I shipped in 2013 - you can too

Doesn't matter whether it was a hit or not, it just matters that you shipped it. Shipping something that scares you ... is the entire point.. from What did you ship in 2010? by Seth Godin

"What did you ship?" is a great question for all of us to ask ourselves. What, beyond just doing one's job, did you accomplish (not try to do, not intend to do, not think about doing, not hope to get done, not plan to do - but actually DO) in 2013? What did you do that was a little bit scary? That you might have drawn criticism for? That may changed the world just a little bit?

Considering what one "shipped" is a good thing to do every year as it closes.  So here's my 2013 shipping list, as best I can recall:

1. Gave presentations and workshops for the LaCresent, Anoka-Hennepin, and Duluth School Districts in MN, the Library Technology Conference in Minneapolis, the SW/SC conference in Marshall MN, the University of Central Missouri at Tan-Tar-A MO and St Catherine in MSP, the TICL Conference in Storm Lake IA, the Baltimore Country Schools MD, Encyclomedia in Oklahoma City, SCETC in Greenville SC, and at AASL in Hartford. I spoke at our state confernces MEMO and TIES.

2. Presented internationally at the ACAMIS conference in Beijing, at the NESA conference in Bangkok, and for the American School in Tokyo.

3. Published the 100,00 word The Indispensable Librarian, 2nd edition. (Whew!)

4. Published these articles:  

• “The Librarian: Your Technology Partner” Library Media Connection, August/September, 2013
• “Top Ten School Library Game Changers of the Pas Twenty-Five Years” Teacher Librarian, April, 2013

5. Published these columns:

• “Teaching Above the Line” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, December, 2013
• “Updated Rules for Securing Data Privacy” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, November, 2013
• “The Online Librarian” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, Nov/Dec, 2013
• “The New School Library” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, October, 2013
• “Everything I Know About Engagement I Learned in Kindergarten” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, October, 2013
• “Making Good Technology Choices” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, September, 2013
• “10 Ways to Promote Online Resources” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, August/September, 2013
• “Put the “Personal” in in your PLN” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, May, 2013
• “The Swiss Army Knife Approach” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, May/June, 2013
• “The Changing Role of the CTO” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, April, 2013
• “The Neglected Side of Intellectual Freedom” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, March/April, 2013
• “Technology Skills Every Teacher Needs” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, March, 2013
• “The Tablet Takeover” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, February, 2013
• “The Entrepreneurial Librarian ” Head for the Edge column, Library Media Connection, January/February, 2013
• “Filtering Fallacies” Power Up column, Educational Leadership, December/January 2013

6. Published 235 blog entries.

7. Chaired a Kiwanis club foundation board, served as the club webmaster/photographer, and was a United Way and YMCA fundraising voluteer. I served as co-chair of the state library tech association legislative board, as the school library representative on the regional library board, and a member of a state digital learning advisory committee.

8. Climbed Carlton Peak on the North Shore with my grandsons and the LWW on our annual roadtrip. Bicycled for 4 70-mile days along the Minnesota River. Played tourist in Tokyo and Laos. Spent a few days in Tucson, AZ and on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico.

9. Walked 3 miles a day, 5 times a week; worked weights at the Y twice a week; and still gained a few pounds! Camped out for a second year in a row with my grandsons in KC. Read approximately approximately 65 books - mostly for pleasure.

Writing and speaking and most of this stuff is more fun than work. My home contains no small children or other dependents to care for most of the time. My day job doesn't require much overtime and I have a fantastic, self-directed team there. I don't play golf, fish, or square dance. Television bores me. My Saturday and Sunday mornings and many an evening are spent writing and designing presentations and workshops. I have, through plain dumb-luck: good health, a supportive wife, an interesting job with great co-workers, and lots of opportunities work toward the betterment of education. At least that's what I hope I'm doing.

I personally measure my days not whether they were happy or unhappy, but whether they were productive or unproductive. Did I have a fruitful conversation or meeting? Did I get something finished? Did I write something worth sharing? Did I read something challenging? Did I do an hour's worth of physical activity? Did I clean up a mess, revise an article, or organize something for the future? Did I do something that made my own life or someone else's just a tad better?

All of us need to "ship" - do more than is necessary on our jobs and professions (especially librarians and tech integration specialists), at home (as spouse/partners/parents/grandparents), and for ourselves (exercise, healthy eating, recreation, and the occasional reward).

What did you ship in 2013 and what will you ship in 2014?

I am by nature a lazy person of middling intellect - so if I can ship, you can ship.

Comments

[Cathy Jo Nelson]

Gah you make me feel lazy!!

[Doug Johnson]

Don't feel lazy. Be thankful you have a real life!

Happy New Year.

Doug