The premise

We all have moments where we think we can be better than what we are. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t happy with our current lot in life, just that we can be better. Studies show* that there is personal benefit in taking stock, looking forward to where you want to be, and to take action to get there.

I have tinkered with this over the last few years with some success – changing what I do at work is a good example. I now want to do a little more for me personally and to become better. I’d like to think that Jack Nicholson was not onto something in his 1997 movie with Helen Hunt. I don’t think this is as good as it gets.

So. What next?

I have done enough research to understand that I need to set some BHAG (big hairy audacious goals), or some wicked problems, or to break it down into achievable bite size chunks. It needs to be SMART, and written down, a big rock and a frog that needs to be eaten. And some other business metaphor that has sold more books it should.

I have emulated Richard Herring, who for his 2004 Edinburgh show, recreated his own 12 Tasks of Hercules, not only for material for the show, but to test and challenge himself.

I will detail each of the challenges in due course, but creating this blog is the start of one of those. And starting here today on the first of October…ok let’s make it the first of November… sometime mid November, I will post 120 pieces over the next 12 months.*

If you want to watch see how successful I am, that would be great. However if you think “gee another glory project” or “middle age crisis kicks in”*, just nod you head and pretend you care and ignore everything that I am doing. I will try to make that process easy by not being too overt, but it will be easy to follow my progress if you really care.

* I mean they probably do, I haven’t checked or anything but I get the impression they do.

** Each challenge will be 12 of something. Or  120. Or 1200. It will start with ‘12’, even if it has to be engineered some how.

*** It might be a mid life crisis, but not a serious one. I won’t be buying a motor bike, quitting my job on an impulse or anything dramatic. Its probably more about stopping all that procrastination and doing things that I told myself I would do, like getting fitter, reading a few books and creating a to do list and crossing off items that should be on there. And posting this first post some time in October. Or early November.