2011 Year Plan

As promised last week in the 2010 Annual Review, today I am looking forward on 2011, in the form of my 2011 Year Plan.

I plan to go above and beyond last year. Last year was unique in many ways, something of a trial run. I could have another 30 trial runs, many people do.

It would be the comfortable way to go – but this year, I’m determined.

I read this very quotable sentence a few days ago by Chris Guillebeau. It’s sad not only how true it is, but how often this is seen as okay. It’s almost as if we’re saying “People give up, deal with it.”

Remember, if you’re looking for an excuse not to do something, you won’t have to look far. Playing it safe is rarely a choice that is mocked – everyone understands. Everyone gets it. — Chris Guillebeau

From a new quote to one I’ve looked at time and time again these last few months.

It’s strange to think of death as a motivator, but when you really think about it it’s fair to say it’s the only real motivator we have.

Taken from Steve Jobs’ address at Stanford University’s commencement ceremony in June 2005, shortly after he discovered his Cancer was no longer life-threatening:

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. — Steve Jobs

Morbid, yes. However, no quote has ever made as much sense to me, and worked so well as this one.

Whenever anything of any level of difficulty has come up in the last few months I’ve bought up that quote in my head and immediately a huge sense of perspective emerges in front of me.

Nothing can ever seem to be difficult, when compared to death.

On that note, on with the year plan!

This year I have been very specific with my goals. Rather than listing a string of resolutions, everything this year looks at the bigger picture. About time too.

My 2011 Goals are to…

• Earn (at least) £1000 pm with an Online Business
• Gain Conversational Fluency in Spanish
• Live in New York City for Six Months
• Reach 100 Subscribers
• Visit Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Backpack South America in the First Half of 2012

Quite a range there. I’ll skip the top one for now and come back to it later.

Gaining Conversational Fluency in Spanish

For the past nine months I’ve told everyone and anyone who would listen that I was learning Spanish.

This was absolutely true for the first few months, but over time I gave up. Now, due to proper resources and a genuine excitement to learn I am back on track.

Live in New York City for Six Months

I would like to live all over the world.

I love to travel, but when I do I tend to stay in one place for no longer than a few days at a time. This is why, alongside travelling to far off places, I would also like to live in some of the most exciting cities in the world.

First on my list? New York City.

I have no doubt that if I can create the right kind of low-maintenance business in this former half of the year, I will comefortably be living it up in the city that never sleeps by the end of the year. This is only the beginning.

Reaching 100 Subscribers

Visitors are great. As I’ve mentioned in previous weeks this blog is getting more and more popular as the weeks go by due to a huge amount of visitors coming in through search results (and staying 10-15 minutes at a time to read the articles – nice).

However, what I plan on increasing in the first half of 2011 is the number of subscribers to the blog.

If you are unfamiliar with how to subscribe to a blog or website you can do it in one of two ways: Email and RSS.

Visit Dubrovnik, Croatia

This one doesn’t need any explanation. If you’ve never heard of, or seen photographs of Dubrovnik I urge you to leave this page now and track some down.

Simply stunning.

Backpack South America in the First Half of 2012

Not a 2011 plan, but I thought I’d add it in anyway as it relates to some of the other goals.

I needed a big trip to focus on, and this is it. Having not travelled outside Europe before now this will be a big one, but it’s one I’m fully prepared for.

Finally…

Earning (at least) £1000 pm with an Online Business

Along with the Spanish, this is another goal of mine I’ve been telling people about for several months now without knowing entirely how I’m going to make anything work, and even what I plan on trying to make work in the first place.

I won’t go into details, but by the end of the year I plan to be creating £1000 per month income, or more, through my own online business.

I’m not 100% on what the business will be on yet, what product it will sell, or even who I plan to sell to.

All I know is I have the knowledge and skill to make this work (this is no time for modesty) so I’m going to make it happen. Everything else rests on this.

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This is only the beginning.

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