Cool story, bro. Tell it again.

Sorry the last post was so long, but after a long hiatus, I figured I’d give you something to think about. As promised, I have yet to blog about my last two BIG goals…

On my birthday (OMG - I’m a quarter of a century old!), I find myself in the same dilemma I was in two years ago: doing something I’m not entirely 100% passionate about. Two years ago, I woke up with $40 in my account. Two years ago, I didn’t have the ability to change professions because of a commitment I made. But yet, two years later, even though I have plenty of personal savings, I’m not happy because I’m not living out my dreams.

I’m not living the life that I envision; I’m merely existing with no purpose, and I’m irritated and frustrated. And that’s a good thing. Why? Because my discontentment will force me to do something new and different in order to get me out of the rut that I’m currently in. Two years later, which is now, I can do something.

On (Higher) Education and the Labor / Job Market —

I watched this radical YouTube video that my friend sent to me, and I found myself agreeing with a lot of its arguments. Now for all of you who support (a) college education, STOP NOW, and skip this paragraph. For those of you who want me to provide you a brief summary, here it is… Basically the hour-plus-long video touted that it’s not wise to get into excessive loan debt at the expense of foregoing making money and accumulating real world experience that comes from working immediately out of high school. Furthermore, the video asserted that college graduates, a dime a dozen, can’t find work related to their major of study and instead settle for jobs that are below their education level. (Before you conclude the video is super biased, which it is, Yahoo also published an article citing the same crushing job crisis results as well.)

My point: I can honestly say, I don’t think I learned that much useful information or knowledge in college. In my prior post, I mentioned I only learned for two of the four years I was at UT Austin. I had numerous jobs in college, and I don’t think any of my coursework taught me to succeed in any of those jobs or in any of the others right out of high school, college, or what I’m currently doing now (managing a local business, doing Teach For America, and private tutoring, respectively).

You ask, “Why would anyone go to college?” You won’t hear many people say, “To learn something.” Instead you’ll hear, “To get a job.” As we now know, graduating from college doesn’t assure you a job, or a very good one at that (I mean, Harvard grads working at Starbucks?!??! #fail). So what are schools teaching us: How to think or how to think their way? IMHO, learning only one method or a set of rules from school and mindlessly applying them without learning to interpret meaning, think critically, or synthesize, numbs / deadens our brains’ ability to think creatively when we graduate. How then are we equipped to survive?

In these tough economic times, I ask myself, “If there aren’t available jobs that suit me, what am I going to do? Accept it? No! It’s my job to create a job.” When your back is against a wall, you’re forced to get creative, and that’s where some of the best ideas can develop and grow, when you have no other choice but to do something differently.

“If you want something you’ve never had, then you must do something you’ve never done.”

My Dream (Company)

I’ve always wanted to start my own clothing company, not small local boutique, like a brick and mortar store, but a brand. So my “goal” is…

GOAL #2: Learn to Sew / Tailor (Well) (in a Year).

RESULT #2: Tailor my clothes (at the very least). Ideally, start my own business to fill an under-served niche market. (Later on, sew for my kids?)

REASON(S): My clothes are (almost) always too big. Women need stylish, good quality, timeless options. The life cycle of clothes also needs to be extended (not wasteful like Forever 21) so as to conserve our environment.

I took some sewing classes in Hawai’i from January - June 2011, but I didn’t learn nearly enough. I plan on learning on my own / learning from my mom and taking classes at HCCS (less risky option that going to FIDM right now), while I save up a lot of money from tutoring. I have a pretty clear vision of what I want my clothing company to be and what my clothes should embody in design and functionality. I know who my customer is; I know what they earn in terms of expendable income. I even have the name picked out.

Ideally, if / when I start my company, I don’t want to design and sew in a studio all day (although it is important to know some general specifications and garment construction terms when talking to tailors who will sew your clothing). Rather, I want to have the final say on textiles used and garment construction in terms of seams, fixtures, design elements etc. So many people - friends and strangers alike - have complimented me on my good eye. I want to say what will and won’t sell.

So what am I doing now? Tracking down every possible lead: talking to anyone I know who’s ever started a business (both in and out of the retail / fashion industry), speaking with friends’ friends, researching small business start-ups and their costs, figuring out how to create a business plan etc. Oh, and probably starting a fashion blog featuring my own personal style (btw, anyone know of any great photographers in Houston???).

