There’s nothing like starting the new year than with a clean slate. But what if there are things on the slate, what are you to do? Do you simply discard them and start new, or make them your new tasks for the year?

As I was working over the holidays to hit the ground running this week, I found a task in my to-do system where I had over 50 ideas for blog posts! As I scrolled through them, they were all great ideas. So what do I do – delete it and start fresh?

I have decided to keep the list around and use it when I lack inspiration. I may use them verbatim or as a catalyst for another idea. As they had some meaning at some point, there’s no reason why they are no longer valid. Right?

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The next likemind will be Friday, January 16, 2009 in dozens of cities around the world.

In Chicago, it will be at Spa Cafe, 112 W. Monroe, between Clark and LaSalle Streets in the Loop at 8:00 am. Check out the Spa Cafe Web site for more information, and you can find your way with a Google Map to Spa Cafe here.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al.

No RSVP is required. You are also welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

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Today, January 2, 2009, marks the second anniversary of my first blog post at The Hot Iron. Now 2 years later and this marking 420 posts, it has been an interesting journey to say the least.

Why I Blog

Many people ask me why I blog, which is a perfectly sensible question. I initially got into blogging in order to practice what I preach at my Internet consulting firm Dunkirk Systems, LLC. I use The Hot Iron as well as sourcegate and Out In The Loop as testbeds for ideas and functions to deploy for clients. As well, I have something I want to say, and as talking to yourself is still looked upon as strange behavior, what a better thing to do than have conversations with others?

Thoughts on 2008

Don’t worry, I will not do a thorough analysis of the 200+ blog posts I have written over the last year. The past year was a good year. I did well with in my business, but blogging took a backseat, especially at the midway point of the year after the birth of my daughter. Usually I would get up early and write a blog post as I was preparing my workday. In the latter part of the year, I blogged when I could.

The highlight for me and blogging was when I was asked to attend Nokia’s first OpenLab event in Helsinki, Finland. How else would have I had been found other than my blog? Through the blogs of the attendees I got to know who else was going, and I continue to follow their thoughts and ideas.

Thoughts on 2009

For the most part, I plan to keep doing what I am doing, hopefully with a little more frequency. Any changing in my blogging will more than likely be the result of any changes in my business.

I also invite all of you reading to comment. Maybe I have not compelled you to in what I write, or maybe you are shy. In either case, it’s always nice to hear who’s out there!

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Whether you are already into it or about to be, I wish all of my readers a happy and prosperous 2009.

Yes, I did say prosperous! Despite all that is going on in the world, in our economies – not to forget Illinois politics – life and business must still go on. It will be the fast thinkers and movers and those ideas outside of the box, even with inside of the box budgets, which will do well in the coming year. Where we all will be at the end of 2009 it is hard to say right now, but the way things have been, up is almost the only way to go.

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Just taking a few moments out of our family gathering to wish everybody out there reading this a very Merry Christmas! For myself and my lovely wife, it is very special as it is our baby’s first Christmas, as can be seen in the accompanying photo of little Margo looking in amazement at the tree and presents.

I am grateful for the things I have. We always want more or want certain scenarios to be different, and those take work. I just don’t want to be forgetful of what I have as I quest for what I don’t have yet.

Now back to my outhouse wall calendar and big box of Almond Joys I got from Santa.

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