The Goal
January 1st, 2023
I have tracked annual goals on a daily basis since the start of 2021. This process has helped me become much more accountable and has given me the opportunity to partake in new activities I want to experience, get better at, or simply enjoy doing. At the same time, I have failed. I did not accomplish multiple goals in both 2021 and 2022. Some highlights are in 2022 I wanted to skateboard 120 times. Learning to Ollie, and kick flip seemed like tests I could and would implement into my day to day activities. Plus, I had already started skateboarding in 2021 so I expected to carry this into 2022. The actual result was I skateboarded 0 times all year. That’s right, 0 times. This also meant everyday I wrote in my goal spreadsheet that I had in fact, NOT, skateboarded. Another example is from a tweet thread I posted to kick off the year (shown below). One of the things I highlighted as wanting to learn was fundamental and technical analysis of stocks and crypto currencies. Another stated goal, I did nothing to accomplish.
In these failures, I reflect, and ultimately grow. They are black and white feedback mechanisms I use to get better. Failing is only truly failure if you quit, I will not quit. At the same time goals that are always achieved are bad goals. They must require strain and deliberate action in order to achieve. Failure is GOOD, it means the goals are difficult.
The idea of daily written, published content stems from a Ted Talk where the speaker had a stated goal of watching 1 movie everyday for a whole year. He accomplished this goal and in doing so, learned numerous life lessons about time management and the effect consistent effort has on your life. The purpose of this newsletter is for me to stop “waiting until next month” to begin something. It is for me to act. I want to become a better writer and the only way for me to do so is to write. This writing must be done consistently, and with intention.
This newsletter is intended to be at least 300 words a day, meaning by January 1st, 2023, there will be 365 entries. The subject matters for these entries will be largely random. I plan to treat this like a journal of things going on but not rambled thoughts. Each entry will aim to have a sustained topic. I am passionate about sharing insights and putting my thoughts to paper and am driven by being consistent. Ultimately, I am unsure how many people will be reading this in a year or what the newsletter will look like from a subject matter perspective. What I do know is I will complete this task.