Roland Hulme

I've been all introspective 'n stuff recently, so I made a list of 'wants' to fill in to give me some focus on what I want to achieve in the next few years.

I thought I'd post it here and see if anybody was interested in filling it in and giving us an insight into their brains!

The Action Plan

1: Name three things about yourself you would like to improve:

2: Name something you would like to achieve:

a) Within 1 year:

b) Within 5 years:

c) Within 10 years:



3: Name something you would like to help achieve for somebody else:

4: Name one place you haven’t been, but you’d like to go:

5: Name one person you haven’t met, but would like to:

6: Name three material things you would like:

a)...

b)...

c)...

neil

You first

Roland Hulme

1: Name three things about yourself you would like to improve:

1: I would like to get a bit thinner, fitter and into better shape. I know getting chubbier is a natural part of growing older (and being married to an outstanding pasta cook) but I look back wistfully at pictures taken five or six years ago and think: 'wouldn't it be nice to look more like that again?'

2: I'd like to improve my confidence. Although I'm an outwardly charming and charismatic person, that all seems a bit of a 'front' compared to how I feel inside. I'm very self concious and self-aware. It would be nice to adopt a more American attitude of self-confidence and being laid back.

3: I'd also like to improve my focus and ambition - to get my head down and finish what I start, so I can achieve things that I'm really proud of. I think the difference between successful people and aspirational people is simply application. Successful people have the motivation to get up off their arse and 'do' things. In America, I've noticed, 'doing' things gets your places. Sitting around and dreaming doesn't.

2: Name something you would like to achieve:

a) Within 1 year:

I'd like to actually properly get into freelance writing. Writing articles, reviews - things that get published and read. A realistic ambition that might be achieved by some self promotion!

b) Within 5 years:

I would like to finish, edit and send off a novel or book to a publisher and get the thumbs up. Although the publishing industry is more cutthroat than ever, I still believe deep down that I've got what it takes to write a book and get it published.

c) Within 10 years:

I'd like to start my own business - doing something creative, so I can work my own hours (albiet lots of them) be creative and, most importantly, be in charge of my own destiny. I'm not even sure what this business would be - I've got some interesting 'crafty' ideas. But nobody ever got rich 'working for the man' and the opportunities in America are more promising than anywhere else in the world.


3: Name something you would like to help achieve for somebody else:

I think the answer to this question means achieving things for my wife, Tina. Even though I'd had two long term girlfriends, I'd never really had a proper 'relationship' until Tina and I moved in together - nearly a year after actually getting wed. Going out with somebody is very different to actually living with somebody day in and day out! I've certainly grown up and evolved being married to Tina. I've matured emotionally and changed in a lot of positive ways - although I'm sure I still have a way to go!

In many ways, I think we have a great marriage - much better than many other married people our age. We both have the advantage of genuinely liking and caring for each other and being best friends, not 'just' husband and wife. But what I want to achieve 'for her' is to give her all the things she needs out of our partnership, like stability and security.

4: Name one place you haven’t been, but you’d like to go:

Las Vegas! Former playground of Frank Sinatra, the Rat Pack, mobsters, stars and more. I'd love to see the place for real.

Or else, just the West Coast - California and it's beaches and roads, the 'cowboy country' in Arizona. I'd love to see the mountains and forests of Colorado - it looks beautiful.

5: Name one person you haven’t met, but would like to:

This is easy! My friend Sarah. Back when I was at university, I got chatting to her randomly in an Internet chatroom. Now, almost twelve years later, we still email each other every single week. Thanks to blogs and things, we now both know what each other look like - but we've still never actually met face to face!

6: Name three material things you would like:

a)... A 'Tiffany.' As in, a great big ridiculous sports car suitable for Adventure Eddy. Although I have my heart set on something specific - a 'Knight Rider' style Pontiac Firebird with a 5.0 V8 and a manual gearbox - I'd settle for anything sporty that I can jump in and out of and slide over the bonnet. Basically, a car that could realistically drive from Paris to Nice in six and a half hours. Sure, I'll never, ever need to do that (although Adventure Eddy did) but it's nice to know you could if you wanted to!

b)... An American house - something specific, though. I'd like a traditional American wooden house (what do they call them? Colonial?) in a North Eastern state not too far from New York city. I'm thinking a yard, a shed, some trees (beautiful golden leaves in autumn and lovely white blossom in spring) and enough space to have a couple of animals - maybe even a horse. Not an impossible dream by any means (especially not in nearby Pennsylvania) but currently an ambitious one.

c)... Some animals. Ever since Ava got run over, I've noticed a definite lack of furry companionship in our lives. I'd love to have another Bengal cat - they're so beautiful and smart. I'd also love to have a silver dapple dachshund - a miniature about the same size (and brain power) as Piglet.

neil

Good stuff. It would take a bit of thinking to get complete answers from me, particularly on the material things as I really have more than I need already.

If you ever get that book done I know people who know people in publishing that might be able to help get your book seen (no promises though).

Leslie

I'm sorry but I cannot be motivated by anybody unless they have very shiny fake white teeth, are using an overhead projector and have a microphone clipped to their lapel. IT IS THE RULES!!!

neil

I can sell you some online classes for a very reasonable price (considering they will change your life and make you a millionaire).

Leslie

Let me see your teeth and projector first. I have to be sure this isn't a scam.

neil

Not a scam, but it's not actually all set up yet. If you give me the first installment of $5000 I can show you the projector and the teeth in due course.

MsElui

no kids in that plan roland?

Leslie

I'll need at least one tooth as a sort of security deposit.

neil

Roland, you want in on this deal?

Edit: forgot to add there will be conditions attached to you coming in, sort of a quality check.

Dan B

That seems like work to me! And that is not what we are here for

Duncan Roberts

OK, I'll bite.

1: Name three things about yourself you would like to improve:
Focus, confidence, footballing skills.

2: Name something you would like to achieve:

a) Within 1 year:
Get my Master Archer award fir both indoor and outdoor. Shooting 70M would also be cool.

b) Within 5 years:
Be in a management or high end research position.

c) Within 10 years:
Be cured of diabetes. Kind of reaching there!


3: Name something you would like to help achieve for somebody else:
Happiness for the Mrs

4: Name one place you haven’t been, but you’d like to go:
Japan

5: Name one person you haven’t met, but would like to:
Mr T

6: Name three material things you would like:

a)Home theater

b)Nice house built to my (our) specifications, exactly the way we want it.

c)An expensive car. Not sure which one though.
__________________

neil

The Action Plan

1: Name three things about yourself you would like to improve:

2: Name something you would like to achieve:

a) Within 1 year:

Improve my ability to plan ahead

b) Within 5 years:

See a)

c) Within 10 years:

See a)


3: Name something you would like to help achieve for somebody else:

Anything my wife wants (my only sensible answer) because everything I do now is for her and my baby).

4: Name one place you haven’t been, but you’d like to go:

Bed with Natalie Imbruglia

5: Name one person you haven’t met, but would like to:

See answer to number 4

or

Roland (sometimes you just want to punch a ginger - just me? OK, never mind)

6: Name three material things you would like:

a)...

a bed with Natalie Imbruglia in it.

b)...

I don't need anything else

c)...



I may come back and do this sensibly later.

Roland Hulme

Since I have very little control over the kid making process (apart from volunteering my DNA) I'll wait for further developments before including any little people in that plan!

But house in the country would obviously be for little 'uns. Otherwise I'd have put 'Manhattan penthouse.'

Or maybe not. Maybe I'm growing up!