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Steve_Olender — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:51:03 CDT

July 9, 2008

It's been several weeks since Katie left me. Funny, but I can't even nail down the exact date in my mind. At first I didn't handle it too well; it tore me up emotionally, to be completely honest. I started drinking pretty heavily. I was drunk every night after work for a few weeks straight. Eventually, though, I started to clean up. I stopped wasting my money on shitty booze, and quit my shitty job. That's right, I'm no longer the Iconic Assistant Manager at the 48th and Baseline location of Little Caesar's in Tempe, AZ. To keep a long story short, there was too much corporate bull shit raining down to swallow all at once. They moved the guy that hired me (who ran the store and whose employees loved him) to a different store and demoted him, cutting his pay by about a third when he wasn't making enough to get by as it was. He ran that store tighter than anyone else, but for B.S. internal politics, they decided to screw him. The chica they put in his place had no idea what she was doing, tried changing our entire operating system, and was running labor and food costs through the roof (she would use triple the man hours that either Thomas or I ever needed) when those costs were the same justification Corporate gave for cutting Thomas down. On top of that, I was aware of the fact that they were planning on firing me as soon as they finished training the two new assistant managers, so I decided to beat them to the punch. One Tuesday I didn't feel like going in to work anymore, so I simply didn't. Haven't been back, since. I suppose I'll return my store keys eventually.

The past few weeks have been an interesting amalgam of ups and downs. It still hurts to think about having lost Katie, at times; but I think that's natural. It was nearly 6 years of my life, gone in a day, and for what? I'm still not sure. It also doesn't help ease my mind to know that she leaves her room even less now, and rarely makes it to class. I loved that girl too much to watch her fuck herself over, but she's doing it anyway. I think I'm going to have to have a serious sit-down with her pretty soon, as a concerned friend. No, more than that. As someone she owes a debt of gratitude to for everything I've given up for her. She can repay that debt by not throwing this opportunity at UAT away. I'm seriously hoping she will. As for me? I'm having my share of issues with school. I recently had to go up in front of the disciplinary board for something as stupid as taking tap water from the cafe after hours, and they decided to pull everything else into the discussion -- my grades, my social life, and my financial situation. The way it looks to them, they could conceivably hit me pretty hard with whatever decision they come down with; however, they sounded as though they'd be willing to give me a chance to straighten out and mind my P's and Q's. This is an opportunity I fully intend to take. My grades aren't quite what they should be, but I'm working on changing that. As long as I keep my nose to the grindstone for the rest of the semester, I shouldn't have a problem pulling up my grades and my Cum. GPA as well.

I don't sleep much anymore. I've more or less been camping out in the school commons, setting up shop in front of a computer or two. I go days at a time between sleep sessions. Two days, three days, sometimes as many as four days before I get to sleep again. Strangely, I'm comfortable with this. I don't like sleeping very much anymore; I guess I feel that there are better things I could be doing with 8 - 10 hours than spending it unconscious. This interesting character quirk is actually part of my developing plan to get back on track and work my ass off. I'm utilizing this extra time to get caught up on class assignments, as well as to get a jump on personal projects. I'm part of a large-scale student game project here at the school. I'm under NDA, so I can't really talk about it other than to say that it's going to be an Action/Adventure Fantasy game. Right now I'm doing research for the project lead, looking into combat styles with different weapons that are going to be in the game. Eventually I hope to program for him, but I'm not sure how that's going to pan out. I've also got at least two other independent projects of my own in mind, with a few other students. These are still in the brainstorming phases, though; we have yet to get any heavy documentation written up about them. Back to the whole not sleeping thing, it helps facilitate all this extra time to work on things, but it will also likely help once I get another job. I'm in the market; I've applied one place that may or may not have tried to contact me already (Mom's still not sure about that one), so I'll be contacting them soon. If that doesn't pan out, these flip-flops will be hitting the pavement until I've got something. I really need to get my finances worked out. They're a tangled fucking mess, and I refuse to leave them like that.

One of the reasons I haven't been sleeping, actually, surprises even me. I've been spending a lot of time talking overnight with a very good friend of mine from Australia. And no, it's not Kathy, as dear as she is to me. I met this girl a while back on http://www.deviantart.com , and she's been more vital than she knows in aiding my emotional recovery from the weight of recent events. We've been hitting it off amazingly well for weeks now, more or less all night every night. I suppose you could say that, for all intents and purposes, we're dating. She has been my biggest source of happiness in the past few weeks, and has allowed me to look at some things in life with a simpler eye and more appreciative heart. Her name is Amanda, and I love the girl.

I've actually written again. It isn't much and it's not very good, but it's true, and it feels good to have done anything like that. I can thank Amanda for that. I haven't drawn in ages, but Uncle Matt suggested to me a short while back that I get into it again, and I may. I actually have a plan concerning that particular hobby that, I think, will help bring a satisfying amount of closure to the situation between Katie and I. It concerns a drawing of us based on a photo of us at prom years ago. I never finished the drawing, and it was a symbol of our relationship status for a while, I feel. As a symbolic gesture of goodwill and having moved on, I plan to finish the drawing -- penciling, ink, and all -- and present it to her with my thanks.

In other recent news, I've become a branded member of Puff Club here, which means that Josh (Puff Daddy) has taken me into his inner circle of trust (at least regarding the club; but by default some of his personal life, as well). As sophomoric as this might sound, I'm actually very proud to carry this brand and honored to have the privilege. There is a good deal of drama surrounding the club right now, which is surprising considering that we try to interest ourselves in politics and the like. I am pretty convinced that what happened to me with the disciplinary board (which also happened to Josh, for similar but separate reasons) is tied into the club, somehow. We're not the school's favorite club by far, which is old news; but now it seems that a once-trusted friend of the club has their own interests and is attempting to manipulate us for their own benefit. This is disheartening, to say the least. To keep flak aimed at him from splashing over onto the club, Josh has stepped aside for now and left Chris in charge. I think that's about the smarted thing he could have done, but I'm still worried that the uppers might move in for the kill while they think they have the chance.

Just add these issues to the list of things on my mind, and I wonder how I've been retaining such a calm and satisfied outlook the majority of the past few weeks.

Read this:

[link]

Here is my response:

Here's a question:

How do they plan to implement this in regard to international arrivals / departures? I can almost guarantee that other countries will not unanimously and passively allow this to pass into effect within their own sovereignties.

Furthermore, I know the government has no idea what it's doing with Information Security, but do they really have no idea what a BAD idea this is in terms of potential identity theft? Each of these bracelets contain an RFID chip that contains valuable private information. You don't have to know anything about hacking to purchase a cheap RFID reader and rip information from EVERYONE in the airport. It's too easy to compromise.

Also, even though I know the government is aware of my location when I travel by plane, I still don't like the idea of them having a real-time GPS signal of me. I know it's only just before, during, and just after a flight, but it opens the door to further invasions of privacy down the road. And don't start bitching to me about my liberal upbringing slanting my views and not allowing me to see the necessity of giving up a little freedom for a lot of safety. You can screw yourself. Freedom is not a luxury, so don't treat it like one. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who once said, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

And finally, I refuse to wear a mini dog-collar. I am not cattle to be zapped at the slightest whim of a twitchy Ranger who's had a bad day. There is too much potential for misuse, and too much potential for this to be a gateway into greater and more prevalent and oppressive forms of control. "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!"

Hear, hear!

Discuss. Doing so is essential.

Things You Should Check Out:

Elect the Dead --
This is the debut album from Serj Tankian who, if you don't know, also performs as the lead singer of the eclectic, super-political rock group System of a Down. System has long been on of my favorite bands, and as a fan I have to say that Serj's solo work does not disappoint. It really brings out the musician in Serj, as not only are his pieces a little more accented with orchestral instrumentation (piano, etc.), but he plays nearly every instrument on the album himself, as well as performing the multiple vocal tracks in each song. This album was well-received by critics, and rightly so. If you're looking for an interesting new addition to the plastic collection, I highly recommend purchasing this.
You can also find it in vinyl, here.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots --
This is the newest installation of the famed Metal Gear Solid series, released only for PS3 so far. This is Hideo Kojima's finest work to date, in my opinion. This is the final chapter in the story of Solid Snake, the iconic protagonist from the entirety of the Metal Gear series (save for MGS 3: Snake Eater), and it really is a master work from someone who is the master of his trade. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and fairly simple to get a hold of. The controls aren't as clunky as previous MGS titles; 4 seems much more responsive and fluid. The game is visually stunning, with life-like graphics gracing not just the cutscenes, but the actual gameplay as well. The score is, like usual, unmatched, and really adds to the atmosphere of the story. Speaking of the story, it's scope is so grand that it almost overcomes the fact that this is a game, and not a movie. There are something like 8 hours of cutscenes in a game with not much over 20 hours of actual gameplay, which can be a turnoff for casual gamers. I, myself, don't mind. The cinematics are directed and composed as though they are just that: cinema. It really makes for an engrossing experience, especially when you add in small gameplay elements to the cinematics themselves. The game also promises a great replay value with at least 5 different difficulty settings (might even be 6), expansive levels to explore, secrets to unlock, etc. This installment also includes and online multiplayer mode that is unlike any online fps you've likely ever seen. There is also a behind-the-scenes making-of-the-game feature on the extras disk, but I'm not sure if that's only in the special edition release or not.
All in all, this game is a great addition to your game collection (easily the best game of the year), or even a reason to buy a PS3 if you don't have one yet. If that's not enough to sway you, check out games like Killzone 2 or Little Big Planet.

More to come...

Thanks for reading, guys. Yours,
Steve O

Diary - PFP Assignments

1. Learn About Appreciative Inquiry.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a futuring technique that asks you to specifically describe and appreciate some of the things that have gone (or are going) very well so far in your life, in your relationships, in your education, in your job, etc. By recalling and writing about these "high points" of your life experience so far, and thinking about the conditions that allowed them happen, you can:

a. learn more from your past

b. better appreciate your present

c. develop practical visions and plans for your future

Appreciative Inquiry can be done in groups, to improve organizations, and it can be done by one person, to improve their own life. Quickly skim these Appreciative Inquiry definitions (3 pages) to get a sense of what AI involves. You don't just report the positive in AI, you can also ask questions about how to heighten your potential for future success (e.g., "How can I get more of this kind of result?") and envision answers to those questions. You can also discuss negative things in AI, but such discussion must be focused on the positive ways you have been able to manage, minimize, or overcome those negatives so far, at least a little bit. AI dialog is, in essence, about appreciating all the positives that have occurred in your life, and imagining ways to achieve even more of those positives in the future.
No writing for this item, just reading.

2. Apply Appreciative Inquiry to Your First Diary Entry.
Make your first diary entry below. Start the first line with today's date, like "November 26, 2007." Then take at least four (4) paragraphs to tell us what you really appreciate so far about your life. What you think is working well, and what are some of the high points emotionally, intellectually, experientially, etc., either since you came to UAT or over the last few years. By briefly and yet accurately writing about these, you'll be able to review them later and get more insight into your strengths and motivations, and the many ways you positively impact others. AI also works great as a group process, so if you want you can ask family, friends, and coworkers to recollect "high points" of how you have affected them in a positive way. If you get any of that kind of feedback, please include it in your four paragraphs below.

Looking back on my life as a young adult (and before), I've really been blessed despite my love for bitching about things. I have a very strong emotional base in my immediate and extended family should I need it, I've been gifted with several talents, and really haven't had that terrible an existence.

My ability to listen to people and offer honest thoughts and suggestions has helped me forge lasting friendships with some great people, and my amiable disposition as well as my tendency to dive headlong into things I am passionate about have landed me in a committed relationship with the woman I love more than anything. While I've had wants, I've always gotten what I needed. Now that I'm more or less on my own that might start to change, but I have faith that somehow things will manage to work out.

Memorable times in my life include auditioning for and being accepted into All-County Concert Bands and Jazz Ensembles, being accepted by my significant other, making it all the way to Arizona on a wish and a prayer to chase a dream, and having a baby sister born in the winter of my 13th year. One of those things I had nothing to do with, but the rest required more than a little hard work, dedication, and a lot of luck (as unlucky as I generally am). The senses of accomplishment I felt during and after these events was fulfilling and gratifying in a way that few other things are.

Looking back on the things that HAVE gone right in my life, it's clear to me that they were not acheived through procrastination and lollygagging (though, most of them did involve quite a bit of both). If I want to repeat these experiences, then I need to learn to do what it takes in order to acheive the things I want most in life.

3. General Tips for Making Diary Entries On This Page
You can make entries in this diary as frequently as you would like. Some people record mainly the high points of their life in their online diaries, but if you take time to share some of your "low points" and difficulties as well, your diary will become a very powerful tool for both self-discovery and self-creation. Even if you only make a very brief entry once a month or after major experiences (the minimum recommendation), going back and reviewing your diary after you've been using it for a year or two will give you many new insights into the meaning of your life, and ways to improve it.

Most people keep their personal diaries private but share excerpts of them publicly on occasion, by printouts, email, blogs, etc. Keeping a regular diary is called "journalling," and those who keep them are called "journalists" (of the personal rather than public kind) or diarists. If you want more tips on keeping a personal diary (very brief or very detailed, as you prefer) as a tool for self-improvement, Journal to the Self, Kathleen Adams, 1990, is a great futures book with many tips on the process, and is highly recommended. Happy journaling!
No writing for this item, just reading.

4. Advice: Consider Setting Upa Personal Photo Diary in 2008
Flickr, Picasa, and other online social photoblogging or mobile blogging (moblogging) sites or software platforms are great ways for you to start creating a "documented life," recording the highlights of your experiences for yourself or your friends. Like a physical diary, looking back and reviewing some of your peak experiences in your photodiary can be very helpful to self-discovery, self-creation, and goalsetting. If you make any of your moblogging albums public, this is also a great way to share your life with your extended family and friends, and vice versa. For a good example of a leading Silicon Valley techie's photoblogging community, see Steve Jurvetson's Flickr Pics.

The most convenient way to do this is with a cameraphone that has at least 3 megapixels, and which will automatically download your pictures to your photoblogging site. You can tag, caption and share these photos and videos later, if at all. Unfortunately only a few phones meet this requirement today, and they are typically expensive ($400 and up). Furthermore, a number of high-end phones will be adding GPS capacity next year, which will make moblogging even more interesting (being able to share pics and videos as events are happening, sortable by location). Google's YouTube plans to add video mobloggingfeatures in 2008, which will allow any YouTube user to upload brief videos for other YouTube users. This should be very popular for sharing videos for family members, etc.
No writing for this item, just reading.

Ready to start using this wiki page for your personal Diary/Journal? Go ahead and start writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, peaceful and productive future!

The Quest Begins Here (or at least its chronicling does)

Steve_Olender — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:27:29 CDT

Glory-bound Fame hound

Ravings of the Doomed & Delusional

Well, I knew with a face like mine that I was destined for fame (or infamy), and indeed, I've been found! The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and since you're here and have proven me right, I think I'll go enjoy some. Butterscotch pudding, now that's my favorite. Since I'm always grateful for an opportunity to consume that which is the most glorious of amorphous gelatinous desserts, I extend my thanks to you for visiting.

If you're wondering what this is all about, allow me to explain. One of my classes during my first semester at UAT was a Futures Studies course called, "Foresight Development". It's taught by a really enthusiastic futurist who is actually the President of the Accelration Studies Foundation, a non-profit organization whose aim is to promote an understanding of the ways in which our world is accelerating and engender useful foresight and planning skills in individuals and organizations. His name is John Smart. This wiki is a result of taking that course, as creating our own "futures wiki" is the final assignment in the class. This page is meant to help me develop foresight skills by keeping track of my goals and progress, career options, and even just cool shit that I find coming down the pipe.

As you can probably tell, the site's a little threadbare at the moment. But never fear, my faithful compatriots! It is under construction (pardon my dust, or gas, or anything else unpleasant that I may emit while in your presence), and will be ready for your perusal and contributions any day now. My thanks for your patience, it shall be rewarded (depending greatly upon how loose your definition of the term, "reward" happens to be)!

Social & Fun

Steve_Olender — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:28:33 CDT

Social and Fun – PFP Assignments

1. Recreation List
It’s great to have a place where you list things you have done or want to try that are both social and fun, things you can do for “re-creation”… of yourself. Have you ever hiked in Yellowstone, Zion, or Yosemite? Gone cross country skiing? Run a LAN party? Played in a tournament at a D&D convention? Danced all night at a rave? Gone to Burning Man? Partied at GDC? Gone to an LoTR, Star Wars, or other film fest? What have you done so far with friends (one to many), or what do you want to try, that is both social and fun? Keep a list of these special things here, and make sure you get them in your schedule on a regular basis. Use them as rewards for your accomplishments. A well lived life is as much about celebration and recreation as it is about learning, building skills and working hard. Enjoy! (list 1 “Re-Creation” item).

One of my favorite pastimes of late is playing Rock Band. This is an awesome rock band simulation game, much like the famous Guitar Hero only with more available instruments and songs that are the master track originals instead of sloppy covers. You can play guitar, bass guitar, drums, or even sing along to your favorite rock songs, and it's a great party game.

