Webster defines a milestone as “An important point in the progress or development of something; a very important event or advance.” This post is an important point for me as it is my 100th continuous weekly blog post. There were some weeks when I wasn’t sure what I would write about, and only two weeks where I used other content to fill this spot. I have often been surprised at how just sitting down in front of the keyboard, no matter how inspired or uninspired I was feeling, was all it took for content to materialize. Even if I didn’t have a starting point, the words would just flow. There have been other times when ideas would come to me late at night or while I was in the shower. However it has happened, it has, and I admit to being both proud of and surprised by this accomplishment.
When I made the decision t
o write a weekly bog it was at a time of significant change for me. At that time, I wrote that this space would be a place for me to record my journey of change and transformation: from being fully employed, to going back to school, and then starting my own coaching practice. I quoted from William Bridges in Managing Transitions when he stated: “It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.” He goes on to say, “[whereas] Change is situational… Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation”. I reflected at the time that I found that transitioning from one stage of my life — from being fully employed with a salary and benefits to facing unemployment and the loss of income and benefits — daunting. However, at the same time the opportunity to start something new and that would be my own, opened up all kinds of possibilities. With two years’ hindsight, the possibilities that have presented themselves have been exciting, promising and, in some cases totally unexpected. Some opportunities are still developing and others are in full swing. I have been honoured to have some of my writing reproduced on several other sites including Business Gists, HRVoice and Entrepreneur KSA. I have not only developed a successful coaching practice, I have also begun teaching at the university level.
As I review the past 100 posts, they have been a combination of topics on leadership, leadership development and soft skills. There is a series of about 26 posts relating directly to soft skills and soft skill development that will eventually become a book. Looking forward, I plan to continue to write on leadership, both on its development and other issues surrounding it. As I prepare to teach on this subject this coming academic year, I think my posts will reflect my own reflection and learning. There will also continue to be posts that are influenced by other people’s posts and articles. I hope you continue to read and gain value from them.
____________________________________________________________________
John Whitehead, coaches’ individuals and organizations in becoming more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.
*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session at [email protected]********
If you would like to get notifications for when I post, please go to my blog site and register. I promise I will not spam or use your email address for anything else. You can visit and register for my blog at https://johnkwhitehead.ca/blog-2/