I’m a bit scared, but I’m willing to take the risk than to settle or do something I know I don’t want to do. A clothing brand may just be my Personal Legend. I’ll keep you posted.

Lew

My friend recently posted, and I quote: “These engagement/marriage notices in the corner of my newsfeed are making it increasingly difficult to rationalize my dreams of prolonged bachelorhood.”

I replied: “They’re not deterring my plans in the slightest! Marriage in five years, kids in seven. Sounds great!” For me, there are SO many things I want to do before I ‘settle down’.

I have to admit, being ‘LinkedIn’ makes me feel like a bit of a failure. People have these great careers as ‘Senior Analysts’ having moved up in their companies. Others have already / are in / are going back to grad school, med school, law school etc. 

Me? I’m taking a breather. I went big, then I went home, so to speak. I’ve been on over drive since I before I can remember, probably since I was 14. I don’t regret the life I’ve lived nor the things I’ve done, experiences I’ve had, or people I’ve met. I’ve been extremely lucky / blessed. 

But I think it’s time to slow down. It’s time tune out all the hustle and bustle of external expectations and listen to what my heart wants to do. I need to do what I want to do, not what my parents want me to do, not what my friends think I should do, not what society expects me to do. I need to do what will make me happy.

I heard a speech a while back where the speaker cautioned its listeners to take their time in selecting a path for their lives. He likened their livelihood to a ladder leaning on a wall - a metaphor for whatever is important. What if all these years you’ve been scurrying up the ladder to make it to the top, only to find at the end of the day, the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall?? Then what???

My friend brought up a good point, one that I had already been thinking about: experience / degrees has/have a shelf-life, meaning it will be difficult to find a job if I’m not keeping my resume current with professional experience. And I very much understand that lack of professional experience could adversely affect my ‘career’ in the future; however, I’m not willing to avoid risk or be pressured by external factors for the sake of padding my resume if those jobs won’t make me happy. Sometimes you’ve just got to do what you want to do and trust that everything will work out.

——-

Ideally, I’d want to work in my current job until December and save a lot of money, then move to Paris for a year and a half to learn French while simultaneously saving more money (and cooking). By the time I’m 27, I’d have a good amount of money saved, know another language, and be in the position to start a business. (IMHO, I’d also have all the skills necessary to start and maintain a family.)

Hopefully my business will be successful, and then when I’m more financially stable, I’ll be in a position to start settling down: buying a dog, meeting someone new or reconnecting with an old friend, getting engaged / married, and starting a family.

As far as what I want for a job: I want to love what I do; I want to be my own boss; I want to make all the decisions; I want to set my own schedule; I want to help other people and make a difference; I want to be able to travel for a couple of weeks during the summer; and oh, I want to wear jeans to work. 

With my current idea — my three BHP friends have given me their approval - they think it’s a very good idea with a lot of potential! — what I want in a job is completely possible. Of course I know that starting a business will require A LOT of blood, sweat, and tears. But I’ve got about 2-3 years to generate ideas, plan, develop materials etc. 

I’m very hopeful for the future… :)

Lew

I know, I know… it’s been a while since I’ve blogged. But I’m going to pick up from where I left off as if no time has elapsed. Cool? Cool.

My free time has given me the opportunity to think about what I want for my life. If you’ll remember my previous blog entries about my first two (of three) goals:

Goal #1: Speak (at least) three languages fluently: English, Spanish, French.

Right now, I’m working on making #1 happen. I’m in process of finding a job abroad, specifically in Paris. Yes, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Moulin Rouge PARIS! I’ve already applied, and I’m waiting for their response. And, I bought a discount subscription for a livemocha.com account, so I’ll probably use it to practice Spanish via skype.

Goal #2: Learn to sew / tailor well = start a fashion company.

I’ve been working on clothing brand names along with logos, but I’m still in the very pre pre preliminary stages now. Ultimately, I’ve put Goal #2 on hold because I know that once I start a company, it’ll be like my baby, and I’ll be solely responsible for growing it. Thus, sequentially, Goal #2 will be a work in progress, and its fruition will be attained at a later date. For now, I’ll be thinking up ideas, drafting designs?, getting inspiration etc. 

Goal #3: And now… lets hear a drumroll, please… it’s probably something you never thought I’d ever say… Goal #3: Cook (well) so I can feed myself / a family.

