When You Need To Make Changes
When You Need To Make Changes
Refinement and purpose.
This picture is a puppy in a Unicorn onesie. It’s not really related to making changes, but it is related to the spirit with which I approach life. More about that in a second.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about what happens when you’re “up to something.”
The truth is that I was even being a little sneaky when I wrote it. This blog has been about marketing, entrepreneurship, motivation, neuroscience, productivity, education, and social impact. It’s had a few different incarnations and most of them haven’t really gotten a ton of traction.
In fact, I was starting to hear from readers that the whole “Relentless Forward Progress” thing was too exhausting. People on a mission didn’t need to hear me be “rah-rah” motivation guy every day. That’s exhausting.
Instead, they were asking for helpful insights that were sometimes actionable. The firehose of “do this” and “don’t stop” that I was delivering was burning people out. This was difficult to swallow, for me.
If you’ve ever built anything, I think you would probably agree that things can often go a different direction than you anticipated. Sometimes, the implementation strays so far from the path of your initial vision that you need to shut it down and try something else. While that’s rare, it’s always a fear—that I’ll lose momentum. I also maintain the fear that if I change something, it will mean that everything I’ve done in the past is now pointless.
Of course, that’s just fear. What you’ve done in the past is part of the journey. Life doesn’t exclude.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably noticed that the name of this blog has changed from “Relentless Forward Progress” to “Up To Something.”
Huzzah! A new incarnation!
When COVID-19 hit the U.S., I decided to invite my readers into a Slack community where we could share resources and feel more like a team—and maybe a little less alone. I wanted to create a space where we could have each others’ backs while we each made progress through our journeys.
I learned something. I found out that most of my readers were building things. They were writing books, building educational games for kids, or launching their consulting businesses. They were all out to make something bigger themselves.
Most of them were up to something.
I wanted not only to share this update with you here but also to share why I’ve made this important change. Part of the process of doing is getting better at doing. Staying exactly the same, without listening to readers or adapting to what’s happening in the world would be a sure way to stay put in a changing world.
“But Chris, how do you know this is a good idea and not just one of your random thoughts of what could be.”
The posts won’t change much—unless you say so. But more importantly, this change is based on the feedback I’m getting, not my own hunch. I want to help those people who are out there, taking action, making things happen, trying to build something that makes a positive impact in the world.
This “branding” is a way I can signal that more clearly.
In fact, I don’t think the puppy in the unicorn onesie could illustrate that any better. This is for people who want to enjoy their wild and insane journey.
I hope this all makes sense. I’m refining the blog and who it’s for. I’m not dropping everything and opening a food truck. This is refinement, not a new trajectory.
I wanted to explain the new look, the refined purpose, and also share why this is a useful part of building anything.
I hope this was useful.
If you found this useful, please ❤️ this post.
If you know someone who needs to hear this, please share it with them.
If you have questions or would like to tell me what you think, please comment.