)

Here's the initial design (don't mind the spelling and language stuff... its just a draft!):

This puppy is going to be linked to my Blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the coreytyhurst.com Facebook page, and many of my other social networking sites. If you like it, become a fan of coreytyhurst.com on Facebook!

About coreytyhurst.com:
This is a personal website where I will be sharing my latest endeavors in technology, media, video games, politics, economics, and anything else that I find interesting about how people interact in the crazy world we live in. I'm not out to make money, simply share my experiences with the world.

About kaitsouch.com:
Kaitlyn Souch is a web design student at Sir Sanford Fleming College. She has produced many multimedia projects, including websites, print, and photographic works. Her passion for design and her bubbly personality ensure that your project is done on time and without hassle.

You Can Skip Everything Online, Except LinkedIn

 I am the youngest person at my job. This often defaults me to being the "expert" on computers, the internet, and all things geek. Personally, I love taking this role because it affords me the opportunity to show people who I respect in the workplace all of the great tools that are available to them to boost their competitive edge.

I believe that LinkedIn is one of these core tools. I've said it before, and I will say it again, as an individual, you can  afford to skip Twitter, skip Facebook, and skip a bunch of the other social networks (I don't recommend it, but not everyone wants to live their life in front of a screen as much as I do). However, if professionals do nothing else online, they should be on LinkedIn. Period.

I've put together a presentation on Slide Share that explains some of the benefits in general, but this post is really to tackle those professionals who have had a successful career, do not plan on moving companies anytime soon, and just can't figure out why a "job searching" website would be of any value to them. It's a completely valid question, as most how-to guides for LinkedIn focus on how to use it to find a job. The reality is, that it's a networking tool... a superb one.

Common Barriers:

1- I am not looking for a job, I don't see how this site can help me

 In today's competitive business world, you need every edge you can get. Even if you plan on staying in your job and company for many more years, having up to date, current information on companies, the job market, and potential candidates for your team helps you keep one step ahead in your professional game.

2- I am busy managing my work and my employees, I don't have time for this.

Even if you are not into the internet and building a personal brand online, it's very likely that your employees are. As a manager of other people, one of your core roles is to help build your employees skills and career through your guidance and expertise. If you participate in helping your employees build their brand, they are far more likely to be loyal to you, and your company. 15 minutes a week of reading about updates in your network and providing testimonials to your employees work publicly can do a world of help for employee motivation.

3- I have a strong network in the "real world", I really don't feel the need to put myself out in the world publicly

This is a fair barrier. Some people do not want to make their work and academic history available for all of the world to see. If that is the case, then LinkedIn probably isn't for you. However, if you have a Facebook profile, then this argument is bunk!

I'm sure I could talk in length about some of the other benefits such as LinkedIn answers and Recruiting, but I'll give you the meat!


How do I get Started?

1- Create a free profile at www.linkedin.com
2- Add http://ca.linkedin.com/in/coreytyhurst
3- Join your companies group. If it doesn't exist, make it!
4- Start networking (only add people to your network who you are willing to be associated with)

Keys To Success:

1- Spend 15 minutes each week browsing profiles and reading about companies in your industry. You'll be surprised at what you can learn
2- Keep your profile up to date
3- Join and participate in some select groups that are relevant to your career. The key here it to pick a couple relevant groups and participate in the conversation... or start one! You'll be surprised at how strangers will be willing to talk about common interest related to their area of expertise.

If you liked this post, please let me know. If you have other barriers or issues you'd like me to address, please let me know!!

**UPDATE- May 26**
Here's a really cool infographic on LinkedIn and some of its more fun stats from around the world.