As of now, I can play most songs on guitar at Expert level, except for some of the hardest songs. I can drum some songs on Expert, most only on Hard. I can play Bass on Expert on most songs, and there are very, very few songs that I cannot pass singing on Expert.

I love the challenge of doing my favorite songs justice, and hanging out with my buddies while I do it is a pretty good time. If you have the money/time/social circle, I highly recommend it.

Seeing as I lack transportation and funds at the moment, my options for recreation are rather limited. Other than browsing the internet, playing video games, and watching movies, though, I do participate in activites here on campus (either school-sponsored, or just with other students). I play D&D with a regular group, every so often I play Ultimate Frisbee on Sunday nights, I've played tennis with Katie and another fellow student, I've taken part in school-sponsored Dodgeball Tournaments, I've played Nurf Warz at the school, etc. I don't get out terribly much, but I do try to keep myself from going insane.

Ready to start using this wiki page to record and reflect on your Social and Fun activities? Go ahead and start writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, meaningful, and friend-filled future!

Personal Mastery Plan

Steve_Olender — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:16:57 CDT

PERSONAL MASTERY PLAN
YEAR 1 - 2007

CONFRONTING THE BRUTAL FACTS

The first step in this process is to write down exactly how you feel today. What is going on in your life, what is important, how you feel about your life and your self. Keep this to one page. Now if you are not capable of doing this honestly, than that is alright, approach this from an academic or professional standpoint. It would be best if you took some time with this part and try to express what is really going on so when you read this a year from now you will trigger important memories.

At this point in my life, I’m going through a rough transition. I just moved 2500 miles from home with my fiancée, lost my car in the process, and am several thousand dollars in debt (not counting student loans that will have to be paid once I graduate).

Financially, I’m in trouble. This is the first time I’ve been without a job since I was 15, and finding one here is turning out to be increasingly difficult. I’m overdue on several personal loan payments, being harassed about them, massively overdrawn on my checking account, and behind on credit card payments. Suffice it to say that this is one area where I especially need to get my shit together. Currently I’m in the interview process for a Library Aide position here at UAT, so hopefully that turns out for the better and I can start getting back on my feet.

Academically, I’m doing passably well, but not as well as I’d like to be. There is at least one class that I’m going to fail this semester, and that’s not really a great way to kick off my career here. I’m doing better than I did during my 5 semesters at Buffalo State, but I still have problems with procrastination and organization. I’m going to have to step things up and focus myself if I’m really going to excel here.

Emotionally, I’m in a bit of a confusing spot. Katie and I have gone on this life-altering journey together, but things are not perfect between us. They never were, but I find myself unsure of how to handle myself in light of the current circumstances. A year ago I left her, and the simplest explanation is because she was addicted to WoW. That hasn’t changed. She quit in order to get me back, but 6 months later she was near-begging me to let her play again. I decided to trust her to control herself this time around. I’m the kind of person who would rather give the benefit of the doubt than be unreasonable. Well, things were ok for a bit, but it quickly degenerated into her playing 10 or more hours a day on average once we settled in here. This brings back some very bad memories for me, and affects me in an extremely negative way. And yet, for all we’ve been through, she doesn’t seem to care. We have our good times, but the more she plays WoW the fewer and farther between they come. I’m not really sure how things are going to work out, at times.

Personally, I think I’ve developed quite a bit in a short amount of time since coming here. I’ve let myself regress somewhat, but my outlook on life and my relationship has changed. I still fall back on a lot of the old bad habits when things get stressful, especially between Katie and me, but I’m much more self-aware these days, I have a lot more clarity, and I’m more determined to get what I want – and what I deserve.

Setting your vision

Step 2 – Setting your vision, this step is much like the first except instead of writing about what is happening today, what will you write one year from today? What does your life look like, how do you feel, what have you accomplished in the last year? It can be descriptive, like my room is clean, my bills are paid or it can be reflective like how you completed your goals. Keep this to one page.

After having landed the Library Aide position, my focus and drive to succeed increased dramatically. I managed to begin paying off my debts, and even to save some money as well. I’m not exactly wealthy or prepared for an emergency, but I’m a lot more financially stable than I was a year ago. At least I’m back in the black.

My job is going well; I get along great with the Librarians, and I enjoy helping students find what they need and keeping the place orderly. It’s not very much or very hard work and I’m making decent money at it. Since I’m not swamped with too many hours like I used to be back in Buffalo, I am able to focus on getting my school work done and still have some time to relax and goof off.

During my second semester here I took filler classes due to my failure to register early, but I made damn sure that I stayed on top of my work and learned everything I could. After a somewhat shaky start, I managed to finish the semester with four A’s and a B. I also remembered to register right early, and during the summer semester I finally got down to some classes that are important to my major. I did nearly as well as my second semester, and managed to be a bit more physically active as well. I’ve lost 15 pounds since last December.

The room mate and I got along much better, through the end of last year, though I think he and Katie still hated each other. Speaking of Katie, she’s still playing WoW. For a long while we avoided another apocalyptic blow-out over her addiction, but it came inevitably, around the middle of the summer. She didn’t want to lose me because of it again (though she nearly did), so after quitting for 2 months, she’s playing lightly on a trial-basis. Last-chance kind of scenario. I think once she realizes that playing isn’t worth risking our relationship anymore, she’ll give it up. It’ll help that she’s starting to get more homework the further into our education we get, too.

Personally? I’ve rarely been happier with myself or my situation. I’m even more aware than I was beginning to be last year, I’m nowhere near as confused about my feelings or about what I want out of this place, and I’ve got more self-confidence and motivation than I can ever remember having. I’m even writing again, and working on publishing some of my poetry. With the money I’ve saved over the past year, I’m treating myself to the upcoming Tool concert in January. I haven’t seen them since 2003, and I am stoked.

I’m getting it together, and it feels great. I’m glad I did it before it was too late.

Your Personal Mission Statement

Who are you? What do you want to be known as? What matters to you? What do you want your family and peers to think about when you come up in a conversation? Write your personal mission statement; look at your discussion answers from earlier in the semester if you get stuck. This statement will be used to help you when making life changing decisions.

My mission is to secure a comfortable life for myself and my fiancée, and to live according to the virtues I tattooed to the back of my neck when I was seventeen: “Wisdom; Justice; Benevolence; Fidelity; Sincerity.” I want to always be there for the people I love, and I want to make a positive impact on people I’ve never met. I want to be known for loving freely, laughing often, and speaking honestly.

Your Values and Philosophy

Your values are those non-negotiable things that matter most to you. You do have values, they shape the way you see the world and how you judge your environment. Going through the exercise of writing down those things that matter most can help you when faced with ethical and life decisions, you will do that here. Philosophy statements are mottos that we can cling to, they can help us face life’s challenges. If you have trouble of thinking of one, just pick up any action movie, every hero has a philosophy, Big Trouble in little China is a great movie for that. Learn. Experience. Innovate. That is UAT’s motto. What is yours?

Values

I am a person who values honesty, integrity, sincerity, loyalty, humor, and wisdom. I value love probably above all things. What matters most to me at the moment is building the foundation for a secure and stable life with my significant other. The less she has to worry about or want for, the better. I guess that would mean that I value accommodating others to a degree, as well. I feel that the ideal society would be one in which everyone considered others' needs on par with or before their own.

Philosophy

You never have to worry about dying with clean underwear on if you always go commando.

Strenghts – weaknesses – opportunities – threats

Time to SWOT yourself! This exercise should be done as honestly as possible, what you will find as you do this year after year is that you have difficulty telling the truth about yourself. You get better at this with practice. What you do is write out your strengths, weaknesses, the opportunities that you can see in front of you (ie, network and set up a dream internship) and finally write down those things in life that are threats or risks to your success. I have provided 12 entries for each, this gives you one a month to overcome in the next year. You do not have to completely fill this out but try.

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Compassionate	Martyr Syndrome	Library Aid Job	World of Warcraft
Genuine	Lazy	Success in School	Procrastination
Intelligent	Careless	Get in Shape	Junk Food
Belief	Lack of self-confidence	Get an Internship	Paranoia
Problem-solving	Lack of direction	Get a Good Job after Graduation	Fear and Inaction

Strategies to overcome

You just evaluated your current condition through a SWOT analysis. This tool is used quite often in business so don’t be surprised if you have to do this in your next job. The analysis isn’t done until you can summarize each column and come up with ways or mechanisms to maximize your strengths, strengthen weaknesses, seize opportunity, and mitigate risks.

How I will maximize my strengths:

Seek roles in which I am paid to solve problems or in which my success depends on my ability to restore and resolve. Leverage my Restorative talents not only to tackle existing problems, but also to anticipate and prevent problems before they occur. If I share my foresight and solutions with others, I will prove myself to be a valuable partner.
Organize my belongings and thoughts to maximize efficiency. As I gather and absorb information, I should be aware of the individuals and groups that can most benefit from my knowledge, and be intentional about sharing with them. Carefully avoid supporting someone (including myself) who is consistently struggling in his or her role – instead suggest a new role.

How I will strengthen my weaknesses:

Don't over-invest in losing causes. My natural inclination to see the best in people and situations can create a blind spot that will keep me from moving on to more opportune situations.
Remind myself why my work is important and how it will make a difference in my life.
Set aside time to ensure that I am balancing my work demands and my personal life.

How I will seize my opportunities:

Deliberately build relationships with people I consider to be "big thinkers." Their example will inspire me to focus my own thinking.
Get involved on the front end of projects and initiatives, rather than jumping in at the execution stage.
Don't be afraid to give voice to my values. This will help others know who you are and how to relate to me.

How I will mitigate my risks:

Partner with someone who has strong Futuristic talents. This person can energize me by painting a vivid picture of the direction in which my values will lead.
Remember that I cannot give what I do not have.
Use my Restorative talents to think of ways to "problem proof" my work and my life. Identify existing and potential issues, and design systems or processes to prevent errors in the future.
Goal setting

Write down a list of goals you want to accomplish in the next year. Make sure this is not a to-do list, but a list of goals that you can accomplish. Try and make them SMART (Google SMART goals). Don’t try to make too many and try to best to make them challenging but achievable.

Goals for 2008

1) Utilize the exercise room I live next door to at least twice a week and lose 15 pounds in the next 12 months to get in shape and improve self-image à self-confidence.
2) Maintain a regular blog (at least one post per week) to record my insights, ideas, and experiences that might be valuable to me in the future.
3) Regiment my time to make more effective use of it and increase efficiency in school and work. This means keeping and actively following a schedule.
4) Write regularly (at least 3 times per week) to improve writing so that I may at least begin the publication process in the next 12 months.
5) Foster better financial habits so that I can rise out of debt and start saving.

Managing Creative Tension: tactical Planning

Now that you have a list of goals, how are you going to get there? Tactical planning is a tool that helps you stay on target. For business planning purposes we report on our tactical plans each month. For the purpose of personal mastery, I am not intending you to look at this document for a year, so this exercise is a mental one that will hopefully yield some check-list items for you.

List your first goal here: Lose 20 lbs.
Describe the ideal outcome: What will it look like when this goal is complete?
I will have lost the chub, the love-handles, and will be able to see the inside of my belly-button again. I will have gained muscle mass and look more toned.
Resources: What are you going to need in order to accomplish this goal?
I will need the weight room next to my room, as well as a scale and a way to record progress. Real food, instead of the crap I’m used to eating.
Tactical Plans
What are you going to do: Work out at least twice a week next door, possibly more if I get bored or if I don’t think it’s enough. I will improve my eating habits, as well – less junk food and soda; more water, juice, fruit, and vegetables.
Then what: Weigh myself once a week and record the results in a Google Doc so that I have a running record of my progress.

List your next goal here: Maintain a regular blog.
Describe the ideal outcome: What will it look like when this goal is complete?
I will have gained considerable self-awareness, insight, and possibly ideas for creative writing.
Resources: What are you going to need in order to accomplish this goal?
I will need to either make use of my Wiki page that I have already created, or create an entirely new page dedicated solely to blogging. I will also need to allot time for this acitivity.
Tactical Plans
What are you going to do: Take the time each week (or more often, if the spirit moves me) to record my thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
Then what: After some time I will review my writings and reflect upon their significance and think about how they might be useful or valuable to me.

List your next goal here: Regiment my time to increase efficiency and focus.
Describe the ideal outcome: What will it look like when this goal is complete?
I will have become more time-conscious, and learned how to manage my time effectively as well as balance personal concerns with academic or work concerns.
Resources: What are you going to need in order to accomplish this goal?
I will need to make use of my Google calendar and perhaps my cell phone’s calendar as well to give me mobile, to-the-minute reminders of what I should be doing and when.
Tactical Plans
What are you going to do: Keep track of important appointments and due dates using Google calendar, and keep a regular routine including time for assignments, personal time, time with Katie, and time to sleep.
Then what: While attempting to adhere to my regimen I will likely encounter disruptions and unexpected circumstances that will require me to step outside my schedule. Hopefully I will learn to adapt my time to these instances and become flexible while maintaining a schedule (still finding time to get done everything that needs to be done).

List your next goal here: Write regularly.
Describe the ideal outcome: What will it look like when this goal is complete?
I will have gained a considerable amount of new material, developed some of my old material, and be on my way toward publication.
Resources: What are you going to need in order to accomplish this goal?
I will need to requisition a quiet place and time to facilitate my writing. I will also need to make use of my peers on deviantArt to obtain critiques and advice on how to improve my writing. I will need something to write in, as well; likely a notebook and pencil set aside specifically for weekly writing.
Tactical Plans
What are you going to do: Take the time a few times each week (or more often, if the spirit moves me) to write creatively.
Then what: Submit my writings to deviantArt as deviations and maybe even contest submissions in order to obtain others’ thoughts on how to improve my writing. After nearly a year, I will evaluate the poetry and prose I have collected and see if I find any of it publication-worthy.

List your next goal here: Foster better financial habits.
Describe the ideal outcome: What will it look like when this goal is complete?
I will have gained considerable ground in the steady climb out of debt. I will also have accumulated savings for the first time since I was a teenager.
Resources: What are you going to need in order to accomplish this goal?
I will need a job, and I will need self-restraint to ensure that I’m using my money wisely and saving appropriately. It would also behoove me to keep an excel spreadsheet documenting all my expenses and income for a few months so I can get an idea of my monthly or weekly budget.
Tactical Plans
What are you going to do: Land the library job. If for some reason I don’t get the job, then actively and daily pursue other employment options in the area and study interviewing techniques to improve my chances of being hired.
Then what: Save, save, save. Make my payments on time. Keep track of spending habits and income, and formulate a budget for myself.

Let the time delay begin

All you need to do is upload this into the drop box and you are done with PRO102. In 12 months I will send this file to you via your UAT email account. You can do two things with it, delete it or read it and do this exercise every year and measure your personal growth. Overtime, you can adopt your own style and mechanisms but hopefully you will at least take one moment a year to reflect on what you thought was important a year ago and what is important to you now. My hope is that over time you will be able to see real growth, personally and professionally. Good Luck!

Remember; when we set goals for the future the gap between time and effort create stress, emotional and creative. Emotional stress is managed by creating tactical plans and check lists; this prevents us from lowering the gap by changing our goals or lowering our vision. To make the vision for the future current reality we must take steps to change, but these changes come with a time delay. As long as we are stuck in a time delay, and we have taken steps to change, all we can do it wait.

Future

Steve_Olender — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:47:42 CST

The center for all which WILL BE Steve

All things will be encompassed here

This page is your guide to the second half of the site: all pages concerning my outlook on the relevant future. Here you'll get an idea of my ambitions, dreams, and steps I'm taking to realize them. Browse these pages if you want a glimpse of what's on the horizon (and, well, since I'm so great and will one day rule the world, everything on the horizon will have to do with me; obviously).

Pages found in this section will include:

Career Goals
Education
Projects & Skills
Networking
Companies & Internships
Mentors
Ideas & Questions
Personal Mastery Plan

In the "Career Goals" page, you'll find documentation of my potential career goals, desires, possibilities, objectives, and how they will play into my overall life goals.

Following that page is the page marked, "Education". This will detail what pieces of paper denoting that I know crap (ahem, degrees) I have, what classes I'm taking, what I think of them, my class schedule, and future course considerations. So, for all you back in good ol' Buffalo and Canuckland who are wondering exactly what it is I'm doing at this ridiculously expensive school all the way out in Arizona, that will give you the breakdown.

The "Projects & Skills" page will keep you up-to-date on projects (either class-related orextra-curricular) I'm involved with, as well as skills or talents I have that I feel make me unique (and maybe even approaching valuable).

The "Networking" page is next, giving a description of groups I happen to belong to, conferences I have attended and will attend in the future, and any industry connections I manage to make with professionals and insiders.

The next page will be related to the "Networking" page, but the "Companies & Internships" page will be more specifically focused on companies I am interested in being a part of (instead of necessarily already having ties with). This page will include company profiles, site visits / reviews, potential / established contacts, as well as internship oppotunities and schedules.

