This year did not end up as I thought it wouldDecember 31st, 2008 View Comments |
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Around the corner | Refugio Beach State Park, California | Dec 2008
This year did not end up as I thought it would.
Despite my constantly-updated lists of projects, what I accomplished bears little in relation to what I planned.
- I started the year off by staying up all night, similar to 2007.
- I came back from India planning to reduce my web presence. That didn’t go exactly as planned.
- I started writing so much that I would need to create a second blog.
- Even as I became harder to understand, by asking a lot of questions I started to find my style and voice. Maybe.
- I did my first interview.
- I completed my first book, kinda.
- I started writing (a lot) about the photography business.
- I started refining my thoughts and writing about entrepreneurship and venture capital.
- I wrote about how to fail (easily the most-read item I’ve ever written).
- I had my first bit published on the broader web, about the future of workspaces on the IDEO blog.
- I found out about my first “speaking” gig (scheduled for 2009).
- I quit my job, again.
- I drove cross-country, again.
Even as I focused on cutting things out, my desire path through life got a lot messier.
But I wouldn’t have had it any other way. As I disappeared into the Internet time machine I also met a tremendous amount of amazing people through the web.
I am inspired by every single person that creates, comments, replies, adds to the conversation, passes on ideas and shares their thoughts, privately and publicly.
I couldn’t have taken this path without you; I wouldn’t have even seen this path without you. It’s not the path I planned, but it’s what happened, and this path has helped build me into who I am. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Despite the noise, keep it coming. Bring on 2009.
December 31st, 2008 at 21:37
Cheers, Taylor. Well said (and well hyperlinked!) I'm glad to know you both online and offline and I'm looking forward to creating and thinking with you in 2009.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:48
In my experience, things often don't end up as we plan or think they will. That's what makes life so interesting.
And I agree with Bryan, well said and hyperlinked.
January 1st, 2009 at 18:44
I have tons of unfinished projects as well. The only bright spark is we managed to launch one.
I am going forward to getting more projects off the ground in 2009!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:46
life is weird
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:54
also, the ideo thing was cool. the idea of retirees using coworking is really plausible and lends itself to lot of hilarious gerontological images/situations.
in fact: this should be the setting for some futuristic comedy-satire show. “It's 'The Office' meets 'Golden Girls'”!
quick, get back to L.A. asap!!!
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:27
enjoyed getting to know you a bit online .. enjoy .. i'm on the outside looking in as all you and your circle of progressive minds engage the world on new terms, cheering you on (to what is anyway inevitable :-) ) … may you even make your living from your ideas!
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:20
Sounds like a great year, Taylor. May 2009 be as eventful and even better for you!
January 5th, 2009 at 13:55
The best part is that not only do things usually not end as we planned, it's usually better that way :)
January 5th, 2009 at 18:46
what is inevitable? The best views often come from the outside looking in; however, it's hard to make money without being on the inside. That's a larger test, and a greater opportunity for economic organization. Always enjoy hearing your views and learning from you…
January 5th, 2009 at 18:49
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your projects; so many interesting ideas and projects going on around the world. What's changed is that we can know learn from so many more of them; the challenge is learning how to tie these projects, best practices and people together.
It's going to be fun for all of us to figure it out :)
December 2nd, 2009 at 18:56
[...] year didn’t turn out as I had planned. This year I stopped planning and just lived, and in doing so finally created [...]