I had a hard time writing this week’s intro. How do I introduce this man without gushing too much? I only know Harry through gmail chats, our work together on this blog (the amazing design is courtesy of Harry) and our shared writing on Escaping Reality, but I have a total friend crush on this man. He’s creative, thoughtful, considerate and super-awesome at what he does. In other words, just the sort of person you want as a friend or doing work for you. And now it’s your turn to learn a little bit more about him.
Who: Harrison McLeod from Men With Pens
Harry is a graphic designer/writer/all-around Renaissance Man who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his two cats and a monster motorcycle named Lucifer.
What variety of Someday Syndrome affected you the most? In what way?
The variety of Someday Syndrome that affects me most is “I’ll Get Around To It Someday”. I have a lot of ideas and things I’d like to do. Some of them are within reach; others, not so much. I try to keep my list realistic.
I think it all began with my high school yearbook. For my senior year, I wrote that I wanted to publish my fiction stories, attend art school and visit Alaska.
So far, the only one of those three I haven’t yet done is visit Alaska.
Other things I promised myself I would do one day included having own business and working from home, learning how to ride a motorcycle, learning archery, studying iaido, and finally getting a grip on my finances.
One by one, I’ve accomplished all of these.
How did it affect the rest of your life?
This Syndrome serves as a reminder that someday never comes. Either you do what you want or you don’t. Don’t just let your goals sit on the shelf collecting dust. Sure, you can put your goals on a list, but don’t ignore your list either.
You may not have the means or the motivation to take action right away, but part of the process is accomplishing all the small tasks you need to do in order to get to a point where you can cross your goal off the list.
How would you describe your happiness level at that time?
I can’t. Each milestone happened at a particular time in my life. Chances are that I wanted to do them because I was unhappy with an area of my life and wanted to make it better.
Did the other varieties of Someday Syndrome appear in your life as well?
Oh yes. I don’t think any of this is as cut and dried as choosing just one variety of Someday Syndrome. All of them affect our lives to varying degrees.
What changed? Was it gradual or did it come as an epiphany? Perhaps a mix the two?
Sometimes change is gradual and other times it’s like an ACME anvil falling from the sky. When it’s the latter, I’m usually tired of moping around wondering what’s wrong with me. It’s time for a change and time to take action.
I think I scare James when I get in that mode because I go after my goal with a vengeance. The change is fast and all encompassing. I feel that I astound everyone around me.
What dream are you in the process of realizing?
Right now, I’m working on realizing my dream of studying iaido, the art of Japanese swordsmanship. I’ve wanted to learn this for so long and now I have the opportunity to do so.
It’s hard, though. After being out of martial arts for 20 years, my body just doesn’t want to follow my mind. I am glad that I had previous training though - it helps.
How would you describe your happiness level now?
I’d say I’m pretty content. My trick is not to get too comfortable.
What that means is that I feel complacency leads to stagnation. Things feel good, I relax and then I slip into the Someday Syndrome all over again. Always challenge yourself, never stop.
What advice would you give someone in the position you were in before?
Just do it. Screw up your courage, buckle down and just do it.
Someday Lessons:
27 Responses to “Picking a Goal and Pursuing It: Harrison McLeod Interview”
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The ever elusive Harrison McLeod exposed. Quite a coup, Alex.
I guess I make changes, or go after something, in a similar way. It appears to people that I am all of a sudden going after something with a vengeance, completely out of the blue. What they don’t see is that I have been mulling over the need for change for quite a long time, but am not sure what the change needs to be. Then the ACME anvil falls from the sky, although I prefer to think of it as an epiphany, and I’m off and running. No stopping me.
@Harry…song of the day…road runner, the coyote’s after you. Road runner, if he catches you you’re through.
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Hey! Pay attention!
Note to Alex: On your home page, move the “Comments” link to the bottom of the post. Took me a few looks around before finding it to come comment, and I gave up, clicking on the title instead.(One of those little nit-picky things.)
I grinned at your intro. Everyone loves Harry.
Geez Louise! James speaks and you listen. BOOM, comments changed. I wonder if I told you I like the comments at the top whether you’d put them back? *grin*
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Hey! Pay attention!
@ Urban - Isn’t that how it should be?
@James - only if you aren’t thinking critically and blindly follow the shepherd. HA! (no reflection on you, Alex, of course)
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Hey! Pay attention!
Gush away, Alex, the friend crush is mutual.
@Panther: Elusive, yes, but toss an interview in front of my face and I find it hard to resist.
