Goodbye to an infinite supply of sugary drinks – you’d think MS Dining Services would consider healthier options, but this cabinet has barely changed in the 5 years I’ve been here.

Pivot!

Hello world! Clearly my blog hasn’t kept up with my life, so with major change in mind, here’s an update!

What am I doing?

I am taking a productive sabbatical over the next six seasons to identify, understand, and selectively develop essential traits, skills, abilities. This will encompass the period from September 10th, 2013 to May 23rd, 2015 (621 days – or 14,880 hours). These dates should be easy to remember, but I need to be mindful that I need to make these hours and days count over the long term (window including this time, and subsequent 5 years).

There is much I hope to accomplish in this time. These are in no particular order and more will likely be added until the start of the above period:

1st GOAL: SELF (RE)DEFINITION
Who I am, why I am here, what my life’s service can be to better the human condition. These won’t necessarily all be grand visions of the future. Some of these projects may be more fun-oriented (A happy civilization is a productive civilization!). More importantly, what the next five years of my life following this period (2015-2020) is best fit to be devoted to in relation to the previous. This is an open-ended goal, with the focus oriented on gaining a more perfect understanding of self.

A renewed focus on personal health and fitness is also a priority. My love for sugary drinks so far hasn’t killed me, but I would say that it’s higher on the list of unhealthy habits that I should probably replace. Among others include a way-too-unhealthy love for fast food, which should be replaced by a still-underdeveloped love for cooking. Leaving Microsoft then (with its infinite supply of carbonated beverages and easy fast-food) will serve well. But I think I want to explore further.

2nd GOAL: GLOBAL FOCUS
Identifying and understand my role in helping the challenges that humanity must solve to progress and endure past its thus-far brief existence. This is a multi-part goal, and is meant to be more of a brainstorm to identify and prioritize resources to each goal. During this period, I will focus on emerging problem spaces to prepare and plan for Phase 2 and 3 of my life.

3rd GOAL: COMPLETE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
Develop an independent secondary income stream that can cover basic needs. For the purpose of this period, this will be defined as $2,000 USD per month, (cost averaged) over previous 6 months. Success in this goal will allow for continued productive sabbaticals in the future. Expenses should be minimized and focused on long term needs (looking over a period of 5 years). This will allow currently allocated capital to function over this time, and allow larger project spending as needed.

4th GOAL: Relationships
Developing purposeful, lasting, relationships in family, friendship, and community (yes, in that order). There may even be a purpose for a relationship with no purpose; as a control group, of course :).

Current Strategy: Explore, Develop, Direct (EDD)

That’s it for now. To life! Onwards!