13 Nov 2008

Life is Short but Sweet

Image by *Spud*

Over the course of this blog’s existence, I’ve shared with you a little bit about how I use the web to build businesses and make money. Although I am still far from my goal of becoming a full-time webrepreneur, the past few months have been very good to me both from a learning and experience perspective as well as from a monetary perspective.

This web thing certainly isn’t a walk in the park, but with a lot of hard work and focused effort, it is possible to crack the code. You know how sometimes you feel you are the tip of something big, but you just can’t quite see it yet? Well I’ve got that feeling right now and knowing what I have learned the past year and how the work I’ve planned is starting to come to fruition, I can sense I am on the verge of achieving my dreams.

What I’d like to do is share with you a little bit about my short and long-term plans for not only webrepreneurial success, but also a lifetime of success both on and off the web. I have created a 5 year plan that involves branding myself, creating investment capital and wealth building vehicles, and for the long-term an empire that allows me to follow my dreams without being tied down by a job I hate.

I won’t bore you with the details of the plan word for word, but I’d like to share the 3 major phases of the plan.

Phase I

Phase 1 consists of me building a network of niche sites on a variety of topics that I enjoy writing about, as well as a few retail sites that can provide a decent ROI. I want to dominate a few targeted niches that I can easily control and monetize in the short-term. During this time, I am also working hard to prepare for a flurry of Triathlons in the 2009-2010 season. During this time, branding will be a huge project as I intend to brand myself as a webrepreneur and as The Triathlon Man.

My income goal from the web during this time is a paltry $3,000 per month in profit.

Phase II

Phase 2 kicks off with the end of my Army career and a full-time foray into the realm of being a professional webrepreneur. During this time I plan on using the passive income from my web ventures as investment capital for the time and resources I need to work on various novels I have planned, as well as continue to build tangible businesses that can be sold for profit. I also want to travel the world with my family and create a lifetime of memories for my children. During the heart of this phase, I want to treat my family to a life of passion and experience.

By the end of phase 2, I plan to sell my network of niche sites and use the profit to invest in my branding business and other passive wealth builders. During this time I will also push very hard to solidify my career as a professional triathlete and show how any person can achieve any goal they put their mind to.

Income Goal for Phase 2: $10,000 per month

Phase III

Phase 3 is where the fruit of my efforts is realized and my business begins to run on its own as a unilateral brand. By combining my Triathlon image with the webrepreneur image I will be able to create my own triathlon and business related product lines, as well as publish a series of books that I will promote with my personal brand. By this time I hope to have created enough wealth so that I can invest heavily in non-internet assets such as real estate and formal business structures. I will also finally open a vegetarian restaurant that changes the way people view vegetarian food, even if I happen to be the only customer.

I’d also like to lend a hand to the future of science and technology by getting a Robotics Engineering Degree as well as lend some of my finances to my own scientific studies.

Lastly, I will have brought The Dharma foundation fully to life in preparation for the 2nd half of my journey.

Income Goal for Phase 3: $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year

The Second Half

Phase 4: The Hidden Phase

This final phase is the true purpose behind all of my efforts. Although I enjoy creating and managing businesses, as well as travelling the world to learn about other cultures, the true reason I want to create a base of wealth is so that I can spend as much of my life as possible spreading charity and seeking enlightenment. I find it unfortunate that you have to fall into the trap of the world in order to free yourself from it, but if I am careful and detached from material possessions, I believe I can navigate these traps and surface as a better man.

The Dharma Foundation is a true passion of mine. I don’t buy into all of the trendy new-age hype that has taken over many Eastern religions. The people of this world need to be understood and empathized with. In order to truly bring change in these dark times it will require more than good speeches and fancy rhetoric. Philanthropic efforts are what define a man, not the amount of wealth or material goods that he owns. During this phase of my life, giving back through aid and compassion will be the hallmark of my efforts.

As some of you may know, I am a practicing Zen Buddhist and I believe that if we spend our lives ignoring God and our fear of death, then we waste the opporunties we have been given to seek enlightenment. Everything in this world will pass and I feel I must use my time on this Earth to come face to face with God. I want to spend this part of my life learning how to face death with courage and live my life spreading the Dharma to others.

Recap

As time goes by, I will probably go into more detail regarding the 4 phases of my plan, but for now I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my life. My question to you now is, what do you have planned for the rest of your life? What goals will you refuse to give up on? How do you define success in this life or the next? We all have our part to play, it is our duty to play it out the best we can.