4-hour Work Week: Next Steps
One of the reasons I was a miserable failure at the 101/1001 was because it immediately felt equal parts daunting and not urgent. I had 101 things (many of which I no longer wanted as soon as I finished the list) and too long to do them in. Things you truly want to do should feel like a constant emergency. I work best on tight deadlines because I am required to focus and skip all the bullshit. Lights gonna get turned off tomorrow? I figure out how to pay the bill. 10 page paper due at 9am? I write 14 pages through the night. Site needs to launch? I navigate the bureaucracy and solve.
So, in the Four Hour Work Week model, I'm only focusing on four goals. The thing is to put them on 6 month to 12 month plans and begin work on them immediately. The first step is figuring out the costs and if there aren't costs, get started on the doing.
Goal #1: Have Hip Hop Abs
Cost: 3 easy payments of $19.99
Next Step: Order the plan (which turned it into about $100 because of extras) - completed
Next Step: Since it will take 5-7 days to arrive, run every morning till it arrives to build up cardio.
Goal #2: Be A Club DJ
Cost: Unknown
Next Step: Contact my favorite DJs about the rig they would recommend for a wannabe spin king - in process
Next Step: Seek instruction from a local already spin king or queen I admire.
Goal #3: Live in San Francisco
Cost: Unknown but probably similar to my current living expenses unless I decide to upgrade the experience
Next Step: Contact my friends & colleagues in the area whose values and lifestyle are similar to my own and get neighborhood advice - completed
Next Step: Visit neighborhoods when I'm back in SF in 3 weeks.
Goal #4: Write the Saunders Family History
Cost: mini-cassette tapes and possibly transcription service (>$500)
Next Step: Schedule an interview with my mom and sister - in process
Next Step: Come up with the key "first question" for every interview I will conduct.
And just like that, I'm in action on four things I've been wanting to do that I think really matter for whatever reasons. All four feel very uncomfortable right now as they require incredible life changes, many of which seem completely implausible and unreleastic, but that's the point.
This post's playlist:
- Ring of Fire by This Kid Named Miles
- Am I The Man by Jackie Wilson
- Mad World by Gary Jules
- Please Baby Don't by Sergio Mendes
- Push It by Salt-N-Pepa
Comments
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2006/07/belkin-tune-talkturn-your-ipod-into-a-voice-recorder.html
Unless the transcription service requires it, you don't wanna go analog recording, since getting it to digitize is a painful real time process. These new ipod memo recorders automatically transfer to you itunes library in CD quality (44.1 16bit)
The belkin and other ipod recorders support iListen transcription:
http://www.macspeech.com/pages.php?pID=22&osCsid=80ce3cbcf740c0b2c2e949e0152b6fec
That should bring you costs way down, and ultimately, you'll have better quality recordings.
As for DJing. The current plans for headroom is to go back to just music for the bulk of shows. Bring the Vinyl. Bring that girl Melly. Bang... insta DJ practice sets.
I'd have to second mau on using a DAP if you can. You could also go the way of using Skype + HotRecorder (for Windows) or CallRecorder (for Mac) to edit them digitally.
Good luck to you!
:)
jt, i used to book djs for a living. i have turntables. i have records. let me help you on goal # 2.