After watching this video, all I could say was,
“This guy totally gets me. I need to find more people exactly like him. This is what I call ‘living’. This is my tribe!”
#lifestyledesign #AwakeningPossibility #adventure #happy
April 1, 2014No comments
After watching this video, all I could say was,
“This guy totally gets me. I need to find more people exactly like him. This is what I call ‘living’. This is my tribe!”
#lifestyledesign #AwakeningPossibility #adventure #happy
March 30, 2014No comments
Here’s an interview I recently had with blogger, PJ Simmons about the journey of starting a business…
“From hobby, to freelance, to launching a business, Antwon Davis has gone through the process of launching a successful startup. His branding & web-development business, 4THPARK, has an incredible story of struggles, milestones, successes, and getting better everyday. I recently had the privilege of sitting down with their founder to discuss a few issues that many of may be facing in regards to start ups and running our own businesses.”
In this video interview, we discussed:
1. Struggles Starting a Business
2. Working with Clients: The Joys, Struggles, and How to Deal with Them
3. Resources on Idea Execution and Project Management
September 9, 2013No comments
It’s a little after 4am this Monday morning, and I’m up as usual awakening possibility in myself. I’m usually up late in the middle of discovering something. Either I’m online, brainstorming, or reading a book. I look forward to late nights like these. Not everybody gets the opportunity to have aha moments often, so when I have them, I try to capture them in writing. This is why I’m writing this post.
Tonight, I found myself fascinated and compelled to act after watching a few hours of YouTube videos on the Tesla Model S car. If you’re not familiar with the Tesla Model S, it’s a fully-electric car that is currently taking America by storm. I’ve followed both the owner, Elon Musk, and the car company, Tesla Motors, for a little over a year now. I’ve been fascinated by both Elon the entrepreneur and his business ventures for quite some time. Elon started out as a tech entrepreneur. He cofounded PayPal in 2002. He then went on to create Tesla Motors and Space X (a space exploration company). He’s had his hand in everything from the Internet to the automobile to outer space. The guy is a genius. More than that, he’s a self-starter and a lifestyle designer.
Like Elon Musk, most revolutionaries have that inner drive; that willingness to push the envelope; that ambition to challenge the norm; that call to awaken possibility. It’s this inner drive that makes these types of people stand out. I’m finding this trait in a lot of the people that I study. It’s not always what they do or the things they create that makes them revolutionaries. It’s the way they think. It’s their greatness that intrigues me. It’s their ability to see a better world and create it. It’s their ability to see life as this adventure, full of possibility waiting to be awakened. These people drive the human race forward. They’re the ones who change things. They’re the Crazy Ones (as Steve Jobs would say). I’d like to believe that I too share this trait. I think it’s this trait that draws people like you to a blog like this. This is our tribe. You can call us entrepreneurs, leaders, visionaries, or rebels. But I call us Lifestyle Designers. We have a way of taking the paintbrushes and canvases of life and creating things. Masterpieces. We are the ones who design a better world.
But I didn’t decide to write this post to go on and on about the great revolutionaries of our time. I’m sure you can read about these people all over the web. My focus today is on one guy and his one idea, and how his one idea has awakened possibility in me. As I was saying, I’ve been deeply intrigued by Elon Musk and his idea of creating the world’s first popularized electric car. He has this idea that the world could be cleaner and better through technology and innovation. At first glance, this all sounds like some farfetched theory from another green-movement enthusiasts. I too have had my opinions about this whole green-thing. I’ve made goals in the past and have tried to “go green”, and failed. lol. But Elon’s vision is a little different. He’s willing to go to bat for what he believes, even if it costs him his reputation and all of his money. He’s definitely a Crazy One. Being a techie myself, I have a deeper appreciation for Elon’s vision of a better world.