———-

Last August, during my three-month Europe / East Coast adventure, I visited my friend in his hometown on the Eastern border of Switzerland. My friend’s dad, being ever so hospitable, always asked what and when we wanted to eat etc. He asked me if I wanted to help cook, and I told him I don’t really cook. Slightly disapprovingly, my friend’s dad said in his German accent / broken English, “Let me get this straight, you’re so well-educated etc. but you don’t even know how to cook???” I was a little embarrassed to be honest. In my defense, and hoping for redemption, I baked my mom’s famous apple pound cake, which seemed to appease him. He couldn’t stop eating it! “Great, Lew, no longer in the negative point column!” Success. Ha!

But deja vu… 

Shortly after Switzerland, I met up with my good Norwegian guy friend from study abroad in Paris back in 2008. He flew from Oslo to meet me in Denmark to hang out and sightsee. In one of our many conversations, we started talking about food and cooking. I mentioned that I didn’t really cook, and he asked me incredulously, “Lew, how are you going to get a guy if you don’t know how to cook??!?!” We both laughed pretty hysterically, but what he said, coming from a guy and a good guy friend at that, made me stop and think back to the previous conversation I had in Switzerland. 

Those two questions played over and over again in my head throughout the trip.

When I returned home at the beginning of October, I questioned myself, “How did I make it 25 years, and I barely (*know* how to) cook??” I found myself at a crossroads with only two options: continue not knowing how to cook OR learn to cook. 

Well, my choice, the road less traveled by, was obvious: learn to cook. 

———-

My choice was pretty easy for a number of reasons:

1. I had time to learn. 2. My mom is an expert cook, so I could learn from her while I was at home. 3. I love to eat. 4. I’d save a lot of money by cooking. 5. I could control what ingredients went into my dishes. 6. Cooking (well) would give me a leg up on the competition! (Lets be honest, the way to a guy’s heart is largely in part through his stomach!) 7. It’s a necessary life skill not only for myself but for my future family.

Here’s some background on my experience with food.

I grew up in a house full of good food. My mom cooked every night, and she catered to, and still does, to our preferences. (I used to be a super picky eater when I was a kid. I don’t know how my parents put up with me!) My mom can cook anything, and when she creates her own recipes, none of her dishes ever taste bad. If fact, they taste good. I also went to a private high school, which had gourmet food. And, in college, I ate out a lot - I was a bit snobby, and still am, about the food I put in my mouth. To borrow a line from the Ratatouille food critic: “I don’t like food. I love food, and if I don’t love it, I don’t swallow.” LOL. Ultimately, the accumulation of numerous good food experiences has shaped my perception of what food should taste like and what it represents in my life.

First, I think the majority of food that we consume should generally be nutritious and delicious. Secondly, I think food is extremely important because of what it allows we, as human beings, to do. Not only does it give us sustenance to live, but it brings us together as people - to bond and share life experiences.

I attribute the breakdown of family life and American health to a number of issues, but one cause can definitely be linked to food. It seems like in America, we’re too busy working (which is another cause in itself), and as a result, we don’t have time to sit down at the dinner table and share a family meal. We lose the opportunity to talk about our days and share our lives with each other.

Moreover, what and how you eat growing up shapes your prevailing attitude towards food and affects your future family. If you don’t think food is more than energy to fuel your needs so you can continue to work, that’s how you’ll treat it. You’ll eat (unhealthy) on the go, claiming that you have “no time” to sit down and enjoy life with your family. Your health will suffer etc. And well, America, one of the richest countries in the world, has so many obese citizens. But access to health care and food etc. is a completely different issue, which I won’t tackle in this post…

In my next job (fingers crossed!), I’ll be responsible for child care and cooking, which will be the final building blocks of my responsible adult persona. After I return from Paris, I will be ready, more or less, to start a family. That is, once I establish a stable career (business owner?) and have a steady income. Oh yeah, and I guess find a guy. But my cooking skills are bound to aid in that, right? ;)

At the end of the day, I do believe I can bake my cake, and eat it, too, both figuratively and literally speaking. I believe I can accomplish all three goals: fluency in three languages, starting and operating a fashion company, and cooking for and raising a BIG family in the next few to five to seven years! Bon appetit! Cheers!

