You've come a long way, baby

Remember when you were compiling your very first post? Remember slaving over the the first ten, fifteen or fifty of them and trying to figure out what the heck to say--and just how to say it?

Remember how many times you edited your first few posts? You probably don't edit them nearly as much now.

And then remember wondering what OTHER people would think when they read your ramblings? Scary, right? C'mon admit it, it was really exciting but sort of scary to be "out there". What if people found you too (gulp!) novice, too (d'oh!) hard to understand or too (ugh) confident?

You're likely much braver now.

Remember the first time you ever commented on someone else's blog? How many times did you re-read the response before pressing "submit"? Now you might review it once (just to check for spelling errors).

Remember wondering how the heck you would have stuff to say on a regular basis? Now things just happen or hit your radar and you likely say to yourself "that'll be my next post." In fact, your "groove" likely found you.

Remember looking at your traffic stats and being excited that you had at least one other person--or ten whole people (woo-hoo!)--reading your blog besides you?  Think about that feeling for a second. 

Remember when you received your first comment where someone disagreed with you and how you likely wrestled with how to frame your reply? You wanted to hold your position without sounding too high and mighty. Now you probably look forward to the disagreements because they only mean you learn. Heck, many times you even change your mind.

Remember when you were so amazed that someone from a far away country was commenting on your blog and how wild that was? Now you likely don't even think about it. It's just how it is here.

Remember when, in addition to news sites, trade pubs and books, blogs became a regular read of yours? Whatever did you do with all the free time you once had? (Oh yeah, watched TV.)

Remember when all our reading used to be one-way? Now we get mad when we can't comment or ask questions at the end of an article...instead of being amazed that we can so much of the time.

Remember wondering how to explain all your blogging to your colleagues and friends? Now you likely don't need to explain. They'll understand for themselves one day.

The thing is, for many of us, "remember when" was either little over or little under a year or so ago. You've come really far really fast, baby.

(Just want to make sure you guys and girls remember that.)

P.S.: For readers who may not blog yet: If you ever do start, you can always look back on this post a few months ,or a year, after you launch a blog and then you too can "remember when".

Comments

[Gavin Heaton]

Oh it makes me feel so bloggone old.

[CK]

Gav: and yet you're just beginning...are you even to a year yet? I'm getting close but I'm not there yet. Isn't it funny how far we've come in so little time?

[Mark Goren]

Wow, I've only been at it since November and all those Remember Whens seem so long ago. My first comment – months before I started blogging – was at JaffeJuice. I remember feeling so intimidated by the whole idea of it.

Good reminder, particularly as we coach clients through the very same process. Well done, CK.

[CK]

Mark: Why thank you for reminding me of clients...our BIGGEST obstacle is fear and the way to get through that? Just get through it. There's so much to gain and yes, I can't believe how far away those "remember when's" feel. Amazing how much can happen (and be gained) in so little time.

[gianandrea facchini]

ck, i do remember the first comment to a post on daily fix. i fought with it and then it was in the conversation thread.
as the song says:

if you ever plan to motor west,
travel my way take, the highway that's the best.
get your kicks on route sixty-six.

blogging is our highway, our journey.

[Matt Dickman]

CK -- It's amazing, even in a short period of time, how fast things go by. Your observation of this being a fearful process is right on the money. It is intimidating and scary. You don't know the reaction you'll get or what people will say. I feel the whole process is almost mentoring by proxy. The blogosphere is full of very kind, motivated people. Everybody helps each other, challenges ideas, makes us learn more from different sides and is molding us all into becoming better marketers.

Whatever the fear is at the outset, it is far outweighed by the benefits you receive once you get engaged in the medium.

[David Reich]

Yes, I remember. Of course, for me, those memories are only a few months old. And I remember making my first comment at DailyFix -- was I really contributing something of interest or value? The same feeling swept over me the first time I commented to someone's blog (other than yours, of course, since I already knew you).

Anyway... thanks for the memories, as Bob Hope would say. (I know... Bob who??)

[Lewis Green]

CK,

Thanks for the reminder. At my age, I can barely remember yesterday. But I still know where to find the beer and the dance floor.

[David Berkowitz]

I'm still amazed when people from afar, or even close by, take the time to comment - some of it doesn't need to end, and my blog's now about a year and a half young.

[CK]

Hiya David: I too am still amazed by it, even wrote a post about it last week: http://www.ck-blog.com/cks_blog/2007/04/you_rock_my_wor.html

And YOUR blog is the blog that kicked me in the butt to start blogging (though I know you didn't mean to kick me but I thank you).

[Cam Beck]

Lewis - That's all you really need, my friend. I think the Beatles wrote a song about it or something. :)