Archive for the ‘how bad do you want it?’ Category

December 8th, 2009

December: The Last Month of the Year

I actually wrote this post over a week ago. I need to be better about posting, I’ve gotten use to writing, saving and closing my computer to repeat the same task the next day. I now all I have been writing about lately is about my novel and how difficult it is and all. The next couple of post will be a change a pace–I’m not promising, though…

I’ve been busy lately. It is something I don’t want to explain right now, but life is moving and I’m also doing what I can with the amount of time I have for this year.

Last week felt tremendous, I was able to get rid of my weight set and felt energize because of doing so. I want to continue to get rid of stuff and declutter my apartment, which will in turn declutter my life.

Clueless on What to Write

Tags: ,

November 10th, 2009

November: 2 More Months to Go

It has been a month since I’ve started my challenge of writing my novel. I learned many things about myself and the dedication that I put forward towards this challenge. If I want to do anything, I can do it, it just depends on how bad I want to do something. I don’t need to know how to make the goal happen, that will come with time.

What Did I Learn From my Novel Writing?

However, I did realize that I have many loose ends in my writing. It is something that will take me the rest of the year to make my goal of getting it done by the end of the year. It is okay. I plan to also enter this writing competition and will need to edit a passage of my novel to make it contest ready. This step of editing and reediting is what I will be doing sometime next year with my whole book altogether. I’m looking forward to that moment and will see how I do with this particular task in the coming week.

What Did and Didn’t Get Completed

Tags: ,

October 23rd, 2009

On Business: My Brother is Kicking My Ass at Ecommerce

photo

It has been well over 2 months since I have started my business experiment. Each day that passes by I get a clearer view of the next step with it. The post isn’t about me and the struggles I’m having to sell vintage wear (4), but about my bro, so here it is.

I didn’t think I would be saying this, but my youngest brother is kicking my ass at the ecommerce business of etsy.com. I don’t know how to explain it, but it is actually bitter-sweet at the same time. When I started, he was at 40 or so sells. I told him that I would catch him in no time—now he is well over 100 and making over a sell a day.

I didn’t know if he truly had it in him, I have been the one talking about business and expressing what I’ve done in the past, but just sitting back and watching him operate is quite amazing.

Tags: , , , ,

October 14th, 2009

The Big October Challenge(s)

It has been a long time since I’ve written anything. The last post frighten a couple of people and some thought that I was going to kill myself. But, that is simply not true, besides, I have so much to live for.

I’ve already started this challenge and will post from time to time on the progress I’m making towards both goals.

The year is almost done and still is the best year of my life, so far. I’ve learned many things about myself through various challenges I’ve put myself through, and taken a dream and made it a reality. I’m already thinking of next year and how I want to push myself even more towards my passions, business endeavors, and family and friends.

The Novel Challenge

I still have plenty of plenty of fight in me this year and have started the last quarter of the year off grandly. What I have done and will continue to do for the month of October is to write everyday towards my novel. So far so good, the novel is picking up and now managing to provide content by averaging 1200 words per day.

Tags: ,

August 7th, 2009

2nd Quarter Review and What I’m Planning

This post was written 2 months ago and have been busy doing other things. It is funny, though, once you write something down, things start to happen and relatively quickly.

The second quarter has come and past, I’m already into the discovery of my next step in my life. I’m not going to explain what did and didn’t happen, but I’m to say that it was a hard, challenging, and a worthwhile quarter.

For the most part, my story isn’t as different from the next person, but as I talk to more people and get their take on what I’m doing, I am seeing that I’m taking hold of my life, even with being trap in Corporate America. I have learn that I’m my worst enemy and my biggest cheerleader. I have to learn the difference between being motivated by others and motivated by myself. If one is constantly motivated by others, than their life is not theirs, they are being push in the wind, because the action is controlled by reaction.

“It is easy to be motivated by somebody not believing in you; the hard part is to be motivated when no one is around…“

-Me

Tags: ,

July 13th, 2009

Now is the Best Time to Start a Business says Robert Tuchman

This is a guest post by Robert Tuchman.

The task of starting a new business can be daunting.  It takes a lot of time, responsibility, and effort.  And with the state of national economy, starting your own business can be even harder.  In this tough economic climate, there are a few things you can do to ease the financial burden and accomplish your entrepreneurial goals.

One thing you can do to brace yourself is to go back to your suppliers—to your telephone provider, landlord, car dealer—and renegotiate.  Go to the people you are paying out to, and renegotiate on the contracts you had made with them.  See if they are willing to cut you some slack.  Although they are dealing with the same slow-down as you are, you will find that they are more willing to do you a favor than lose you as a customer.

