Weekend Magazine: Little Boxes.

When builders attempt to build as many houses as possible, as cheaply as possible, these are the results.

There is a movement afoot to educate as many children as possible as cheaply as possible.

Any predictions about the results?

Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Challenge: These Dreams.

This prompt from Michael Rad is about dreams. Specifically, to identify my top 3 dreams, write down my top 3 dreams and then write down the things that are holding me back from accomplishing these dreams. This is a companion to yesterday's post, Invent The Future.

I am not a big dreamer. If my 3 top dreams were a movie, the movie would go straight to the Netflix "Instant" directory. My dreams are about my family; Spending time (arguing) with my wife and (yelling at) my kids. I also want to give as much support to my kids as I can to ease their transition into adulthood. Implicit in these dreams are a level of income and an amount of recreational time. The level of income and time are heretofore unquantified. I'll know when I have enough of both.

I have no dreams of travel. If the Rockford Clocktower is the last world landmark I ever see, that's fine. I have no dreams of publishing, speaking or being adored by multitudes. I'm not against writing, presenting or adoration but these are only means to an end; time with my wife and kids and being an asset to my kids. Therefore, everything I stated yesterday belongs here also. So what's stopping me from accelerating my future success?

Only one thing is stopping me from reaching my goals: Me. That's it, I'm the problem. I have to build my network and present my brand. If I'm not networking face to face or on the net, I'm doing nothing. I have to press the flesh and press the send key as often as possible and then, more than as often as possible. A caveat is that my brand must choose quality over carp and content over quantity.  In the end, I may not be the only encumbrance to reaching my dreams. Until I jump the hurdle of me, nothing else is in the way.

What about you? What's stopping you from achieving your dreams? Oh and by the way, if you don't write it down, it doesn't exist. Take some time and share your thoughts.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Challenge: Invent the Future.

This prompt from Cindy Gallop is about setting long term goals.  Rather than a "to do list", the challenge is to paint the picture of my future. Once I see the future, I can go about the mundane task of filling in the details.

In the future, I see myself in a nice house with a white picket fence in the suburbs. I will have three nearly perfect children, Amanda, Xavier and Fred.  Wait, that's someone else's future. I gotta get a new crystal ball.

My future includes serving as a creator/facilitator of life cycle celebrations for the secular community.  I plan on speaking to secular humanist and atheist gatherings about the importance of ceremonial celebrations and explain the dynamics of creating life cycle events based on music, literature, science and history. My business will have been built via face to face networking and social media. I also will offer consulting to small businesses on building a business via social  media.  If I have time available, I have a very specific website in mind that I would love to develop.

That is a very aggressive future. It's time to start writing down the mundane details.

What about you? How do you see your future? Without a vision for your future you will merely travel life's path as a bystander and wind up living someone else's future. How can you start living your future today?

Ralph Waldo Emerson Trust 30 Day Challenge: Day 8, It's OK To Talk To Yourself, Past and Future.

Prompt #8 is very straight forward. Have a conversation with you 5 years ago and 5 years in the future.

The past me:

Congratulations, you've moved to a community that is very down to earth. Not every kid on the block is involved in 2 dozen activities. Most families are happy taking 1 vacation and not disappointed by taking only 2 vacations. The elementary school has a new principal and she's great. Most of the folks in the NW burbs are asking, "So when are you moving back?" I answer, "Moving back where? I'm home."

It's time to face the facts about your career. You realize that employees are valued less and less each year. Despite predictions that the death rate should be rising with the death of the boomers, there are fewer jobs in funeral service. The day of the career employee is coming to an end. You don't want to own a funeral home. If you don't make a plan you're going to get run over and your family may be flattened along with you. You're smart enough. You're well liked and well respected. Figure this crap out, the sooner the better.

The future me:
What do you know, you have survived. Things didn't go quite the way you planned, but what does? The business you've started has grown each year. You are beginning to see a steady stream of referrals and groups are asking you to present at their meetings. Maybe there will be some sales for that book you've been writing for 5 years. The economy is finally creating some good paying jobs, but you are pushing 60. Who would have hired you? It's a good thing you decided to start that business. Sure, it took longer than it should have to get started but you did get started. Forget what you haven't accomplished and relish all that you have accomplished.  All in all, it's gone pretty well.

That's my conversation with the past and future me. What would the chat you would have with your past and future self (5 years) sound like?