A New List

I’m a compulsive list maker. It’s the first thing I do when I get to work, and the first thing I do when I wake up on the weekend. I like the feeling of accomplishment when I cross something off my list, so much so, that at the top of my lists of things to do, sometimes I write things I have already done, just so I can cross them off. Those of you, who know me, know that from birth I have always been a planner. I plan things a lot, I once planned a birthday party down to the minute – it did not work out that way, but I planned it that way – and that’s when I first learned that just because you plan something, does not always mean it will work out that way. When things don’t happen the way I plan, I regroup and plan again. When someone asked “when are you two going to have kids?” back in 2003, I answered “2006.” And people laughed at me, but I was right, because I planned it. Part of that plan was to have my PE license already, be out of debt, have extra money in the bank, have my inspector license and blah blah blah – none of my plans happened but the baby. So I’ve regrouped and I’m making new/rearranged plans.

I’ve been kind of in limbo since I registered for a class that only had 2 people sign up for it. Surprise, surprise, my HVAC class did not make. I still need 32 hours to apply to take the test to be a professional home inspector. I will probably not be able to take those hours until after the PE exam. There are plenty of classes to choose from post PE Exam for the inspector’s license. In good news, the tuition money from the class will spend nicely as I pay for study materials for the PE exam. All that’s left to do in that category is to choose whether to take the civil or the structural exam and purchase the study materials, I’m leaning towards civil.

I have new goals, and to be accountable to those goals, I have to tell someone and I’m telling you. You don’t have to ask me about it, I just need to know that other people know my goals, and that will be enough of a push to get me to accomplish them. This is a general order of things to come, so if you ARE going to ask about something, ask about the first things first, if I haven’t accomplished those things – I haven’t even touched the others.

* Send in Application for PE Exam (See I feel better already)
* Purchase a study guide for the PE Exam
* Register for the PE Exam (by March 1)
* Study for the PE Exam
* Take the PE Exam (April 20)
* Take a class (or 2) to complete the remaining 32 hours needed for Inspector’s * License
* Take the Inspector License Exam
* Set up a Business Plan
* Execute Business Plan
* Save $X to pay bills in case of lulls in the market
* Quit working my “normal” job

My intention is to have this list completely marked out by August. I’m putting this list in the sidebar as a reminder to myself, and will cross things off as I do them.