Blog Post
A Man with a Mission
Lowell Sheppard • December 30, 2019
I am a man with a mission.
2018 had been a year of reflection culminating in deciding my focus for the next 20 years of my life. Then, 2019 became the pivotal year where I set myself strategic goals to recalibrate my life and create a new trajectory.
My mission is three-fold:
- Enable poor communities to become self-reliant by providing sustainable access to clean water
- Return to writing, speaking, and consultancy (helping leaders in business and education think long-term with a good grasp of history about the currents in society and where they are taking us).
- Sail solo to Nemo North through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and live to tell the story of what I witnessed and experienced.
A mission provides your bearing and goals are the incremental tasks that get you there.
One year ago, I set myself goals for 2019 with the new trajectory in mind.
I announced my goals and misson for 2019, at my 64th birthday party in March. I suppose I was seeking to be accountable for reaching those goals.
This is what I announced as my 2019 goals:
(All have been achieved. Some ahead of schedule.)
- Appoint a new Executive Director to HOPE JP and focus my attention on building HOPE Asia and reorganize HOPE in Asia so I can focus on raising more funds for HOPE projects in the region.
Achieved: Oct 1st, 2019 with the appointment of Jeff Behr.
Achieved: Steering Group for HOPE Asia formed under the Chair of Harry Hill and myself as Asia Director. - Launch an educational and thought-leadership initiative and return to writing, speaking, and consulting.
Achieved: Navigate 22 became a legal reality in June and had its soft launch on Dec 7th when our first seminar was held at Yumenoshima Marina. for thought leaders. The official launch is on Jan 10th when I am a featured-speaker at the Fourth Annual IAFOR on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment at the Hawaii Convention Center.
With more seminars coming up:- Personal Mission Statement: MEN ONLY Jan 23, Nagoya
- Personal Mission Statement: WOMAN ONLY Jan 30th, Nagoya
- Acquire a boat and begin preparations for the solo crossing of the Pacific. I had hoped to have a boat by late 2019 or early 2020.
Achieved: Thanks to a team that helped me find her, my Keel Club members, and an interest-free loan from the previous owner, I acquired the SV Wahine on July 1st, and I have spent half my time on her ever since. Just three days ago, I finished paying the loan off. - Pass my Class 1 Boat Operators License.
Achieved: It took three attempts but eventually on October 20th, 2019, I passed!! Now, I am licensed for offshore sailing.
These were just the top four. There is a myriad of other achieved goals along the way such as finding the coordinates for Nemo North, learning about propellers
and marine gear boxes, and well, just numerous more.
One thing is for sure, with a clear vision for 2020 and beyond, I am loving learning and invigorated by a sense of mission for the next 20 years of my life.
