Project 366 / 60 - Leo

I can't let today pass by without acknowledging Leonardo DiCaprio. For as long as I can remember he has been my favorite actor. Why? Well he's someone who hasn't taken the easy route, he hasn't chosen the obviously popular films and hasn't played it safe. Yet every one of his films is outstanding. I mean have you seen a bad DiCaprio film? I think not.

Unless you are blind, deaf and dumb you won't help but to have noticed that last night he finally picked up his first Oscar for "Best actor in a film" for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant. The entire industry, heck the whole world seems to be in agreement that this award is long overdue and I couldn't agree more.

Oh and if you want to know how to make an acceptance speech then watch the one he gave for his Oscar. Wow, talk about acknowledging, appreciative, educational and inspirational. No wonder Kate Winslet loves him so much. The speech was Oscar worthy all on it's own.

So if you're an actor or actress, or wannabe actor or actress then take my advice and study Leonardo DiCaprio. Study his passion for his craft and study how he conducts himself.

This my friends, is how the greats become great.

Project 366 / 59 - Experiences, money and being in a rut

The world is an amazing place and the life that we have been granted provides an endless realm of possibilities. So why do we spend most of our time in the rut of existing rather than living?

Most people seem to be just sitting there waiting for something to happen. They're watching other people do all the things that they dream of doing and then spend their time moaning that they don't get the chance. But why is that?

We're all guilty of it. Whenever I come back off a foreign holiday I always say to myself that we should do that more often. It could be just a weekend break but the act of actually doing it makes you realise just how easy it is and just how small a place this world has become. The problem is I get back into my normal routine and don't follow up on what I've promised myself.

And then there's the issue of money. For all my life I've never had quite enough. I've wanted to be debt free, mortgage free, worry free and I've always wanted to feel financially secure. The problem is that as you generate wealth so your standard of living increases and you take on further financial responsibilities. It's a vicious circle which inhibits you from splashing out on those life enriching experiences as they're ultimately classed as luxuries.

So we sit and wait. We wait for a better level of financial security and a comfortable amount of disposable income, all the while our life is passing us by.

Project 366 / 58 - Image, personality and stretch marks

We all get those moments when we feel down about yourselves. We look in the mirror and don't like the reflection. Too tall, too short, too fat, too thin, too pale, too spotty, too hairy, too plain, too much...

The world which is presented to us portrays a difficult image to keep up with. The flawless celebrity figures, the tight and toned athlete instagrams and the glossy airbrushed and computer generated magazine covers all highlighting our short-comings.

But what can we do? After all these images are pretty much impossible to ignore - they're everywhere, all preaching that you're not as good as them, that you're failing and that you should be trying harder. Sadly we all appear to be judged by how we look above how we conduct ourselves, especially when we are young. It's only when we get older does the facade of image and appearance begin to make way for personality and legacy.

It really is a shallow and material world. The best option is to try and ignore the pressure around you and to concentrate on being the very best version of yourself that you can be. No one cares more about you than you, so love yourself. Love your flaws, love your wrinkles, love your stretch marks.

After all, there's someone out there who would have love to have been given the opportunity of having wrinkles, or of having those stretch marks.

Project 366 / 57 - The law of averages, negativity and positivity

They say that you, as a person, are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. This relates to the law of averages, which is the theory that the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes.

When it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced, whether we like it or not, by those closest to us. It affects our way of thinking, our self-esteem and our decisions. Of course, everyone is their own person, but research has shown that we're more affected by our environment than we think.

So whilst it's ideal to be closely surrounded by positive, supportive people who you not only respect but aspire to be, the reality is usually the opposite. But this is no criticism. Just think, if everyone is spending their time with people one step up the ladder then it's only natural for the one's spending time with you are a rung or two down.

When I talk about rungs, I'm talking about various things. At work they could be managers or colleagues who are better at a particular role than you, or more talented. Outside the workplace they could be more confident, better within the social environment or be of some inspiration.

It is natural fact that surrounding yourself with negative, fearful and worrying people will have a detrimental affect, just as hanging out with successful, positive people will raise you up.

But what is positive? Is it looking at everything in life through rose tinted glasses? Is it denying any negativity actually exists? You have to be honest and truthful. Don't say that everything is fantastic just to give a positive illusion. Dealing with negativity in a positive way, acknowledging it, dealing with it and learning from it has to be the only way.

Project 366 / 56 - The disposable society and technology

A while ago I talked about the amount of money that we are now spending on "entertainment". You can read the blog here. If you haven't clicked that link - then SHAME ON YOU! but the gist was that we've gone from bitching about paying the TV licence to happily spending literally £100's every month for the same activity in our leisure time.

It got me thinking about 2 things;

Nothing is built to last
Are certain aspects of technology really moving as quickly as we think?

Ok let me elaborate.

