Earlier this year I set up a massive list of goals for the year.  I didn’t expect to make them all, nor did I actually want to him them all.  If I did, that would mean that they were too easy!

Here’s a quick summary of where I’m at 9 months in.

Bolded goals have been completed.

Health

• Complete Tough Mudder on Saturday March 29, 2013 in Los Angeles.
• Limit beer to 1-2/month.  Drinks when out max 1 soda+alcohol/night.
•  5 reps of 1.5x bodyweight squats, deadlifts, and bench presss.
• Eat meals prepared with foods that have as few steps from farm -> table as possible.
• Figure out what’s going on with the knot in my back and my right knee system.

Fear

• Keep a fear journal for at least one month where I do something that scares me everyday and record it.
• Approaching people (esp. girls) I find interesting or attractive needs to be part of the way I live.
• Take improv, standup, or dance classes (bonus points for all 3)

Creativity

• Record an original song. Bonus points for recording a 5 song EP
• Participate in NaNoWriMo in November
• Build Supreme Strategies blog and this blog by writing consistently.  1 post a week.

Honesty

• Track lying in a document for a month.

Income

• Increase side business income to $5,000/month by end of year.  Started GreatMate, so this goal is shelved.

Thought leadership

• Build Supreme Strategies blog and this blog to XX,000 hits/month. Started GreatMate, so this goal is shelved.
• Build subscribers to this blog to 500. Decided not to allow people to subscribe to my blog.

Marketing Savvy

• Create and run a successful e-commerce store selling either kombucha equipment or gardening supplies.  Set up and sold a product on Kombucha Kings, but had to put on hold due to GreatMate.

Developing Systems

• Develop business systems for any task that is predictably repeatable and can be delegated.  Devote at least 5 hours a week (or 2-3 tasks) to this goal.  Doing OK on this for GreatMate.
• Build robust morning and evening routines that are systematized and iterated on for best results.

Being Present

• Meditate at least 5 minutes a day.  Making progress here, but it’s slow.
• Spend at least one Sunday a month 100% unplugged.

Family

• Call grandparents 1x/week.
• Weekly call with Jon 1x/week.
• See Mom at least 1x/mo or Skype if not possible
• G+ hangout with brother 2x/mo

Travel

• Spend at least a month outside of the U.S. this year.  Currently at two weeks, with 4 weeks spent in San Francisco this year as well.

Friends

• Plan or suggest at least 1 activity a month with friends, ideally bringing different circles together.

Dating

• Plan fun, awesome dates with girls I find interesting
• Make talking to girls I find attractive part of my personality.  A work in progress.

Volunteering

• Volunteer 6x this year.

Bonus Items

• Start a podcast
• Gain 1-2 more mentors who have expertise in fitness, marketing, business, writing, or music
• Create an LLC that allows me to optimize my tax strategy
• Host a dinner party once every 2 months
• Create an event that people love.  Potential: Fancy running parties.

Places / Events

• Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• South Korea
• Hungary

All in all, not too bad considering I started GreatMate about a month after writing this out of the blue.  It’s taken up a considerable amount of my time (as it should) and as a result a few of these goals have simply shifted.  However, there are a bunch that I’ve just dropped the ball on – mainly anything having to do with tracking something, or doing something on a repeatable schedule.

Time to fix that.  Check back in a few months for the next update!

Kevin Espiritu

Founder / CEO of Epic Gardening. Gardener, business-builder, curious.

www.kevinespiritu.com

Kevin Espiritu -

Every year, I have done some variation on goal setting for the year.  My results have trended upwards over the years, but I’ve always felt I was missing out on some crucial part of the process.  This year, I’m mixing it up.  I’m using a different system than last year, as well as putting everything out there in public.  I’m doing this for three reasons:

1. Accountability – There are a few people that I have weekly/monthly calls with to make sure goals are being met.  Posting my 2014 goals here makes it easier for them to track progress.
2. Help – I’m positive there are a few people out there who can help me out with these goals (and I bet I can help them with theirs, too!)
3. Fear – throwing your yearly goals out there in so much detail is uncomfortable for me, so that means I have to do it.

Life Areas

1. Personal Development
2. Career Development
3. Family / Personal / Social Well-Being
4. Finances
5. Health
6. Creative

In the past, I’ve set goals right from these 6 areas.  Unsurprisingly, they didn’t turn out too well.  I wasn’t connecting the superficial goals with a deeper reason behind them, so I’d often fall short.  Digging deeper than superficial goal setting to truly understand why you want something to happen is necessary if you want to achieve.