On a side note, I also watched a documentary two days ago based on Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, and his Model S car. The documentary highlighted this idea of how technology and innovation could lead to energy efficiency and the independence from relying on oil. After watching the documentary, I had that feeling I always get when I feel myself waking up inside. These are those aha moments when something clicks and you realize that you will never be the same. Up until that documentary, I had never really considered being a person who would live a life independent of oil. I just never really thought that deeply about it. I figured I’d buy some car and a house like any other American. For the first time, I began to see my life and the carbon footprint I could make on the world by choosing to think differently about my personal dependence on oil. Elon Musk had challenged me to see a world where innovation and technology could redefine what we drive, how drive, and what we use to drive. Honestly, for years, I had my mind set on buying an Audi A4. I had never really made the connection between my car purchase and how that would affect my dependence on oil. Now that I’ve been awakened, I’ve begun to fall in love with something deeper. I’ve realized that it’s not just about buying a nice car. I now see my purchasing power as something bigger. I see it as a statement; an idea of how I want to be in the world.
Like most Americans, I’ve made countless trips to the gas station, spending $20-$40 a week on gas. I average about $150 a month on gas, plus another $35 every 3 months on oil changes. In comparison to most of the people I know, I don’t drive much. I have friends who average about $400 a month in gas. That’s crazy! After checking today, gas is currently $3.53 here in Atlanta, GA. Sadly, by the time I refer back to this post in the future, gas will probably be considerably higher. Here’s what I know: We are WAY too dependent on oil. Our dependence on oil in America has put us in the ugliest of situations. We’ve become an oil-hungry nation. Our dependence on oil has led to brutal wars with countries like Afghanistan and Iraq and disgraceful dealings with corrupt governments. As oil continues to become more expensive by the barrel every year, we as American citizens will be forced to take the blow and bear the costs. We’re already bearing the cost. I remember when gas was $1 a gallon. Just a year ago, gas was as high as $5 a gallon in some states. This should be an outrage! More people are buying cars every year and the need for oil is only going to increase around the world. It’s gonna get uglier. And we’re all smack-dab in-the-middle with our dollars being used to wage war on oil.
Now hear me, I don’t expect people to convert to anything. This isn’t some alter-call for people needing to convert to energy efficient cars. I’m just finally deciding to take my position in this conversation. I’m choosing to design a lifestyle that is both conscious and creative. I’m choosing to live an awakened life. I’m refusing to be stuck at the end of this conversation, depending on a corrupt oil industry that would rather take advantage of other nations at the expense of my pocketbook. Gas isn’t getting cheaper and we aren’t driving less. So what’s the solution? My solution is to ask better questions:
I know part of my role is to ask these questions; to find the deeper answers; to test the waters. I don’t do this just for me. This is also for those who may never think to ask or search or test these things. This is for those who may read this post. At the end of the day, my job is to first awaken possibility in myself and to then awaken possibility in others. My job is to keep my ears on the pulse of culture and to grab ideas that will not only make my life better, but make my world better. My job is to make whatever I learn available to as many who would want to know. And I know there are many people who will be inspired and awakened by me making the decision to become a more conscious and creative consumer. Plus, I’m sure a lot of us are looking for better answers when it comes to the issues of gas prices and this war on oil.
So, I said all of that to say that I’m considering buying a Tesla Model S.
I’m not planning on making a purchase of that magnitude right now, of course. I can’t foot the bill of a $67,000 car right now anyway. And that’s just the MSRP. After going on Tesla’s website and building my own custom Tesla Model S, my estimate grew to $95,000. That’s a lot of money! But when I think about the lifetime value of the car and the amount of money I’ll save over time in gas, oil changes, trips to gas stations, spark plug changes, and other crazy costs that come with oil-dependent cars, I’m convinced that it’s worth the investment. Plus it’s considered a luxury vehicle. It’s like getting the best of both worth… efficient luxury. At this stage, I believe it’s worth my time to research and understand what’s going on. The best investment I can make now is an investment in educating myself and others.
Right now, I’m in my research phase. Before I decide to make any decisions for or against something, I usually take my time to really immerse myself in the information. I’ve been studying electric car companies like Tesla and Fisker, car charging procedures, mileage per car charge, maintenance requirements, battery life, industry news, publicly traded electric car companies, etc. It’s exciting! Well, I think it’s exciting. lol. I realize that I get to make better and more conscious decisions on how I spend my time and my money. I get to design a better life. And this is just one aspect of lifestyle design. Lifestyle design affects everything… even buying a car.