Nothing is built to last - I remember my parents washing machine, tumble dryer and suchlike lasting 25+ years. I've already been through 5 of each in the 25 years I have been owned a house. This statistic is repeated in pretty much everything that we own; fridges, freezers, cookers, iron, TV, vacuum cleaners etc... the list goes on.

Now I understand the manufacturers are doing this to get you to keep buying but surely there is a market for "built to last"? No perhaps not anymore - everyone's looking at the initial up front cost, not worrying that they may have to replace the unit 4-5 times in comparison to a built to last option.

Are certain aspects of technology really moving as quickly as we think? - My old, old, old TV had a pretty poor picture. Then again it was one of those cathode ray tube TV's. When I finally upgraded to a flat screen it was because "HD" was coming so I went out and got a "HD ready" TV.

Just before HD was launched I noticed a dip in the quality of picture. Then HD was launched and the picture was amazing. The world appeared different, clearer and more spectacular. Over the next 5 years I went from having 1 TV to having 3 TV's dotted around the house.

We then gave the kids a playroom and gave them our TV and went out and purchased an HD 3D smart TV. I've never yet used the 3D and now they've bought out 4K TV's. Bastards.

Also my mobile. Before 4G we had o, E and 3G signals. Whilst o and E were shocking and barely even worth saying you had a signal, 3G felt quite fast. Then they brought out 4G. Now that felt quick but hold on, what happened to 3G? 3G now feels like E and E, well that's become o. There isn't an o.

Maybe the new products aren't really that much better than the current ones so "they" reduce the current quality just to make the new products have an impact.

Just a thought...

Project 366 / 55 - Hello Hollywood

My wife and I took a couple of hours out earlier today to go to an auction and have a spot of lunch. It's something that our hectic lives rarely allow us to do but it reminded us that it's something that we really must take time out to do more.

My wife was saying how her friends think she is so lucky for not having to work. She agrees. We both agree and she constantly reminds me of how grateful she is. We all have our own gripes though - her only real complaint is that she sometimes feels like a slave to our kids, to me and to the house. I can understand that (up to a point) but I guess it's a smallish price to pay.

What made me chuckle was her comment about being a socialite.

Yes she has a very active social life. In "her" time she trains, she mixes, she meets people and she maintains her friendships better than anyone I know. Even to the point of maintaining contact with the friends who I question why she is friends with as they are only ever on the take.

"We should move to LA - I think I would do well there, it would suit me".

Christ. I'd better up my game, and BIG time.

• Swapping Worthing High Street for Rodeo Drive
• Ditching Brighton for Beverley Hills
• And exchanging the cold of the country for heat of Hollywood

She'd do well, probably too well. But there's 2 problems;

My bank balance
The commute for the school run

Donations welcome.

Project 366 / 54 - Branson, Musk and the space race

The new Virgin Galactic "SpaceShipTwo" was revealed in the Mojave Desert in California this week. It looks sleek, exciting and very impressive. Apparently "hundreds" of people including Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt have already paid $250,000 to book a seat (which the news says is equivalent to £170k but with the current weak pound is actually closer to £180k, not that anyone who can actually afford it will be quibbling about).

It amazes me how space travel hasn't always been so exciting. From humble space race beginnings to the Apollo missions, the world watched in awe and disbelief how far man had come in such a short avionic time. After the introduction of the space shuttle back in 1981 the general public appeared to fall out of love with space missions. I'm guessing that we'd "be there, done that" so subsequent launches (apart from the disaster in 1986) passed without the same fanfare.

The next major step to raise the public eyebrow wasn't until the International Space Station was launched in 1998. Aside from that there hasn't been the same excitement but more specifically relevance to the public... until now.

It's now a commercial space race. There are something like 10 major players involved, from Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk's Dragon to NASA and China's space program. What does this mean? Competition. And competition breed innovation and innovation is awesome for all of us.

I for one will be watching intently and maybe, just maybe I'll be saving my 2's and 1's a bit more regularly.

Project 366 / 53 - OCD and my work

Is being OCD such a bad thing? I'm not talking about excessive OCD like Nicolas Cage in Matchstick Men but rather liking things a certain way and getting irritated when they are not.

I see it every day; things not done quite right, things out of order, not lined up - messy. To me it is laziness and I struggle to let it go. I think people don't notice mess as it is everywhere but that they do notice neat, organised, tidy - especially my customers.

In my business every pallet that leaves our warehouse should look the same. The way they are wrapped should be to the same standard. Labels shouldn't be diagonally thrown on - place them with care and put them on straight. It doesn't take much but looks so much better and it gets noticed. I had one client come in to our warehouse and literally say "Wow" when they saw how well arranged their stock was. I had another literally bring their colleague in especially to point and say "now that's how I want our pallets to leave us". People notice.

I take pride in the appearance of everything I do. In fact I take more pride in what I present and have than in my own appearance. I'm no oil painting and I know that, so I guess that if I can present everything else around me in a tidy, orderly fashion then it may start to make up my own short comings.

