The Corgi Plan
I’m gonna start by keeping it short and sweet: My name is Jonathan Hack, and I am going to get a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. When? That’s a different story. I think about the anime One Piece, where the main character Monkey D. Luffy is determined to become king of the pirates, and makes sure to remind everyone of that. Do we know when he’s gonna get there? No. 1,000 episodes later and we still don’t, but we know he’s going to. It’s very that. The goal is not an impulse of “I want it and I want it now.” This is a decision to accept a long journey ahead of you requiring hard work and perseverance. This journey becomes the chapters and arcs in a great book of adventures, meeting many new people along the way and culminating in the ultimate goal being reached. In my case, my journey to get a corgi has become its own adventure and served as a personal conviction that’s clearly recognizable to others. It’s also a critical aspect of my journey of understanding who I am, especially in the context of life, adulthood and independence.
I have been committed to this corgi goal for about 10 years now. Spoiler, it’s going to be a few more before I finally get one, because I have a plan. This plan has been years in the making, all centered around this 1 goal. There are a lot of very “complex” aspects to this, I feel like would take more of a thesis rather than a small article on a blog, so trust me when I say: I am really just editing this down for the sake of a reader/listener. This is more meant to be my intention setting to the world. People know this about me already, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already knew I’m obsessed with corgis. This serves as my official confirmation of my plan as of April 2021, and also maybe giving anyone who’s ever wondered “what’s Jon’s deal with corgis?” their answer!
Let’s begin with a good ol origin story. Yes, I call it an origin story. The goal is epic! It all started one day 10 years ago at a neighbor’s house watching a Patriots game. Of course, televised football is not the most interesting thing to me, but they had food, so I was obviously there. I walk in the door and these 2 dogs just run up to me, and I am in awe. Filled with complete wonder, I look up and ask my neighbor “What kind of dogs are these???” and she replies, “Oh! That’s a corgi!” I was absolutely enamored. Something about them just did not make sense to me. To quote Frederick Backman’s book Anxious People, “You end up loving the one you don’t understand. Then you spend the rest of your life trying.” My eyes were fixated on them, I had never seen a dog like that before. They were so soft and fluffy! They’re not small dogs either. They’re short, but they’re not small; they got some THICKNESS on them. I ended up spending the whole time chilling with those doggos. Please see below for a picture from that very day. I had never seen one before and remember leaving there exclaiming “That is the dog I’m going to get.” I was immediately hooked.
I spent some quality time after that with my neighbor, volunteering to help her walk the pups to get to know them better. The dogs, mainly, even though my neighbor was a positive side benefit, she’s fabulous! From here, I began to learn and fall deeper into this decision. Let’s say there’s a pile of snow on the sidewalk, these corgis would just walk up to it and just stick their snout into it. These short pups are over here just jabbing their faces into the snow, how adorable! The anatomy of a corgi deserves its own 3 credit college course, like what even are those proportions? Their butt floats in water because it’s composed of 79% air, a literal bubble butt. In fairy tales, they’re commonly seen as the trusted steed of the fairy army. Do I make a gay joke here? Well, let’s just say they’re not the only fairy that wants a corgi by their side. They have a difficult time making it over small obstacles which is absolutely hysterical because they keep trying their best with a smile on their face. Queen Elizabeth has owned over 30 corgis and even created a royal bloodline of corgis. They used to be cattle herding dogs: What? Their height allowed them to nip at the heels of the cattle and their tails were historically docked to prevent them being stepped on. My neighbor recommended I watch the video “corgi flop”, and I implore you to watch this immediately. If that doesn’t explain everything, I don’t know what else could.
I was already a huge dog person anyway, and corgis became the thing that I just associated all of that pent up dog person love onto. From there, it was kind of smooth sailing. The decision was made, but it was materializing that dream which became the task. Fast forward 10 years, and nothing’s changed. I still want a corgi more than anything. I can confidently say that the majority of things that happen in my day to day life would be greatly enhanced if a corgi was there. Presently, I’m in a position where I could totally get one if I wanted to, but it’s gonna take more than that for me. Immediate gratification is attractive, we all know the feeling, but I’m personally afraid of just thinking “I’m able to get one so obviously I’ll get it now”. I want to avoid looking at it from that point of view. I’m giving this the same level of thought and effort I’ve given all of my life decisions I’ve deemed as important. So, I devised a plan.