So instead of picking a few goals in each category for the year, I defined high-level principles that I want to strive towards for the year.  Only then did I define the goals for each area and what accomplishing those goals would look like.

Without further ado:

in 2014, I want to be more:

Healthy –Great health is the foundation.  Without it, I can’t pursue anything else optimally.  This is priority #1 for the year.

• Complete Tough Mudder on Saturday March 29, 2013 in Los Angeles.
•  5 reps of 1.5x bodyweight squats, deadlifts, and bench press.
• Limit beer to 1-2/month.  Drinks when out max 1 soda+alcohol/night.
• Eat meals prepared with foods that have as few steps from farm -> table as possible.
• Figure out what’s going on with the knot in my back and my right knee system.

Fearless – Most lack of action can be boiled down to fear of something.  Working to reduce fear (or act in the face of it) will lead to a richer life for myself and others.

• Keep a fear journal for at least one month where I do something that scares me everyday and record it.
• Approaching people (esp. girls) I find interesting or attractive needs to be part of the way I live.
• Take improv, standup, or dance classes (bonus points for all 3)

Creative – Nurturing my creative talents will help expand my abilities in every aspect of my life.

• Record an original song. Bonus points for recording a 5 song EP
• Participate in NaNoWriMo in November
• Build Supreme Strategies blog and this blog by writing consistently.  1 post a week.

in 2014, I want to develop more:

Honesty – I really liked reading this post by Scott Britton, and want to add more honesty into my life in those small situations where it’s easiest to default to white lies rather than the pure truth.

• Track lying in a document for a month.

Income – Increasing income allows me to devote more money towards lower leverage activities so I can free up time to spend on what I’m best at.  Also, so I can pour more money into new projects that I think will offer value.

• Increase side business income to $5,000/month by end of year

Thought leadership – building an audience scales the positive effect I can have, and helps build new relationships and new opportunities.

• Build Supreme Strategies blog and this blog to XX,000 hits/month
• Build subscribers to this blog to 500

Marketing savvy – because I enjoy cultivating this and it will help me be in a better position when I go to start a company.

• Create and run a successful e-commerce store selling either kombucha equipment or gardening supplies

IN 2014, I want to get better at:

Developing systems – For business and personal life, so I can remove myself from activities I’m not so good at and focus on things that I am awesome at.

• Develop business systems for any task that is predictably repeatable and can be delegated.  Devote at least 5 hours a week (or 2-3 tasks) to this goal.
• Build robust morning and evening routines that are systematized and iterated on for best results.

Being present – One of the best ways to cultivate appreciation and gratitude.

• Meditate at least 5 minutes a day.
• Spend at least one Sunday a month 100% unplugged.

Keeping in touch with family – Simple to do, I just need to put more intention behind it and set up the systems.

• Call grandparents 1x/week.
• Weekly call with Jon 1x/week.
• See Mom at least 1x/mo or Skype if not possible
• G+ hangout with brother 2x/mo

IN 2014, I’d like to spend more time:

Traveling – Likely one of the biggest ways I have grown.  Consistently rewards me with fresh perspectives, more creativity, and more presence.

• Spend at least a month outside of the U.S. this year.

Planning activites with friends – Becoming more of the initiator of events or activities rather than someone who always joins others.  Not that it is bad to do that, but coming up with activities myself will help build networks and stronger relationships.

• Plan or suggest at least 1 activity a month with friends, ideally bringing different circles together.

Dating – Drastically under emphasized last year.  Spending more time meeting women will round out this area of my life, and potentially meet a really awesome girl

• Make talking to girls I find attractive part of my personality
• Plan fun, awesome dates with girls I find interesting

Volunteering – I’ve gotten away from this lately and it always makes me feel good and is in general a great thing to spend time doing.

• Volunteer 6x this year.

Bonus Items:

• Start a podcast
• Create an LLC that allows me to optimize my tax strategy
• Gain 1-2 more mentors who have expertise in fitness, marketing, business, writing, or music
• Host a dinner party once every 2 months
• Create an event that people love.  Potential: Fancy running parties.

Places / Events I’d like to go to:

• Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• South Korea
• Hungary

–

What do you want to do in 2014?

Kevin Espiritu

Founder / CEO of Epic Gardening. Gardener, business-builder, curious.

www.kevinespiritu.com

Kevin Espiritu -