Sara (a reader of this blog) wrote me a note the other day with a great tip – to always remember these words of Calvin Coolidge on the subject of persistence.

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Need I say more. Thanks Sara.

Month started: September 2010

This is a big one.

Probably the biggest Project 183 goal so far, and one that I am extremely excited about.

I am starting a business, which will be a side project on top of my day job and will means lots of late nights and very early mornings.

My love of Dunlop Volleys, and their lack of availability in the UK, has led to the idea that I could set up a business to fill the gap and get the brand known over here.

So I have set up Volleys UK, working together with Dunlop in Australia. The website is now live, so come support my new adventure.

Over the past few months of getting it started, I have learnt so much about all the different things to take into account, forming the right relationships with the right people, and making tough decisions about who to work with.

The key thing I have found so far is that it has been important that I am passionate about the brand, because without this I think I may have stopped several times as obstacles arose. I have also been amazed at the level of support and interest people have had in the business – great to know help and advice is just a call or email away.

Wish me luck as I head on down the entrepreneurial path.

This talk just appeared on TED (a fantastic website if you have never been).

The gist of the talk (which only goes for a few minutes) is that the best way to achieve a goal is to keep it to yourself. Take a look and see if you agree.

Personally, I don’t tend to agree. Having this blog and speaking to many people about the project has been very beneficial in keeping me motivated to keep achieving. Each to his own I guess.