Dreams are easy. Someday, I want to run for public office. With all the critical issues we face in society today, even if I don't have the "right" answers, I feel like I'm not "in-the-game" and should be. I want to write books--not just to tell people my ideas, but because I believe writing is my strongest talent and I should be using it and improving it by writing things that matter. I want to make a difference in the world and yes, a significant part of me wants to be noticed. For all of this and more, I have a lifetime.

But what am I going to do with the rest of my day? I managed to go for an hour-and-a-half bike ride in the rain tonight after work and cook myself dinner using produce from our Community Supported Agriculture farm...and now I am writing before going to sleep. Should I go cultivate my twitter persona by tweeting something clever? Should I update my LinkedIn profile, Facebook, etc.? Should I read the incessant stream of online social media advice from blogs I follow? Should I clean the house so things will be nice when my wife and kids get back from their vacation? Or should I watch the Olympics?

I'm not without ideas and I have taken action. I started WestwoodBlog--although in the past weeks, I've found it hard to come up with new material. I joined a town committee and will be setting up community access television. I joined a book club in Boston. These things are all more like "hobbies" than even "baby steps" towards changing my life though--they are things I do seriously and they represent part of what I want in my life, but they do not directly increase the probability that 5 years from now, my technology work that I currently do will be a fond, distant memory and I will be closer to the public service and opinion leadership role I desire.

I have to find discipline. I've found discipline before, but was easier. Marathon training: I know what I need to do so I do it, even when it means getting up at 4am and running for 3 hours in the cold dark winter. Getting admitted to practice law in Massachusetts required taking a class and preparing for weeks to pass the bar exam. Those goals were not easy, but knowing what to do to reach them was because they are well-defined by external forces. The day to day just fell into place in a non-negotiable way because there was purpose driving towards the goal. So I need a new goal.

It is easier to decide what not to do:

• I don't need another job; there is no silver bullet job that will satisfy my life. And any super-demanding job that required the sort of emotional commitment most Silicon Valley start ups require would suck away all time from the rest of my life.
• I don't need a degree. Maybe, if I thought my future path was to be the town planner...and for that, I'd need a masters, etc. But there are not guarantees there; any more advanced degrees would be a waste of time and money I think.

I need a goal that is finite and achievable. X blog posts per week...or a new blog on Z...or getting something published somewhere--those are the incremental goals like "run 20 miles," or "work through all the 3-hour practice exams." They are executional; they are hard to follow without the target that compels them.

I don't have an answer today so I'll think about it as I ride to work.