It's been on my to-do list for months (at least!) but it's finally moving from to-do to done. That's right -- the 1st issue of Highlighting High Performance is ready for delivery.

Please, hold the applause.

Those of you who only read my feed haven't seen the sidebar item about my newsletter, so here's what I'm talking about -

Highlighting High Performance is the monthly email newletter for anyone who wants to excel.

Each issue features a variety of tools, tips and techniques designed to help you achieve high performance in whatever you do.

I'll be hitting the send button on December 1st, so you still have time to sign up to receive the inaugural issue. And I'll even make it easy for you to sign up while it's still fresh on your mind -

So, what do you think? It took longer than I had hoped, but the updated dougpetch.com is finally open for business. As you can see, it has a new look, additional features, an upgraded, secure online shopping experience, and a host of behind-the scenes improvements to make the site easier for you to use.

I hope you'll take some time to check out the changes. We're still doing some fine-tuning but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you find. But please let me know if you're not, or if you find a glitch that we've overlooked. You can do so either in the comments to this post or by clicking on contact over there in the sidebar.

Oh, and one last thing. If you're using Internet Explorer Version 6 you're probably thinking the site is all messed up. I have bad news for you though - it's not the site, if you catch my drift. You really should consider either upgrading to IE 7 or switching to another browser altogether.

I thought you might like to know that we've begun a rather extensive redesign of dougpetch.com. Over the coming days and weeks you'll be seeing some improvements around here; improvements intended to provide a more enjoyable, user-friendly experience. Among the planned changes -

• An updated design. I like the current look of the site, but I don't love it. So we're going to refresh the overall look and feel to provide a more pleasant visual experience.
• Easier navigation. Our new menu system will make it easier to find the information you're looking for.
• Improved browser compatibility. It's no secret that making a site "look right" in every possible browser is a difficult task. It's also no secret that we've been struggling with that issue for quite some time. One of the goals of this redesign is to eliminate - or at least minimize - those issues so that the site looks the same no matter what browser you use.
• A new store. The e-commerce solution we've been using up to this point has never really worked properly. Our new store will be easier to navigate, provide easier purchasing capabilities and - most importantly - provide improved security for your personal data.

There's more, but those are the highlights of what we have in store for you. So look for these changes and more as we work to make dougpetch.com your one-stop-shop for Teambuilding, Leadership and Communication skills training and information.

Start with a commitment to produce content for this site on a regular basis, add in a serious case of writer's block, shake well and - voila! - conflict. The challenge now is figuring out how to get past the blockage and on to unique and interesting content.

I'm open to any ideas you'ld like to share....

...not as I do.

Trust me - I know all the 'rules' when it comes to building a successful blog.  And rule #1 is that you have to be consistent.  Consistent with what you write about and, probably more important, consistent with how often you write.  But just because I know the rules doesn't necessarily mean that I will always follow the rules. 

Always keep 'em guessing - that's what I say.

 But you?  You need to be consistent so that you can turn your blog into the highly regarded source of information in your niche that you want it to be.

Trust me on this. 

If you follow me on Twitter you know what I'll be doing this weekend. If you don't, here's a hint -