Getting in the game! Cheerleader no more.

Time for me to get off the bench and get back in the game. On Friday, Oct 31 I will be starting my new job at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago! My unofficial title is the Web Project Manager, but the official one was IT Project Manager. I am very excited to be joining this organization again, although it is not new to me, I have been there before. Looking forward to it, they have an awesome tech team!

But for the last many years, I have not been directly in the game. My role at the YMCA of the USA was to enable others at the local YMCAs to do their work better. I typically did not do the work directly. All of that is about to change. This video from my church is a great illustration of what I mean.



I am confident that I have the skills, tools and qualifications to do the job and do it exceedingly well (if I have to toot my own horn). But this will be a new challenge for me and I am craving that. It is one thing to sit back and be someone dreaming up theories, making up recommendations, writing papers, etc. Now it is time to make it real and make it happen! And I cant wait.

I would challenge all of you to think about something you support or something you are involved in, but only from the stands. Then change it. Stop being a cheerleader and routing for a team. Start being a team member and make a difference. Contribute your skills, talents, time, connections or whatever it is you have to something you believe in.

Disclaimers - I dont mean to imply that my old role wasnt important, it really was important and was very needed. Someone needs to be the dreamer, the visionary, the group leader. Someone has to drive strategy, think about the future, make plans, write papers. I am just excited to be moving to the role of doing it, rather than motivating others to do it.

Second disclaimer - yes, the video was a church video from my church. I do have something of a personal pledge to not "hide" my beliefs. I dont expect everyone to agree with me, but it is who I am. I do also want to get in the game more at my church (although I am already pretty involved).