"Mentors" is the page after that, and, as the name suggests, will keep track of people I feel I could greatly benefit and learn from -- industry leaders, advisers, helpers, etc. This will also, like my "Networking" page, keep a running history of communications with contacts.

Next comes the "Ideas & Questions" page. Most of you know that I was formerly a philosophy major for two years, so this page is likely to be quite full. It will most likely contain any ideas I might like to look into, and ethical, procedural, technical, etc. questions I have about issues and areas of the industry. These might be personal or business related. Also, this will probably be my dump page for "cool shit coming down the pipe" as mentioned on the front page -- present and futuristic stuff that I find really freaking cool, and want to research at some point down the line.

Lastly there is my "Personal Mastery Plan". This page is a record of a final project for one of my other classes, Professional Skills Development 102. It is a 1-year road map of where I would like to be 12 months from now (December 2007) and how I plan to get there. Its use will likely be an annual recurrence.

There you have it! Me, and Me to come, for your perusing pleasure! Happy browsing.

Family & Friends

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:03:39 CST

Family and Friends - PFP Assignments

1. Family and Friend Circles.
List the names (and optional contact info, if you have a private wiki) of two categories of important people in your social universe, such as:
A) Family (your family by relation)
B) Friends (your best and more distant friends)

OR two alternative titles, such as:
A) My Tribe/Clan/Gang/Family (best friends and close family)
B) ExtendedFamily (more distant friends and family, but not acquaintances)
Try to come up with at least10 names for Category A and 20 names for Category B. If you are in any social groups (Facebook, etc.) take a look at those to find some of these names. List the names in alpha order, by first or last name as you prefer. (2 lists)

Family:

Mom (Maasha, Maasha, Maasha!) > + Mom taught me the value of being grateful for what I have... and for eating my veggies. ;)
Dave > ~ for some reason, we just seem to clash on our basic world view much of the time. We get along pretty well when we gang up on Mom, though ;), and when we both put on our, "Fuck that" hats.
Rachel > + Rachel taught me to appreciate what a royal PITA I was when I was younger.
Kitty > + Kitty taught me the value of love, and laughter.
Grandpa Irv > + Irv taught me the value of getting situated. ;)
Grandma Ruth > + I think Grandma is where I derive most of my values about honesty and integrity.
Betty> + Betty has taught me to think critically, and to really examine my relationships with people.
Mark < + Mark has always been a free-thinker, and cares deeply about his family despite some frustrating exchanges.
Matt < + Matt is also something of a free mind, but more of a goofball. It's from him I learned the value of a sense of humor.
Mike < + Mike is the biggest goofball of my three Uncles, but I learned my solid, blue-collar values from him: the value of family and hard work. ...and a good can of beer, ha ha.
Missy > + Missy was always an inspiration to me. Her integrity mirrors that of my Grandmother's, and I've never met anyone with as much compassion as she.
Joanne < + Jo is probably the biggest free spirit in the family, and it's from her I learned the value of loosening up and of loving other people - most notably, my family.
Brenda > + Brenda taught me the value of discipline. Believe it.
Dina <
Danny <
Cassy <
Katie >
Uncle Dan <
Uncle Bob <
Aunt Rosemary <
Joe <
Grandpa Olender <
Grandma Olender <

Friends:

Benny > + Benny has time and time again taught me the value of loyalty.
Pat > (S) gaming skillz, ha ha
Brittany > + Brit has time and time again taught me the value of honesty, and encouraged me to look at the world in different ways. (S) writing skills (C)
Sarah > + Sarah taught me the value of having a good time.
Danielle > + Danielle taught me the value of friendship, and laughter. (S) critical thinking (C)
Ellen < + Ellen taught me to think for myself. (S) free-thinking (C)
Kathy > + Kathy taught me the value of compassion, and of putting others before oneself. She also taught me how imperative it is to know what exactly what one wants, and to have the drive to do whatever it takes to have it. (S) sympathy, dedication, and emotional clarity (C)
Matt < + Matt taught me that faith isn't such a bad thing.
Sean-Michael < + Sean-Michael taught me the value of humor, of friendship, and of passion.
Stephanie >
Schwing > + Schwing taught me the value of reliability. (S) analytical skills (C)
Will >
Chown > + Chown has also taught me the value of reliability, and of dedication.
Trillian <
Yvon <
Fausto < + Fausto taught me the value of being myself.
Jesse <
Boo > + My dearest Boo taught me the value of free-thinking, exploring new worlds, and of having a passion for life.
Chuck (Kristal) < + Chuck taught me a lot about passion for what matters most to a person.
Tocu > + Tocu taught me the value of dreaming. (D) creative vision (C)
Ben >
Tom >
Ki-chan > + Ki-chan taught me the value of sensitivity.
dmizer (Dale) > + Dale taught me the value of cutting through the bullshit. (D) concision and logical clarity (C)
neph (Dave) >
Brit > + Brit taught me the beauty of feeling, and of expression. (S) self-expression (C)
Juno >
Mike W. >
Cory <
Adam <
Brad <
Keith <
Addy >
Jackson >
Amanda C. <
AVolatileCalm >
Ball > + Ball taught me the value of dedication to a dream. (D) dedication (C)

2. Enlarging Your Social Groups.
Look at your two relationship circles above. Are they each an appropriate size for your interests and goals in life? The anthropologist Robin Dunbar estimates we can maintain strong social relationships, where we know who each person is and how they relate socially to others, with as many as 150 people (Dunbar's number) at a time. How close are you to "maximizing" your relationship potential? Would it be helpful to you to have more friends in either circle? Go back and add at least two (2) potential Category A and (4) potential Category B friends or family to your circles. Put these individuals names in italics. Potential Category A could befolks like cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, etc. that may be far away or otherwise distanced from you. Or they could be people you've been thinking could become a good friend, but you haven't put the effort into getting to know them. Do you want to contact any of these folks? If so, write this down on your Tasks page.
Add your potential names in italics to your F&F lists above...

3. Strengthening Your Social Groups - Communication.
Go back to your list above and classify them in two ways: a) Close Contact and b) Occasional Contact Family&Friends. Close Contact Family&Friends are folks you currently see or contact (in person, phone, email, IM, etc.) 10 or more times a year. Put a > (greater than sign) after the names of all the folks you presently contact more than 10 times a year (be honest), and a < (less than sign) after the names of all those you contact less than 10 times a year. Now ask yourself: Are any of these folks in the wrong category (A versus B)? Do you want to move them, so their category better reflects your actual communication patterns with them? If not, do you want to contact some of them more frequently in the future? Some of them less? If so, write this down on your Tasks page.
Annotate the names in your F&F lists above...

4. Personal Characteristics of Your Family and Friends.
a. Shared and Conflicting Values. Look again at your values statement on your Values+Psych page (finish it on that page if necessary before returning here). Now look at your lists above. Typically, all your family and friends will share most of your core values to a reasonable degree, but a few will share them to the point of inspiring you (they may even live them better than you presently do, in your estimation), and another few will not share many at all (to the point of causing unproductive conflict, because you each see some basic things about the world very differently). Put a + (plus sign) after the name of any family member or friend who really inspires you with their values, and a ~ (approximate symbol) after their name of any whose values may led to unproductive conflict for you. For each of these two special categories of friends (+ and ~) write a few words after their name that describe why they are positively inspirational (or approximate) friends for you, at present. If you don't have any friends in either of these categories, think about how you can widen your circle of friends until you have a few in each category.
Annotate the names in your F&F lists above...

b. Strengths. Thinking about all of your friends in terms of StrengthsFinder, write a few words (at least one or two words for each person) after each of their names that describe something about either their values or their strengths that you admire (like "optimistic", or "kind," or "a great competitor" or "always learning"). Discovering people's values and strengths is an ongoing process. People display their values and strengths even more by theirbehaviors than by what they say. Watch both carefully and you can understandwho they presently are, as well as who they wish, or think they are, which is often a very different thing.
Annotate the names in your F&F lists above...

c. Shared and Diverse Skills. Look again at your goals on your Career Goals page (finish writing them there if necessary before returning here). Do you have an appropriate number of friends who share your most-valued skills relative to your goals, so you can help each other improve? Which friends share your skills? Note them with an (S) in your list above, and a word or two describing the skills you share (coding, hacking, design, networking, etc.). Now ask a different question: Among your friend circle, how broad is the set of useful skills that are relevant to achieving your current goals? Which friends have totally different but still goal-relevant skills from you? Note them with a (D) in your list above, and a word or two describing these skills. If you cultivate friends that have unique skills that are also important to your goals, you will have many more opportunities to do projects and startups with your friends. If you don't, your only option will be to go to work for others who are not your friends. No matter which of these two courses (working with friends or strangers) you chose at any point in your life (and both can work quite well), it is very good, whenever you can manage it, to always have both options available to you. People with alternatives can always negotiate their terms "from a position of strength."
Annotate the names in your F&F lists above...

d. Critical Thinking. Do you have friends who respectfully help you examine and improve your beliefs, and think critically? Note them with a (C) for critical thinking in your list above. Socrates said "An unexamined life is not worth living." Miguel Aznar said "An unexamined (blindly held) principle or belief is not worth having." Cultivating friends who gently help you examine your beliefs and decisions will improve the quality of your life, as long as their criticisms don't tear you down or their egos don't try to control you.
Annotate the names in your F&F lists above...

e. "Problem" Family and Friends. "Problem" or "Project" friends may share your core values but they have communication, personality, or behavior clashes with you. That means it is often a "project" on your part to hang out with them. These folks may enjoy communicating with you (i.e., you give them something by communicating with them) but, relative to you, you find them controlling, apathetic, depressed, manic, too optimistic, too pessimistic, too critical (of themselves or others), rude, too loud, too quiet, etc. We may wish to just avoid all such individuals, but it greatly helps us learn patience and empathy, and allows us to do good for others, to have a few such individuals in our friend circle. Of course, you don't want too many or you won't be able to maintain your own equilibrium. You also need to find the right balance of time that you spend with such friends. Again, too much time isn't good for either of you, but too little time and you miss the opportunity help someone who may really need and value your friendship. If you have a private wiki, label any project friends or family with a (P) after their name. Write a few words next to their name about why it's hard to communicate with them, but also why it's worthwhile, and how often you plan to stay in touch with them.

Since this is not a private wiki, I'd rather not post anything that could be potentially offensive or disrespectful. I know who they are, and to what degree.

6. Foresight Story.
Pick one of your family or friends above and tell us a very brief story about someone who is either particularly foresighted in their personal or professional life (a model of future thinking), or someone who did some particular thing which seemed to you especially foresighted, showed good planning, etc. Can you learn anything from this story for your own life? (1 paragraph)

Tocu is actually pretty future-minded, being the dreamer of the bunch. He is possessed of a grand vision, and he just might have the balls to do what he dreams. He makes grandiose, abstract plans in his head, and somehow has the networking skills to carry them out, somewhat. We still need to get famous making that webcomic about our lives, now that I think about it.

7. Lack-of-Foresight Story.
Again, pick one of your family or friends and tell a brief story about something they did (or presently do) in their personal or professional life which didn't (doesn't) seem particularly foresighted. Can you learn anything from this story for your own life? (1 paragraph)

Benny and Chown have never been particularly strong with foresight. Benny went to a vocational school to learn a business trade, showing that he has the security of his future in mind, but since he graduated he has bounced from job to job, and sometimes I am concerned that he won't ever find a stable career. This is mostly due to the nature of his work (building trades). Perhaps once he has a decent amount of experience in the field, he will be better off. Chown is dedicated to people and causes that are important to him, but he lacks a strong sense of what he wants in an occupation. He, too, has bounced from job to job since he left the military, and this also is due to the temporary nature of the jobs he takes up.

8. Your Relationships - Future.
What kind of long-term relationships do you want to develop in your life? What are the first descriptive words (adjectives, verbs, nouns) that come to mind? Do you want a “significant other?” Marriage? Kids? None of the above? If you already have any of these, how you want to improve your relationships with family and friends going forward? If you want and are still waiting for a “significant other,” what values, talents, and personality characteristics do you think will best “complement” you in a partner? If you don't have some of those values, talents, and personality characteristics in your present partner, how can you get them? Through your friends? By building them in yourself? By paying someone to provide them in a professional capacity? By asking your partner if they are willing to help you get them? (2 paragraphs)

I've already developed the one long-term relationship I've always desired for my life, and that is with Kitty. I want to be married, and yes, to her. I want at least one child, but I'm not sure it's in the cards considering Kitty's dislike for children. I'd like to strengthen my relationship with my family, especially my extended family. I feel I've grown apart from them as I've gotten older and past childhood, and I honestly miss them. I remember being a kid and always wanting to have adult relationships with them. They're just fun people that I have always admired, and wanted to be a part of their "circle," I guess.

Sometimes it seems that Kitty and I aren't the perfect compliment for each other, but we make things work. We care deeply for each other, and even though there are things about the other (habits, personality flaws, etc.) that we can't stand, we function well enough. I think I do a decent job of balancing out the things she lacks that I want through my friends. Also, I am working to garner those talents, skills, and values in myself, so that even if I cannot influence her to develop them, at least I will not be left wanting.

Cassies new room - courtesy of Brenda

Values & Psychology

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:35:36 CST

Values, Personality, and Psychology - Assignments

1. Write a very brief outline of your Values. What qualities in people, ways of living, ideas, priorities, things do you care most about? Another way of uncovering your values is to talk about what you see in other people's actions that you DON'T like. Some of your core values may be the exact opposite of that. (1 para)

I am a person who values honesty, integrity, sincerity, loyalty, humor, and wisdom. I value love probably above all things. What matters most to me at the moment is building the foundation for a secure and stable life with my significant other. The less she has to worry about or want for, the better. I guess that would mean that I value accommodating others to a degree, as well. I feel that the ideal society would be one in which everyone considered others' needs on par with or before their own.

2. StrengthsFinder 2.0 Profile:

Restorative
Input
Developer
Belief
Intellection

According to Strengths Finder, I'm someone who is problem-oriented. As a Restorative person I like solving problems, yes, but more to the point I like correcting situations. I thrive off of bringing things back to life, figuratively speaking. I'm also a collector of things: words, information, many useless things that may someday prove useful in the most unexpected ways. This is my Input side. One of the primary ways I like to interact with people, as a Developer, is to recognize their potential and try to push them to realize it. I have to be careful, though, not to push people to remain in situations that they don't fit in. This is especially true for myself. Though my main focus is conflict-avoidance and -resolution, sometimes the best idea is to just GTFO. I have very strong core values as a person who is strong in theBelief field, and these values give my life and daily interactions meaning and satisfaction. I strongly value responsibility, accountability, loyalty, and altruism, especially in others. This gives me consistence and well-defined priorities, and makes me easy to trust (or so it tells me). Finally, as someone strong in Intellection, I like to think. Duh. Mental exercise is great for me, though this does not mean that my thoughts are necessarily focused. I might think about all manner of things -- Intellection recognizes my enjoyment of thinking, not what I'm thinking. This tends to make me very introspective, and such constant questioning might at times lead to feelings of discontent.

3. DiSC Profile:

As an Si, my dominant traits (according to DiSC) are 'Steadiness' and 'Influence'. This, to me, is an interesting combination, because it allows for a few significant conflicts of character.

As a High-S, I am patient, loyal, and sympathetic. I care sincerely about the problems of others. As such (and considering my values set is less valued by American society than other, more self-centered value sets) I am best suited to fill a support role. I tend to agree with this. I always thought I was the main character in my own story, but as I've grown I've begun to feel that I am more and more suited to being a supporting character in someone else's. I have a tendency to resist change, and prefer predictability and consistence. This is true, but often it makes my life feel grey, and I become depressed for not having a more active, adventurous life and relationships. Also, I have a need for clear direction and constant support, leaving me with a furstrating lack of independence. I avoid conflict wherever possible because I desire a peaceful, harmonic existence -- hoswever, this can also trap me in situations that are not beneficial to me.

As an I, I am supposed to be extroverted, outgoing, and socially warm. I am generally gregarious and amiable towards others, however I am not extremely extroverted or outgoing. It takes a bit of coaxing to get me out of my shell, since I fear rejection. Being an I can make me irrational and impulsive at times, and certain types of people don't know how to deal with that, and don't easily understand me or where I'm coming from. I am very trusting and genuine, and this openness can also be awkward -- I often come off as tactless. However, I tend to engender positive relationships with people once I've had a chance to explain myself out of this corner. I lack diplomacy, but I am still a good communicator.

4. Take the Humanmetrics “Jung Typology” (Myers-Briggs) Online Test
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

A. What is your four-letter Myers-Briggs Type (in Pink Capital Letters?) What is your qualitative analysis (slightly, moderately, or distinctively expressed ) for each of the four types? Cut and paste below. (descrip.)