Lew

Parlez-vous français? ¿Hablas español? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Você fala português?

I feel like my brain hasn’t exercised in a while. In other words, I don’t think I’ve learned any NEW information since college. While teaching is an incredibly hard task — kudos to all you wonderful career teachers who love what you do and are good at what you do! — the information I was teaching (Algebra I and II), I already learned quite well when I was in middle school and high school.

Q: When was the last time I actually absorbed any new information? A: Probably my junior year of college.

Even though I went to a great public university and completed a challenging honors program, I only did a lot of work and learned a lot of new information in two of four years. (Freshmen intro classes were easier, IMHO, than Episcopal’s honors and AP classes, and senior year of college, I studied abroad, ie, played around in Pair-reeee and traveled Europe, then returned to Austin and took two capstone classes to graduate. I finished my last college class when I turned 22. So three years later, I’m thinking: “Goodness gracious, I’m about to turn 25, and I haven’t really learned anything new!” Well, maybe a few life skills like budgeting and saving money?) Needless to say, I’m bored and restless. I’m itching to do something new, learn something new, go somewhere new…?

I’ve been MIA for two months, busy thinking about and doing things that will help me further my future goals and plans.

I’ve narrowed down my thoughts to THREE BIG GOALS (OMG, TFA lingo…) to accomplish when I’m 25.

GOAL #1: Learn French and Tagalog; Become Fluent in Spanish.

RESULT #1: Know how to speak fluently (more or less) and read / write in FOUR languages (English, Spanish, French, and Tagalog) in ONE YEAR / by the time I’m 26.

REASON(S):

1. The more languages I know in a global society, the more opportunities I will have.
2. My brain gets a mental workout; I can stretch and grow my brain.
3. I cannot be labeled another ‘dumb’ American for knowing only one language.
4. What else could I be doing weaving through traffic? Listening to Drake’s “Motto” for the billionth time??!
5. I can spend more time with my mom when she teaches me Tagalog.
6. I can converse with my friends all over the world in their native language(s).

The Approach—

French: Here’s what I wrote to my friend when he asked what I thought about this blog article:

So I finally skimmed through this article, and I have to say that right now, I am in STAUNCH disagreement with this approach to language acquisition because it is very much like how language is taught in school - rote memorization through conjugation lists and vocabulary drills etc.

I took Spanish for five years (8th grade through HS all four years up to IV AP), and I know A LOT of grammar and vocabulary, and I am finally building fluency. I’ve been to Spain and I can hold a long conversation with anyone on the street. Native Spanish speakers have told me that they have no doubt I’d be fluent if I were to spend one month in any Spanish-speaking country. “Fluency” took me FIVE years, and honestly, I think I have a knack for learning languages. (I wish I could say that same about physics, finance, and accounting!) Imagine how hard it must be for someone who struggles to learn languages like I struggle(d) in physics etc. … terrible!

A couple of weeks ago, I checked out Pimsleur’s French: The Plus Course from the Houston Public Library, which is an ALL AUDIO course. At first I was quite skeptical - there is no way I am going to learn a language by listening (and not reading or writing or learning vocabulary through flashcards…). Lo and behold, I’ve listened to two short lessons (30 min each) in the last 12 days (1-2x/day), and I already know how to say complicated things in French like, “I’m going to meet the female writer. Her name is Marin Pesac. I saw her in New York not long ago. Have you read her book? It’s fascinating, no? I read her book two times.” OR “What are you going to do this afternoon? How did the meeting go?” OR “I’m very thirsty. Would you like to drink a coffee? Would you like some milk? Sit down, I beg of you.” OR “I’ve been living in New York for eight years. I work for Books International in publishing, and BI already has acquired the author’s rights. We’d like to translate and publish the novel into English.”

How long would that take the average person to say learning the way we think is “normal” (ie the way languages are taught in school)??? If you want to get back into French, or learn another language, I highly encourage that you watch this commercial. I’m a believer! I sat in French class for one hour a week for 3.5 months while I studied abroad in Paris, and I’ve learned more in 12 days than I did there.

This famous linguist, and creator of the program, Pimsleur, strongly believes that rapid language acquisition is obtained by listening to a language in context (and interacting with the program / people by speaking). I’m checking out ALL of his French audio discs from the library (they’re on hold) then learning the spelling and grammar later (which I know will be easy for me). Wouldn’t you say the hardest thing about learning a language is to speak it? He thinks that learning to read and write while simultaneously speaking inhibits the brain to absorb the language. Watch the video. It’s amazing.

