Lull or Null?

If you run in the same or similar circles on SoMe to me and on the whole I’m assuming you do, then I’m sure you’ve seen this blog from @Rachiemouce that sparked this blog from @HRmanNZ, and we’re waiting on a follow up from @everydaymanager as I write. So yep, I’m jumping on the band wagon. I love this sort of thing, I love people, opinions, perspectives and some healthy debate and hopefully sparking of new ideas. And to be fair, for me, it’s exactly the post / comments I needed to really kick start me back into this arena in 2016.

I tuned out over the Christmas / New Year’s break…and to be fair there were days I regretted my sign out/off period while we battered wind and rain in our NZ summer, but the days where the sun was shining and the beach was beckoning made it all too easy. Now we’re all back at work, and in our particular pocket of the world the weather is spectacular; today alone I came home from work, swam for exercise for an hour alone then was joined by my daughter and extended family for “canon bombs” in the pool according to Miss 5 for a further hour. Bliss. What could be better?!

Sure I sit here now a few hours later with family staying over, at my computer working (and now blogging!), but it’s worth it. I switched off, I’m back on, but I’m easing in to it. I missed the posts and the updates initially – and like I say most especially on the rainy days, but the silence was nice for bit. And that my point in all of this, for a bit. I’m ready now to start again, recharged, and missing the conversations, the learning’s, the debates, the laughs and the networking. Yes, there’s a lot of noise, but there’s so much to be gained as well.

I wonder if we notice this lag in kiwi land or indeed the Southern Hemisphere while we’re all in summer – and do we notice the same from our Northern counterparts when their summer hits and they go out to play?

I wonder too if it’s new year, new role? I’m in that boat so there’s more than usual to get my head around and to think about on a daily basis, meaning other things are taking a priority for right now, but by no means do I intend for that to go on. Who else is in that boat? Many in my personal circles, so again I’m assuming (and yes I know that old saying assume makes an ass out of you and me),that there are others out there in this boat?

Or I’m simply making excuses? Blind to the change in front of us? I hope not and I don’t think so. There is a lot of noise, but there’s also a lot of cut through. And I for one am not signing out. I look forward to the learning, the development, challenges in thinking /ways of working / behaviours / processes etc  that 2016 brings me via blogging and SoMe. And most of all I look forward to the connections. There are people I’ve never even met in real life that I feel close to, that I care about and are part of my circles I’ve only met through these channels. There are others I’ve connected with that I look up to, admire and learn from. I’d hate to think there was an end to this. It’s so valuable for all of us and a largely untouched and unchartered as far as I can see…the cool kids always move on first and the rest of us play catch up…but in this instance I’m looking forward to catching up. And I have no doubt that will be in new channels and horizons – but it’s the sharing that I look forward to the most.

So not an end, but perhaps a lull; maybe a change in course or dynamic. A signing out, but not signing off? Here’s to the future, new beginnings, carrying’s on and best of all innovation, disruption and collaboration.