My battle at work is with literally everything and everyone. Yes I own my warehouses so they are my actual property but I've always looked after everywhere I've ever been. I struggle to understand anything less and get frustrated with everyone elses shortcomings.

I don't necessarily think I have OCD (I know others would disagree), it's just I like things done a certain way.

Project 366 / 52 - Time, marriage and Las Vegas

Much has been said about the value of time. How it really is our greatest asset and how we really should place the ultimate value on it. Once gone you can't get it back, so use it wisely.

It also tends to fly by in an ever accelerating manner. Maybe it's because I'm so insanely happy with my life the whole time; maybe mortality is a frightening word.

This year marks our 10th wedding anniversary. Getting married the first time was testing enough; we'd gotten engaged only to split up just before the wedding. We'd gotten back together, decided to get married, paid for another wedding only to have to call the whole event off thanks to major family issues. We'd then decided to elope to Vegas, paid for that (plus an awesome honeymoon) only for me to have my appendix burst 10 days before we flew.

We eventually took ourselves off to Cliveden in Berkshire and got married on our own in their stunning and exclusive Spring Cottage. It was the most romantic couple of days of our lives.

Thanks to my appendix and the doctors ban on me flying and the fact that our first son was born 8 month later we never got round to having a honeymoon. My wife has never let me forget it.

So here we are, in the blink of an eye, 10 years and 2 kids later. Despite our initial multiple attempts to get married we've decided to risk it all again and to go to Las Vegas, stay in the Bellagio and renew our vows. We're considering one of those Elvis chapels but will probably end up just using the considerable facilities at the Bellagio.

Whatever we end up doing it'll be one helluva ride. It's exciting because now our 3 day trip is all booked and paid for every time we look at each other we grin in excitement. Something tells me we're not gonna get much sleep!

Project 366 / 51 - Friends, strangers and effort

You've changed. You're not the person I used to know.

No, that's right. And it's easy to see how people drift apart, how relationships fade and how marriages just don't stand the test of time.

The truth is that we all change. We're not the person we were 10 years ago and we're not the same person now that we will be in 10 years time. Our opinions change, our outlook changes and the world in which we live is constantly evolving and therefore shaping us all.

Technology is good and bad. But love it or hate it it's here to stay, so you better embrace it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and everything else wasn't here 10 years ago and look how they've taken over the majority of peoples lives. God knows how the technological world will look in another 10 years.

You see those posts on Facebook that say that those closest to you a year ago are now strangers yet those strangers a year ago are now your closet friends. It's all so true.

Some of my closest friends now feel like strangers. And this is despite the fact that our lives have followed a similar trajectory - some have started a family at the same time, many have very similar interests and the majority are in the same age group. Yet now we feel that we have little in common. Why is this?

I now have other friends who, on the surface of it all, are polar opposites. Yet we do have some common ground and we're building on it.

My best friend is someone who not only listens but who helps me change and grow. He is someone who I can talk to about anything and doesn't judge me. He is someone who I can either talk to every day or not for weeks but remains the same.

Friendships, like marriage, like anything you love, takes effort. My wife and I are closer now than ever. That's because we're allowing each other to grow, we're embracing the change in each other and we're making an effort.

Make the effort.

Project 366 / 50 - Age, fitted clothes and joggers

Age does a funny thing to people. It makes some more relaxed, some more pent up. It makes some more energetic and others more lethargic. Some hit mid life with a crisis whilst others embrace it.

No matter which camps you fall in to there seems to be a laughable majority who seem to have lost all fashion sense. They grunt, groan and squeeze their over-filled bellies into the most inappropriate clothes that money can buy. There appear to be two main categories;

Category 1:   Those trying to fit into fitted clothes (when they shouldn't)

Ah yes, you know the ones. In their youth they owned it. They had the body, they had the look, they had the money, they had the clothes. But then as the responsibility of life, children and commitments took over things began to slip. Now their body is a shadow of its former self but their mind thinks otherwise. The kids are older, perhaps left home so there is a bit of disposable income.

A shopping trip results in a bag full of fitted shirts, tight t-shirts and skinny jeans. The reflection says "yes" but the public say "nooooo". Honestly, you can't hold it in, you just look daft. You put your hands in the air and the belly pops out. Enough already.

Category 2:   Those who, outside work, live in joggers and tracksuits.

Suited men, who look half decent during the working week - what the hell happens at the weekend? Those cheap joggers and tracksuit bottoms that stretch at the knees, overweight women who wear cheap lycra leggings (yes we really can see everything eugh), Ugg boots, jees the disasters are everywhere.

My old man is a prime example of a total fashion disaster. When he was working he'd turn out very well dressed. But the second he changed into his own clothes - Oh... My... God... Green socks, yellow trousers, blue polo neck topped off with a heavy checked jacket. Seriously? And you want us to be seen out with you like that?!

Project 366 / 49 - Irritating adverts

Now whilst I understand the theory behind irritating adverts, for me they have the opposite effect.