ENFP
(Extraverted [22] Intuitive [25] Feeling [38] Perceiving [11])

You are:

slightly expressed extravert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
moderately expressed feeling personality
slightly expressed perceiving personality

B. Click through to the verbal description paragraph for your M-B Type by Kiersey. It starts, “The Portrait of the ….” Cut and paste this below. Read it carefully. What parts feel like they might be right and what parts wrong? (description + 1 para)

The Portait of the Champion (ENFP)Keirsey Temperament Analysis

The Champion Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in accomplishing their aims, and informative and expressive when relating with others. For Champions, nothing occurs which does not have some deep ethical significance, and this, coupled with their uncanny sense of the motivations of others, gives them a talent for seeing life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil. This type is found in only about 3 percent of the general population, but they have great influence because of their extraordinary impact on others. Champions are inclined to go everywhere and look into everything that has to do with the advance of good and the retreat of evil in the world. They can't bear to miss out on what is going on around them; they must experience, first hand, all the significant social events that affect our lives. And then they are eager to relate the stories they've uncovered, hoping to disclose the "truth" of people and issues, and to advocate causes. This strong drive to unveil current events can make them tireless in conversing with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out.

Champions consider intense emotional experiences as being vital to a full life, although they can never quite shake the feeling that a part of themselves is split off, uninvolved in the experience. Thus, while they strive for emotional congruency, they often see themselves in some danger of losing touch with their real feelings, which Champions possess in a wide range and variety. In the same vein, Champions strive toward a kind of spontaneous personal authenticity, and this intention always to "be themselves" is usually communicated nonverbally to others, who find it quite attractive. All too often, however, Champions fall short in their efforts to be authentic, and they tend to heap coals of fire on themselves, berating themselves for the slightest self-conscious role-playing.

Joan Baez, Phil Donahue, Paul Robeson, Bill Moyer, Elizibeth Cady Stanton, Joeseph Campbell, Edith Wharton, Sargent Shriver, Charles Dickens, and Upton Sinclair are examples of Idealist Champions

I've bolded the parts that I think particularly apply to me, or at least have in the past. Some things may be a little different due to recent experiences. The part about thinking and speaking abstractly is very true. Often, people close to me have difficulty in understanding the connections my mind makes or how I make them. I'm not particularly good with deciphering or creating things in an impressionist manner; things of that nature are simply obtuse to me. I suppose the only way to explain it is simply as "odd". Maybe "quirky".

I'm definitely an expressive person, and informative, to boot. I often ramble on about a set of events without ever explicitly clarifying any kind of significance, probably because I too often expect my audience to discern the meaning behind what I say for themselves. It's not that I'm reserved or anything, I just don't realize that not everyone sees the same significance in things that I happen to. I forget to make a clear point. But this also goes to strengthen the next point, that very little happens that I don't see some kind of ethical or or deeper meaning to. I don't believe in coincidence. I do tend to see life as a drama; year after year I feel more and more like I'm living in a novel. However, I'm not always excited about it -- sometimes it's downright tiring. And I don't always feel motivated to go out and seek world-altering events. I have a depressive streak that goes a long way toward killing my motivation and excitability.

Yeah. I talk a lot when I'm provoked. Moving on.

I feel things. A lot. But, as the description says, I always feel like there's one part of me that is completely disconnected -- a partitioned part of my mind that feels next to nothing at all. This is the mode I revert to in times of extreme duress or negative emotion. This is also the part of me that scares me the most, I think. At least, it used to. I always used to wonder how genuine I really am, and how much of the time I simply manipulate people and fool myself into thinking it's innocent. Lately... I've had a few different experiences that have taught me that doing that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Much in the way that selfishness isn't evil or bad just for the sake of being selfish, I don't think that using people to benefit myself and them as well is necessarily a terrible thing. Especially not when it improves a situation I have to be in for an extended period of time *coughmyrelationshipcough*. I think that as long as I am aware of what I am doing and the consequences I desire in doing it, I'm ok with it. Now that I am able to tell when I'm doing it and why, not only am I not afraid of it, I can almost do it at will. This will be a serious skill to have when competing in the industry.

Being myself is important to me. Sometimes, though, it's not best for me or for those close to me. What's best is more important.

Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving
by Marina Margaret Heiss Profile: ENFP

Revision: 3.0
Date of Revision: 25 Feb 2005 [The following comes partially from the archetype, but mostly from my own dealings with ENFPs.]

General: ENFPs are both "idea"-people and "people"-people, who see everyone and everything as part of an often bizarre cosmic whole. They want to both help (at least, their own definition of "help") and be liked and admired by other people, on bo th an individual and a humanitarian level. They are interested in new ideas on principle, but ultimately discard most of them for one reason or another.

Social/Personal Relationships: ENFPs have a great deal of zany charm, which can ingratiate them to the more stodgy types in spite of their unconventionality. They are outgoing, fun, and genuinely like people. As SOs/mates they are warm, affectionate (l ots of PDA), and disconcertingly spontaneous. However, attention span in relationships can be short; ENFPs are easily intrigued and distracted by new friends and acquaintances, forgetting about the older ones for long stretches at a time. Less mature ENFPs may need to feel they are the center of attention all the time, to reassure them that everyone thinks they're a wonderful and fascinating person.

ENFPs often have strong, if unconvential, convictions on various issues related to their Cosmic View. They usually try to use their social skills and contacts to persuade people gently of the rightness of these views; his sometimes results in their negle cting their nearest and dearest while flitting around trying to save the world.

Work Environment: ENFPs are pleasant, easygoing, and usually fun to work with. They come up with great ideas, and are a major asset in brainstorming sessions. Followthrough tends to be a problem, however; they tend to get bored quickly, especially if a newer, more interesting project comes along. They also tend to be procrastinators, both about meeting hard deadlines and about performing any small, uninteresting tasks that they've been assigned. ENFPs are at their most useful when working in a group w ith a J or two to take up the slack.

ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it.

Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving

by Joe Butt

ENFPs are friendly folks. Most are really enjoyable people. Some of the most soft-hearted people are ENFPs. ENFPs have what some call a "silly switch." They can be intellectual, serious, all business for a while, but whenever they get the chance, they flip that switch and become CAPTAIN WILDCHILD, the scourge of the swimming pool, ticklers par excellence. Som etimes they may even appear intoxicated when the "switch" is flipped. One study has shown that ENFPs are significantly overrepresented in psychodrama. Most have a natural propensity for role-playing and acting.
ENFPs like to tell funny stories, especially about their friends. This penchant may be why many are attracted to journalism. I kid one of my ENFP friends that if I want the sixth fleet to know something, I'll just tell him. ENFPs are global learners. Close enough is satisfactory to the ENFP, which may unnerve more precise thinking types, especially with such things as piano practice ("three quarter notes or four ... what's the difference?") Amazingly, some ENFPs are adept at exacting disciplines such as mathematics.

Friends are what life is about to ENFPs, moreso even than the other NFs. They hold up their end of the relationship, sometimes being victimized by less caring individuals. ENFPs are energized by being around people. Some have real difficulty being alone , especially on a regular basis.

One ENFP colleague, a social worker, had such tremendous interpersonal skills that she put her interviewers at ease during her own job interview. She had the ability to make strangers feel like old friends. ENFPs sometimes can be blindsided by their secondary Feeling function. Hasty decisions based on deeply felt values may boil over with unpredictable results. More than one ENFP has abruptly quit a job in such a moment.

Functional Analysis:

Extraverted iNtuition
The physical world, both geos and kosmos, is the ENFP's primary source of information. Rather than sensing things as they are, dominant intuition is sensitive to things as they might be. These extraverted intuitives are most adept with patterns and connections. Their natural inclination is toward relationships, especially among people or living things.

Intuition leans heavily on feeling for meaning and focus. Its best patterns reflect the interesting points of people, giving rise to caricatures of manner, speech and expression.

Introverted Feeling
Auxiliary feeling is nonverbally implied more often than it is openly expressed. When expressed, this logic has an aura of romance and purity that may seem out of place in this flawed, imperfect world. In its own defense, feeling judgement frequently and fleetly gives way to humor. ENFPs who publicize their feelings too often may put off some of the crowd of friends they naturally attract.

Extraverted Thinking
Thinking, the process which runs to impersonal conclusions, holds the extraverted tertiary position. Used on an occasional basis, ENFPs may benefit greatly from this ability. Less mature and lacking the polish of higher order functions, Thinking is not well suited to be used as a prominent function. As with other FP types, the ENFP unwary of Thinking's limitations may find themselves most positively mistaken.

Introverted Sensing
Sensing, the least discernible ENFP function, resides in the inner world where reality is reduced to symbols and icons--ideas representing essences of external realities. Under the influence of the ever-present intuition, the ENFP's sensory perceptions are in danger of being replaced by hypothetical data consistent with pattern and paradigm. When it is protected and nourished, introverted sensing provides information about the fixed. From such firm anchoring ENFPs are best equipped to launch into thousands of plausibilities and curiosities yet to be imagined. Perhaps the combination of introverted Feeling and childlike introverted Sensing is responsible for the silent pull of ENFPs to the wishes of parents, authority figures and friends. Or perhaps it's the predominance of indecisive intuition in combination with the ambiguity of secondary Fi and tertiary Te that induces these kind souls to capitulate even life-affecting decisions. Whatever the dynamic, ENFPs are strongly influenced by the opinions of their friends.

Famous ENFPs:
Franz Joseph Haydn, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Will Rogers, Buster Keaton, Theodor "Dr." Seuss Geisel, Mickey Rooney, James Dobson ("Focus on the Family"), Andy Rooney, Carol Burnett, Paul Harvey, Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched), Bill Cosby, Dom Delouise, Dave Thomas (owner of Wendy's hamburger chain), Lewis Grizzard (newspaper columnist), I. King Jordan (president of Gallaudet University), Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Robin Williams, Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey, Alicia Silverstone, Sinbad, Andy Kaufman, Regis Philbin

Fictional: Dr. Doug Ross (ER), Balkie (Perfect Strangers), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Steve Urkel

5. Take IHHP's Emotional Intelligence Test
http://www.ihhp.com/quiz.php
Be honest in answering the questions. Cut and paste the paragraph description you get below. Read it carefully. What parts feel like they might be right and what parts wrong?
(NOTE: You don’t have to share these results on your Personal Futures Portfolio. If you do, you can also make your PFP confidential if you choose). (description + 1 para)

Your Score: 41

35 - 44

You have slightly above average EQ - with room to grow! You are likely sensitive to the emotional climate of the people around you - your peers, friends, family and key clients. You are well aware of the effect your behavior has on others. Still, while you may be adept at tuning into others and their needs - you must remember your own! Don't be afraid to honestly communicate these difficult needs and feelings. The world is well stocked with martyrs - it doesn't need any more! Think also about your passion for work (or whatever constitutes your main roles in life - manager of people, doer of tasks, 'meeter' of clients' needs, etc). We spend countless hours in our given roles - sometimes without much joy or satisfaction. In the process we become tranquilized by the trivial. Sedated by the small details of life. Sure, the laundry needs doing, the groceries need getting, the kids need chauffeuring, the deadlines must be knocked off, but we also need to stop and remember what gives us great joy and meaning. If we fail to remind ourselves (on a regular basis), we risk becoming hostile and cynical. We lose our purpose. And this translates to a diminished ability to be effective, at ease and fulfilled. Areas to work on: Ask yourself: - What situations generally create tension and stress for you? How are you handling these situations? - What negative thoughts play over and over in your mind on a regular basis? Are these a true picture of reality? - Are you afraid to share your needs and feelings with others? Is it because you are taking care of everyone else - being a martyr - or acting 'the strong, silent type'? What 3 things give you the greatest meaning in your life? If you work on gaining clarity in these areas, you will move toward maximizing your full potential and finding greater effectiveness, happiness, and fulfillment in your life. As William James said: I have no doubt whatever that most people live, whether physically, intellectually, or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness... much like a man who, out of his whole body organism, should get into the habit of using and moving only his little finger... We all have reservoirs of life to draw upon, of which we do not dream.

The forgetting or neglecting of my own feelings and needs is definitely a familiar concept, and something I've been working on in recent months (especially in the context of my relationship). I'm all for giving all I've got, but I can't deny that I have needs and wants that are valid, as well. Also, another particularly poignant point is that of losing focus on my purpose, and forgetting what it is that brings me joy. This has indeed caused me to become cynical and more than a little jaded in the past, though I try not to let those things show in my interactions with other people. I tend to keep that part of me to myself, though I have been working to remind myself regularly of why I am in the situation I'm in -- and that it is indeed for a very good reason. I wish to draw upon my reservoir of life.

Money

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:33:24 CST

My financial situation at the moment is less than positive.

I've tried inserting a PayPal Donation button into the html code of this page, but it disappears every time I refresh the page. Instead, I'll simply give you this oversized direct link to PayPal.

PayPal is an online money-transfer service trusted the world over, and they specialize in fast, free, and secure transactions. They have quickly become the global standard for online money-handling.

Under the "Personal" tab, click, "Send Money" (you may log in if you already have a PayPal account). Under "To:" type, "nantucket_friar@yahoo.com" (my email address). Under "From:" type your email address. Enter the amount where appropriate, click the reason for sending, and then hit "Continue". You will be asked for your information; proceeding from here should be pretty easy.

Any Donations are greatly appreciated. I need to save for a new car, new computer, and to get my butt out of debt.
To sweeten the deal, 1/3 of everything donated to me will go toward eliminating breast cancer. Seriously.

Money - PFP Assignments

1. What is your investment risk profile? Take this quick five-question quiz (from Nationwide.com, an investment manager):

1. How would you describe your investment experience?
A. Below Average (1 point)
B. Average (3 points)
C. Above Average (7 points)

2. Earning a high total return that allows my invested capital to grow faster than the inflation rate is one of my most important investment objectives.
A. Strongly Disagree (1 point)
B. Disagree (3 points)
C. Neutral (4 points)
D. Agree (5 points)
E. Strongly Agree (7 points)

3. I am willing to accept a potential short-term loss in return for a potentially higher long-term return.
A. Strongly Disagree (1 point)
B. Disagree (3 points)
C. Neutral ( 4 points)
D. Agree (5 points)
E. Strongly Agree (7 points)

4. What is your primary investment goal?
A. Avoid loss of initial investment value; current income is very important (1 point)
B. Stable return on investment while preserving most of my invested capital (3 points)
C. Obtain modest growth (5 points)
D. Maximize growth by obtaining highest total return on investment; current income is not a factor (7 points)

5. Which statement describes most accurately your tolerance for investment risk?
A. I am not willing to accept any loss in portfolio value in order to achieve my investment goals (1 point)
B. I can accept some declines in value in order to achieve my investment goals (4 points)
C. I am willing to accept substantial declines in portfolio value in order to achieve my investment goals (7 points)

Mark your response to each question above (by bolding the answer you chose). Then add up your points from all five questions. Using this Scoring Key (Conservative = 5-15 points; Moderate = 16-24 points; Aggressive = 25-35 points), which word (conservative, moderate, or aggressive) best describes your current investment risk tolerance? A good investment advisor will help you manage your investments (401k's, IRA's, etc.) very differently based on your investment experience and risk tolerance. (total quiz points and risk tolerance word)

17 -- Moderate

2. There are three common investor types:
A. Value Investors buy stock incompanies that maximize long-term stock price growth, or steady income or dividends. They are primarily concerned with growing their investments, not using their investments to "change the world" by accelerating either social responsibility or innovation.
B. Social Responsibility Investors buy stock in companies whose average economic return is usually at least a little bit lower than value companies because they also deliver significant environmental and social benefits along with economic value.
C. Risk Investors buy stock incompanies whose average economic return is usually at least a little bit lower than value companies because they also deliver significantly greater innovation, experimentation, and risk, including a chance for bigger financial gains (or losses) in the short-term.

Investor risk tolerance (whether you are conservative, moderate, or aggressive) is not the same thing as investor type (what you want your investments to do for you and the world), but these two are related. Value investors are usually conservative, although they often also do some fraction (like 10-20%) of risky investments (that they are betting will turn out to be good value). Likewise, risk investors are all by definition aggressive (betting on lower probability, higher payouts), although they usually also do some fraction (like 10-20%) of investments in ways they think are conservative (low risk). Social responsibility investors are usually more conservative than aggressive, but there are exceptions (people who try to "change the world" by funding many risky, socially beneficial startup companies). You can find investment advisors who are experts in each of these three types of investing, and funds dedicated to these different approaches as well.

If you had anywhere from $2,000 to $200,000 to put into an investment fund for your personal future over the next ten years, and you could put this money in any of three funds (a Value fund, a Social Responsibility fund, and a Risk fund) as well make individual investments of your choice, what percentage of your money would you presently seek to place into each of these three categories? Give at least a sentence "explaining" your choice to anyone who wants to understand your decision better. (1-3 percentages and 1+ sentences)

40% -- Value Investments
30% -- Social Responsibility Investments
30% -- Risky Investments

I'm a bit on the conservative side when it comes to investing my money, so I'd like to be able to at least assure some sort of return over the long run. I'm not without a conscience, though, so I'd like to at least give my share back to society and the environment. I'd also not like to lose out on the chance to "win big," so some of my money would go into higher risk investments.

