#100Days, Day 1

I just saw a post on the Listed blog called the '100 Day Writing Challenge' today, and this is so good, I must participate.

In order for me to do this, though, I'm going to need to post to my Listed blog without images. This way I can focus on writing and posting, and not hunting for the perfect image to reflect the topic of a specific post.

This should help streamline everything, plus, with this challenge, I can take the gloves off if you will. I can write whatever comes to mind, which I usually do anyway, but typically I try to bring some structure to my posts.

Well, we'll see how that goes, but for now, it's freeform and it'll be raw and uncensored. I've seen some others show their support for this challange already, so if you're reading this and haven't committed to the 100 Day Writing challenge yet, maybe this will inspire you do so.

Before I post this, I wanted to reflect on something earlier in the week. I had my 4th interview with the same prospective employer I've written about before. I'm never sure how these things went after it's over, because I tend to always be my harshest critic.

I'd like to think it went well, and I do hope that after this most recent interview that nothing's changed. During that most recent interview, I also had a chance to sit down with the CEO and ask all my questions around anything that wasn't clear, or even a concern.

He answered them all without hesitation, and I can't tell you how much better I felt after we had that open and honest discussion. He even brought up a concern of his, which was that I say 'yes' to a lot of things, and that's kind of worrisome.

That hit me right between the eyes, because I was actually trying to do the opposite. I was attempting to show that in my 30 year career I've done a lot, but I certainly don't know everything. And for that which I don't know, I've made a career out of learning things extremely fast, and sometimes even on the fly.

So, I clarified that if a question is asked of me whether I can do something, based on what it's related to, it's likely to be a yes, because I know my strengths around learning quickly.

If it's a question around have you done this? Then the answer will be different based on whether or not I've done something. I'm certainly not trying to oversell or misreprestent, and I've said as much during my interviews, while also stating honest answers to questions.

I also told him that earlier in the interview when I was meeting with someone else before meeting again with the CEO, I did declare my Achilles heel. I was asked point blank if there was anything I didn't know, or couldn't do... and I answered honestly to that by naming a technology and a discipline that I haven't mastered in my travels.

So, all in all, we'll see what comes of it. If an offer happens, based on the answers the CEO gave me, I'd feel much better about considering it. But, if I've turned them off by sounding like a know-it-all, even if purely unintentionally, I've got my writing plan ready to take full advantage of.

This brings to mind the one thing my father told me when I was much younger and thought I had everything figured out. He said, "A know-it-all usually doesn't."

And, here I am, being that guy that I vowed not to be, and succeeded not being him for decades. Either way, I've learned something this week.

Thanks for reading.