So, what is this corgi plan? This... corgi caper, if you will. Essentially, I began thinking to myself “How can I create a middle ground approach that balances ideals and reality?” Ideals are, you know, wanting to live joyfully and move towards the things that bring me happiness. Ideals as in the mentality of: “If you want something today, get it! There’s no guarantee for tomorrow.” Reality, on the other hand, includes practicality, money, work commitments, social life, and all of those other things we deal with in our day to day life. This balance created a set of prerequisite goals that are required to arrive at this ultimate achievement. As I developed further, a corgi became this “symbol” onto which I attached all of these other things that I want to do for myself. Getting a corgi means more than just getting a dog. I wanted to make this a unique self experiment. I don’t know anyone who’s taking getting a dog nearly as seriously as I am, and that’s exactly what I like about it. It’s a journey all my own. I want to see the long term power and benefits of embarking toward a future goal unique to me, as silly as that goal may sound. I made this symbol meaningful to me in the hope of having a fantastic journey. I wanted to establish my own conviction and carry it forward into my life and identity with pride.
Here’s a general breakdown of my plan:
Work independently for a few years, where I can build a quality network in and out of my industry. I can pursue new opportunities and take risks in my career with minimal worry around a dependent I have to care for at home. I’m accountable for myself.
Be able to say yes to impromptu events and social opportunities while I’m young and active. I still have this capacity and energy to be free and make new connections in this crazy city. The upcoming roaring 2020s in NYC are something I’m very much looking forward to. Safe to say that having an added dependent would make embracing the times a little bit harder. It wouldn't make it impossible, but definitely more difficult!
Focus on my financial habits. I can save money for a while and gain a deeper understanding of where my current priorities lie in my own spending before I add something else that I have to spend for. I want to be prepared for when I take on that new responsibility without having to worry about the added costs whatsoever. You know, I’m not someone who cares about purchasing designer brands for myself. If you see me walking down the street, I won’t be wearing Gucci, but my corgi sure as hell will be!
Prevent immediate gratification. I’ve wanted a dog my entire life, and just because I’m in a position where I could get one right now does not mean it’s the best choice for me in the present. I’m fascinated by how I’ll feel after holding off for a longer period rather than immediately getting it.
Have a space that I live in that’s able to handle a dog very well. I live in Manhattan, and I’m not about to cramp my angel into a small apartment. As I progress in life and career, I’ll make it to a place where I can properly afford a more spacious apartment in a neighborhood where I would be comfortable raising a dog in Manhattan. My corgi deserves their own space, maybe even a throne! I want to avoid the stresses I’ve observed in other people when they’re cramped into a tiny tiny space that doesn’t really work for them and the dog.
Better understand what I want my life to actually look like, and put work into being independent by myself before I picture adding a dependent component. Dogs are a huge responsibility! I can focus on myself first. I want to have all my medical providers solidified. I want to have a consistent early wake up time. I want to improve my diet and exercise to the point it becomes habitual, where adding a dog is a simple addition to a lifestyle I’m happy with. I have hot yoga classes to schedule around!!
These are parts of myself that still need my dedicated attention, time and care. I have to get myself right before I even attempt getting something else right. I believe one of the most profound aspects of this is what I’ve created. For each of these parts of life I view as important, I’ve attached this thing to it, a unique WHY. A purpose, all my own. Each of these effortful and seemingly dry life to-do’s ask the question of why I’m doing them. None of them are something you can easily accomplish on a whim, they take discipline and perseverance. They require a distinct answer to the question, and I have the perfect response! Essentially, to accomplish my biggest life goal, I have to get my shit together. I think that’s pretty good!
Unlike many of my dating options, I have no commitment issues... when it comes to this plan. In fact, I’m utterly stubborn when it comes to my personal mission. I integrated my ownership of this plan into my own expression of who I am to others. My favorite thing about it so far is how it’s been accepted and humored by all these different kinds of people I’ve met through the years. A recent event at work comes to mind. I was on a zoom call with the high school mentoring program I’m in. This virtual room was filled with fellow corporate employees as well as 20 high schoolers from the city. A manager of mine happens to be one of the people who runs the program, and we have a great relationship. It was those random first few minutes of the zoom. Someone was showing their dog on camera and my manager subsequently said to the group “You know, I have a funny story about Jon and dogs.” What? Excuse me? All virtual eyes on Jon! I love attention but was taken aback by this sudden storytime. He begins to recount a team event we had a year and a half ago when I was new on his project team. Essentially, it was an opportunity for new and older team members to sit down at a bar to get drinks and get to know each other, with everyone introducing themselves and why they’re there, etc. While we went through each person, everyone was giving those run of the mill responses you’d expect from an icebreaker in a corporate setting. New experiences, meeting new people, working on cool projects, learning about an industry, etc. Then we get to Jon. Jon sits up and says to the group “Well, I understand why all of you are here, but I’m not here for any of those things. I’m here because my plan is to work hard enough to be able to support my future corgi.” And Jon said that with total conviction, that was not a joke.