I’ve already learned Spanish the ‘textbook’ way, and while I would say I’m proficient with the language, it also took me FIVE years to reach this level. Granted, I had other classes, and I never practiced a lot until now… still, I thought to myself, “There must be a better way to learn another language.”

I tried to learn French the textbook way, too, while in Paris, but not much took root in my brain. (I spoke in English every day because the classes were in English, and my study abroad friends were Portuguese and Norwegian, and to communicate, we obviously spoke English.) French more so than Spanish is all about pronunciation - words in Spanish are pronounced the way they are written, which is not the case with French. Trying to learn French by reading words that do not sound how they are written would be tres confusing! (Tres meaning very, not three! :P)

Here’s what I do: I listen to each French lesson 1-2x (more like 2x) a day while I’m commuting to my tutoring appointments because I spend about TWO hours in traffic every day. I listen to the French lesson once on the way there, and once on the way back. With the remaining time, I turn on Spanish radio…

Spanish: I’ve noticed that ever since I’ve been listening to Spanish more, I can understand when Spanish-speakers speak even very rapidly, like in radio commercials about groceries and cars. Last week, I arrived early to my second tutoree appointment, and I met one of his relatives. She’s Mexican and speaks perfect Spanish (no slang!), and she said my Spanish was really good! We talked for 30+ minutes in Spanish, and I understood everything she said, and she understood me!

Additionally, I asked my Mexican friend if he wouldn’t mind practicing speaking with me every day for 30 minutes to an hour. He agreed, and I think it has helped A LOT. I feel a lot more confident when speaking. The key to fluency is practicing EVERY DAY. We talk organically about our days and basketball, then take a word that comes up in conversation and go over all the different ways you can use it. I’m also reading and writing in Spanish for maybe an hour in total per day as well.

Tagalog: It’s such a shame that I don’t already know this language, since my mom speaks, reads, and writes her language fluently. If I’m going to be in Houston for at least another year saving money for graduate school or starting my own business, I think I should pick up yet another language. As described above, (rapid) language acquisition is about listening and speaking, in other words, full immersion, rather than verb conjugation and extensive vocabulary lists.

Eventually, I’d also like to learn German, Portuguese, and possibly another Asian language like Chinese (most useful) or Japanese (very pretty and similar to Spanish from what I’ve heard - no pun intended!).

The Bottom Line—

Wouldn’t it be cool to know and speak seven languages fluently by the time I’m 35? TEN YEARS! It’s totally doable!

I highly encourage you to buy a $10 program or check out the language program from the public library (it’s free!). If you have any interest in learning another language or traveling to other countries, no matter what age you are, YOU CAN DO IT! And you should do it NOW! What are you waiting for? Get going…

Lew

PS — I will blog about my other TWO goals soon…!

With Valentine’s Day, or Happy Singles’ Awareness Day, fast approaching, I felt compelled to address some “love” related issue in this week’s post. I wrestled between writing about this and sex, and I decided this topic would be the better option. Because with the latter, people would read my prudish arguments, and probably want to burn me at the stake or at least send me hate (e-)mail. So rather than incur ridicule - save it for another day, people! - lets have a mature, frank, and introspective conversation, and I’ll spare you the birds and bees speech. Ca-peesh?

With the departure of my friend to Shanghai, where she teaches English - I told you my friends were bad-asses - I picked up her gift, “Girls in Trucks,” which she saved from the Half Price book bin just in the nick of time. Reading through the book, I felt immense pity for the protagonist. IMHO, she’s confused, insecure, and self-destructive. She lets one of her boyfriends physically and mentally abuse her - huh?!??! - until she feels numb, used, empty, and all washed-up from her long list of crazed escapades. Her older sister who used to protect her from guys, remarks, “No offense, but what’s left to protect?” Ouch.

I’m not judging this fictional character or her decisions. (She kind of gets her fairytale ending…? Although she goes through A LOT of heartache in 35 years.) However, I am exercising judgment, which is defined as: “the ability to come to sensible conclusions.” I think any rational person would agree that self-destructive behavior is not beneficial to the individual (“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”). I also think it’s fair to say that everyone wants to be in a happy and healthy relationship.

