In 2001 Michael Hyatt wrote a book about the importance of internet privacy. The book talks about how marketers, spammers, government agencies, and hackers can use your information against you. Much has changed since 2001, but what has changed most is Michael Hyatt.
Today he’s one of the most successful bloggers around. He’s even written about the importance of writing and how blogging has changed his life and his career.
He’s said himself that he wouldn’t write the book today— not that the content isn’t helpful, but that his view of the internet has changed. Privacy is not as important to him as it once was. Now he writes to connect and share with people— something he wasn’t doing in 2001.
It’s easy to forget that your life’s work is a work in progress.[tweet that]
Your identity is always growing and changing. Parts of you remain unchanged, while other parts grow and stretch.
Who you are today is not the same person that you will be 5 years from now. Similarly, you are not the same person you were 5 years prior.
Anyone in their early to mid twenties can testify to how quickly these changes takes place. You finish college and go home to your parent’s house to stay in your old bedroom. A room that once reflected so much of who you were now feels foreign. The posters on the walls no longer match who you are. The friends in the high school photos aren’t the ones you hold close today.
At 23, you’re not the same person you were at 18. At 30 you’re a very different person than you were at 25. At 50 you’re a different person than you were at 45.
It may be less pronounced as you age, but the truth is still there: you’re always growing and changing. [tweet that]
Your life’s work is also a part of your identity. Knowing your work is about knowing yourself and what you find most meaningful— and that will shift and change over time.