Hmmm…song of the day for you:
“Don’t worry , Be happy…”
@James: What’s not to love?
Hey look — there’s my favorite elbow in Blogland.
Harry, I love that your motorcycle has a name. But swords? Do you really need to learn swordsmanship on top of everything else? (Do we at least get a new elbow picture out of it?)
I’m enjoying your interviews, Alex. How was Madonna?
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@Amy: Of course! It’s what keeps me interesting.
If each of us interviews Harry, which apparently he can’t resist, and insist on a photo of a different body part each time, eventually we can piece together the whole man! Who’s in?
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Hey! Pay attention!
I’m curious who’s going to vote for the the fig leaf puzzle piece.
@James: You just have to encourage her, don’t you?
Harrison McLeod’s last blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sunday: Fawnskin Flyer
Fig leaf?! Darn. This is the Panther desperately attempting to behave. Behave, Panther, behave…..
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Hey! Pay attention!
@Harry
Yay to friend crushes!
@UP & @James
The two of you seem to enjoy taking over my blog the way Brett and Friar take over Kelly’s.
@Amy
Madonna was lots of fun, although I’m now kind of wishing I’d gone to see her before her arms got all scary-looking. And Paris, of course, was fantastic.
Ahh, bromance in the air…
@ Alex - I’ll take over *anyone*’s blog. Admit it, you like the attention
@ Urban - Why behave? Good lord, where’s the fun in that?
@James
It’s true - I love the attention! and I agree with you completely - the Panther should definitely NOT behave.
Nice interview, Alex. Great to see Harry in the spotlight a little. Harry, I can identify with that sudden, take-no-prisoners kind of change after a long period!
Personal evolution is like real evolution: usually a long, slow process, but occasionally there are episodes of “punctuated equilibrium.”
@Michael
Yes it is good to see Harry in the spotlight (for once)
I tend to have bursts of productivity in between long slow stretches of little movement or even backsliding (combined with lots of fighting with myself over what needs to get done).
@Alex - what’s wrong with Madonna’s arms?!
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Go ahead, mock me!
@UP
Take a look this and remember that she is only 50 (not 90)…
http://justjared.buzznet.com/gallery/photos.php?yr=2008&mon=07&evt=madonna-dumps&pic=madonna-down-dumps-04.jpg
Hi Alex and Harry - This was an interesting interview. I never knew anyone who called their bike Lucifer before.
I never imagined Harry doing sword fighting either. It sounds like he has a really busy life.
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@Cath
Busy and fascinating! I wouldn’t have the dedication for half of what he does - martial arts have always intrigued me but I haven’t bothered putting the effort into them.
Alex,
You got a nice, fresh angle on Harry. Well done. I love these posts.
I hear you, Harry, on the anvil from the sky moments. I go along swimmingly for a while, and then I feel too contented and I become a whirlwind for a while. Until I’m contented again.
Re: photographs—Leave Harry’s fig leaf right where it is. I like a man who leaves something to the imagination.
But I get that sweet face.
Regards,
Kelly
P.S. Ooh, you got the new Comment Luv. Nice. Was it hard to upgrade?
Kelly´s last blog post..I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
@Kelly
I’ve been feeling restless recently - but not from a too-comfortable place but I think I feel the anvil hanging above and instead of preparing to neatly step out of the way and keep on working, I want to run away - from everything. Comfort and fear produce the same run-away feeling, so I have to be careful. With comfort, run-away is a good response, with fear, not so much (unless it’s a wild bear, which there aren’t a lot of in San Sebastian).
I’m with you on the fig leaf - let the man have *some* privacy.
And the upgrade? I clicked the upgrade automatically and pin-pan-pon - done! No problems at all - were there supposed to be? (Note that I’m still on WP2.6 because I’m waiting until I *have* to upgrade WP before I pay someone to do it for me).
Alex,
No, I don’t think there were supposed to be problems with it, I was waiting until I got over my fear of the WP upgrade—and get some time— to do both. (Look! It’s mini-Someday Syndrome!).
I suppose I’d better bite the bullet. I need the whirlwind to take me over.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly´s last blog post..I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
@Kelly
Computer upgrades are very legitimate causes of Someday Syndrome - because they are certain to NOT be as easy as the developers insist they will be.
Hey, how did I miss this earlier? Nice interview! Forget the fig leaf, most male anatomical parts look alike– I just want to see what Harry (and James) look like from the neck up.
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That music is really incredible, I love it!