My manager is laughing as he recounts this experience. He had never heard anything quite like that before. He’s telling this group a story after a year and a half of how he just remembers my amusing introduction to his team. I had even forgotten I had said that, yet he’s over here telling the story in detail to everyone and suddenly comes back to me thinking “I DID say that!” This guy literally remembered that, and he found it hysterical. I just so happened to have a corgi poster in my video background so I proudly confirmed his story by showing it off to the zoom. What a good thing to be remembered for! What a power that had! I love being associated with corgis. In much of Simon Sinek’s work, he emphasizes the importance of having a WHY. A WHY serves as the source for the most remarkable journeys, and that’s exactly what the corgi became for me. He once said that “Charisma has nothing to do with energy, it comes from a clarity of WHY. It comes from an absolute conviction in an idea bigger than oneself.” That would explain so much about my manager’s story. When asked for a WHY, I responded with corgis. It was much bigger than the normal scope of answers. In that event, my corgi conviction nurtured a charisma that was memorable and very well received.
As strange as it seems, second only to my sexuality, my decision to get a corgi is the thing I am the most sure of. I have never doubted getting a corgi since that day 10 years ago. It’s become so much more than just something that I like and want. It created a life plan that has done me a lot of good. It’s given me something about myself that I can always laugh about. It keeps me humble. It reminds me to keep moving forward, regardless of the stressors in the present. It gives me a fair and attainable financial goal to work toward, and doesn’t press me because I’m not some millionaire by 30. Don’t get me wrong, the money would be nice, but I just want the corgi. They’re the coolest! I experience joy whenever I see one that compels me to work harder so I can make sure I have one by my side one day. Growing up, I always felt as if whenever I tried to picture my own future, all I’d see or hear is TV static. I was drowning in self doubt, insecurity and fear. With this plan I developed, I’ve finally been able to clearly picture a future for myself and my fantastic sidekick, and it rocks! I want to walk my corgi to the park in a matching outfit, befriend fellow dog owners, and even go to those corgi beach meetups on the West coast. I can get one of those dog backpacks and travel the subways of the city with a fluffy doggo literally watching my back. I want to sit on my bed, sipping coffee and reading a book to my corgi cuddled up by my side. I even want to watch the look on my mom’s face when she meets the pup and inevitably falls in love. How wonderful to be able to picture a future with so much joy!
Some people may be thinking “Well what comes after you accomplish this corgi goal? You know there’s still all that time after?” Yea, I know, there’s always the time after reaching the top of the mountain as life inevitably moves forward. We don’t stay in place once we reach the “top” because you then realize there was another, even taller mountain after this one! After I climb this mountain, you know what the next mountain is? Corgi #2! It’ll have its own plan, I swear. Right now, I’m just gonna enjoy the journey to get to the top of the goal in front of me. I will be happily present as I move forward on this journey toward something I truly desire in life. The journey to get there is just as important as the destination, if not more so, and I plan on having an adventure! I am creating a space to allow joy and experience into a very personal mission.
If anyone asks me, why do you want a corgi? They’re going to get to know me very well. This is something I’ve taken into my identity that I can integrate into my interactions with people. I take pride in it. I think it’s a funny thing to talk about, you know? I enjoy getting to be a big of a geek about this little thing. That’s fun, why not? Have you ever looked at a corgi and not smiled?? It serves as a reminder of where I come from and my own history. It reminds me of who I am. I have a motivation, a plan that’s going to drive me forward in business, my social circles, and my life. It’s something that pushes me to work harder because if this is what I want, I need to get some stuff done before I reward myself. It’s that balance of wanting something more than anything, finally having the capacity to get the thing you want, but deciding to use that capacity for other things in your life that you understand need that love and care first. I don’t know what to necessarily call that, but I think it’s been an insanely productive motivator and source of humility in my life for years, and it’ll continue to be. There’s power in conviction. This idea bigger than myself became a part of me, feeding into what we call our individual “charisma.” If I’m even able to channel 1/100th of the charisma of a corgi into my own, that’s iconic. When you hear the name Jon Hack, I hope that one of the first things that comes to mind is a corgi. If that’s the case, which my many experiences confirm, then everything has been going according to plan.
Optimistically,
Jon
