Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

So today my diary says its time to write an update for this blog. But I don’t want to. Not today. I have so much other stuff to do: – lots of shoots to plan and schedule staff for, code development jobs to complete, documentation to write for another client, a pc I need to replace the power supply on and upgrade to windows 8 while I’m at it, and several web site projects to complete for clients.

But I am wanting to be heard.

I want my opinions to be considered wise. I desire comments and ego stroking adulation (feel free to comment or retch as you prefer). I have a compelling desire to be understood. Is that bad?

Introspection is sometimes good for the soul; baring it to the world may fall into the TMI classification.

So what am I going to write about? There is so much swirling in my head at the moment. I am mightily pissed off at Channel 9’s coverage of the Olympic games (#firstworldproblems). I am very much looking forward to an upcoming family holiday in Tasmania and then an unexpected trip to the States in November. I am enjoying my running again for the first time in probably 12 years. I’m looking forward to doing a half marathon and maybe more in the next few months. I am researching and reading heavily in social media growth, business use and how to harness and use this for my clients and myself.

I’m probably not going to write about any of these things right now – I prefer to be coordinated and structured in my writing and at the moment I’m still swirling – vacillating between opinion and fact, gathering data, thinking, perhaps overthinking, analysing and mulling.

Take what you like from this, or nothing at all, I will be back with something more useful later.

Have a great day! Here is an image i really like taken at the park on my cell phone – as I relaxed with my two little girls.

We hear a lot about work life balance these days. ITs a big problem for a lot of people and its something i definitely struggle with also.

One of the main reasons i struggle with it is because my life is my work. I am passionate and excited about what i do – well most of it anyway, and as such my every waking moment and some of my sleeping ones are planning and thinking about work.

But what is my work? For me it includes web development, photography, sports coaching and software development (those dreams are nightmares usually). I have fun doing all those things, I love the interaction with clients customers and staff and I am passionate about my art.

My relax and off times are often found with a camera in hand having fun with my family. We go the beach, the park, fly a kite and i have two motives, one is to go and hang our with the girls and have fun and the other is to take some photos. I explore new ideas, try new techniques and still manage to interact with the girls.

My Spiritual side – my Christian life – is completely bound up in who I am and what I do. I am a member of the High Calling Website because i completely believe that my work is as much a part of my spiritual being as anything else. They are featuring a fair number of my photos there in their articles which is fantastic.

My sports and exercise are more than ever involved with my family now. I used to play sports that did not involve the family such as AFL football and Soccer and squash. three years ago i made a decision to quit football, not because i wasn’t excited about playing anymore but because i wanted to put that time into sports and exercise pursuits with my family. Now I run, cycle and exercise with all my family on a regular basis. I still do more extreme riding than the family is up to both on the road and mountain bike.

So – I reject this common expression of balance as an impossibility. No ones lives are segmented like that.

Instead I prefer an overlapping holistic view that to some extent allows separation but also shows the overlapping nature of life’s components.

How do you manage balance in your life? Do you have techniques or ideas that work for you? Comment below or on Facebook.

Here are some links from The High Calling about balance.

Work-Life Balance Doesn’t Exist

Keeping Your Life Balance

So I’m normally pretty good at time management. I even teach others how to time manage. So why do i never get time to write on this blog.

There’s lots of little excuses but there’s one really good reason – and that is I haven’t prioritised writing on here.

So that is going to change. Starting now.

I know there are lots or people reading this website – thousands in fact every day. Some of you come for the Microsoft Excel tips – ok lets face it most of you do. Some others come because you know me and are friends and family and want to see what I am up to. Others come for my photography. And others come for some random weird internet searches.

So today is a personal update. I will be looking to write and post Excel tips (and other office tips) as regularly as possible – in fact I’m prioritising it in my diary right now. Thanks be to Outlook.

And here is a picture of me working hard.

Actually its a picture of my beautiful bride of 17 years walking down Mt Beerburrum with me last week.

Now back to work.

Following on from the success of the www.qldfloods.org website I have been invited to a number of panels, communities and working groups.

Last night I was asked to take some team photos for the Emergency 2.0 Wiki working group committee of which I am a part.

What a comedy of errors!

I set the camera up on the board room table, pointing at the group at the end with the projector screen at the end, set the timer, pushed the button and headed for the end of the table - only to have to leap cables on the way - i made the first tangled in the second and couldn't stop, dragging the laptop running the projector screen to the floor and severing the connection. Thus the photo is of everybody staring at me (to camera left) and laughing - and a purple screen.

The second photo I got there in time, but Eileen decided to lunge for the water bottle at the last second!

After several more spectacular failures including a shot that was ok but with inexplicably a Facebook login screen in the background, we eventually ended up with the desired result. We were all staring at an iPad that had the meeting agenda on it and trying not to giggle!