Right now, I’m still tugging away in my 1997 Nissan Altima. It isn’t the most energy efficient car by far, but this is what I have decided to make due with while I save. As I said earlier, I was saving for an Audi A4. Since I’m considering making the switch to a fully-electric Tesla Model S, I will be beefing up my goals and plans to make it possible. I’m increasing my productivity in both of my companies. Essentially, I’ll have to earn more income to afford such a thing. I’m not worried though. I’m a self-starter. If I can set 100 Life Goals and achieve a lot of them, I’m sure I can make this a goal and achieve this.
Here’s the plan: If all things remain consistent, I’m considering buying a Tesla Model S when I turn 30. That gives me a little over 3 years to make that a reality. Hopefully, the company is still afloat and their marketshare has increased enough for the company to be a viable automobile maker by then. There’s also a chance they will release other models at more affordable rates. Either way, I have my eyes fixed on the Model S for now. I understand that this may not seem like a big deal to you. But just imagine for a minute with me… How cool would it be to make such a bold statement with your lifestyle and with your dollars? Just imagine how I feel. The idea of buying a fully-electric car on my birthday… with cash… is crazy! lol. Oh, what kind of statement that will be to the world. It would be my declaration of independence from a nation driven by oil. I believe we’re a part of a generation that is changing the world by making decisions like these, one person at a time. I consider this another step into the direction of awaking possibility. I’m excited about it. And I’m making it a MUST for it to happen.
At the end of the day, whatever you decide to drive is up to you. Trust me, people who drive electric cars aren’t better than people who drive oil-dependent cars. We’re all in this together. And I think it’s our job to help create a better world for one another. This blog post is about my way of making my world just a little bit better. I believe that more of us will transition over to this era of innovation and possibility once it’s embraced and accepted by more people. There was a time when energy efficient cars and electric cars didn’t exist. Now they do. And I believe there will be a day when oil-dependent cars will no longer exist. Well, that’s my hope. If the world could be a little bit cleaner and a little bit better because of how I choose to live my life, then I guess I’ll make the world a little bit cleaner and a little bit better. I hope you’ll join me. 
Watch this…
July 11, 20132 comments
After sending a recent message to someone on LinkedIn, I figured I’d post that message here. I’ve had several people from around the world ask me how I set my goals. I definitely don’t think I’m an expert at this – yet – but I do think I can give some advice on it. I’ll try to organize all of this as a simple Q&A. Ok, here we go…
Do you have a vision board?
I do have a vision board, but it’s not your typical vision board. I’ve tried making a few vision boards in the past, but they would always seem to break or the cutouts would either fall off or get crumbled up. I use Pinterest for my vision board now. I was never big on making vision boards until I discovered Pinterest. Honestly, I don’t like to think of it as a vision board anymore. I call it my “Lifestyle Design Board”. I think that word-picture fits my personality better. lol. Since Pinterest gives you the option to create multiple boards, I’ve have the freedom to create boards and pin things that I never would have even thought of. I figured I could build a bigger Lifestyle Design Board faster online than if I tried to do it physically. Plus, making it public has kept me accountable to it. I refer back to it often to stay inspired. It’s become one of my favorite places to get inspiration and understand what I like, what I want, and who I want to be. I’ve even used Pinterest for creating my current office space and bedroom. I’m also using it to plan for the future office space for my company, 4th Park Studios. Pinterest is literally the coolest thing!
How did you come up with the idea to create your 100 Life Goals?
Honestly, the biggest thing I’ve done was deciding to write down my 100 Life Goals. It all began when my former pastor – Shaun King – did a message series called 100 Life Goals. He awakened possibility in all of us to think about the breath of our life in a more colorful way. Until then, I had never realized the full scope of what my life could be. I had never thought to write down my goals that way. I was so used to limiting myself to only a few types of goals (financial and experience goals). I never thought about skills goals or family goals or influence goals until I had to write down 100 of them during that message series. So to clear the record, I didn’t come up with the idea. I wish I could take the credit, but I’d be stealing someone else’s thunder. lol.
Why did you decide to make your 100 Life Goals public?
