The Last Blog Post:
If you had one last blog post to write, what would you say?
Better yet, if several respected marketing bloggers secretly agreed to take one moment to share their last thoughts with the world…at the exact same time…without prior warning…what would it look like?
This recent request, inspired by the ideas of Randy Pausch was one which I was hesitant in agreeing to. Partly because I know I’ve got a lot more learning to do (and hopefully have some of my better blog posts yet to come), and more importantly because with such a tight deadline (I’m writing this from my plane seat right now), I was concerned about comparing this in anyway to Randy’s excellent “Last Lecture”, which I very much respected and admire.
That said I’ve always believed blogging should be a form of expression that is simple and carefree, void of the over thoughtful wordsmithing so common elsewhere. So that said, here goes…
If I could pass on just a few tips right now, which I have found to be true and useful in my own life; tips which I believe are just as useful to individuals as brands, they would be:
1. Be Honest – Be Fearless!
Two things perhaps, but you can’t really have one without the other. To be honest with your self and others takes courage. Though not always easy, I’ve found the fearlessly honest approach in life and business invaluable. I’ve seen many individuals and companies who have not always followed this path. Even for shorter periods, the cost of not doing this is high.
Realize it’s often much easier to fool yourself than others. Have the strength to admit the truth and say what you believe. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
2. Learn All the Time from Everyone
This is a strategy which I’m surprised not more people seem to follow. Everything really is connected in some way and of course having this outlook in life and business, not only makes you smarter, it also makes everyday more enjoyable.
3. Anything REALLY Is Possible!
I didn’t always believe this. But it’s something that has become very real to me during the past six years. Looking back now, I see that it is true everywhere I look.
Of course you need to set the goal and stick to it, reaching intermediary goals first. There will be roadblocks of course. If you are the type of person who gives up then, well not everything will be possible for you.
If you don’t give up you’ll find there will also be short cuts. Those who find good shortcuts usually won’t tell you about them. But if you look carefully, learn from your mistakes, and watch what others do wrong and right, you can find them. While you need to find them to do better than others, don’t expect finding them will make getting to your goal easy or fast. It still takes dedication.
4. Everything is a Game (Learn to Play Well)
I mean this in a god way, and as a matter of fact. Life and business can be viewed as a series of games we play with various people (friends, family, business partners and competitors). Perhaps especially in today’s connected social networked society the way we play these games is more transparent than ever.
So play fairly. In every single game!
[If you don’t know what the ‘Prisoners Dilemma’ is, or have never read a book on game theory, I’d highly recommend this one]
5. The Path Not the Destination
This is a bit trite I know, but I couldn’t possibly leave it out. In the end it’s all about enjoying the path, not arriving at the destination. It’s not about how much money you die with but about those you touched along the way.
So, have fun, be honest, be fearless, learn from others to achieve key goals and help others achieve theirs along the way!
@TomHCAnderson #NGMR #LastBlog
PS. Now can’t wait to check out some of the others who agreed to take part in the #LastBlog effort said. Here is the list I know of: MarketingSherpa, Marketing Experiments blog, B2B Lead Generation blog, PR 20/20 blog, Hubspot Inbound Marketing blog, Eloqua, Marketo, Webtrends, EmailMarketingbytheBook, Helicopter to Work, Response Capture Blog, AH&A’s Industry Voices, Email Chatr, Business Owner Blog, Social Strategy1, and Kore Access …
NGMR blog was honored to be invited to join in this effort and we are looking forward to similar shared collaboration efforts with all the Top-NGMR Bloggers in the near future.
