So, the next post after this one is #200.  Which means I’ve managed to blog somewhere in the range of 200,000 words in the last six months or so.

I was thinking about getting all fancy and adding another tab to the blog with top posts, since I don’t think anyone actually wants to wade through all 200 posts I’ve made, but there are probably one or two good ones that are now buried too far for anyone to find.

But I honestly, for the life of me, couldn’t tell you why the posts that have the most likes were likable.  (And I wasn’t joking when I said that people tend to like the posts where I say I won’t post for a day or two.  I assume that’s because I also say something interesting in those posts, but it is pretty funny.)

Some of the posts I liked the most didn’t get much attention.  Some that I thought were throwaway posts got lots of likes or attracted new followers.  It really is a mystery to me.  (And, granted, I’ve spent about five minutes trying to figure it out, but there is always a little spot in the back of my mind that’s sorting and storing this info.)

And, taking this beyond the blog, I think sometimes what people tell you you’re good at, isn’t necessarily what you’re good at.  I’m pretty sure the issue that used to come up in my performance reviews as my problem area (not always playing nice with others) was also the reason I did so well at my job for so many years (because the others I didn’t play nice with were generally the ones who slowed down a project and by going around them I managed to get things done that my bosses needed done.)

I think it’s very easy to discount your actual strengths and assume that something that’s actually a weakness is a strength.  (A bit of a tongue twister there…)

And with writing that gets really tricky.  Say you write five short stories and you sell one of them.  And then you think, “Well, that one must’ve sold because I [whatever].  So, I must be good at writing stories that [whatever].”  When really it was just pure chance that particular story was chosen.  Or maybe your other, far more brilliant story, was just 500 words longer than anyone wanted it to be and, as much as they loved it, they just couldn’t bring themselves to take it on.  And every word was perfect, so they didn’t want you to edit it, either.

So now you focus on [whatever] stories and you trash that brilliant story and any other ideas like it.

Who knows?  And sometimes what works on Monday no longer works on Friday.  The world changes.  People change.  Life is not static.  So, not only are we constantly trying to figure out what worked about what we did before, but we’re trying to adapt so that we can continue to find success now and in the future.

It’s enough to drive you crazy.  Or me crazy.  Which is why I won’t engage in this type of thinking exercise very often.

Anyway.  Just a little random blathering for the day.  I think I’ll wait until Saturday to do post #200, so nothing tomorrow.