What’s the key to a happy and healthy relationship? The answer is simpler than you think: It’s a happy and healthy YOU.

Now I’m not telling you anything you haven’t heard before - I’m just the white figure standing on your left shoulder, pleading with you to do the right thing: to love yourself. And if that’s not working, here’s some tough love, which, I, btw, told myself: “Get your sh*t together because ain’t nobody gonna love and respect you if you don’t love and respect yourself first!”

“But, Christine, I don’t really know what else to do other than what I’m doing now.” I think the answer lies in knowing what you want, then living your life with passion and purpose (coupled with good-decision making / making your own luck).

If you’re 1) insecure and jealous, 2) have no life direction / interests / hobbies, or 3) relying on someone to complete you and make you whole, you are setting yourself up for disaster. However, if you’ve got goals, love life, accept / love / respect yourself, if you’re learning, growing, bettering yourself, and adding to this world, not only are you (blossoming into) a healthy individual, but you’re EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE. Everyone will be lining up to date you. That’s a guarantee.

Still not convinced? Another side effect of loving and respecting yourself, besides gaining self-confidence and positive self-image, is that you won’t accept anything less than what you think you deserve. In turn, this attitude will cue others / your significant other to treat you equally well.

By no means am I a relationship expert - I have yet to have one serious / long-term relationship - however, I am smart enough to learn from my mistakes in my “faux” relationships as well as from my friends’ mistakes. It’s taken me almost 25 years - AHH! I’ll be in my mid-20s in two and a half months! - to amass some “wisdom.”

Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or married, it is time for redemption and reclaiming your dignity. A healthy person + another healthy person = a possibility of a healthy relationship. Anything else before the equal sign will most likely be detrimental to you (and your significant other) and end in grief.

Your job? Get out there and start doing what you love and believe that someone will come along. Being the person you want to be will attract the kind of person you want to be with. Or, if you’re already in a relationship, working on yourself will only strengthen the relationship - your relationship will flourish, just like those pretty flowers you’re set to receive in two days.

Lew

So I realize that my prior post was ree-diculously lengthy, so I’m going to K.I.S.S. y’all: Keep it simple, stupid! (insert kissy face emoticon here, lol)

Rather than type out how to goal set, or tell you how I goal set, I’m going to redirect you HERE. It’s not that I’m too lazy to write an extensive post, but this website is already an excellent guide. No need reinvent the wheel, yah? (Like my pidgin??!)

Here are my two cents:

1) Use the SMART mnemonic: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-specific.

Example of my one year goal: “I will save $20-25K by mid-March 2013, so I can attend FIDM in April 2013.”

2) Break down your goals into repeatable, habit-forming actions, so that [insert goal here] eventually materializes naturally.

Example of a few of my 2011 New Year’s resolutions:

• Work / life balance: Sleep 7 hrs a night on the weekdays and 8-9 on the weekends. Less to no work on the weekends, go beach on weekends.
• Exercise: Power yoga class 2-3x a week with running in between days. Beach volleyball on the weekend.
• Eat healthy: Eat 3 servings of both fruits and veggies each day (six in total); take multivitamins (gummy), calcium vitamins (1500mg), and vitamin C (1000mg) each day.
• Intellectual stimulation: Read one book every two months.
• Cultivate a hobby: Sign up for sewing classes and go 1-2x per week.

(If you notice, all of these habit-forming actions follow the SMART mnemonic.)

3) WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS! (And tell a close friend about them. Why? Because he or she can help keep you accountable when your willpower wanes.)

4) Make an action plan, and when its complete, DO IT ASAP!

5) Post your goals and action plan in a place you will see them every day (planner, bulletin board, desktop background, smart phone — yuck! Sorry, personally biased…), so you won’t forget what you should be doing.

6) Regularly review your progress / goals.

As part of a job application for lululemon, I used their template to backwards goal set from 10, 5, to 1 year(s). I took about 30 minutes to fill in the page (once I found out how to type on the dang pdf file, ha!). It was quick and easy only because I already have my extensive 12, 13, err, 15 year-ish plan (that gets updated about once a year — yes, I be crazy) written down.

Now its YOUR turn - go get your goal setting on!

Lew

PS—Check out some of the other links on the main goal-setting page, as they, too, offer a lot of great advice.