2025

The end of the year is a nice time to reflect upon what went well, what went wrong, and what you aim to do about it in the coming year. I no longer do New Year's resolutions; instead, I try to define broader themes with specific goals.

I guess I still do New Year's resolutions. :)

Most of my goals are input-based, meaning I set goals around things I can directly control. For instance, instead of targeting a specific net worth (which depends on market performance), I set goals around how much I'll invest.

While I keep my themes broad, I've found that setting specific targets is crucial for accountability. Lastly, I try to set goals around 3-5 different themes. Anything more, and I am likely to lose track, lose motivation, and then stop altogether.

Most of my themes/goals have been very similar for a while. I've never hit them all, but perfection isn't the goal. Progress is the goal, and I've gotten a little better in most years - sometimes with calculated stepbacks. One step backward, two steps forward is often true.

Every goal ultimately comes with a cost, as our time and resources are limited. Goals have price tags.

Otherwise, everyone would just set their goals as being super fit, loved, rich, etc. You can set those goals, but give yourself years and years to accomplish them.

By setting goals around similar themes, I've benefited from positive compounding. The key is maintaining minimal progress - even a "C" grade - since abandoning a goal creates negative compound effects that are hard to overcome. Once you're hitting A grades, it's a lot easier to maintain than initially achieving those goals for the first time. So don't set yourself five goals; with each, you're trying to go from an F to an A. It won't work.

Here are my themes for 2025.

• Have specific experiences with friends and family (A in 2024)
• Do specific things for my health (B- in 2024)
• Invest a specific amount of money (A in 2024)
• Publish a specific amount of content (C+ in 2024)
• Read a specific number of books (B in 2024)

Happy Specific New Year.