3. From the "Career Goals" wiki page, copy your response to Question 5 below:
Now do an educated guess: what kind of annual salary should you have around mid-life (45 yrs old)? How much money do you think you should have in your savings at mid-life, for use in your later years?
[Reference: The average U.S. 50 year old has only $40,000 in savings/net worth, ten times less than the $400,000 recommended as a bare minimum to supplement to your social security when you retire, which is typically at 65 or 70.]
(2 numbers, annual mid-life salary and mid-life savings)

I think you meant Question 4 h, so that's what I'm putting here:

I imagine that by the time I'm 45, I'll be making roughly $100,000 a year, if I play my cards right. If not, I might be stuck with less, but let's think positive. If I try to save at least 5,000 a year in the 20 years leading up to that point, accounting for minor emergencies, I should be able to save around $90,000 dollars. This doesn't include investment returns.

4. Your Ideal Monthly Savings for Retirement (To fund 85% of your pre-retirement annual income)
Do the quick, five question, Fidelity Investments online myPlan Snapshot to calculate your savings goal at retirement. Notice you can move the orange slider bars to quickly get the numbers (age, monthly income, annual savings) to where they belong. Now assume you have just graduated from UAT (so use your age at that point). For income, put what you expect to make when you graduate (be realistic). Now plug in your expected monthly savings for investment, and your investment style (conservative, balanced, growth, or agressive) from the risk tolerance questions above. How much money do they say is "Your Goal" for investment savings at retirement? This number is probably quite a bit larger than the minimum of $400,000 that the government recommends as a minimum to supplement your social security in retirement.

Now this is odd.

When I made my first chart, I used my real age, my real savings, and the income was higher than what I actually make (you can only go so low). With those numbers, I was told my goal was almost $1.6 million.

I re-read the instructions, realized we're supposed to use our graduation ages and what we reasonably think we'll be making when we get out of here (which is considerably more than my true income), and yet my goal more than doubled. Fidelity's calculator seems to think I will need $3, 827,000 to retire securely - even though with those numbers it would take me less time to retire and I would be saving considerably more.

5. Minimium versus Ideal Retirement Savings
Remember that $400,000 is the absolute minimum retirement savings the government recommends. Assuming you don't touch this $400,000 "principal" when you retire, you'll be able to receive a pretax income of about $24,000 a year (6% interest) from this $400,000. If you are unhealthy at that time, almost all of this will probably go to pay your supplemental health insurance (assuming you can get insurance, which you may not if you are very unhealthy). If you are healthy at that time, about half of this will go to your supplemental health insurance, leaving you very little to live on. Thus you can see why $400,000 saved is a MINIMUM recommended savings. If you had $800,000 instead, you'd get annual pretax "salary" of $48,000. That's enough to pay rent, health insurance, and other incidentals. If you had $1.2 million instead, that would give you an annual pretax investment income of $72,000. Now you're finally living a reasonable quality of life in retirement, with enough money to cover housing costs, health insurance, and extra for travel, hobbies, etc. That's why good planners should aim for at least $1.2 million in their savings account when they retire.

Next, consider changing your retirement age, the first orange slider bar on the last page ("Time"). If you choose to eat and live healthy, you'll be mentally alert and physically energetic at least ten years longer than the typical American. That means, if you have a job you love doing, you are likely to work at least five years longer than the current average. As social security benefits continue to erode, the retirement age may even be raised a few years at some point in your career. Change your retirement age to 70 on the slider, assuming you are presently living a relatively healthy life. Notice how this makes your investment savings improve. If you aren't living healthy at present, leave it at 65.

Next, play with the second orange slider bar on the last page("Money"). . How much do you need to save per month in order to reach your retirement goal above, assuming the market performs poorly (Scenario A)? Assuming the market performs on average (Scenario B)?

Scenario A -- Minimum $1300 saved per month
Scenario B -- Minimum $600 saved per month

6. Your Minimum Monthly Savings for Retirement
Go back to the beginning of Fidelity Investments myPlan Snapshot (just hit "refresh" in your browser) and start over, putting in your age on graduation, but this time put $25,000 as your income (the lowest one they allow). This will give you a retirement goal of $1,463,000, which is a bit higher than the $1.2 million we recommend as your comfortable minimum goal. Play with the Time and Money sliders, and find out the minimum money you should be saving every month in order to have over $1.2 million on retirement, assuming the market performs as it has in the past (Scenario B, the best case). For students who don't already have a retirement savings account, that should be something like $200/month.

With a Balanced investment style, I could retire at age 67 with a retirement savings of $1.256 million if I save $200 per month.

7. Advice: Credit Cards.
Americans are addicted to high-interest debt. The average American household has 16 credit cards: eight bank cards and eight retail cards, and $9,205 of credit card debt. The average American pays $1300 a year on credit card interest alone. Card fees, interest rates, and lending practices get more predatory every year. In 2005, the top ten credit card companies spent over 2 billion in advertising, and they target college students, the bankrupt, and other ideal customers, willing to pay the minimum payment for long periods of time. The nation has a debt addiction too: our national debt is about $9 trillion and increases by more than a billion dollars a day. Watch Maxed Out, James Scurlock, 2005, to get a sense of this. Then cut up all but two of your bank cards and use them responsibly, never carrying balances on them for more than a month, unless its a true emergency.
No writing for this item, just reading.

8. Advice: Keep all Your Monthly Receipts and Make a Monthly Expense Record.
It is a great exercise in self-understanding to keep all your monthly receipts from everything you purchase in your wallet. Put them in there at the cash register right when you pay, with the oldest going at the back of the pile so they stay in date order. It doesn't take too long to learn the habit. Next, enter your expenses at the end of the month in an Excel spreadsheet or in Quicken. Make categories for them that are meaningful to you, like supermarket food, dining out, entertainment, health, transportation, rent, etc. What were your top five expense categories? Once you've done this for three months in a row, you have enough information to start creating a personal budget, projecting out what you think you will spend, and how much you can put in savings. You won't always stick to your budget, but it will greatly help you understand your current spending behavior, and perhaps only then will you be able to start modifying it as you wish, so you can spend less in some categories, spend more wisely, and save more.
No writing for this item, just reading.

9. Advice: Read One Good Book Per Year on Simplifying, Saving Money, or Investing
If you read one good book a year, over twenty or thirty years, on investing or saving money, you will find that you become much more aware of and able to control your spending, saving, and investing habits. Almost every media message you will be subjected to over the rest of your lives will be carefully designed to get you to spend your money, on various things. Spending a week or two reading a good book on simplifying, saving money or on investing will be a critical balance to all that spending programming. It will remind you that you can choose your own path, and that much of your personal power will come from spending less than you earn, over a long period of time. We recommend starting with The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, George Kinder, 2000. Which stage presently describes you the best? How can you move from the "Innocence/Childishness" stage, where we all start, into the higher stages?
No writing for this item, just reading.

Ready to start using this wiki page to record and organize your personal Money issues? Go ahead and start writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have maturity, self-control, and prosperity your personal financial future!

Ideas & Questions

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:00:55 CST

Ideas and Questions – PFP Assignments

1. Someday/Maybe Ideas
Please list below at least one idea (personal, business, etc.) you’ve been considering for the long term. Tasks or Projects that you end up not doing for longer than a year should be moved to your Someday/Maybe list. At least once a year you should look at your Someday/Maybe list, create subcategories, reorganize it, and bring some items back into Tasks or Projects. (1 Someday/Maybe Idea)

One thing I have always wanted to do "someday" is write a book. Over time the type of book has changed; once I wanted to write a novel (and still somewhat do), then later a philosophical dissertation (and still somewhat want to do that, too), and more recently a collection of my best poetry (which has yet to come out of me; but I still want to do that, as well). Who knows? Maybe I'll do all three.

2. Long-Term Questions
Please list below at least one question on some long-term topic that you are curious about, but haven’t had the time to research. This is a place to put “big” questions you don’t need to have answers to right away, but are still interested in researching or thinking more about in the future. Questions that you need to research soon should go under Tasks, or with their associated multi-step Projects. Tip: There are many places on the internet (Yahoo! Answers, Answers.com) where you can post questions and get professional or crowdsourced help. Consider doing this for some of your more difficult questions. (1 long-term Question)

If I were to identify any kind of long-term question, it would likely be a philosophical or an ethical question, and those are more or less useless, ha ha. While doing this wiki, I've been thinking more and more about considering the ethical significance of things like serious games and digital twins and AI. Digital twins, especially. Perhaps that could be considered my long-term inquiry.

Ready to start using this wiki page to record, arrange, and reflect on your personal Ideas and Questions in in coming years? Go ahead and keep writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, inquisitive, imaginative, and productive future!

Mentors

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:49:46 CST

1. Mentor Candidates.
Mentors are folks who are leaders or role models, people who you admire to some degree, with experience or skills that strongly interest you. An ideal mentor is someone who is much more experienced and connected than you, someone who could serve as an occasional advisor, or helper. Someone in their 50’s or older is much more likely to spend occasional time mentoring you than someone in their 30’s. Likewise, they will have accomplished more and be a more obvious role model. Try to pick mentors whose lives have been so positive, interesting, successful, or distinguished that you would be happy to have a life that is only a fraction as accomplished as theirs has been.

At least one of your mentors should be relatively unfamous and not-too-rich, so that you have a better chance of spending quality time with them. At least one of them should be the opposite: someone distinguished, famous, or successful, and thus probably hard to get access to. For the second type of mentor, you may have to call to talk to their secretaries several weeks in a row in order to get a chance to talk to them, or to have your mentor request looked at. When you call or email, pick the same day and time of the week, like a Monday afternoon, and keep trying until you get a definite answer. You may just be ignored at first.

Do your homework first. Be sure that you can describe what it is about your mentor that really impresses you, and that you would like to emulate in your own small way. Ask if you can talk to them for 20 minutes by phone, or by email at least twice a year (June and January) to tell them where you are in your education, and always ask for their specific advice on internships, courses, projects, etc. Let them get to know you, without boring them with too much detail. Put these mentor contact appointments in your schedule and be ready to have them cancelled and rescheduled. Successful mentors are busy people. Every time you talk to or email them, be sure to bring two things: 1) a gift, usually something small like an article you think they might be interested in, and 2) a question, asking their advice on some specific decisions ahead in your life. If one of your mentors is nearby you may get lucky and be invited to lunch with them on one of these occasions.

As you get closer to graduation, with good planning on your part your mentor will have become aware of your interests and skills, and will have advised you on your summer internships, your school and extracurricular projects, and some of the skills you’ve learned in college. Perhaps most importantly, they may now be an a good position to help you with your job placement on graduation. If you pick a mentor in a company you’d love to work in, you may get a substantial edge in the hiring process, since you’ve been learning about that company for years in a row, and have a good relationship with one of their more distinguished employees.You can find more books and tips on mentoring by googling around, but the above advice is some of the most basic and important.

List the names of three mentor possibilities below, and two or more sentences for each name that describes who they are, where they live, their rough age (guess if you aren’t sure), what they do or have done, and why you think they might be a great mentor for you. (3 mentor possibilities, 2+ descriptive sentences for each potential mentor)

Dale Warkentein -- Dale is someone I met in an online forum for a webcomic that we're both interested in. He's an admin on the forums, and I quickly became a moderator as well. We've been talking for several years, and just about every time I talk to him, I learn something. He's 38, a former editor (which helps me with writing), has experience with programming, and a love for motorcycles that exceeds my own. He currently lives in Japan, working for Yamaha. It is very difficult for Americans to live and find decent work in Japan, but he is more than moderately successful. He is a great example of someone who knows how to do what it takes to succeed, and I can definitely use his experience to my advantage.

John Smart -- This isn't to suck up for points, if that's what you're thinking. Since the beginning of John's class I began thinking of him as someone I could learn quite a bit from. I'm severely lacking in the personal foresight and organizational / time management departments. John's focus tends to be a bit broader, geared more towards social and global trends, but he has obvious personal foresight and organizational skills, and can no doubt point me in the right direction toward the resources and habits that will get me on the same track. John is 47 years old (blame Wikipedia, John), and I have no idea where he permanently resides. He isa recognized leader in his field, heads his own organization, and will soon be the author of a trilogy of books on Futures Studies. His zeal for his career is unmatched.

To be honest, I don't really have any other potential mentors that I can readily think of. I have a few professional contacts (mostly former professors), but none that I really consider mentor material.

Ready to start using this wiki page for recording your Mentor activities? Go ahead and keep writing them on this page once you've finished these assignments. May you find some excellent role models who help you greatly with your future plans!

Companies & Internships

Steve_Olender — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:07:28 CST

Companies and Internships - PFP Assignments

1. What companies do you currently find inspiring? List at least three companies you could see yourself working at, under the right circumstances. Make sure at least one of these is a smaller company (under 150 employees). In addition to their website, find an article or film online about the company, preferably one that tells you something about the company's "culture." What kind of personalities do their top managers hae? What kind of employees do they recruit? What do they value and reward?Describe both what they do (products and services) and how they do it (company culture).(2 paras per company x 3 companies)

Nintendo: This is the classic video game company that everyone either knows or remembers. They deliver innovative game products which have lately been geared towards more community- and family-based gaming. They predominantly deal with console and handheld gaming, having fathered revolutionary innovations in both fields (with the releases of the DS and the Wii). They produce consoles as well as develop and publish games.

The only thing I could really find about the "culture" of the company was their own Corporate Philosophy on the treatment of their customers and employees: "We feel an equal commitment toward our employees. We want to maintain an atmosphere in which talented individuals can work together as a team. Commitment and enthusiasm are crucial to the high quality of our products and support services. We believe in treating our employees with the same consideration and respect that we, as a company, show our customers."

Atlus: Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is a privately-held company and subsidiary of Atlus Co., Ltd. based in Tokyo. They are a game publishing company (their mother company is also a developer, though the US branch is strictly a publisher) and have been behind titles for every major console on the market. Some of their larger titles include: Trauma Center, Odin Sphere, Magna Carta, Touch Detective, Bomberman, etc. They develop games in a wide variety of genres, and some of their more recent titles have been rather innovative in terms of gameplay. From my experience, their games are always strong on story, as well.

Again, I couldn't really find much on their "corporate culture," or the types of employees they look for. The only thing even remotely related was an article at GameSpot that detailed profit losses in 2005 leading to a layoff of 30 employees (10% of their total workforce at the time). That might be a red flag, but I doubt it's terribly significant.

Garage Games: Garage Games is an independent (from what I can tell) developer with about 60 employees. They've been in business for a little over 15 years now, from what I read, and they primarily pound out puzzle games and simulators. If I were to seriously consider taking the "serious game" idea anywhere, it would probably be an independent company like Garage Games first, where people are more likely to enjoy their jobs and be open-minded since they're not a massive corporation that already has a set "motif" of games they produce.

As far as the culture of the company, I couldn't find personality types or anything, but each employee does have their own profile on the company site, as well as the ability to post a personal blog hosted on the site. They all seem rather satisfied with their jobs, and that's a good sign to me.

2. Find at least one formal student internship program, listed on a website, that you could see yourself doing either during one of your summers at UAT or on graduation. Describe the details of the internship here. Is it paid? If so how much? How long? What student experience/backgrounds and personal qualities are they seeking? Copy and paste their key language into your description. What is the application deadline? Call or email them to get these details if they aren't listed on the website. (3 paragraphs)

I found an internship opportunity with Electronic Arts (EA). They offer paid internships, with salary rates depending on skills and work experience. I can't find any indication of how long the internship would last for, but I'm sure it would be at least an entire semester.

Taken directly from their page, this is what they're seeking in Software Engineers: "Interns will be responsible for creating C, C++, C# or Assembly code and/or Java code as a part of game teams developing features or tools for various consoles, PC, and online products. Potential interns typically pursue a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering with a strong mathematical background. Candidates should have solid programming experience in various languages. Other desired skills include bit-mapped graphics, 3-D graphics, device level, artificial intelligence and physics. Game development experience is helpful but not required. Candidates should also have strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities."

This is another excerpt from their page, directly from the interviewer regarding what he looks for in candidates: "

As for skills, you should definitely know C and C++ very well. If you submit a portfolio of games you’ve done (or a website) provide notes that quickly communicate what skills each program in your portfolio shows off, how many people worked on it, and how long it took you to complete. For example, you could note: "This program helped me understand graphics," or "I was working on AI in this little program."

I also tend to nail interviewees with lots of debugging questions. You'll spend as much time debugging as writing for a while, so I'm looking for deduction and critical reasoning skills. These are also key when understanding code written by other people. This is something you might not learn in school, but you'll spend a lot of time doing.
As for other, specific skills: yeah, math and physics are important, and yeah, understanding networking is important. However, everything is all-important and you can't know it all. What you want to show me is how FAST you can learn new things. A classic interview question I ask is "Give me an example of something you picked up and learned on your own quickly."
My own personal bias is also towards people that are well rounded. If it comes down to someone who has a 4.0 and no external interests, or someone who is smart but has also done non-computer stuff, I'll go for the latter. Especially important is experience working in large teams and interacting with people who are bringing different skills and ideas to the table.
In summary, I'm looking for people who know how to write code, read code, and learn new things. I'm looking for people who love games and play them. I'm looking for people who understand technology, but also understand that communication skills are just as important.".
The address for the pages is http://jobs.ea.com/eaacademy

3. UAT currently doesn't have a formal list of what companies its alumni have gone to, by major. There is a general list of companies that have hired UAT students, which is available on UAT's external website however. Find this list, and select three companies you are particularly interested in either a) understanding better or b) possibly working at. What are these companies? Explain how you can go about figuring out who at UAT is now working at these companies, and how you will get their email. Extra Credit: If you get a name and email, post this info on our FD@UAT Wiki under Career Resources > Resources by UAT Major >> A. Company Leads or this Major.(2 paragraphs)

Ea Sports, Mythic Entertainment, and Education 2020, Inc. are three companies that have hired UAT alumni that I could see working for. If anyone is going to actively push the idea of serious games, it's going to be a company like Education 2020.

