10

10 step plan for imperial success:



I ummed and arrred about adding this to my blog for quite some time but came to the conclusion that I don’t mind if people know how I tick and nobody will probably read it anyway. This also reflects a change in personality for Dimitri it seems over the last year we decided that it would be best to acknowledge each other. I’d say that is mostly thanks to Anoikis the Healer, plus the convenience.

I envision these ten steps to change over time as I learn more about myself and the world around us.



1

Luxuries are to be shared:

Only drink beverages with other people. No drinking alcohol or coffee by myself, water instead, also no milk. Need to invite people around for a meal to get these things and eat rich food. Other than that Tea should be <$10 per day, eg spaghetti bolognaise. Curries also work and stir fry, I'm gradually blogging my way through tea. Investigate rice dish, sushi?

New PC games are a luxury that needs sharing but when bought comes under the heading Fun



2

Plan things:

More extensive use of the whiteboards. Helps to reason things out and come to an informed conclusion. Plan for the unexpected as per the scouts motto “Be Prepared”. Plan to change Plans at the last minuet. Plan to be unprepared. Plan to be wrong. Plenty of documentation is the cure for forgetfulness.

What happens if I accidentally get cryogenically frozen? Like Fry in Futrurama or Aang, the Last Air Bender? Then all my knowledge and skills may be for naught. Will I be just left with my personality and morals? This is a good reason to keep learning how to learn and adapt to a new plan. Things that are done on purpose are always more stylish.



3

Spent more efficiently:

Not always spending less. Need to be like Lord Vimes of the Watch in Discworld. Buy things that last so that I will never have to buy one again. Keep receipts. Research what it does before purchasing.

Allocate $200 max per week for food and a further $200 for Luxuries. Compile a list of all ongoing expenditures and what date the yearly ones need renewing. Luxury spending is allowed to bank up, not food costs though.

Minimum house repayment is $1000 per month.

Seems I have failed #2 here but have been succeeding nonetheless as income is faintly exceeding expenses at the moment. Also I need to be wary of Jevons Paradox, when an increased efficiency increases the demand for the resource that you intended to preserve.



4

Exercise Mentally:

Learn new things, and occasionally do math the hard way on paper. Correct my own spelling without the help of a spell checker. Learning another new language always sounds so romantic. Need to be both logical and artistic in mental activities. Also need to exercise both cognitive and instinctive thought.

Doing more exercise than is required in day to day activities is a good way to maintain an adequate level of fitness.



5

Exercise Physically:

Currently riding to Bargara is not sufficient. Dancing may help. 30x Crunches and 10x Push-ups on arrival home from work is good. But I forgot about doing that. Also have not been dancing of late. May take up dancing and kite surfing in the new year.
I think my bike ride to work is all that I reliably acheive. Dancing is more of a social / mental exercise anyway.


6

Exercise Spiritually:

Pray when driving/ in the loo/ going to bed/ waking up. Read bible daily when going to bed, try to remember it in the morning. (church too). Also Youth groups help to keep me young, I also try to get Technomancers to have christian overtones.
Query: Is my Spirit different to my Soul? This may also delve into community development theory and the LAN Psizomaijitsu. Nope, thats mostly my greek logic backgroud, and I'm suffering from preconception bias.



7

Exercise Emotionally:

Hang out with other people, currently LAN + BibleStudy + Church + Dancing. Also invite people over for tea once a week. Had to bail on monday dancing to invite people over. Been going out tomany night of late.



8

Recovery:

The goal is not to avoid injury, illness and death, but to surpass them and use the experience to build character, just like Calvin and Hobbes going camping. Don’t pray for healing, because death is a kind of healing too.
I recently got some wired skin irritation from PNG and cut my hands and feet up whilst snorkelling. Boath a learning experience.



9

Have Fun:

All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy. If this is combined with all the above activities then success has been achieved.

Being at work cannot be an exception to this, neither being asleep. Otherwise having fun applies to one third of my time.

Phrase everything in a positive and enthusiastic light, especially when being cynical and pessimistic. Just like in Ecclesiastes



0

Regret Nothing:

Be not ashamed; If there is no pride to be shared in a task then leave it undone. Take pride in everything that is done and confine nothing to the secrets of the darkness. Combine this also with all of the activities above. Then there will be nothing to be ashamed of. But it is important not to take this too far and be arrogant.

This one here needs some word smithing, possibly a biblical reference too.





Progressive advancement:

Need more of all the above.

More sharing of luxuries, this is the ideal of communism. (the sort without corruption)

More Plan so that when I do not know what is going on I still know what to do and why I am.

More efficiency of worldly possessions means that I require less worldly possessions. These things need to be expended to acquire more of everything else.

More fit in the four areas of exercise. To be fit it to be able to do all the things that I want to do, I do not need to be an athlete to be fit.

More recovery so that when inconveniences occur the recovery is quicker and I have more practice at recovering from them. It’s the bumps along the highway of life that make it interesting.

More fun, is there such a thing as too much fun?

More more, I’ve forgotten what happened last week, so it needs to be done again and better this time. (reference Rock Lee from Naruto)

The progressive advancement of more fun through these activities is a good measurement of the current success rate of that which is the goal of being Ben and grabbing life with both hands and squeezing it for all it is worth while we all go for another trip around the sun.