For those that have read through a few of these journals now, I want to thank you for making it this far. I am probably only thanking my supportive friends and family, but I shall write this as if the masses are hanging onto every word. Honestly, its been a crazy exercise reflecting on some moments from the last 8 years of my life and just seeing how much has changed for me. Some of these blogs that I am posting have been written for a few years now, standing by waiting for the day I would get around to launching the website. I have so much more I want to share in due time. I hope it has at least been a slightly interesting read that provided an opportunity for you to reflect on your own experiences. If not, tough luck, there are no refunds but please come back for future posts. Before I release a few more of the blogs I have written and will continue to write, I wanted to dedicate a blog specifically highlighting my motivations for Going The Distance and my vision moving forward.
If I remember correctly, it was near the end of Summer 2018 when I first thought of an idea that resembled Going The Distance. Trying to imagine what my life in 2018 was like is a surreal thought. I was working as a co-op student, nearing the end of a great term with the company I am currently employed with today. I was about to begin the second half of my 3rd year in my Civil Engineering program which was supposed to be one of the most difficult semesters. During my summer co-op term, I started listening to podcasts, specifically hockey and financial podcasts. Being the diligent saver I am, I wanted to learn more about managing my money and found this great podcast called Listen Money Matters. One day I was listening to the podcast as I was heading to the gym after work and one of the hosts was discussing his side business and his advice for starting one. They discussed this topic before with guests and had always left me wondering what business I could create. I always envied people who started their own businesses. Specifically, I envied their creativity and pursuit of an idea they came up with. Listening to a bit more of the podcast, the same host spitballed ideas for their listeners and mentioned businesses being born through someone’s hobbies and passions. This had me thinking now about what I was passionate about and how I could make a business out of it.
Author
PATRICK SMYTHE
Project Manager
Civil Engineer
Motivated
Storyteller
Big Time Dreamer
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I began reflecting on where I currently was in my life, well into my education, past my previous failure and on track to begin my career in a couple more years. I felt proud of myself for the time and effort I spent in the last few years to get to the position I currently was in. Even to this day, I rarely take the time to give myself credit for my successes, which makes me even more thankful when I do. I didn’t fear failure any longer and in turn, wasn’t as wary of sharing the failure I experienced before. I know how personal failure can be. The last thing I wanted to do when I first failed was discuss with others what happened as I feared judgement and inferiority. As discussed in Opening Up, accepting your failure and finding a way to move forward from it will expedite the process of getting back to where you want to be. Demonstrating this, I was once again confident in myself and my journey. My academic standing was strong and just finished an amazing co-op experience with a good chance of coming back in 4-months. Pairing this confidence with my understanding of the state of social media and the picture-perfect reality that individuals presented, I thought there’d be a unique space on the internet to share my experiences honestly, including my failures and setbacks. I was passionate about sharing my story with those in my circle with the hopes of offering some comfort and advice and I wondered why I couldn’t do that on a larger scale. All it would really take was creating a platform for myself and hopefully one day other contributors to share our experiences allowing friends, family, and possibly strangers to connect with our journeys and reflect on their own similar experiences. This is where the idea of creating a website kicked in. I heard numerous ads of the one-stop-shop services that create easy, clean, and quick websites for their users. I could’ve gone down this road and saved a lot of time and headaches, but it didn’t feel like the right decision. If I were to create a website dedicated to Overcoming Failure, Challenging Yourself, and Always Improving, I felt I would be missing out on a wonderful opportunity to showcase all these things. Admittedly, my competitive nature encouraged me to take on the challenge of building a website from scratch.
I often chuckle at myself that my idea was to create a blog. When did blogs start? Probably around when I was born. I may have missed the height of blog popularity, especially now with most people’s attention spans decreasing, now focused on fast-delivered content. However, I found it takes effort to find genuine content on social media platforms and the internet that is relatable and interesting. Most of the content I see thrives off negativity, controversy, or recycled content which sparks debate and disagreement. Considering this, I wondered if I would be able to bring a positive perspective on social media platforms and the internet with Going The Distance. What I dream for Going The Distance is to become a virtual library which showcases a variety of life experiences and stories from many contributors, allowing readers to relate to and learn from them. It’s hard not to get carried away dreaming, especially something I have become very passionate about. At the very least, this journey of creating the website was an amazing experience allowing me to reflect on what I have been through, to be honest, and learn new skills. Writing these blogs is very therapeutic, forcing me to really articulate my thoughts and recognize where I am at in my life. Understanding that the original intention of this website was to learn a new skill and work towards achieving a goal, I know I will have a great sense of pride once it is complete. I suspect I’ll even tear up a little once it is live. When I am writing these blogs and am diving into personal feelings or details I occasionally hesitate, often thinking “do I really want to share this”. It’s a crazy thought opening my life up to strangers who can read about my experiences. What makes me keep writing is that I truly believe in reducing the stigma behind failure and supporting others through their journeys by sharing my own. If I am lucky enough to have my voice reach one person outside of my immediate circle, it would truly be a privilege.
