I knew it.

So, I was right. The chapter on "Assessments" was pointless for anyone without an org already up and going. But it did serve to scare the crap out of me with terms like "financial controls and processes," "strategic partnership collaboration," and "performance outcomes/ROI" and more! Am I supposed to know what this means? Of course not. Will I have to know. I'm afraid so...

Well, I'm just going to keep moving forward. Next chapter: The Vision Statement; what are you building? Now that sounds fun. The plan is to have it done by Wednesday.

Starting small

So this is the entirety of my operation:

The free bag (cute!) from Office Max, The Periwinkle Binder full of blank paper
and The One Page Business Plan for Non-Profits

Step one is to get through this book and write my business plan. I think making a budget must be thrown in there somewhere which I'm looking forward to. I think it will give me a less ethereal cognition the whole shebang.

The book is a mere 113 pages full of exercises and encouragement. I expect to come out the other end with my own business plan. Then I have to figure out what step two is ... but I'll think about that tomorrow (figuratively).

I've read all of the introduction. Today my plan is to get through the next section: "Assessments: What's Working, What's Not". It shouldn't take long since there is no working yet, but that's just as well because it's Saturday and I have a decent sized to-do list as it is.

How did I get here?

I've always wondered how bloggers had the time to blog. I never really thought I would need to express myself so publicly so the question never haunted me, but here I stand, on the trailhead of a new adventure. I don't know how I will find the time to keep this updated. This is really just a way to keep me honest.

I have a dream which has been formulating in the scary recesses of my imagination for about 3 years. The vision gets more and more clear all the time. I want to make this dream a reality in my true heart, but I tend to get distracted and I tend to get lazy...well, not really lazy, but fatigued by fear of the wonderful.

I intend to use this blog to stay on track, to stay accountable, and maybe someday, to find encouragement and community. I don't expect anyone to read this for a long, long time, but when I do finally find myself standing in that vast room that will one day house my fantasy, I will redirect this tool and it will become a a herald of exciting news on a regular basis.

For now, it will be used to schedule tasks, brain storm, vent frustration, and express excitement, and in other ways keep me on track and accountable.

This is going to be great...

I wish me luck