"Go Compare"? How about "Go Fuck Yourself". I'll not use them just out of protest for the crappy and irritating advert, character and tune.

I'm not a fan of those Meerkat characters either. But aren't they something to do with Compare the Market? So that's 2 out of 2 comparison websites with wholly irritating advertising campaigns.

The latest on our local radio is for some skip hire company. Don't even get me started, it's driving everyone in the office insane.

Now I know that because I'm talking about them that means that in some regards they are winning with me. But the fact that I'm talking about it doesn't mean they've won, far from it. But I guess I remember them. Damn I hate those adverts.

Does that mean that I've got to create some irritating advert which everyone despises just to be memorable? Sod that, there's got to be a better way.

Project 366 / 48 - Fame, The X-Files and The Fast Show

There's a famous phrase, it goes "You don't know what you've got until its gone".

It's so true. I liken this to a lot of things but one thing that has resonated continually is the fame game.

So many bands struggle for years and years to "make it" only to split when they do. Or they take a break after a few hit albums only to struggle to recapture their previous success. Their relevance is for the moment and without the momentum of initial success they fade. Fans are fickle, if you're not there for them it'll be unlikely that they'll be there for you when you return.

There's plenty of talent out there and it just amazes me who makes it and who doesn't sometimes. Some artists seem to have it all - the looks, the voice, the personality, the story and yet fade fast, whilst others with half of what they have seem to drag on forever.

I noticed that The X-Files show has returned and so, as a fan of the original series I tuned in to watch. It's not bad, it just feels like it's a show trying to recapture the magic. They're just playing on our nostalgia - Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny probably don't need the money and probably had to be heavily persuaded to do it. What stone was left unturned previously?

I loved the original Fast Show but they brought it back for an anniversary special back in 2014. It was awful; just the same sketches redone. It wasn't funny, it wasn't different and it was sad to watch. I'd have made some new characters and tried to do and updated version, but still, what do I know, I'm just a fan.

Project 366 / 47 - Life, image, money and Jordan Belfort

Call people what you want but at the end of the day they are strange / funny / weird. Everyone wants the "life", everyone wants the "image", everyone wants the "money" but very very very few are prepared to work for it, instead believing that for some very strange reason that it is predetermined that they are entitled to it.

Take office culture, atmosphere and environment for an example. Everyone wants to work in a vibrant, exciting and inspirational office and yet they don't feel that they do. Everyone wants to work for Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street office. Yet what people completely fail to realise is that it's the people who make the atmosphere. Ignorant to this fact 99.9 of people sit there waiting for everyone else to make the place what they want it to be.

Running a business is very similar. Everyone says "oh it's ok for you" but they don't realise that once upon a time I had to take the risk and take the plunge. Once upon a time my business failed and I stood to loose everything. Yes I may do ok but I'm the one where the buck stops.

People don't realise that everything that they see within my business I have had to pay for - everything. Look around for a minute, everything you see within the company you work for the business has had to pay for. Believe me, none of this is cheap.

So if you want the vibrant office, the hip'n'trendy life, the cool clothes and the look then you're going to have to go out and make it happen. Stop waiting on everyone else.

Project 366 / 46 - Life on the road

What is it about the car that drives us all so insane? Seemingly calm, forward thinking and rational people turn, in a heartbeat into crazed, insane and raging psychopaths.

I'd just arrived in a van at Sainsburys and as usual I'd parked miles from the shop in plenty of space when I noticed a car pull up along side me, no more than a foot away from the van. That's strange I thought. The car door opened quickly *crack* straight into the side of the van. I got out and said to the lady;

"Now was that entirely necessary?"
"WHAT?" came the reply
"There's all these spaces around me and yet no, you have to park within a fag papers space of me and then open your door onto my van"
"No I didn't"
"Yes you did (laughing), I watched you do it!"
"SO? Who you gonna complain to??"
"You, I'm complaining to you, now"
"Oh whatever, I've had a bereavement"
"I'm very sorry to hear that but that doesn't excuse what you just did"
No answer...
"I was just looking for an apology?"
"Oh just fuck off and leave me alone you loser"

Charming. There was no damage but that's not the point.

I mentioned this to one of my staff when I got back to work. Surprisingly they described the woman and the car she was driving. Exactly the same thing had happened to them a week or two earlier.

A serial bad parker with a bad attitude. I didn't know these people existed.

It's like at Centre Parcs. During your stay it is a car free zone. Everyone is happy and friendly, safe in the knowledge that you're all there for the same reason; a family holiday. On the last day however you're allowed to retrieve your car and bring it back to the villa for loading. That's when the mood changes and those hi-de-hi friendly neighbors turn into road-raged-crazed impatient enemies.