I cannot stress enough the need for products you are selling to be presented in more detail.  You must make the clients understand who you are and what your product is. Market better!  Understand where people are coming from: be compassionate with their concerns.  Be willing to work out payment plans for potential clients.

Save money using technology: take advantage of email and video conferencing.  You should email documents rather than sending them via snail mail.  This will save you in postage and in paper.  Also, instead of driving or flying to meet with a client or vendor, you should videoconference with them.  Both of these will save you time and money.

Tags: , , , ,

July 9th, 2009

Update of Goals from the last month

I have begun my long 4-day work week. I chose Monday’s off, because I always hated preparing for work on Sunday’s and I will always have a 3-day weekend. This off-day will be spent by more writing, resting, and figuring out what I want to do as a second monetary means of surviving. I’ll fill yall in,  of what I”ll learn from this experience. I was able to complete some goals that I set at the end of last month before I started my Monday’s off.

Here is a breakdown of what all got accomplish and what didn’t:

Novel writing - I didn’t get to my goal of 100 pages, but I did get to a point of significant measures. I have got the main character active (he better be active, the story is centered around him) and at the point I’m at now will help me go back and finish the beginning part of the novel. I will soon perform the 24 hours of writing, once I get back from my trip. I don’t know what I will be writing, but should be a fun experience trying.

Business Idea - Figured out that I don’t have the time, money, and more importantly, dedication to recycle paper for profit. So, I am back to the drawing board of figuring out what I want to do, more on the basis of my passions, rather than something I am looking at as an exit strategy.

Tags: , ,

July 2nd, 2009

The Trip to the East Coast: Detroit to New York…Solo Road Trip…All I Want to do is Get Lost…

I have been thinking about this for some time. Everything made sense, when I sat down and decided what I wanted to do for a 4-5 day stretch. I could chill in Houston and be totally rested, travel to California that I have done so many times, I could visit friends who I haven’t talked to in awhile, or I could get lost.

My girlfriend nudged me to go on a trip with her friend’s husband. I didn’t want to do that. This trip was more than a look-good-on-the-beach away from my girlfriend type of vacation. She is going on her own trip, and I wanted to do something for myself.

It took me a couple of days to think about it. I was still not sure if I could do it. The start destination was set, but the end wasn’t. I questioned myself so many times, I was like, “Do I really want to do this? Why do I want to waste money right now? What will I learn about myself? The distance is too too far.”, everything went through my head and of course, like any reasonable adult I almost pulled the plug.

The last time I got lost was nearly 2 years ago. I decided to go to Japan on my own for 2 weeks. Once I bought the plane ticket, things started to happen. It was quite magical the way events happened. I bought the first ticket and still have to buy the return flight ticket, still apprehensive on going.

Tags: , , , , ,

June 30th, 2009

Being More Work Productive: How Am I Going to Achieve This?

From Adam McFarland’s Latest Blog Post:

“I value time and freedom over money. I didn’t leave my job to make more money…It was everything else that I wasn’t happy with – the purpose behind the work I was doing, the lack of freedom at a traditional 9 -5, and the bureaucracy of a system that prevented people from doing their best.”

Quote I left on his comment page:

“To me, there is no purpose in what I’m doing at work, but I can improve personally through it. ”

I have been meaning to do a post of this magnitude, but reading my friend’s Adam blog yesterday triggered me to write about it. My job pays the bills and allows me the freedom on the weekends to take trips, rest, or do whatever. It is though, the same thing over and over again.

Tags: ,

June 22nd, 2009

My Writing Teacher Lied to Me!

It’s true…

It all started almost a year ago, this was the time I was in between jobs and had 5 or so weeks off. I did some reading, tons of exercising, and writing here and there. I knew I was preparing myself to become a writer, before I made my declaration at the end of last year. For sure though, I knew I wanted to write fiction. I thought fiction would allow me to dream and become as creative as possible. So I signed up for a 5-week leisure learning fiction writing class.

“I want you guys to remember, that you are writers. Okay. Now repeat after me, I’M A WRITER, I’M A WRITER, I’M A WRITER…”, the writer teacher, who has written one novel said.

I believed everything she said to me: I felt strong, I felt I could write anything (well when I was in that room with 10 or so other people). Everyone came from different backgrounds, but as I looked around the room and noticed the confidence from the other people, who was also saying this bullshit of a mantra - I knew my life was going to be different from this point on!

Ironically speaking, I was listening to Stephen King’s audio book, which he explained the art of writing, during the time of my class. So, it was as if I was getting conflicting information from 2 published authors, one more famous and has written on the subject more than the other. I, being reasonable with myself, listened to both lessons.

Tags: , , ,