Colin Warren: the blog

I’m finding it difficult to write short blog posts at the moment, there’s too much going going on in my head. Maybe if I just write a little bit in between larger posts (that are attempting to reflect on the year 2009) I might feel better (and inspired) to just keep writing what comes to mind.

I imagine that writers need to apply some discipline to their craft. Like any job, you do need to apply yourself and work hard at it to be successful and gain some sense of achievement. I suppose being a part-time scribbler (when I get the chance and inclination), it’s not the same as having to churn out the 1000 words a day. I still want to be able to enjoy getting things out of my head and onto the page, but I don’t want it to cause me stress and feel like a burden to consistently and regularly have to ‘come up with the goods’.

I find expressing my thoughts and ideas a useful way to help my understanding of my own world and life view, and hopefully my dear readers will appreciate what I’ve got to contribute. I suppose putting things on paper (on the screen) helps me test the conclusions I draw from my reading, thinking, interacting, viewing, conversations, etc. I think I’m also keen to share things that I feel might be of value, with a hope that others might be encouraged or challenged.

So, word by word, I couple together sentences and paragraphs that provide an insight into my (life) journey & what I might feel to be important enough to share (and for my readers to consider). There you go, a short post to fit in between other posts – wasn’t that hard at all.

The end of the year is coming up quickly and I’m feeling tired. It’s been a busy year and I hope to spend some time reflecting on what’s transpired and what’s been achieved during 2009 (but that’s for an/other post/s).

The ‘tired’ I feel is a compilation of a number of things. There is some physical tiredness (due to late nights) but mostly it’s other types. I’m not sure if all of these are legitimately different, but let me give it a go…

There’s something about mental tiredness – I need some intellectual stimulation. I’ve had plenty of that recently at conference and in discussion with colleagues, but I feel I need a project that will involve some sustained cognitive load. Some more research next year maybe? But first I need to find a question that I want to find the answer too. Anyway, the idea is that I do some reading, thinking, & writing with purpose…

Then there’s a type of emotional tiredness – where I don’t have much more energy to feel empathetic. So, I need a break from caring (too much) about other people and other things. Life brings all sorts of challenges into our spheres of work and home life. I’ve been very busy with a leadership role and find that others can be needy and require support and encouragement. My bucket may be nearly empty, so I need to stop emptying it and find some resources to fill it with…

And what about psychological tiredness – when you don’t feel capable and have some self-doubt. Being up front and getting knocked down of challenged is tough on the pysche. While I feel I’ve been able to make a contribution as leader, I’d appreciate some respite and a time to allow my confidence to recover. Time for some R & R.

Could I also suggest a spiritual tiredness – where your soul needs some rest, renewal & replenishment. How to lift you spirits, how to feed your soul? Attention from others can help and feeding yourself with appropriate meditation, reading, and listening. A faith can also support your spiritual being, so take time to dwell on that, and seek your strength in that higher power… (King David wrote some good stuff in the Psalms).

All these may be closely related and I’m sure they are all linked in some way to each other and we need to make sure look after ourselves. So, this brings me to the point of my levels of fitness, how am I exercising the appropriate parts of my being to ensure I can cope with the stresses and demands of life? What things do I need to do to ensure that my whole being is fit and ready to deal with each day?

So, over the next couple of months I’ll be paying attention to my tiredness and may just write more about how that’s working out. Are you aware of your needs? Have a think about the renewal and replenishment you might need.

I have just returned from a trip to Queensland where I attended the Learning Technology Conference 2009 in Mooloolaba (you can read more about that here), I met up with old friends whom I hadn’t seen for 30 years, and caught up with some of my family in Brisbane. The weather was warm and not too muggy and I even enjoyed a swim in the ocean (where the water’s much warmer than what we have in Victoria).

The conference enabled me to meet some old friends (from last year) and also connect with some other friends who I’ve met on line, but had not yet met face-to-face. I also met some new friends with whom I’ll keep in touch online. It’s great to talk & share with like minds about what we do professionally. So, my Personal Learning network (PLN) has been consolidated and extended.

As well as ‘networking’ at the conference I was also able to meet up with friends that I hadn’t seen for thirty years! Great to hear about each other’s lives, marriage, work, children, travels, etc. etc. The best thing was that it all felt easy and natural, no pretence and easy laughs. Wonderful. Also catching up with closer family and being comfortable at my home away from home. It’s always nice to touch base, and get a sense of how live is going for them. Lots of food, stories and laughs as well. We are social beings and those connections between family and friends are important – good to be able to share, encourage and support others who are meaningful to us.

It’s not always fun to be away from home and the family, but I felt very comfortable when visiting, as my hosts were generous and kind. It does make a difference when you can feel at home at someone else’s place.

The travel was fairly straight forward with web check-in making airport procedures quick and it easy trip back – it was very nice to get home.

Oh, and did I tell you how easy it is to eat too much?