It seems that life on the road comes down to one rule and one rule only - Look after No.1. But to help us all here's a few handy hints to surviving that journey home;

• Don't expect "thanks" for letting people through
• If it's your right of way then take it
• If you're going to pull out then make it count and accelerate
• Mirror, signal (yes your car really is equipped with an indicator), manoeuvre
• Park in between the lines
• It's illegal to use your phone - that includes texting or using any social network (no really, I'm sure your entertaining update can wait)
• Your journey really ISN'T more important than mine so get in line and wait your turn

This has not been a public service announcement.

Project 366 / 45 - Running is for mad people

Today was the day of the Worthing half marathon. A half I hear you say? Pah!

Yes it was a half marathon and yes it should have been a piece of cake BUT... (excuse alert!) it wasn't. It wasn't the nicest course. I am still on antibiotics and I haven't trained (thanks to my cold and various other reasons) for 3 weeks. So I went into the race not as prepped as I would have liked.

Forgetting all of this Gem and I found ourselves at the very front of the crowd in the front pen standing next to the 1hr30min pacemaker. Oh, not in my wildest dreams... But it was too late to move and before we knew it we were off. Needless to say I was overtaken by a few hundred people within the first couple of meters, I mean miles.

Despite the atrocious weather that we've been having recently the conditions today were pretty much perfect. Well perfect until the homeward mile or 2 when the seafront wind, normally blowing westwards decided to throw a spanner in the works and blow in our faces. Not what I wanted. Consequently my sprint finish to wasn't quite the sprint that the crowds had come from far to witness.

As I approached the end my lovely wife, who had already finished, ran the last 400m with me, encouraging me all the way. Little did I know that she was physically hurting, bless her. Well it was Valentines Day after all.

We finished, received our medals and wandered back to see the kids and my sister who had been cheering us on from my Mum's seafront balcony whilst promising ourselves that we wouldn't do that again.

Yes, never again.

Project 366 / 44 - Health, wealth and happiness

I'm on antibiotics for something, I'm not actually sure what, I think for my cough. It's something that's I've had for 10+ years but the doctors can't seem to find the source of. I've had inhalers, numerous chest x-rays, reflux tablets, pills, potions and everything in between but nothing seems to cure it. I think I'm allergic to something but I can't find the source.

It's the Worthing half marathon tomorrow and now my wife Gem thinks that I may die because of my cough. And they say that men exaggerate. Jees.

If you haven't sponsored me then please do. Actually I know that you haven't because no-one really has. I didn't even get any well wishes when we finished work yesterday. I must be expecting too much.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/gemmaspicer

There you go. Just a fiver please.

I find it funny when I hear people say that when you get money (and I'm talking about big money) that that's when you realise that it's not so important. Really? That's weird because the only people I ever hear saying that are the one's who are rich. It's easy to say that something that you've already got isn't important. I don't hear the poor people saying that.

If it's not so important then give it away - to me preferably.

That aside, we're doing ok. They say the climb is ultimately more satisfying anyway. I'll let you know if that's true when we get to the top. These are the happiest days of my life without a doubt. I have a beautiful wife, 2 amazing kids, a lovely home, my own business and my health.

Yes, I have health, wealth and happiness.

Project 366 / 43 - Cash, coffee and raising money

Money... It's not easy to come by, we all work so very hard for it (or at least we think we do) but when we've got it what do we do? We waste it, we spend it on throw-away stuff, fleeting temporary pleasures and coffee, lots of coffee.

The volume of rubbish that people give you at Christmas takes all this to a whole other level. I'm always pleading people to not buy me anything rather than the mindless tut that they otherwise will. I'd much rather be given a £5 iTunes or Amazon voucher rather than £20 worth of bobble removers and spiralizers. Seriously, if you don't know me then you shouldn't be buying me something that you think I might want because I don't, so please; keep your money.

Aside from Christmas though the amount of money wasted week in, week out totally astounds me. Was Friends really responsible for the international coffee culture explosion? It certainly feels like it.

My wife and I do physical challenges every year (admittedly her more than me) and we do it to raise money for a specific charity - Action Duchenne. The charity is very close to our hearts as sadly our goods friends son was diagnosed with the muscle wasting condition a couple of years ago. The challenges vary, we've done half marathons, marathons, Olympic length triathlons, the 3 peaks 24 hour challenge and this year my wife has entered herself into a Miss Fitness bodybuilding competition and is walking the South Downs Way (110 miles) in 3 days sometime in early May.

Each challenge is, well physically challenging. We're not doing a 3k walk or a sleepathon we're choosing events that will push us. None of them are easy and the volume of training that literally no-one sees is exhausting.

But do you know what the hardest part of it all is? Trying to raise money.

Those same people who burn through money week in week out are the most reluctant sponsors. We're not looking for £50 from you. We're just looking for £5. If all our friends sponsored £5 we'd have raised thousands.

