Just wanted to highlight this post from Dane for the group's consideration and feedback.

Moved Reply:

Not to change the tune, but I have a story to tell:

I'm a developer in the Greater Boston, MA area and I recently found myself and the company at a disadvantage because I couldn't pull building permits. I was an unlicensed builder. I needed to obtain my general contractor's license.

To become a licensed contractor is critical in this business. For one, if the developer has to rely on other general contractors to pull permits on the developer's behalf, the contractor has leverage over the developer. The contractor knows that with no permit, there's no building, no value add, and so they can charge extra for this permit and use it as a negotiating tool to justify extras as a project progresses. This leverage which the contractor holds over the developer can mean many $1000s of dollars in extras and heartache.

Further, when a developer has a general contractor's license, they can approach city officials directly and pull permits. This saves time, because you don't have to rely on a third party to pull permits on your behalf.

Given this past predicament, I decided to get licensed as a general contractor. I found a class that could teach me the necessary knowledge to pass the state exam and the rest is history.

You're looking a new general contractor!

Have a great day and continue to thrive!

Dane -

I think your achievement is a great example of how to THRIVE!

You recognized a challenge/opportunity
You selected an actionable goal
You sought the help you needed to achieve the goal
You shared your success in celebration!

High THRIVES! all around - awesome!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jim Hill,

I like the term "actionable goal". I think that's the step where I often get stuck. I have the great idea, but I don't know how to put it into doable terms.

For example, I decided that this summer I would learn how to play bass. (Certainly a challenge as well as an opportunity, but not such an wild idea - I'm a music teacher and I already play several string instruments, just not bass.) I know people who play who could certainly help me. I even have a friend with a spare bass that I can borrow to practice on. Pretty good start. It seems like I have an actionable goal. But then comes the follow through. Or not.

The bass is still at my friend's house, I haven't actually made specific arrangements for anyone to show me the basics and I'm suddenly realizing that it's late July. So much for "seeking the help I need".

Ok, so now that I've admitted I'm not taking action, I guess that means I need to start. Here's hoping I get to share my success in celebration soon....

Kris,

It sounds like you've got a great goal brewing. If you're interested in giving it some more shape and seeing if the THRIVE! community can help you work through it, why don't you consider starting a new thread by clicking "New >> Discussion" above?

We may be able to help you achieve your goal and have more fun in the process!

Either way, best of luck with the bass.

(I think my Daddy Played Bass ... no wait, that was someone else.)

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Kris,
I also get stuck sometimes on the action part. I have great ideas, but will have difficulty realizing them becasue I'm not sure what the next step should be. I have found recently (via my golf game) I know I know I'm obsessed, but we knew that right. Any way I 've found that (simply enough)setting short term small step goals is working beautifully for me, as opposed to trying to get "there" NOW. Which could be one of the reason I trounced Mr.Jim and Mr. Matt last sunday @ Bayberry Links ( consider that an officail brag) So take it low and slow and we'll get there

David,

I guess I should have told you about "Little Victories" here. I get by on them. (Look at Music to THRIVE! By for the rest of the story....)

Thanks, Mateo!

So, I just returned from an exciting bachelor party adventure, which spanned 3 cities: New York, Baltimore and Miami and led me to the following conclusions:

1. There's an entire social strata which is focused on the wrong thing: How they want other people to perceive them. I can't tell you how many plastic surgery augmentations I witnessed, nor the perceived need people feel to be that glamorous someone, i.e. rich, beautiful, macho.
2. I'm very much in love with my to-be wife, Sarah. How lucky am I to have met the love of my life, my best friend and trusted confidant.
Seeing all the glitz and shiny people on my little trip made me realize how lucky I really am. I couldn't help but feel that there are a lot of lonely people out there as a result of their misplaced obsessions with looks and not their personal happiness. I truly believe that an emphasis on materialism only leads to an empty engine, a vacant feeling, with no feelings of lasting satisfaction.

In the end, it was a great trip, where some friends and I let it all hang out for one last, pre-wedding blowout. It was good clean fun, and I'm glad we did it.

At the same time, I hope we can all take a step back and ask: Who am I? Why am I here and undertake our life's purpose with ease as our passion pushes up to new lofty heights. If we do this, I believe the materialism and attempts at self-aggrandizement will take a distant backseat to our unique, individual life journeys.

Speaking of which: I've been brainstorming with my new life coach how our firm will grow over the next 5 years and I've concluded the following:

1. It's time for a move.
2. It's time to go 'Green'.

I've lost faith in our local market, here in Boston. We're losing job producing companies to outside acquirers and the city lacks an overall vision for the future. The costs of doing business are extraordinary. Why bother?
We need to position ourselves in areas where there's a deep appreciation for what and how we do business. We're in real estate development. We offer a subject matter expertise that offers unique properties to urban markets. Why beat yourself over the head in a community that seemingly doesn't care, as it makes it extraordinarily difficult to build?

2. Go Green! It's time we took real estate development and made it not only into a product producing field, but one which makes a positive return to the environment. There's ample anecdotal evidence that building green characteristics into RE developments offers a positive ROI to our surrounding environment and saves a buck over the long term. With energy prices hire, it not only makes environmental sense, but economic sense to impart green qualities on all present and future developments. This is just what we're going to do. We're getting together the business plan and planning to execute sometime after 1 September.

Thanks for reading!

Dane,

You've done some serious soal searching! I love your new direction, and I'm glad that you're enjoying your work with your coach. (I love playing the THRIVE! matchmaker.)

I'm very excited for you with your upcoming nuptials. You are opening so many great new doors! Your whole life has a new car smell. Fantastic!

Give my best to Sarah. Be sure to keep us posted to your firm's progress and let us know how we can help!

You rock!

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