If I were really interested in seeing where students are getting hired, I would talk to my instructors. Ken Adams, Mr. Clark (whichever one it is that's the programming teacher, not the hacker), and especially Nate Bealor. They would be able to tell me who is being hired and by whom, and probably how I might get in contact with those people and the companies they now work for.

4. Write out a sample company inquiry email and paste it below. This email should be addressed either to
a) a UAT alumni who is working at one of your companies of interest, or
b) an interesting person who works at one of your companies of interest and whose bio (or a good personal article on them) is available online.
The objective of this email is threefold:
1) to briefly mention whatyou like/are impressed with about that company and about the person you are contacting
2) to very briefly introduce yourself (your background, skills, and interests)
3) to ask for information or advice (about internships, about some aspect of the company, about getting lunch, etc.)
Keep it short and sweet (three paragraphs max) and post it here. Include the email address of the person you will send it to below. Extra Credit: Send it, and post the response/discussion you get, if any, right here! (3 paragraphs)

Dear Brian Duncan,

I noticed your interview posted on the UAT website, and was intrigued by what I read. I find it interesting that you chose to work for a company that makes "serious" games, and I was wondering if you might help me.

My name is Steven Olender, and I am a current student at UAT, specifically as a game programming major. I'm rather interested in the idea of taking "serious" games to the mainstream.

I was wondering if you might be able to give me a little information about the company that you work for, Education 2020, Inc.? Or if you could point me toward someone who might be able to answer my questions. I was wondering if they specialize only in educational games for school-age children, and also who I might contact in order to apply for an internship or perhaps even a job. Any info you could give me would be a great help.

Thanks sincerely for your time and consideration,

Steven Olender
UAT 2007

Networking

Steve_Olender — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:34:23 CST

Networking – PFP Assignments

1. Join an Online Social Network
Join a full-featured, Web 2.0-based social network like Facebook or Plaxo Pulse, or a more primitive “first-generation” social network like Orkut or MySpace. If you aren’t sure which one you want to join, check out the big List of Social Networking Websites at Wikipedia. See if you can find one that reflects your specific interests, and which has a good privacy policy and gives the user a lot of control over the ways they can manage what they learn/watch about their friends lives (they way Facebook lets you manage your “mini-feeds about all your friends there), and the group collaboration tools they can use (Facebook’s are the best, at present). On Facebook, users can install about 5,000 (and counting) different types of applications on their FB home page, which they can use to keep track of, give feedback to, or play games with their online friends. Once you’ve set up your profile at your social network of choice, consider inviting some of your family and friends (from your Family+Friends page) to join you. Getting your friends and family into the digital online world will allow you to follow their lives much more easily than ever before. Let us know below which network you chose to join, and what you think of it so far (even if you’ve only spend 20 minutes in it, and are looking around for the first time). (Social Network name, plus 1 paragraph description evaluation “so far.”)

Facebook:

Facebook was an easy choice, considering I already have a Facebook page. I got sucked into it back when I attended Buffalo State, back when Facebook was exclusively for college students. At first I thought it was cool, but I soon realized that it was just another place for frat and sorority members to brag about how much they had drunk / smoked the night before, to find out who was screwing who, and to carry the drama of their real lives onto the internet in a much more efficient manner. However, since Facebook opened up to the general public, it has changed somewhat. Now I can keep in touch with all my friends from back home who might not have gone to school, or my family, and just mess around with the different apps people are constantly coming out with. I love seeing video recordings of jam sessions from my buddy's blues rock jam group back in Boston, and gaining rank as a Jedi Knight. Also, the "groups" function of Facebook are nice, it's a convenient place for people with similar interests to meet. I'm fairly certain, though, that Facebook's privacy policy stipulates very little hesitance to sell your personal information to third party comapnies, and I'm not so sure how I feel about that.

deviantArt:

This is another online community that I have belonged to for a few years now. It's not so much a web 2.0 social network, but to me it's worth belonging to. It's an art-sharing site, where you can join and post your artwork (including everything from music files, to digital art, to traditional drawing/painting, anime fanart, prose, poetry, etc.), buy and sell prints of your or others' works, etc. You can chat in chatrooms tailored to specific types of art, or even special areas of interest within one genre. The community is massive, with nearly 50,000,000 deviations (art pieces) submitted by users to date. It's a good way to get exposed, to make contacts, and to receive comments and critiques on your work, thereby helping you to improve. If you're interested in finding me on deviantArt, my page is http://dreamscape-painter.deviantart.com.

2. Advice: Join a Business Social Network
Create a profile for yourself (a "digital business card") on a good business social network like LinkedIn or Xing. Look around there for someone you can friend who has advanced skills in one of your areas of professional interest. Send them a friend request, telling them why you want them in your network. If you keep coming back to these networks and doing searches for people who 1) live in your vicinity, and 2) have skills in areas you are interested, or 3) work at companies you are interested in, you can slowly but steadily grow your network of professional contacts, and by watching what they are doing, learn more about what kinds of things you can do in your industry as well.
No writing required for this item, just read and consider it.

Ready to start using this wiki page for to record and reflect on your personal Networking activities? Go ahead and keep writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, well-connected, and productive future!

Projects & Skills

Steve_Olender — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:22:26 CST

Projects and Skills – PFP Assignments

1. Current and Planned Projects
Please list below at least one project (personal, business, etc.) that you are currently working on or plan to work on within the next 12 months. Projects that have been listed here for longer than a year but are still untouched should be moved to your Someday/Maybe list, to keep this Projects list easy to manage. (list 1 current or planned Project, with 1 paragraph of description)

Within the next twelve months I hope to become a published poet, and perhaps to write enough poetry to collaborate them all into a collection and work toward having that published, as well. This is just for my own personal desires, and isn't really related to my education or career. If I am to manage this goal, however, it will require a concerted effort on my part to write considerably more in my free time than I currently have a habit of doing.

2. Current and Planned Skills
Please list below at least one personal or professional skill you want to build up and keep strong through your current or planned Project work and experience. See Healthy Habits – Expertise for more on the value of focused, dedicated, long-term practice for skill-building and expertise. (list 1 project-related Skill, with 1+ sentences of description)

When it comes down to the wire in regard to deadlines, I can display a surprising amount of focus as compared to the rest of the time. However, I hope to develop the ability to utilize that focus at any time, instead of waiting until the pressure is really on. I feel that this will help me manage my time much more efficiently, as well as make me more successful in my educational and business ventures.

Ready to start using this wiki page to record and reflect on your personal Projects and Skills? Go ahead and keep writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, masterful and productive future!

Education + Work

Steve_Olender — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:15:12 CST

Education+Work – PFP Assignments

1. Your Full Resume (Minus Career Objective)
If you have a resume, cut and paste it below. If you don’t, start one now by listing the basics of your educational background, work background so far, and at least one personal reference. Every time you apply for a job, you want to take this detailed resume and make a custom (and shorter) one, tailored specifically for the job you are applying to. You start your resume with an Objective, which you customize for each job. Some of that language can come from your Career Goals page, assuming you get a career in the industry you are aiming for. (Cut and paste your existing resume below or if you have to, create a VERY brief resume for this assignment. You can make it more detailed later, but this wiki page is a good place to keep your “master” resume.)

Steven James Olender

11252 Porterville Rd.
East Aurora, New York 14052
Phone: (716) 628-9403 (mobile)
(716) 655-1870
Email: steolend@uat.edu
nantucket.friar@gmail.com

QUALIFICATIONS
I have been working since I was fifteen years old, when I was hired at my first job. Currently I am twenty-one years old, and I held that job up until earlier this year. I have had several part time jobs as well during that stretch of time, ranging from fast-food preparation to childcare. I am no stranger to hard work. I am willing to learn, and do so very quickly. I consider myself accommodating and capable of working well with others to accomplish tasks, which, I believe, can make me a valuable asset to your team.

EDUCATION
2000-2004 Regents Diploma, Tonawanda High School
2004-2006 Five semesters attended at Buffalo State College
2007-2010 Attending the University of Advancing Technology

EMPLOYMENT
2007 TruGreen Chemlawn – Commercial Lawn Route Manager
From March of 2007 to this past August, I was employed by TruGreen Chemlawn. They are a national chain of Lawn and Shrub Service Professionals, providing fertilization and pesticide services to both residential and commercial customers. My duties included maintaining and piloting a company vehicle, transporting chemicals, applying fertilizer and pesticides to lawns, and customer service. I was first hired as a Lawn Route Manager in the residential sector of the company, but I was quickly moved up into the Commercial sector, which is, to be honest, far more essential to the company’s financial success.

2002-2007 Touch of Italy Restaurant - Dishwasher / Cook / Delivery
I was employed at this restaurant for 5 years. My responsibilities originally included dishwashing and clean-up at closing, and eventually expanded to food preparation and food delivery as well. For the past few years I had been something of a ’Jack-of-all-Trades’ in the restaurant setting, being the ’go-to’ guy when someone needed a shift covered, something needed replacing or repairing, or when there was simply a bit of slack to be picked up.

2004 YMCA of Buffalo - Junior Counselor,
The summer I turned 18, I worked as a Counselor for the YMCA’s summer day camp program. I had attended this program myself in previous years, and during the two summers prior to being employed I attended as a “Counselor-in-Training”, or, “CIT”. The CIT program helped me become familiar with how the staff of a childcare program functions, and prepared me for caring for children of various age-groups and backgrounds before I actually applied for a job. I was employed as a Junior Counselor for one summer, working under a Senior Counselor with children from ages 3-5. The experience was highly enjoyable and taught me a great deal about responsibility, considering the welfare of nearly 20 young children was in my hands. I tried always to keep my attitude positive and my demeanor that of someone who is easily approachable and willing to work with others to solve a problem or make a situation better.

My sincere thanks for your time and consideration,
Steven James Olender

2. Advice: Post Your Resume Online
LinkedIn is a great place for you to list your past work experiences, and to get others to write “recommendations” for your past work with them, which stay online with your LinkedIn profile. Twelve million business people and students list their profiles/resumes on LinkedIn, and recruiters from big companies constantly look there to find skilled workers. Conventional job sites, like Monster.com and Jobbing.com are other places you can make a profile and list your online resume. There are also career specific places where you can list your resume, like GameJobs.com. If you don’t have a particular company or companies you are set on working at, you should list your resume at a good number of these online sites, to get the kind of offer you are looking for.
No writing required for this item, just read and consider it.

3. Current Class Schedule and Education plans.
This page is also a good place to plan your education schedule and list any future education plans you are considering.
No writing required for this item, just read and consider it.

Ready to start using this wiki page for recording your Education+Work activities and plans? Go ahead and keep writing them on this page once you've finished these assignments. May you be a lifelong learner, and have a well-paid, and productive future!

Career Goals

Steve_Olender — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:52:22 CST

Career Goals and Life Objectives - Assignments

1. List your current Career Goals and Life Objectives, or where you see yourself five years after graduation. What kind of work and play are you doing? Where? What are your skills and life aspirations at that time? (1 para)

My career goals at this moment span to little more than to land a stable, well-paying position doing something that not only can I be satisfied with, but which will also keep myself and my spouse financially secure. 5 years after graduation? I'll hopefully be programming games, perhaps working myself up into a Game Design or Project Lead position. I'll be attending game conventions and conferences, and maybe even start thinking about going back to school to refresh my skills. I'll be married, and nearly settled, hopefully about to move into my first house. I'll bike, travel, write, and maybe take a second job as an editor for fun. And of course, I'll play video games.

2. Take the free online Princeton Review Career Quiz (24 questions) http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/quiz/career_quiz1.asp
a. What is your "interest" color according to the test? Copy your interest color paragraph below. (descrip.)


		People with blue Interests like job responsibilities and occupations that involve creative, humanistic, thoughtful, and quiet types of activities. Blue Interests include abstracting, theorizing, designing, writing, reflecting, and originating, which often lead to work in editing, teaching, composing, inventing, mediating, clergy, and writing.

b. What is your "work style" color? Copy your work style paragraph below. (description)


		People with yellow styles perform their job responsibilities in a manner that is orderly and planned to meet a known schedule. They prefer to work where things get done with a minimum of interpretation and unexpected change. People with a yellow style tend to be orderly, cautious, structured, loyal, systematic, solitary, methodical, and organized, and usually thrive in a research-oriented, predictable, established, controlled, measurable, orderly environment. You will want to choose a work environment or career path in which your style is welcomed and produces results.

c. Create an account at the Princeton Review website (user name & password) so you can see the list of careers that go with your answers. When the career list comes up on the screen, listen to your intuition (first strong feeling) and list your top 5-10 career interests from the list. (5-10 career names)

Actor
Artist
College Administrator
Disc Jockey
Editor
Film Director / Editor
Journalist
Media Specialist
Musician
Philosopher
Photographer
Writer
Consultant

d. Click through on at least one (more if you like) of these career links, and cut and paste the info paragraph ("A Day in the Life, Paying Your Dues, and Associated Careers") below. What appeals to you most about the one(s) you chose? What don't you like about them? (descrip + 1 para)

Career: Writer

A Day in the Life

Writers come in all shapes and sizes-film critics, novelists, editorial columnists, screenwriters, technical writers, and advertising copywriters. Many spend the beginnings of their careers practicing their skills as they await a big break. While all writers prefer to write on subjects of personal interest, most professionals are assigned topics by an editor. Writers may work at home, in an office, or in a hectic newsroom, but wherever they set up their office, writers generally spend upwards of 40 hours a week hard at work-even if only a fraction of that time is spent actually tapping the keys of a word processor. Writers begin by asking questions and researching a subject. The process of “writing” may involve conducting interviews, reading up on a subject at the library, traveling to a far-off location or even surfing the Internet for clues. A writer must be open to the possibility that new information will change the original angle of a piece. As she gathers the necessary information, she gradually develops a working outline from which she is then able to work up a draft. Then it may be time for an editor to review the material and suggest changes. A writer may wait and send a completed draft manuscript to an editor, while others may prefer to send the manuscript in “partials” (sections or chapters) in order to give the editor a chance to see the work in progress from an earlier stage. The editing process continues until editor and writer judge the material ready for publication. Writers collaborate with the other professionals involved in the media, such as photographers, graphic designers, and advertisers. Screenwriters and playwrights write original pieces or adapt existing books or stories for the stage or screen. Usually they attend readings or rehearsals to make revisions because problems may appear when the piece is performed that they had not anticipated when they wrote it. Copywriters generally work for advertising agencies, researching market trends to determine the best way to sell their clients’ products. Technical writers take esoteric subjects and write about them in simpler terms so that readers can easily grasp the ideas and information.

Paying Your Dues

The one point most employers agree on is that good writers combine a natural gift for language with an unwavering devotion to their craft. For a professional career, a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, or literature is all but essential. But most important of all is practice, practice, practice, regardless of the medium. In high school, potential writers can write for the school newspaper or the yearbook; in college, they should continue writing for school newspapers and apply for internships at publishing houses. Technical writers should be well-versed in their subject areas and perhaps have advanced degrees. Every writer should be a proficient typist with mastery of a word processor; nowadays many writers, especially journalists, are expected to deliver their copy electronically via e-mail. Writing experience is very important. Writers must be disciplined, focused, good at research, and able to work under deadlines. Writers should collect samples of their work to show to prospective employers. A writer’s first job is often as an assistant to a writer or an editor. Beginning writers generally work hard at research and clerical tasks while awaiting recognition and opportunity from their boss.

Associated Careers

Editors review and edit manuscripts and give authors guidance and direction for clarifying and otherwise improving their pieces. (Many editors admit to being failed or aspiring writers; the reverse can also be the case.) Journalists, who are of course themselves writers (see separate entry), tend to work under the direction of an editor who sends them out into the field to dig up stories, follow leads and interview people, and submit their findings in the form of a readable article.

I've always dreamed of being a writer, and even if I'm going to be a programmer I feel that I will still continue to write in some fashion. I'm not sure what it is that I enjoy about writing; I just have a love for language, and a strong desire to express myself or my thoughts. I might even cross writing with philosophy, seeing as being a philosopher almost requires that one be a writer, as well. The only thing that I don't like about the field is that you have to have a degree in it to really get any kind of job, considering I'm already getting a degree in something else. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll go back and get a secondary degree. The only other snag I run into is the constant practice that is needed. I often procrastinate about writing more than I do about anything else, since I've developed this kind of creative fear that normally stops my ideas dead in their tracks before they even make it onto paper. I'll have to work to overcome that.

