Have you created a life plan?  If not use, this tool!  If you need help, use these resources available right here on SUN.

I have a loosely created life plan of sorts. I have prepared such a plan (or mission statement kind of thing) previously, I have identified various goals I would like to achieve, and I have accumulated additional elements and ideas here and there. I think I have fairly well-defined preferences for my life, but I probably need to revisit the issue and put these preferences and other elements into a more coherent and cleaned-up plan. I do have an understanding about the type of people with whom I need to associate, and I know the type of environment in which I'm most likely to thrive. I will use this opportunity to revise and update my life plan into a new document before the end of the year. It will be a tangible-piece-of-paper life plan - that's the REAL test of whether or not you have a life plan: you should be able to hold it in your hand and read it.

Have you adjusted your life plan to include a SUN project?

A startup business project of one type or another IS part of my life plan (whether it be this developing effort or creating/joining some other entrepreneurial team).

Have you considered the group’s life plan

I am hoping to form a collaboration with others who are enthusiastic and persistent participants, who have complementary skills, compatible work styles, and characteristics conducive to a good partnership (e.g., credibility, competency, and ability to compromise).

How are you adjusting your life plan to free up some time for a SUN Project?

I am making it part of my daily ritual to check in and follow up each day during the week, and to do the research, networking, and writing that will turn vague ideas into a workable plan of action.

Have you considered the responsibilities and funds available to start a business?

Yes, I am aware of both aspects required to make a business truly viable. I am in the process of planning my early "retirement" from my existing full-time career, which will provide me with a safety net of income (and health insurance) while I develop a plan for business. (Also, I have one house paid off, a second house half paid off, a corporate housing property with rental income, no car payments, and no running credit card balance, which is good.) I have connections for potential funding requirements, and I have confidence that my planning and documentation skills are adequate to secure sources of funding that may be needed.

Will participation in a SUN project make you happy?

I'm arriving happy. I can find pleasurable elements in almost any activity.

("If you can't be happy where you are, it's a cinch you can't be happy where you ain't." --Charles "Tremendous" Jones)

How much time do you envision you’ll be putting towards a SUN project per week?

(Excellent assessment question, by the way)

I plan to start (this week) with something in the range of 4-8 hours. But if there's something I'm really getting into, I could easily extend this amount without even trying.

Do you plan on increasing the amount of time you put into a SUN project as the project progresses and becomes a reality?

I have a few other previously scheduled obligations that will eventually be cleared to provide more time. Tentatively, my available time for this pursuit looks something like this:

now thru Dec. 10        4 - 6 hours per week

Dec thru March         & nbsp;8 - 10 hours per week

March thru June         a temporarily intermittent schedule (while I execute a major relocation & "retirement")

after mid-June        &nbs p;   40+ hours per week

What of your skills will you offer for the projects?

Not knowing what the eventual project will actually be, I'm going to list a range of possibly useful skills. Some are business/administrative types of skills and some are more direct, hands-on skills. This list includes skills I have learned academically, through on-the-job experience, self-taught skills, and skills for which I simply have an affinity. The level of experience within these skills varies widely, but I know that I can develop most of them further. And, maybe more importantly, I understand my current level of expertise, and would not be so presumptuous as to proclaim myself an expert at something just because I can do it better than anyone else in my family or in my small circle of friends or associates.

project management (particularly in the development of engineering construction projects by contract)

planning and organizing, in general (I'm quite adept at thinking through the details)

researching & networking (either for information or resources)

teaching/training/instruction (I'm fairly good at explaining complex ideas or procedures at an understandable level, also communicating with non-native or marginal English speakers)

marketing/branding (especially regarding development of informational literature and finding opportunities for exposure and educational aspects of a product or service)

word tasks/writing/editing/layout (including technical specifications, legal agreements, and easily understandable contracts)

preparing orientations/compiling "quick reference" binders (information that helps customers or new employees find what's available, where things are, and how things operate)

developing systems/processes/forms/checklists (those critical things that need to be thought through and defined initially, so that recurring tasks can occur more smoothly, with some semblance of order)

event/activity/production planning (I like to plan events that encourage attendees of all ages and persuasions to actively participate; also, I like to document [in photos or other mementos] significant and memorable occasions)

photography/audio-visual production (my photography skills are more honed than my current audio-visual abilities, mostly because of the ever changing technology which must be used regularly if one hopes to stay up-to-date)

design (industrial, architectural, graphics); also drawing/sketching/drafting (I'm fairly adept at AutoCAD and preparing engineering drawings of all types)

sign painting (I used to be a journeyman sign painter)

woodworking (a part-time hobby that may not even have any relevance to this project, but included here, nonetheless)

Do you hope to have a chance to learn new skills?

I'm always "up" for learning new skills and understanding new information, but I've also come to the realization that it seems to work best when people work on what they do well. That's the real benefit of a diverse and complementary team.

Where will your experience be most useful?

I tend to work best in the starting and setup phases of a project. But I also work well on polishing a nearly-completed project and putting on the finishing touches. I can stay out of the way when others are working in their area of expertise. I love seeing a plan come together into a finished product or production. I work better in a partnership situation or with very small groups, for purposes of development. I also work well independently and then bring back to the group my independent findings or proposal to compare or integrate with others. I am an enthusiastic participant, but I thrive on being around others with equally enthusiastic participation.

Do you envision part-time or full-time? 

I expect this endeavor to develop into something full-time (either THIS project, or some similar project that I may pursue).

What’s the best kind of business for you?

I think I'd prefer a product/service mix which creates personal or physical improvements, educates and entertains, without encouraging wastefulness or frivolous consumption. I also think I want to be involved in a business that is not purely e-commerce or internet-based. I want to interact with people and experience the world in 3-D.

Where is your life plan right now? Tacked up in plain view or at the bottom of a “to be filed” pile?