So this weekend, when you're buying another coffee, another chocolate doughnut or another pint just think of what you could be doing with the same money. These kids are literally dying - please help.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/gemmaspicer

Project 366 / 42 - Storage, treasures and 30 years

I own two warehouses. They're nothing huge, both around 4000sqft but are racked and can hold quite a lot of pallets of our clients products. The side effect of having these facilities is rather than using my loft at home I store my stuff in my warehouses. Every now and again my wife will have boxed something up and asked me to store it. We now have about 10 pallets of "stuff".

From time to time I'll be asked to retrieve something, usually some childrens clothes that my eldest son Reece had but now his younger brother Lincoln can fit into.

It's when I go to find something that the real surprises occur. I'll find things that I'd long forgotten about; "Treasures" I like to call them, are uncovered.

Now of course I haven't used any of this stuff for years, and I mean years. If I haven't used it for that amount of time then I should really throw it out or sell it. But every time I find these things I go "wow, I forgot I had that" and then I'll look at it for a few minutes before putting it back into storage until the next time.

The most worrying thing I found was a diary from when I was a young boy. I used to write a journal every day - it was pretty comprehensive some years. The diary in question was when I was 10 and as I flicked through the book I came across an entry on 4th March. It read "Dad's birthday - 40".

I'm 44.

Looking through the rest of the diary I could recall writing some of the posts. I sat there with the colour probably drained from my face. Time, or the last 30+ years of my life, seems to have literally gone by in a flash. Before I know it my children will be my age and I'll be... well, considerably older.

Life really does go by in a heartbeat so please promise me one thing; do not sit there waiting for something to happen. Before you know it you'll be old and full of regret. I can't recall ever regretting anything that I've done, only things that I didn't do.

When I was younger I was told that I was too young; now apparently I'm too old.

Project 366 / 41 - My clone

Required: Cloning machine

If only huh. Then again I think I'd just want a clone that I could just switch on and off as knowing my luck the clone would get all the good stuff leaving me with all the rubbish.

Seriously though the reason a clone would help so much comes down to one reason - trust.

Finding people who you can trust to do the job as well as you feels an impossible task. One of the more frustrating roles of running your own business is tackling the complaints when things are done wrong. More often than not these are completely avoidable schoolboy errors which not only cost money to correct but more importantly tarnish the reputation with your client that you've so painstakingly worked so hard to build.

As usual it's do 99 things right and 1 thing wrong and it's the 1 thing wrong which is dwelled upon, analyzed and brought up in every review. Yes that's just business but it's these "1 things" which I'm constantly trying to eradicate. I know I'm not perfect but if I could do it all myself then I know for a fact that at least three quarters of these "1 things" wouldn't even happen.

Why do they happen? People are lazy. They leave tasks "until later" instead of doing them now and as a result they forget. People don't think, don't look and don't listen.

Yes my clone would be a good idea.

Project 366 / 40 - The look at me brigade and change

Self improvement is a constant hot topic BUT every social media channel, be it Facebook, Instagram or YouTube seems to be over-populated by the "look at me" brigade. I have a few shallow friends who live in this delusional bubble, broadcasting how perfect their lives are in Truman Show style. Those closest know that it's not true but for everyone else it must be somewhat depressing.

Depressing as they probably feel that they are unable to maintain such a perfect life but ignorant to the fact that it's just an illusion.

I have a friend who has a bit of an addictive personality (or what I like to call just weak). When they're drinking they justify it by saying things like "life is too short to be boring", "jees, let your hair down every now and again will you" or "you work hard enough, it's not all work and no play you know".

A month later they're on the wagon and preaching how bad alcohol is, quoting health stats, toxins, cancer, hangovers and every other scare mongering tactic they can use to try and persuade you (but in reality themselves) not to drink.

Then there are the exercise fads. Now I know that January is the big gym sign-up month but what is it with everyone wanting to become either a personal trainer or a nutritionist (which actually means "a person who studies or is an expert in nutrition", not someone who can actually just stomach a plate of quinoa). 2 months later and they are back on the pizza and beer, reverting to standard habits.

My advice? Change one bad habit. Compete with just yourself. Compare yourself to your younger self and no-one else. Don't be hard on yourself but work on your self-discipline and if you fail just accept it and then use it to motivate yourself.

Project 366 / 39 - Marketing, blogging and Gary Vaynerchuk

So one of my projects for the year is to do more sales and marketing. It's something that ironically I enjoy doing but barely ever get the time to do (a bit like some of my "hobbies" that I was talking about yesterday).

Now I've been successful this year in as much that I've written work blogs every week (you can check them out here if you really want to) and have the next 3-4 lined up ready to publish. I've also got a couple of images ready to post so content-wise I'm slowly getting there.

All this content is posted onto Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn but the traction is pretty poor. But I'm not concerned, I know I've got to be patient. I guess the trouble I have is when I boost my post to a targeted audience could that be conceived as spam? Am I pushing rather than pulling? I'm also converting a version of these posts into an e-mail newsletter a week or so later. The open rate again is poor (20-25%) and these are to a large volume of my existing customers.

