What I learned in the Emerald City

OK, first off, I think I know why blogging is so popular.

Everyone who has their own blog is re-enacting the end of Doogie Howser, M.D. Or at least that's what I was thinking about as I logged back on.

TANGENT (which is kind of an excuse to try linking more videos on Youtube): I feel like that show should be in more syndication; along with many others. If those studios/networks were smart, they'd find a way to make it possible for me to subscribe to a package that allows me to pick my own primetime lineup with any show, at any time, from any time period. Like tonight, I could go with (and those links to seinfeld/cheers stuff are funny) a Doogie Howser M.D.--Cheers--the A-Team--Seinfeld combo. And this cheers scene was too funny to not include. The same idea/concept could also work for major league sports. If I want to go back and watch a game from 1991 between the Bulls and Pistons, I should be able to purchase that, and the leagues could make a killing off it. As you'll see, I'm full of crappy ideas like this you can use as your own.

So back to the topic, my time in the Emerald City.

I'm about four days from ending my stay out here, and it'd bore most of you to death to recap every moment of it. But four years later I have seen good times and bad, and learned more about myself than any other period of my life. This past year has been one of the best for me, both personally and professionally and has given me some perspective on what is important to me, living a good life, and having peace of mind.

I started thinking about peace of mind around the first of the year, and I used some tools from work to think about what actions/activities/behaviors do I need to do in 2009 to achieve my goal (peace of mind). It really forced me to stop and think, "When I look back on 2009, what are the things I want to say I've done that have helped me get to peace of mind?"

So my hypothesis, is that there are five key dimensions to my life:

• My Health
• My Career
• My Family/Social Life
• My Finances
• My Fun (Hobbies)

Underneath each dimension, I called out a few actions/outcomes I'd like to achieve (some with dates) and this written "Plan" is the only thing remaining on my apartment wall. I get a regular reminder of the things I'd like to do this year, and it helps me be proactive about enjoying life. I can share an electronic version with you if you're curious, and maybe it'll help put some things in perspective for you too...but I make no claims that it actually leads to happiness or peace of mind; just some perspective on what is most important. You can also just watch the video.

So this model of mine really helped me see what my priorities are in life; and as fantastic as my career and friends in Seattle have been over the past 18 - 24 months, neither is more important than a family and group of friends that mean the world to me. Being 2,000 miles from the people who mean the most to me over the past four years has been tough. And especially tough this year. So I've decided to move back to Chicago, which is where I'll be sometime around June 10.

In the meantime, I've got a little bit of packing (and some work) to do before I hit the road with Annie to see the Wild West. Think good thoughts for Annie and I, and let's hope it doesn't come down to this.