Growing up, my mother stressed the importance of first impressions. Lock eyes. Firm handshake. Polite confidence. Passionate energy. Smile.
From a young age, I made those lessons part of who I am. First impressions were my thing. Starting strong opened doors and presented opportunities. Now, I’m learning the importance of following up.
To maximize opportunities, build relationships, and make the most of life, Getting a Good Start Isn’t Good Enough.
In 2017, I fulfilled a long time goal. I started a blog. Having spent months building a website, integrating my Instagram feeds into my homepage, choosing the right words for my bio, and structuring it in a way that could scale, I was so proud when www.matthewjohnthomas.com launched on my 27th birthday.
On June 19th, 2017, my first blog post chronicled how Birthdays Are a Big Deal, and how living everyday like your birthday can make your wish come true. People responded well to it, and I was excited about writing more. It was a good start.
Now, let me tell you about my second post... You’re reading it. For about six months, I didn’t post a single thing on my blog. This goal I had of launching it was done, and my focus on followup hadn’t begun yet. So, it flashed, fizzled, then fell flat.
Today, that changes. The purpose of starting my blog was to share more of myself, my stories, my lessons learned, and my heart with the world. An inactive blog suggests an inactive life, which is something that does not reflect my truth.
So, here’s the truth. I will write at least 50 blog posts this year. That’s about one per week. Not that it’s your job, but feel free to keep me accountable - I’ll thank you for it.
If you’re interested in my other resolutions, here they are:
Life Vision:
Be the best human, husband and father I can be
Donate 1 billion dollars in my lifetime
2018 steps towards that vision:
Write and Share at least 50 personal blog posts
Donate over $100,000 through Brawl for a Cause at Mercedes Benz Stadium
Apply and Be Admitted to a Top Tier Incubator Program
Expand the Brawl for a Cause fundraising model out of Georgia
Face a Fear - March 25th Challenge
Help 100 people build their personal brand
Host a @WeTravelPics Trip
Learn to cook 22 meals
To learn more about why I chose these resolutions and the subgoals associated with them, click on each (as they are updated with their own article). Comment one of your goals this year, and if I can help in any way, please reach out.