Next up is backing all this up with cold calls; another one of my favorite things (no really!). It reminds me of when I used to do a bit of boxing - I used to love getting hit because I wasn't afraid of it and could take it before retaliating.

I've been studying a lot of Gary Vaynerchuk videos and they are really helping me not only in what to and how to market but also keeping me fired up and in focusing my creativity. But I think that there could be a very fine line between advertising/marketing and what's perceived as spamming. As always I suppose it's all about the quality of content and that's what I'm trying to maintain.

I've got some ideas for some "how to" video's so that'll be one of the next things to do. I'm also looking for an apprentice to help get all this stuff done and to keep the momentum going as I literally get zero help or input from my staff. In fact all but one of them never like, comment or share anything I do despite the fact that their jobs depend on it.

Amazing.

Project 366 / 38 - Me day, sods law and creativity

One day on the first weekend in every month is a "me" day. This was borne out of the hectic nature of our lives and having young children. Both my wife and I were beginning to realise that we weren't getting the opportunity to dedicate any time to some of the things, outside work and family, that we'd like.

My wife's primarily revolved around getting quality time with her grandparents. She's been lucky enough to have grandparents who have lived well into her mid 30's and, as they approach the twilight of their years (one grandmother, who is a twin (both still alive) is 98!) she is obviously wanting to be in their company more.

My want is to spend more time doing my photography, videography and general creativity. I've bought all the gear, all the software and all the equipment that I wanted but never really had the time to use it. I've literally been snatching an hour here and an hour there and it's just not enough.

My only enemy now is sods law but it's something that I'm trying to work with. For example my drone and GoPro combo I've only used a handful of times as when I get the chance the weather is too windy. When I plan a shoot with my DSLR the weather isn't on my side for what I want to achieve.

Today was my "me" day. I just needed a little bit of sunshine - just a little bit but the dark clouds have been here all day. I then thought I could wait for the sun at dusk but that's not going to happen. The other time I needed just a whiff of wind but had nothing. I think I need to adapt.

Instead I've spent the day creating text over images for my business. One of which is pretty cool. It's also given me ideas for some more so I've been busy making more notes.

Creativity breeds creativity so if I could just give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to write more ore create more it would be to just keep going. Ideas create ideas and the more you do the more inspired you will become. Have faith; have patience.

Project 366 / 37 - Music and the younger generation

I like to listen to Radio 2. All the best DJ's from my youth tend to end up there plus there's a good mix of good tunes and interesting chat. Interesting chat; that's not something I thought I'd ever say let alone enjoy. Yes some of it is rubbish but everywhere has a bit of that.

The problem is that my workforce are younger than me, some by 20 years, and we're in an open office. The result? They want to listen to Radio 1, Heart FM, Kiss FM or some commercial radio station pumping out the same 10 songs on rotation. I'm out voted and in an effort to keeping everyone happy am giving up what I want to listen to. The trouble is that the young persons radio station play some of the same tunes from radio 2 but apparently it's ok because it's old school.

What? So when Radio 2 play them there old fashioned but when Crap FM play them they're "retro".

I think I've heard it all now.

Project 366 / 36 - That Friday feeling

"It's Friday!"

That sound seems to be the resounding battle-cry of the day, the uplifting feeling that we'be made it. But why are we like that? Do we detest our working weeks that much? Or is it that we just love our home time sooo much more?

For the kids it's turning into some exhilaration, excitement and anticipation scream-fest at home time. The comparison from Sunday night to Friday night is really chalk and cheese. Sunday nights are full of belly aches and "but I really don't want to go to school" whereas Friday nights are an adrenaline rush of euphoria. No-one's seen anything like it since the sugar rush of 2012.

Jees, I really must make sure this weekend lives up to the hype.

For me it's been a good first week of the month. We've made some money at work, I've maintained my blog project, I've written some pretty cool media articles for work and I've taken one kick ass photo which I'm proud of. Aside from the cold that I picked up on daddy's day at the end of last week it's been a good week.

My cold. Enough already. I'm not a man-flu kinda guy, I have to cope and get on with it because of the kids and work but wow, this week has been horrible. Fortunately my drug dealing wife has been to hand with all manner of drug-concoctions. Stacks? Huh, you ain't seen nothin'.

Once again it's a rush to get fit as I've got a half marathon next weekend. Because of other commitments and then getting this frickin' cold I have been unable to train for 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to do something early next week just to give me the confidence for the 14th. If not then I'll do what I always do and wing it.

Until then it's Friday so it's whiskey night... for medicinal purposes obviously...

Project 366 / 35 - Living life and being passionate

Growing older is an entitlement - everyone should be given the chance. It's very sad for those who don't get the opportunity so right now you should be grateful, be grateful for the life you have and all the wonderful opportunities that you have.

So many people waste their life. When you're not one of them it's impossible to understand. Both my wife and I cram as much into our lives as possible and yet still feel like we're not doing enough. The only thing I think I'm guilty of is saying no due to the financial aspect - everything costs so much money.

