Thoughout my life, I've set goals.  Some were very intentional and some were almost a joke.  Accomplishing these have always helped me.  Luckily, these goals include fun things and areas I have a passion for.

In elementary school, I thought I could become a cryptozoologist. This hasn't factored into my career yet, but I'm sure it will.

When we were young, my brothers and I would do crazy things with our beat-up second-hand bikes.  Sometimes things broke and we didn't know how to fix them.  Since we didn't have any money, I promised myself I would learn this myself.  In highschool I thought I could become a bicycle mechanic for a living.  I worked as a bike mechanic for many years all through other jobs and university.  In the right shop, it's a very fun job.  Some of this experience carried over to fixing scooters, motorcycles, and cars.  All fun stuff.

My brothers and I took care of most of the computers in highschool.  By playing around, we were able to fix problems that the contracted support could not.  Although I enjoyed the challenge of computers and most people thought I would study computer science, I didn't .

Personal
 The following reads as a list of thanks to people and things that have improved me.

1. One of my relatives would always say I had weak lungs.  "Like a girl", he would say.  Most girls can whip him in any sport, but it was meant as an insult.  I believed him mostly.  One day there was a TV news clip showing the Tour de France.  I wanted to be just like them so I started riding, pretending to be racing in the Alps.  At first, every 100 metres on hills I would stop and wanted to throw-up.  I kept riding until I was in shape enough to finish 5th in the Terry Fox Run at school.  Afterwards, the track coach asked me to join the team.  Although I have never liked running, never practiced, and had shoes 2 sizes too large,  I finished 3rd in two district meets.
   
2. I was repeatedly told that I was stupid and lazy.  This was ingrained into me until I won a science contest manipulating pulleys and levers.  The teacher told me I had beaten the previous record by a good margin.  I remember winning a can of pop.  From that point, my science grades jumped significantly. (This teacher was also our badminton coach.  Although I am fairly sure he did not know play well, he helped my friend and I to 3rd in the finals.)
   
3. I found a job at the most prestigious racing bike shop in town.  The owner hired me even though all he knew was that I bought a lot of inner tubes, didn't have much money, and was very quiet.  One of the first things he had me do was stand at the far end of the store and repeatedly say, "Good morning" until my voice was loud and clear enough to be heard.
4. In highschool I met someone who worked at a large computer company (makes nice black laptops).  Since then, especially during school, there have been times when money was tight.  This person sent a constant stream of friends and relatives to me for computer work.  This extra cash helped and I gained valuable experience.
5. I, T, and C.  This gang has gone through quite a bit of tough times.  Tougher than most people could imagine or even believe if we told them.  Sometimes they're my source of inspiration.  Sometimes I've been helped financially or with my morale.  We've done fine.  I can proudly say that we've made it though a part of life that would cause most people to wither and crumble.
6. Bunnies, hamby, and I are always having fun.  That's what it's about!
   

---

Things I've Learned

• Life can be about being happy and there's nothing selfish about it.  Having a happy and fun life rubs off on others.
  
• Choose a career that you enjoy.  "You like what you're good at and you're good at what you like." - Chuck Yeager
  
• Find work in your field well in advance of completing your studies.
• Getting grades is not the goal.  You must understand the concepts.  Don't cheat even if everyone else is doing it.
  
• If you lose your job, become a full-time job hunter.
  
• Fear debt.  Try to borrow only for houses and education.  Plan for life's hiccups.
• Do not hang around negative people who put you down.  This includes friends or relatives.
• Stop waiting for something good to happen.  This applies to finding a job, a good friend, or your special partner.
  
• Don't think that being extremely wealthy is necessarily fun and will make you happy.
  
• Don't gawk at pretty girls(or guys) while riding your motorbike.  You will risk crashing.
  
• Being out of shape is not an excuse for not trying to get in shape.
• Don't believe those fad diets.
  
• Have you ever wondered how to get an extra hour out of each day? It's simple. Live closer to where you work. You may need to live in a smaller or more expensive place but imagine one extra hour to sleep-in or go for an evening stroll. Factor in the cost of commuting.
• More to come.