I posted my 100 Life Goals here on my website a few years ago as a way to keep track and measure them. I figured that if I keep them hidden away in some document on my computer, I’d be more likely to forget them. Making them public has made me accountable. I’ve had people from all of the world view my 100 Life Goals on my site. It actually made my site the #1 search result in Google for almost a year for the keywords “life goals” and “100 life goals”. Talk about AWAKENING POSSIBILITY. lol. With that many people paying attention, it makes it harder for me to forget. It forces me to be more intentional about accomplish them.
How do you set goals?
As far as my goals, I have a series of techniques that I use. I use Evernote to write my goal list for the year. This list is called my “Milestones For The Year”. Each year, I try to come up with a set of milestones. These are points of progress that I want to make throughout the year. I try to break down some of those milestones by the month. For example, on my Milestones 2013 list, one of my milestones if was to grow my team at my company. I set 2-3 months to achieve that milestone. I didn’t try to designate a milestone for each month. It’s not important to have 12 milestones for the year. You may only have 3. And it may take you 3 to 6 months to accomplish one of them. I also try to assign each of my milestones a date. This gives me an actual end point. Instead of it being a goal I want to achieve, it becomes a due date that I have to prepare for. Totally different approach. Trust me.
Once I can see how my months align with my milestones for the year, I try to itemize each month down to daily Action Items. That way I can see progress being made day-to-day. I have a Circa Notebook that I use to write down my Action Items. I make it a MUST to have Action Items that I try to knock out every day. I periodically refer back to my monthly and yearly milestones in Evernote to see if I’ve accomplished any of those. I try to celebrate accomplishing milestones by treating myself. I’ve found that placing a reward either on or after a due date has made accomplishing my milestones more exciting and fulfilling. This SHOULD be exciting. It’s my life and I get to celebrate it how I want.
How do you measure progress?
At the end of the year, I do my Year In Review. This is a document that I got from Scott Dinsmore, an amazing blogger and ‘awakener of possibility’ who has devoted his life to helping people live their legend. I took this document and adjusted the questions to fit my personality. I use that template as my guide to measure my year. The year will change, but the questions usually stay the same. Here are some of the questions I ask to assess my year:
What books would you recommend for setting goals?
Here are few books that have helped motivate me to set goals and develop routines:
Why do are goals important to you?
As you can see, my goal-setting process is a little sophisticated. I’m a systems freak. lol. But this has helped me make HUGE progress in my 20s. I’m BIG on maximizing these years of my life, since I’m single and without kids. Even if I were married with kids, I think I’d still make it a MUST to live to the max. There’s no reason why I should be living below my own potential. I deserve the greatest expression of myself. And I don’t have to watch life happen; I can MAKE it happen. That’s the gift God gave us; the gift of life. Abundant life. Amazing life. Awakened life. A life that’s present, colorful, and rich with possibility. We all have this gift. Goals are merely points of progress that help you get the most of of the gift. It’s not about the goals we set or the things we do. It’s about the person we become in the process. That’s the beauty of it all. The beautiful art of a life that matters.
What keeps you motivated to accomplish your goals?
I’ll be honest… I slack off at times. I’m not always motivated to accomplish every goal every day. Everyday is always a fully illuminated day. Some days are dim and gloomy. Some days are frustrating and overwhelming. Some days, I just want to be lazy and sleep. But what I love most about it all is that there’s always a new day. A brighter day. And each day brings with it, its own possibility. Each day presents us with its own blank canvas. A canvas to which we can create art. And what we create is up to us. What more can you ask for? We have the tools to create a masterpiece everyday. Our lives are masterpieces. And since I’m doing all of this talking, I think I’ll stop right here. There’s some art that needs to be made today. And I’m going to take these brushes and grab this paint and make something! And you should too!
Welcome to AntwonDavis.com. I can't believe you stopped by. WHOOT! Hopefully you will learn a lot about me, what I'm doing, what I'm thinking, where I'm going, and more.
4THPARK is a brand agency based in Atlanta, GA. We assist clients in awakening their BIG ideas. We champion the creative process, creative thinking & smart design.
One of my lifelong dreams is to help awaken possibility in others: To challenge a generation of people who have – without thinking – bought into the lie that life is all about working a job.
Whoever said you had to have some expensive camera to take some amazing photos. Have a look at what I've been able to do with my iPhone. I'm not a rockstar photographer... yet.