My father said recently "I don't know how you find the time" which is ironic as he always used to say "make time" when someone said they didn't have any. One of my mothers sayings is "if you want something done ask a busy person" which is so true.

In business not everyone can be or wants to be a business owner. Some people aren't entrepreneurs but they could be damn fine number 2's or 3's. In work you've got to find what you are passionate about and do that. Don't sit in a dead end job wasting your life away. Yes we've all got bills to pay but isn't it better to start earning less to get into a role that you are passionate about?

When I was 19 I offered to work for a desktop publishing company for free just to gain experience as I was really passionate about wanting to learn and get into that industry. Ironically they turned me down (why oh why would you do that?!). I would have worked for free and stacked shelves at Sainsburys at night just to make ends meet.

I don't see this level of passion anywhere but I keep looking.

Project 366 / 34 - Employing people, Beechams and the Oracle

I've employed lots of people over the years. The age range has been pretty impressive even if I do say so myself; from teenage apprentices to 55 year old previous company directors and literally everything in between.

The standard has been pretty dire. In the last 18 months I've hired and fired 8-10 people. As a small business that's a shocking statistic. I used to think that I was a pretty good judge of character - I must be losing my touch. The problem is that people just don't want to work. They'll lie their way into the job, barely want to turn up, they'll do the very minimum they feel they can get away with and then expect everything in return.

Look, I'm not looking for a rocket scientist here. We're not splitting atoms or saving lives. It's a pretty simple job.

A friend once said that I was going wrong because I was expecting too much. That no-one will be as passionate as I am about the business because it's not their business. I think that's bollocks.

When I was younger I put my all into every job I had and I used every job to learn something, no matter how menial the task. When I was doing data inputting I taught myself how to touch type. When I worked in a warehouse I taught myself how to pack goods up properly and how to load vehicles. Oh and I didn't own any part of those businesses.

Back in the late 80's I worked in the archiving department at Beechams (now GlaxoSmithKline). It was boring but I was good at it (so much so that I was offered a department head role in Marlow which I turned down). During my time there I befriended the IT systems administrator and the other computer geeks. They were top guys and so spent a lot of time learning from them.

There was this computer network called "Oracle" - it felt revolutionary. You could ask it a question and a day or so later it would give you answer. It transpired that everyone was the "Oracle" and so the answer came from another user somewhere on the network. You'd type "ask me a question" and then get sent a question to answer. I loved it. I loved the whole IT world and I learnt a lot during that time. Unfortunately I'd never become part of it.

Was "Oracle" an embryonic intranet/internet? I still think so.

Project 366 / 33 - Bruce Springsteen, TV and choices

Back in 1992 Bruce Springsteen released the track “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)”. That was laughable as in the UK we still only had 4 channels. Thinking that there couldn’t be anything on with 57 channels to choose from was ludicrous.

Fast forward to 2016 and we have over 600 channels on Sky alone and yet there seems to be less worth watching now than ever. The volume of re-runs is probably a reflection of the quality of new material. That said when a new box set series comes on if you are lucky and can get into them at the beginning they can be pretty good.

The problem I find is that I see a new series advertised somewhere but find that it is series 9 rather than series 1 and it puts me off. I haven’t got time to go back and catch up. I'll then pick another one which turns out to be a complete turkey.

We used to moan about the TV licence. A colour TV licence costs £145.50 per year (or £49.00 for a black and white TV licence – who still has a black and white TV???). But that was the only cost. Now I’m paying £145.50 for a licence, £70/month for a Sky bundle that doesn’t even include movies, £6.99/month for Netflix and £16.99/month for a Cineworld anytime pass. That’s £1273.26 a year up from £145.50.

Oh and I still have to buy DVD’s for the kids.

I wouldn’t criticise you for thinking that I spend a lot of time in front of the TV. The fact of the matter is that I don’t. I don’t really have the time and when I do I find that the series that I liked the look of is on series 9.

600 Channels (And Nothin’ On)

Project 366 / 32 - Post-mortem gratitude

Lemmy, Bowie, Rickman, Wogan… January 2016 hasn’t exactly seen the best start. People who have felt like pillars in our community have been taken what feels like way too soon. It is very sad but in reality it is just the natural passing of time, the natural progression of generations. That doesn’t help though. We should feel grateful that we have shared the same period of time but we don’t, we feel robbed as if they should live forever.

I know it’s been said a million times but times like these remind us that it is so important to make the most of your life, to live your life and be grateful and thankful to those around you.

The outpouring of love when people in the public eye die is immense. But why are we waiting for these moments? Why aren’t people being celebrated every day, every week, every month, every year? Why wait until they aren’t around to appreciate the public feelings towards them? Probably because people do not appreciate their feelings towards someone until it is too late to tell them.

So take this moment to be as grateful as you can and know that every moment is precious. Hug your loved ones that much harder today and let’s all be as grateful and present as we can because we never know what tomorrow may bring.