Cam23: the final post but not the final thing...

More than a month after the final party, here I am to explain why I dropped Cam23 and decided I wouldn’t complete it. The programme was great and I was really looking forward to take part; I started with enthusiasm but after 11 things I stopped and never picked it up again. What happened?

1. I was involved in organising cpd23, and in a moment of enthusiasm, over-keenness and – I must admit it – boredom at work, I decided to follow both programmes. This proved unsustainable in the end.
2. I made the mistake of not talking to my boss to ask for formal permission to follow a 23 things programme. If you are reading this post and planning to jump on the next 23 things wagon, please make sure you build it in your workflow. I thought the Summer would be a quiet time, and in a way it was, but if I was blogging during working hours I would feel guilty; lunch breaks were never long enough (as they are for eating too, after all!) and when I went home in the evenings the last thing I wanted to do was to switch a computer on again.
3.  When this all started, my home computer consisted of an old laptop that was on the verge of crashing every time I tried to download a new programme. In July I upgraded to a new shiny tablet, which I then used only to make skype phone calls and reading the Italian newspaper online. My fault, but as a little excuse...here comes point no. 4:
4. Something major happened to me over the Summer, which had an impact on my health and energy levels (it’s a good thing, don’t worry). In July and August I was barely awake, and I decided to retain all my energies to drag myself at work and do at least what I was paid for. I had to cut all the extras, and the two 23 things programmes fell in this category.

So, what have I learnt from this and what will I do next time? (spoiler alert: bit of reflective writing coming!):

• even if experiencing a moment of professional (or personal) boredom, don’t jump into a thousand of alternative things, but make a realistic plan and be selective. Consider how long it will take to achieve the results, be honest with yourself, and learn to say no.
• making a realistic plan means taking into account the time involved to do certain things; if you work full time, make sure you ask for formal permission to embark in a cpd programme.
• make sure you’ve got the resources required to do the new activity you are embarking on. If your home computer won’t support you, maybe it’s worth re-considering the whole thing, or upgrading your IT facilities before starting.
• if the unpredictable happens...don’t ignore it and don’t push yourself too much, but accept it and take action as soon as you can – in my case, opt out of the programme right when you realise you are not going to complete it, and don’t wait until the very final deadline to admit defeat!

So you see, even with half of the programme completed, I’ve learned a lot, and overall it’s been a great experience, definitely worth doing, and which I will probably undertake again in the course of my working life. Finally, a big "thank you" to Annie and the other organisers, and congratulations to Gareth for winning the best blog prize – well deserved!