Just finished some finishing touches on the resume and resubmitted it to Monster and CareerBuilder. It’s reads a lot better now, much less amateurish than it used to be. I’m currently running it by a few people, and then I’ll probably post it here somewhere for HR people to peruse, should they happen upon my site. That’s if they can get past some of the profane and mean crap I write in the blog. Maybe they’ll miss that whole aspect of JBdN.

I decided over the last few weeks on a one-year Plan. Or a One Year Mission, if you prefer a more Star Trek-ian bent. The Plan basically details where I want to be in my life one year from now, and looks sort of like this:

October 2006 — Find new employment in some sort of professional capacity (read: a Grown-Up job).

January 2007 — After saving up even more money from the new Grown-Up job, move out into my own apartment, sans a roommate. I wanna live on my own for at least a year, just to see if I can do it. I already have a buttload of money saved, and supplemented with a decent income, I can afford to live in solitude.

July 2007 — Finish my first novel, Thirty Well Spent. If it doesn’t sell, fine. I just want to write something long, and most importantly, finish it.

There’s more to the Plan, and there also exists a five-year Plan, but I just wanted to supply a rundown of the most significant points. I honestly don’t think the Plan seems too unreasonable or overly-optimistic. Sure, moving out is mostly contingent on getting a new job, but having a new job by October doesn’t seem in the realm of delusional dreaming. It doesn’t have to be the Perfect Career — just something for me to sink my claws into and never, ever let go of. I mean, something to give me a start.

Regarding TWS: I’ve taken a break from it this past month, focusing on a new short story and regrouping on the novel’s first chapter. I’ve recently heard some positive words on what I’ve got so far, so that’s given my confidence a little boost. Finishing the first draft in one year is doable, once I get some momentum built.

I occasionally go through spells where I feel a little depressed about where I am right now, professionally and personally. I’m sure a lot of people feel this way, but that’s little consolation. The key, I think, is to stay positive and, most importantly, proactive in altering the course of one’s life. After all, like a wise man once said:

“There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.”

JAB