3. Play Holland’s Career Interests “Game”
http://career.missouri.edu/students/explore/thecareerinterestsgame.php
a. Read the page (that's the "game," it seems) and ask yourself which of these six groups of people would be your top three social groups, in rank order. What are they? (descrip)

Investigative
People who like to observe,learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems.

Artistic
People who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.

Social
People who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words.

b. Click through on each of the three groups you chose and look at the career examples listed for each. List at least one career name and as many as five from each of the three groups below. Rank them in rough interest order. (3-15 career names).

Investigative: Computer Programmer
Artisitic: Writer / Editor
Social: Sociologist

4. Visit the Kinder Institute of Life Planning website (http://www.kinderinstitute.com/). Life planning advisors are even more specialized than financial planning advisors, because they help you think about how to use your money to further your life goals. That means they have to find out how you personally define success, and there are more ways to do that today than ever before. Below are some life choices, dimensions, or goals (areas of "success") that can be, at least to some degree, related to money.

Now imagine yourself in mid-life (45 years old). For each of the areas below, give us anywhere from 1 sentence (minimum) to a few paragraphs describing how you live (a possible or probable lifestyle in this area) when you are 45. (1 sentence+ for each)

a. Family (relatives, spouse, kids, kid's associated expenses (college funds), etc.)
My wife and I will live together, and likely alone unless she changes her mind about having kids. If we do have kids, I would like to have at least one.

b. Creativity (projects, hobbies, art, etc.)
I will probably write creatively, and maybe works of a philosophical nature, as well. I might have picked drawing back up, or even painting. I know I will probably have wanted to write a book and have it published by then.

c. Recreation (travel, entertainment, etc.)
Provided we have the means, I would like to travel fairly often. There are many places we both want to see. I'm sure we'll still both be playing video games, reading, and watching movies. We'll probably go out fairly regularly, as well, just to get out of the house.

d. Spirit (actions and donations you make towards your core beliefs and values)
Write here...

e. Service (ways you can directly help others outside your family)
We've never been actively charitable, but generally speaking if we see an opportunity to help others out, we're not afraid to be generous. Or at least I'm not, can't really say for Katie for sure. Just to appease my conscience, I'm sure I will invest in socially responsible organizations just to sate my clamoring conscience.

f. Place (where you want to live, what kind of living environment)
I'm not really concerned about the type of dwelling we'll have. I mean, sure, it's always nice to have something bigger, better, and more expensive, but I can deal with an apartment if I have to. My absolute threshold is a trailer. I refuse to ever live in one. But I do know that at some point I want to live in Japan for a while, perhaps work there for a few years. Ultimately I hope to settle down in New Zealand. I want to be surrounded by natural beauty. In my home I want to have a place for the two of us to sleep, a place to read, a place to write, a place to play video games, a place to cook, and a place to go to the bathroom. And a yard would be nice, with a porch as well. But those are extras, for now.

g. Things (other objects you want, car, etc.)
I want a modest library of literature, my own computer, a decent enough car that I don't have to worry about it falling apart on me, and some nice gaming equipment. Other than that, I don't suppose I need too much.

h. Now do a ballpark estimate: what kind of annual salary should you have around mid-life (45 yrs old)? How much money do you think you should have in your savings at that point, for use in your later years?
[Reference: The average U.S. 50 year old has only $40,000 in savings/net worth, ten times less than the $400,000 recommended as a minimum to be able to comfortably supplement social security in retirement.]
Copy these numbers over to your Money page as well. (2 numbers, annual salary and savings)

I imagine that by the time I'm 45, I'll be making roughly $100,000 a year, if I play my cards right. If not, I might be stuck with less, but let's think positive. If I try to save at least 5,000 a year in the 20 years leading up to that point, accounting for minor emergencies, I should be able to save around $90,000 dollars. This doesn't include investment returns.

5. Write your Obituary/"Last Roast"
Assuming you die (biologically speaking at least) in your 91st year of life, write your obituary as it appears in the local community weblog (or on the homepage of your Digital Twin?), or if you prefer, a straight or humorous summary of your life (a “roast”) that is read by a close friend at your 90th birthday party. Write it in the third person, like "He/she achieved xyz when he turned 50, then for his next trick did such and such, etc...".

What year is it when you are 91? What is the world like then? What changes have you seen? What have you made of your life in your time in the sun? How much did you sieze the day and how much did you let slip by you? What kind of friends come to your funeral (or 90th birthday party)? Which of your personal traits, goals, and plans today have endured, and which have changed. What was predictable? What was surprising? What things were harder or took longer than you originally thought? What "lucky breaks" did you get? Each of us is the star of our own life story. Give us one possibility for yours. (3+ paragraphs)

Wisdom. Justice. Benevolence. Fidelity. Sincerity. These are the words he branded onto the back of his own neck at the age of 17. These are the words he lived by. In the near-century he spent among us, he strove to exemplify these qualities, and to encourage them in others. These words are how he will be remembered.

Today's world of 2077 is much different from the world of 1986, when he was born. He witnessed many changes in our society, and was at the forefront of at least one of them. He broke new ground in the effort to bring serious games to the mainstream, and was one of the lead programmers in the digital twin project, helping to bring the dream to life several years before it was anticipated to be plausible. He also wrote several books on the ethical philosophies behind both ventures. Most notably he was concerned with the "honesty and integrity" values that went into the programming of digital twins, as to whether or not they should be forthcoming with personal or private information about their source twin. His largest focus in developing digital twins was the potential for them to relate memories or feelings to loved ones that their predecessors might have found difficulty in saying before they passed.

In fact, as Steve's digital twin, I myself feel nearly useless as he rarely found trouble saying exactly what he meant to. Some criticized him for this, citing a disturbing lack of tact, but those close to him came to appreciate it, I think. We knew he could always be counted on to give honest advice, and to be open with his thoughts and feelings, making him easy to trust and easier to talk to. He was a firm believer in the truth of things -- no matter how harsh or unpleasant that truth might turn out to be. He was far from perfect, but he was only human, after all. I feel we would all do well to emulate some of the finer human qualities he always made the effort to display.

(That's the optimistic version. I decided that it would be more interesting if my hypothetical old self had actually done something useful with his life.)

Habits

Steve_Olender — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:07:40 CST

Habits - PFP Assignments

1. Healthy Habits - General
List below at least five habits that you believe contribute to making you a happier, healthier, more productive, or better person because you follow them. A habit is something you do “frequently” (some number of times every week), and something that you miss and that impacts you negatively (at least a little) if you don’t do it regularly. These can be anything from getting a certain number of hours of regular sleep, regular time with certain friends, a good diet (avoiding certain foods), a certain level of exercise, having a quiet study place, following a certain moral principle, whatever you have recognized a something that presently constitutes a healthy personal habit (1 list, 5+ items).

1. I often browse an art site that I'm a member of and offer critiques on the works of other artists. I feel this helps keep me sharp and thinking analytically, as well as keeps me somewhat involved with the community.
2. I often tell my fiancee that I love her.
3. I do my best to take interest in the classes that I take, and to participate in discussions actively.
4. I listen fairly well.
5. I do my best to tolerate people with differing views and personalities, and for the large part of the time, I am successful.

2. Regularly or Occasionally Unhealthy Habits – General
List below at least five habits that in your judgment have been major or minor addictions for you at some point in the last ten years of your life. An addiction is a habit that negatively impacts your life on occasion. Addictions are not things that are healthy if you do them in moderation (like drinking small amounts of red wine, which probably extends your life) but things you sometimes or frequently “do to excess,” like getting seriously drunk and losing your weekends recovering, or spending large amounts of your money or your time on something with little personal value, usually because you can’t stop yourself. Of the major or minor ones you are willing to list, can you identify at least one that hasn’t been a problem in the last two years? How did you get beyond this addiction? Did you swap it for another one? Were you instead able to swap it for a healthier one (like chewing nic gum instead of smoking cigs)? Explain. (1 list, 5+ items, and 1+ paragraphs)

1. I procrastinate. A lot.
2. I have an overactive libido.
3. I smoke tobacco.
4. I fail to organize my time effectively.
5. I waste my money.
6. I have terrible eating habits.
7. I don't exercise.
8. I don't have a regular sleep schedule.

3. Expert Performance – Background Reading
Skim each of the following:
Peak Performance: Why Records Fall, Daniel Goleman, New York Times, 11 Oct 1994 (3 pages)
A Star is Made, Dubner and Levitt, New York Times, 7 May 2006 (3 pages)
Are You an Expert?, Michael Mauboussin, Legg Mason CM, 8 Oct 2005 (11 pages)
No writing for this item, just reading.

4. Expertise Candidates – Current Thoughts
List one to three general subject areas (like game programming) AND one to three specific skillsets (like C sharp or Maya mastery) in which you have seriously considered developing true expertise. List no more than three subject areas and skillsets. (two lists, 1-3 items per list)

Game Programming
Literature / Philosophy

Editor
Novelist/Poet

Music Performance

Trombone
Vocals

5. Healthy Habits – Expertise
According to Ericsson (Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance, 2006), deliberate and often solitary practice, more than any other single factor, is the gateway to true expertise. Not inherited or childhood-acquired talent, not IQ, not one’s peer group. Almost all experts begin their journey as ordinary people who learn how to “live” for long periods inside their chosen domain of expertise, spending enough hours in the appropriate skill-building activities that they gain the ability to outperform the vast majority of others with experience in that same field. Experts with socially useful skills can set their own salaries and working conditions, and take their pick of jobs and working environments. If you have become really good at what you do, are not egotistical and hard to work with, know how to market yourself, and have picked a field of expertise that has average-to-high value to society, you can write your own ticket in life.

To become a true expert in animation, game design, network engineering, network security, programming, technology management, video production, or any other technical field available at UAT mainly means putting in the hours, days, weeks, months, and years to become excellent in your specialization. Developing true expertise typically takes a minimum of ten years, or ten to twenty thousand hours of practice, in your discipline. Finding a way to devote this serious amount of time is the main obstacle to excellence, and it is a hurdle that fewer people can climb in our modern affluent, casual, media-saturated, distraction-rich culture. Most people are constantly being pulled by their peers (who may be jealous of and feel threatened by formidable expertise), their environment (which wants to turn you into a passive consumer, and where the average person’s job description may change every three years in some companies and industries) and sometimes even their families to become a “general purpose human,” someone with average—and typically low—skills in a number of areas but nothing truly exceptional in any single area.

Making the personal decision to develop truly superior and socially-useful expertise involves a number of reinforcing disciplines of mind and habit. Below are a few of the challenges you’ll face on your personal road to expertise.

You must develop sufficient foresight to discover a skillset that will be very likely to be directly valuable to your career for at least a decade after you have become an expert in the skill. It will take you about ten years to become a true expert, so we are talking about skills that should have at least twenty years of direct personal relevance, and much longer historical relevance if you use your expertise as a steppingstone to managerial or other capacities. In making your choice it helps to trust the judgment of other successful people as well as to trust your own judgment.
You must get to know yourself well enough to discover what it is that you truly love. It is far easier to do the long, deliberate practice you’ll need if you have chosen something that has high personal value and reward.
You must be able to find and value true mentorship of masters in your chosen discipline, so you can be inspired to rise well above being an average performer.
You must be sufficiently self- and future- rather than environment-motivated to devote long hours to building your chosen skills over many other competing skills, and to maintain that priority in a complex, distracting world.
You must know your current personality strengths well enough to be able to design practice regimens around those strengths, and to protect your practice against your weaknesses, which may include all the things that conspire to make your practice less frequent, intense, or effective.
You must be able to tune your practice regimen as needed, while resisting the common trap of becoming a dilettante—someone who dabbles in many “interesting” skills but has no true expertise in any of them.
You must be able to find and value the company of peers who have the same kind of serious dedication to their skillsets as you have to your own, or your practice very likely to be derailed by the non-expert approach to life of the average peer. Many people talk about becoming an expert. This is virtually meaningless, as the average person does not bind themselves by the words they say. A few people dream about it regularly. That’s a lot more meaningful, and is a gateway to action. The fewest take the small but steady steps every day to make their dream a reality.
You must pick, or get help picking, increasingly difficult skillbuilding exercises and projects that allow you long periods of “flow” as you practice in your discipline. Projects that sustain flow will challenge you in some ways but let you to perform in a rapid, meditative state in other ways. They have “just the right” level of newness and familiarity to keep you engaged for long periods of time.

Thinking of each of these challenges, write three or more paragraphs on how you can find and develop true expertise, something that will involve practice for at least ten years, in some area, and specifically, what healthy habits you can develop that will allow you to “level up” all the way to mastery in your chosen field. (3+ paragraphs)

If I am to ever find true expertise in something, I am going to have to identify exactly what it is I want, that I am passionate about. I've run into too many things that would be "fun" or "nice" to do for a living, but very few things have ever caught my imagination so as to inspire me to desire proficiency in that area for the rest of my life. As #2 above has stated, I "must know [myself] well enough todiscover what it is that [I] truly love." I don't know yet what that is, and I don't think I can go anywhere until I do. I'm working toward finding out, though; I'm taking the expensive trial and error approach (or at least I have in the past), but now I'm determined to stick with something no matter what,to compensate for my lack of a true career-type passion. That's why I'm here, and I'm hoping to give it more than the old, "college try." I figure that if I cannot discern within myself a true passion, then perhaps I can learn to love what it is I do instead, and keep my other, lesser passions for my free time.

To develop expertise, I believe that the idea of "practice makes perfect" is absolutely correct. I must dive headlong into what I hope to become an expert in, and never look back. I must learn to dedicate myself, to absorb myself in what I'm doing in order to accomplish what I want. And perhaps as well to learn to love my chosen field.

The biggest part of my struggle for expertise is going to be maintaining healthy habits that facilitate strong practice routines. There are a lot of tendencies holding me back at the moment, my strong leaning toward procrastination and easy distractability being two of the largest problems. Somehow I will have to overcome these poor habits. Or rather, perhaps I should not think of them as a problem to be fixed, but rather in the inverse sense in that their opposite (strong focus) is a good habit that I need to garner and nurture within myself.

Ready to start using this wiki page to record and think about your personal Habits? Go ahead and keep writing at the top of this page once you've finished these assignments. May you have a happy, peaceful and productive future!

Tasks

Steve_Olender — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:22:20 CST

Tasks - PFP Assignment

1. Check out the GTD Flowchart 1 posted below. This flowchart outlines the task management system from Getting Things Done, David Allen, 2002, our course textbook on personal organization. You can find more GTD tips and freebies at Allen’s website as well.

To use GTD on your Personal Futures wiki you would want the following wiki pages:

Next Actions (Tasks)
Waiting For (or, this page can be the top section of your Next Actions page, which I recommend for simplicity)
Projects (+Skills)
Someday/Maybe (Ideas+Questions)
Reference

Plus:

An Online Calendar (Google Calendar is excellent and easy to set up)

Again, to use GTD on your wiki, you may want to add the Waiting For page, OR just include it as the top section your Next Actions / Tasks page (most of us don't have many "Waiting Fors" that we have to track, unless we are managing people who work for us). You should also add a Reference page, a place where you store reference information that you might use in the future. You already have the other three pages on the wiki already. Feel free to rename your Tasks page to “Next Actions” and Ideas+Questions to “Someday/Maybe” and to reorder your top wikipages so they are in the order you see above. Then put the flowchart on your wall, or on or above your computer, and look at it every time you organize your inbox (once a day, for most people), until you know it by heart.

Does the flowchart make sense to you? Does it look like a system you might use to organize your daily flow ofthings to do? If you used it, do you think it might help you “declutter your mind” and make you happier and more productive, as Allen claims? Write one paragraph on your impression of this system so far, having looked over this flowchart and having read at least a little of the GTD book in this class.

Yes, the flow chart does make a certain amount of sense to me. Moreso, at least, than the jumbled, "organic" mass that is GTDMasterFlowchart #3. It looks like a basic outline of a system I would use. There's really little to go by in the way of clarifying information as to what they mean by each term or step, so I guess it's assumed that these things will be intuitive. However, I think some of the steps are placed in chronological order of each other for the sake of the format of the chart, rather than being held as separate steps displayed laterally as I feel might be more appropriate. I think that using this chart might help me start to be more productive, but I might need a more involved version in order to really feel that it was doing me any good. The basic idea of the system is good; the specifics are left to be determined by execution. However, I feel at this point any systematic approach would be better than nothing at all.

2. Take a look at the GTD Flowchart 2 posted below. This is a more advanced version of Workflow 1. It gives even more detail on how to Collect, Process, Organize, Review, and Do all your life’s activities. Notice that at the bottom, it also gives twelve very useful strategies for how to eliminate the stress you feel when you are disorganized or overworked. If you want to try GTD, put this flowchart on your wall as well.

Write a paragraph on your impression of this flowchart. Does it confuse you to look at, or does it seem pretty logical? Does it leave anything out that you can think of? Does it have too much or too little detail? Does it inspire you to want to trythe GTD system, or turn you off?

