I’ve been struggling to write this post for a while, mainly because I thought it had to be serious and deep. The problem is, I have about as much depth as a splash pool and I don’t do serious. In fact, when my dad passed away and someone said “We’re sorry to hear that you’ve lost your father” I responded with “No, we know exactly where he is, he’s at the undertakers!” Needless to say, this was to a British Banker and he was not amused. So, here goes.
Recently, after a bit of soul searching, I realised that I wanted to make a difference in the world. It didn’t have to be a big difference, but it needed to be important for those it helped. While I enjoy working as an engineer, the only difference I am making is to the bottom lines of large faceless corporations. This is no longer good enough. Doing a job that pays the bills is essential, but staying in a job merely because it pays the bills is not.
The other problem I have is that I’m really good at having plans. I’m so good that I can have more than one plan at the same time. I also excel at talking about these plans. In fact, I feel almost like the walrus except, instead of talking about “shoes and ships and ceiling wax, of cabbages and kings” its more like “things I plan on doing with my life, and things I want to achieve.” But, in the past, I have had about as much chance of implementing these plans as a snowball has in hell. Well, it’s now time to stick that snowball into the freezer so that it can survive and thrive.
So, the overriding aim is this. I will make a difference. While I am not certain how I am going to make this difference, but i do know that continuing on my current path will not be it. So, here it is, The PLAN. And yes, it does deserve the capitals. Here it is in black and white, where everyone can read it and hold me accountable.
Now, first things first. In order to be able to make a difference full time, I need to be able to pay the bills. This is the first subsection of The PLAN. I will have x websites up and running before the end of August(where x is an integer greater than 5). These sites will be on a number of topics ranging from entertainment to my attempts to make a difference. I have realised that running a website with the sole purpose of making money is never going to be enough to motivate me to keep at it, however doing it because it’s fun, will. Also part of this will be a continuing attempt at stock photography and article writing for Helium. In order to keep track of the success I have created a scoreboard. This will be displayed on a more suitable forum (probably The Starter Coach but the name may change). More details will follow, but needless to say it involves doing at least three things for each website per week.
Subsection two of the plan is to start making a difference. This has already started, but not in nearly the way i’d been hoping. To this end I will be starting a fund raising venture. This will require the registering of a non-profit organisation to begin with. i already know what is required, it just needs to be implemented. If other ideas crop up along the way, they will be evaluated and implemented or made freely available, just in case someone else can do something with them.
Finally, and this is probably the most important part of The PLAN, i will become a person of action. Things that are spoken about will be done, or never spoken of again. That statement right there is probably the one that is going to cause the most amusement to anyone who knows me, but this is the one thing that will enable all the others, and is likely to require the most perseverance.
Enough of the seriousness, normal service will resume shortly, after all, somebody has to let you know how to survive the coming zombie apocalypse.
Most cunning Mr Hobbs; I look forward to seeing how your plans unfold.