My Million Dollar Year

I love coffee shop coversations. Had a great one today. Inspired me to throw this together:

More wallpaper appropriate sizes available on request.

Good morning world.  Y’know, when I went to sleep last night, I remember wishing: “Hey, I hope that when I wake up I can be really sick!”

Thankfully wishes come true.

Right, no. I knew I felt like I was getting a little sick, so I tried everything I could to fight it off. Practically overdosed on vitamins, got plenty of rest, willed myself not to get sick… So much for effort.

I feel like crap.

Now I’m drinking this terrible, terrible product that involves some kind of cold medicine being made into this tea-like drink.

Now it tastes like medicine that I need to sip a full glass of for about 10 or 15 minutes. What the hell was whoever thought of that thinking?

I can only imagine  one man left in the lab.  Unshaven from several nights pondering the next big advancement in cold treatment. Labcoat dirtied and unbuttoned. He sits in the lab alone, the only light coming from his desk and a neon red exit sign. He places his hands together and rests them against his lips as if he were about to pray. He remains oblivious to the night time janitor now making his way from desk to desk, resetting the lab for a new day with his night time ritual. Suddenly the man in the coat looks up and sees the janitor throw away a cheap paper coffee cup.

“That’s it!” He jumps from his seat, startling the janitor.
“People love the taste of medicine, and people love their hot drinks! Why not make the medicine last longer! BRILLIANT!”

Bastard. This stuff better work (I’d like to note that I didn’t purchase the product, it was given to me).

Anyways, enough about me being sick.

It’s snowing. That makes me happy. I don’t mind the snow for the first couple of weeks. You’re never too old to go sledding.

Well, unless… Ok, most people have awhile to go before their too old to go sledding.

We’re only on day 3 and we’ve almost hit 10,000 hits and $200. Thank you to all who have stopped by, signed up for the feed, spread the link, and contributed. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. If people remain as helpful as they have, I think this might end up a very possible goal.

Some people have expressed that they support the idea, but aren’t able to contribute at the moment.

I figured I might as well ask you, the readers, what it would take for you to contribute to the project. I’m open to anything, so let me know in the comments.

And again, thank you all.

Day 2.

Well, the project is on it’s way. Part of me is incredibly hopeful, part of me is incredibly doubtful. I’ve already made enough to cover the startup costs, so I’m thankful for that. If I could get towards covering this months rent, I’d consider the entire thing a huge success.

Note to self: If you haven’t been to the gym in awhile, don’t forget to stretch. Ugh, I feel terrible. I think I’m getting sick also.

I suppose I should start the day.

So, I decided to finally get Twitter. I always thought it seemed a bit silly, but I’m finding it to be kind of fun…

Feel free to add me, and I’ll happily do the same: http://twitter.com/ehdom

The flowchart has been updated! Find the new version here.

I’ll bet a lot of you have some really great ideas that you haven’t done yet.

We all like to have good ideas, but most of us have a hard time acting on them. We try to justify our inaction with cries of “but I don’t have the time” or “I would if I had the resources.” We all get busy, but it’s no excuse for the long term. Maybe it’s that we think that the longer we wait, the better we’ll be able to execute them later. After all, the more you plan them, the better they’ll be later, right?

Wrong. These “good ideas” are addictive. No matter what happens, we always have our “good ideas.” We fantasize about how great it’ll be once we think of the best way to do it. Unfortunately, there’s a difference between these kind of ideas and “dreams.” Dreams are meant to be long term goals, and these ideas are supposed to be what gives you the experience to reach them.

Ideas give no mind to the hour, day, month, or year; as long as they’re kept as just ideas, they’ll linger on with their seductive nature. Acting on them will show their ugly, nasty imperfections, but they will be real. To leave them forever in the cocoon of the idea stage they will keep pristine and ideal forever, but it will also make them entirely impractical and useless. They will probably suck the first few times around, especially if it’s your first time trying something, but in the end you’ll have the experience to be that much closer to making it work. While you’re moving closer with each attempt, the one who sits on their ideas will still be dreaming of the perfect plan, unaware that eventually we all have to wake up.

Is there something you want to do? Stop making excuses. Go do it.

Now.

Ways to Handle Ideas

• Keep some kind of notebook or voice recorder with you at all time. I personally use an Olympus VN3100PC digital voice recorder and a pocket moleskine notebook. Write down every idea you have, no matter how impractical it may seem. Many great ideas spawn form the collapse of failed ones. There’s beauty in the breakdown.
• Make sure to always write the date with your ideas.
• Try to act on the ideas within a week. If you see an idea that perpetually remains only on the paper, find a way to change it so you can make it happen. No matter how good it is, it won’t do any good sitting on paper.
• Find someone you trust to discuss your idea with. Simply explaining your idea can help solidify it enough for action. This will also help pick out any previously overlooked complications. However, be sure to try to act on it soon after. Don’t get in the habit of only discussing you’re ideas.
• Save everything. Digital storage is cheap. Keep every shard of every failed project or idea. Keep them in a separate location if you have to. Work can often be recycled in to something else. Don’t throw away any of your previous effort.