This second version of the flowchart, just by glancing at it, immediately seems a bit less confusing and more informational and structured. It is not as loose or organic as the first, which might complicate the order and way in which I receive the information. It has a definite, geometric shape (which would make identifying a certain task or concept and pinpointing it infinitely easier), and the fact that it is more detailed unlike the previous version helps clarify the meanings of potentially vague concepts or directives. There are still some things it could explain more clearly, but this version, more than the last, is more likely to spur me into organizing my thoughts, information, and tasks. I would be more likely to post this version on my Tasks page or on my bedroom wall. I feel a little Feng Shui about the whole deal: if something is going to help you organize, it should probably be well organized. The first one is decently-organized, but I believe the second to be superior in this respect. Sure, it's geometrical, it's boring. I like it.

3. GTD Flowchart 3is one advanced user’s “map” for how to use the system. I wouldn’t bother to look at it until you’ve skimmed GTD all the way through. If you decide to start using GTD, it’s worth a quick look. It will probably help you understand the system a little better, and show you how you can customize it.

Yeah, this bad boy is a bear, don't know if I'll ever quite understand it.

4. Simplest, Fastest GTD System of All.
If you want to use GTD with a computer instead of in your PF wiki, you can simplify the system to just three word files with the following names, plus your online Google Calendar:

Next Actions (+ Waiting For, which can be the first section on this page, at the top)
Projects
Someday

If you've got a personal computer/laptop/smartphone, “Reference” becomes whatever filing system you already use on your computer, such as the Notes section in your Address books on your email program, the folders on your hard drive, etc. Install Google Desktop (a very fast and free search program), and all your computer files become searchable Reference material. A big advantage of using GTD on a computer (I use it on my laptop) is that you can set the margins for your Next Actions page as wide as you want (I set mine to 15 inches). That way each Next Action/Task that you have to describe can fit on ONE LINE, in readable 12 point type. If you need to rearrange / reprioritize your Tasks during or at the end of your day, and cross out Tasks you’ve done, it’s very easy and fast to cut, move, and paste your Tasks because they are each on a single line. That makes your Next Actions page so simple and fast that you may find you use it daily, as many do.
(Nothing to write here, just read this item).

If you want to start using this wiki page for your Next Actions / Tasks, go ahead and start writing them at the top if this page. May you have a happy, peaceful and productive future!

Past and Present

Steve_Olender — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:14:55 CST

The center for all things currently and previously Steve

Or as much of it as He cares to divulge

This page is something of a portal to the first half of the site, and as you might infer will contain information pertaining to my relevant past and current status (Hint: If you're trying to keep track of me and the goings-on in my life, these are the pages you'll want to read). Hopefully the setup should be pretty self-explanatory and not too confusing; the pages should be relatively clearly marked, so navigating should be a breeze.

Pages found in this section will include:

Tasks

Diary (aww!)

Money

Habits
Social & Fun
Family & Friends
Values & Psychology

In the "Tasks" page, you'll find a list of high-priorities tasks I need to accomplish in the short-term. This will be my "Get Shit Done" page.

Next, you'll find my "Diary", which, as you might expect, will amount to a place for me chronicle my experiences, and perhaps even make an insightful review of them. Go here if you really want a look inside the mind of the beast -- I'm fairly sure the subtext in this section will be far more revealing than anything I might post in the V&P section.

After my "Diary" page you'll find the page marked, "Money", and as tempting as the name may seem, NO, going here will not in any way increase the contents of your wallet. That'll be my finances page, to help me keep track of funds and expenses -- to help me keep the world going 'round.

Next you'll find the "Habits" page, where I'm supposed to keep a list and description of my repeating, healthy habits. I'm sure that page will be fairly short.

Continuing further you'll find, "Social & Fun", which will probably contain a random assortment of groups I'm in, and things that I do. Next dodgeball tournament I'm in or Ultimate Frisbee game I attend will likely be recorded here -- you may even get pics, if I feel adventurous.

After all that good stuff, you'll find, "Family & Friends", which will contain a compendium of the coolest people I know, and a brief description of each, and maybe some pics.

Finally, there's the, "Values & Psych" page, which will be almost as juicy as my "Diary" page -- I only say 'almost' because nothing is ever as revealing about a person when they're consciously trying to reveal it. But yeah, this will contain everything that I consciously realize about myself, my personality, my tendencies, and how I interact with other people.

There you have it! Me, then and now, for your perusing pleasure! Happy browsing.

DiSC Profile

Steve_Olender — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:40:08 CST

Who I am, according to Disc

Dominant Type:
Si

S: Steadiness

As its name suggests, those who show a high level of Steadiness take a measured, steady approach to life. They are patient and undemanding, often showing sympathy for and loyalty to those around them. At least in western countries, Steadiness is relatively rare in comparison with the other three factors. While Dominance, Influence and Compliance are evenly spread throughout the population, Steadiness tends to appear less frequently. This is perhaps because the unassuming, amiable behaviour associated with this factor tends to be less valued by society than those connected with the other three DISC factors. When Steadiness does appear in a profile, it is more common to find it accompanied by high Compliance than standing alone.

Despite this, there are a number of strengths linked to the Steadiness factor. People of this kind are patient and sympathetic listeners, with a real interest in the problems and feelings of others, and are particularly capable of fulfilling support roles. They also have a persistent approach, with powers of concentration that allow them to work steadily at a task. While other profile types might become bored or distracted, the High-S (i.e. person with high Steadiness) will continue to work until they complete an assignment. High-S's are resistant to change, and will prefer to settle into a predictable and constant environment. They have an intrinsically passive approach, and work best when given clear instructions and a high level of support. Because of this, they avoid conflict or confrontation if at all possible, and will instead seek to adopt the role of peacemaker if a dispute should break out.

I: Influence

Influence is associated with a sunny, friendly and extrovert approach, warm and open to other people, sociable and gregarious. As you might expect from this, people with a high Influence score (called 'High-I's') are gregarious and sociable, and often possess well-developed social skills and an urge to meet and talk with other people. The communicative and socially confident style of those with high Influence tends to be balanced by a rather impulsive and sometimes irrational approach to life. The urge to relate to and impress those around them can lead such a person to act in ways that other less socially-oriented types find very difficult to understand. The hardest thing for a High-I to accept is rejection. They need to interact positively with those around them, and their friendly, open style usually helps them to maintain relations of this kind.

The socially active nature of the highly Influential person is often an important factor in bringing other less gregarious styles together. By their nature, High-I's are extremely trusting and ingenuous. Their desire to be open with other people can lead them at times to reveal information or express feelings that more staid types might prefer to keep hidden. For this reason, they are sometimes seen as lacking in tact. Nonetheless, their natural communicative abilities often permit them to talk themselves out of any difficult situation resulting from their lack of diplomacy.

So, as you can see, my two strongest DiSC profiles are two that are probably two of the most conflicting. I think the only DiSC type that would conflict with my Steady nature more would be D, for "Dominance". If I were Sd, or Ds, I think I would qualify as schizo. Steadiness is definitely my stronger tendency. The Influence profile also happens to hold true... to a lesser extent. While I can be socially engaging once I'm out of my shell, I'm not terribly outgoing to begin with. And my Influence characteristics directly contradict my Steadiness in the fact that I do tend to be rather impulsive, sometimes to the point of being irrational. And since I can be so open and blunt, I am a little awkward and tactless, at times. Social subtlety is something of an alien concept, to me -- however, I am becoming more conscious of situations in where it is needed and useful, and attempting to apply it consciously. The very fact that I have to think about consciously doing it, though, confirms that it's not a natural part of my personality.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 Profile

Steve_Olender — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:15:47 CST

StregthsFinder 2.0 Results

http://sf2.strengthsfinder.com/

My Top 5

Restorative

Input

Developer

Belief

Intellection

Explanation:

StrengthsFinder is a web site / book / ongoing project, seeking to change the way we view ourselves and act because of our self-perceptions. The idea is that we are all too focused on our weaknesses and shortcomings, and are missing out by not maximizing our areas of strength, instead. Buy the book, which you can find at any major national chain, and after you read it you'll find a code. Enter that code at the site displayed at the top of this page, and you'll be asked to take a brief test. You'll answer various questions, each with only two answers. Choose which you think suits your character best.

When you're done, SF will take your results and compile them into a list of your top 5 areas of strength, out of 32. They will also give you a customized pdf that details what each strength means, and a customized course of action planner that will give you ideas on how to implement your strengths in your daily life to maximize your effectiveness in personal endeavors and in working in groups.

My Profile:

Here's my top 5, accompanied by a brief description of each:

Restorative:

You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones (I tend to lean towards personal, mostly -- jeez, ask Kitty). You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems (but this can often be a frustrating process for me -- I don't always excel in unfamiliar waters). Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences, but what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life (this is true). It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing—this machine, this technique, this person, this company—might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it.

Input:

You are inquisitive (this is also true). You collect things. You might collect information (this tends to support my Restorative nature)—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away (I have been told countless times that my mind is FULL of useless information -- and yet, I often find the strangest uses for it, when I least expect it). So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable (it often does, though it makes me something of a mental pack-rat).

Developer:

You see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see (this can be very frustrating, since potential is essentially worthless until realized). In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth—a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments—invisible to some—are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel (I love pushing people in unexpected directions, and watching them succeed -- if life were an RPG, I'd be a mage or shaman, offering up all types of buffs to flesh out others' skills and experiences). They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

Belief:

If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring (this is true -- while it is generally considered the mark of a good philosopher to be able to quenstion his values and beliefs, there are some that I still incredibly hard to discount). These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics—both in yourself and others (this is also very true; I'm extremely altruistic, and prize ethics and responsibility -- mostly in the form of accountability; I'm not much in the way of spiritual, though). These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige (absolutely true). They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. “I know where you stand,” they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you (too true). And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.

Intellection:

You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings (this relates strongly to my Restorative tendencies). The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus (also frustratingly true). The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound (I dance in front of the mirror of the cosmic dressing room, ha ha). This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life (I'm always being yelled at for NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN IT OFF).

Ha ha, notice how I affirm this thing just with my comments. The Developer shows in how I notice the potential and effects of each condition, Intellection in how I assess the truth and implications of them, and Restorative in how I make clear note of how each can constitute a major problem or weakness.

God, I'm transparent.

Some ideas for action, by Strength:

Restorative:

Seek roles in which you are paid to solve problems or in which your success depends on your ability to restore and resolve. You might particularly enjoy roles in medicine, consulting, computer programming, or customer service.

Don't be afraid to let others know that you enjoy fixing problems. It comes naturally to you, but many people shy away from problems. You can help.

Give yourself a break. Your Restorative talents might lead you to be overly self-critical. Try to redirect this either toward things about yourself that can be fixed, such as knowledge or skill deficits, or toward external, tangible problems.

Let other people solve their own problems. You might want to rush in and solve things for them, but by doing that, you might hinder their learning.

Turnaround situations activate your natural forté. Use your Restorative talents to devise a plan of attack to revitalize a flagging project, organization, business, or team.

Leverage your Restorative talents not only to tackle existing problems, but also to anticipate and prevent problems before they occur. Share your foresight and your solutions with others, and you will prove yourself a valuable partner.

Study your chosen subject closely to become adept at identifying what causes certain problems to recur. This sort of expertise will lead you to the solution that much faster.

Constant improvement is one of your hallmarks. Seek opportunities to enhance your abilities through a demanding field, activity, or endeavor that requires exceptional skill and/or knowledge.

Use your Restorative talents to think of ways to "problem proof" your work. Identify existing and potential issues, and design systems or processes to prevent errors in the future.

Input:

Look for jobs in which you are charged with acquiring new information each day, such as teaching, research, or journalism.

Devise a system to store and easily locate information. This can be as simple as a file for all the articles you have clipped or as sophisticated as a computer database.

Partner with someone with dominant Focus or Discipline talents. This person will help you stay on track when your inquisitiveness leads you down intriguing but distracting avenues.

Your mind is open and absorbent. You naturally soak up information in the same way that a sponge soaks up water. But just as the primary purpose of the sponge is not to permanently contain what it absorbs, neither should your mind simply store information. Input without output can lead to stagnation. As you gather and absorb information, be aware of the individuals and groups that can most benefit from your knowledge, and be intentional about sharing with them.

You might naturally be an exceptional repository of facts, data, and ideas. If that's the case, don't be afraid to position yourself as an expert. By simply following your Input talents, you could become known as the authority in your field.

Remember that you must be more than just a collector of information. At some point, you'll need to leverage this knowledge and turn it into action. Make a point of identifying the facts and data that would be most valuable to others, and use this information to their advantage.

Identify your areas of specialization, and actively seek more information about them.

Deliberately increase your vocabulary. Collect new words, and learn the meaning of each of them.

Identify situations in which you can share the information you have collected with other people. Also make sure to let your friends and colleagues know that you enjoy answering their questions.

Developer:

Make a list of the people you have helped learn and grow. Look at the list often, and remind yourself of the effect you have had on the world.

Seek roles in which your primary responsibilities include facilitating growth. Teaching, coaching, or managing roles might prove especially satisfying for you.

Notice when others succeed, and tell them. Be specific about what you saw. Your detailed observations of what led to their victory will enhance their growth.

Identify the mentor or mentors who recognized something special inside you. Take the time to thank them for helping you develop, even if this means tracking down a former schoolteacher and sending him or her a letter.

Partner with someone with strong Individualization talents. This person can help you see where each person's greatest talents lie. Without this help, your Developer instincts might lead you to encourage people to grow in areas in which they lack real talent.

Carefully avoid supporting someone who is consistently struggling in his or her role. In such instances, the most developmental action you can take is to encourage him or her to find a different role -- a role that fits.

You will always be compelled to mentor more people than is possible. To fulfill this inner drive while maintaining a primary mentoring focus, consider the impact of being a "mentor for the moment." Many of the most poignant and memorable developmental moments occur when the right words are delivered at the right time -- words that clarify understanding, reignite a passion, open eyes to an opportunity, and change a life course.

Don't over-invest in losing causes. Your natural inclination to see the best in people and situations can create a blind spot that will keep you from moving on to more opportune situations.

Your Developer talents might lead you to become so invested in the growth of others that you ignore your own development. Remember that you cannot give what you do not have. If you want to have a bigger impact on the well-being and growth of others, you need to keep growing yourself. Find a mentor or coach who can invest in you.

Make a list of the people you would like to help develop. Write what you would consider to be each person's strengths. Schedule time to meet with each of them regularly -- even if for only 15 minutes -- and make a point of discussing their goals and their strengths.

Belief:

Clarify your values by thinking about one of your best days ever. How did your values play into the satisfaction that you received on that day? How can you organize your life to repeat that day as often as possible?

Actively seek roles that fit your values. In particular, think about joining organizations that define their purpose by the contribution they make to society.

The meaning and purpose of your work will often provide direction for others. Remind people why their work is important and how it makes a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.

Your Belief talents allow you to talk to the hearts of people. Develop a "purpose statement" and communicate it to your family, friends, and coworkers. Your powerful emotional appeal can give them a motivating sense of contribution.

Create a gallery of letters and/or pictures of the people whose lives you have substantially influenced. When you are feeling down or overwhelmed, remind yourself of your value by looking at this gallery. It will energize you and revive your commitment to helping others.

Set aside time to ensure that you are balancing your work demands and your personal life. Your devotion to your career should not come at the expense of your strong commitment to your family.

Don't be afraid to give voice to your values. This will help others know who you are and how to relate to you.

Actively cultivate friends who share your basic values. Consider your best friend. Does this person share your value system?

Partner with someone who has strong Futuristic talents. This person can energize you by painting a vivid picture of the direction in which your values will lead.

Accept that the values of other people might differ from your own. Express your beliefs without being judgmental.

Intellection:

Consider beginning or continuing your studies in philosophy, literature, or psychology. You will always enjoy subjects that stimulate your thinking.

List your ideas in a log or diary. These ideas will serve as grist for your mental mill, and they might yield valuable insights.

Deliberately build relationships with people you consider to be "big thinkers." Their example will inspire you to focus your own thinking.

People may think you are aloof or disengaged when you close your door or spend time alone. Help them understand that this is simply a reflection of your thinking style, and that it results not from a disregard for relationships, but from a desire to bring the most you can to those relationships.

You are at your best when you have the time to follow an intellectual trail and see where it leads. Get involved on the front end of projects and initiatives, rather than jumping in at the execution stage. If you join in the latter stages, you may derail what has already been decided, and your insights may come too late.

Engaging people in intellectual and philosophical debate is one way that you make sense of things. This is not the case for everyone. Be sure to channel your provocative questions to those who similarly enjoy the give and take of debate.

Schedule time for thinking; it can be energizing for you. Use these occasions to muse and reflect.

Take time to write. Writing might be the best way for you to crystallize and integrate your thoughts.

Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion group that addresses your subjects of interest.

Encourage people around you to use their full intellectual capital by reframing questions for them and by engaging them in dialogue. At the same time, realize that there will be some who find this intimidating and who need time to reflect before being put on the spot.

*Bolded text = points I should particularly consider.