I know, I know, it’s a cliche but this year is going to be different. I often have done this but I’ve always found it difficult to keep track or my opinion changes throughout the year, or I lose focus or just simply forget. Hopefully by putting this on a somewhat public forum I will feel more of an obligation and held to the scrutiny of the masses and face the terrible embarrassment of not achieving my laundry list of random, probably meaningless goals. This year I have decided to aim a bit lower and have specific measurable plans and not the usual vague ‘want to lose weight’ type goals where you are not even sure if you achieve it. I’m dividing these into different categories and having three goals in each. Some things are more easily measurable then others. In order to keep myself accountable I will review on the first of the month each month, here I can see what progress I have made on each goal and whether I am on track or not. I will start with fitness as this for me is easiest to track

Fitness

Fitness goals are for me personally the easiest to achieve, it is probably my biggest passion in my life and if you put the time in and effort you will achieve them. Quite formulaic, obviously you can get injured or get fat or fall in love which makes these goals harder to achieve. I already have the programming and expertise to achieve them so the only battle I have here is consistency. I will make a post each month of videos of my progress

  1. Jump Rope - 100 alternating steps + 100 double-unders
  2. 3 Second Front Lever
    • A good overall strength goal. The method to achieve this are incorporated into my strength routine. Currently at a 20 second tucked front lever. Should be achievable by the end of 2021 with consistent work.
  3. 6 pack by June
    • I will diet down for January, no specific diet. Avoid chocolate/crisps/takeaway + minimise alcohol consumption. Weigh myself every morning. Repeat dieting phase for May until I reach the body composition that I am lean but I also have high energy levels
  4. Achieve a consistent handstand with 30 second hold
    • This is already programmed for me, just again a matter of putting in the work and being consistent. Improvement of shoulder flexion is nessacary so strecthing routine developed should not be neglected.

Career/Education

I have just began a PhD so it is hard to define specific goals yet in my career to achieve as a lot of the first year of research based work is figuring stuff out and it is not really enough time to publish research so instead here I am going to list some habits I want to develop that will make this PhD go swimmingly.

  1. Take notes everyday and organise in OneNote everyday
  2. Say yes to every course/opportunity to learn/present my work
  3. Organise papers in Mendeley as I download them
  4. If a task takes less than ten minutes, do it immediately

All of them pretty straightforward and they focus on being more organised. I found out the hard way in my master’s how important being organised is in order to conduct efficient productive research. Trying to figure out your spaghetti folder structure from 2 years ago is not my idea of fun

Personal Development

  1. Learn about investing money -I will dedicate half an hour three times a week to learn about investing. Once I’m confident I will invest some of my savings
  2. Achieve B2 Level Test in Spanish
    • Listen to one spanish podcast a day
    • Start watching a series in Spanish
    • Complete one babbel and one review everyday
    • Sign up for three hours of lessons a week
    • Engage with people in Spanish at every opportunity
    • Book exam for end of the year
  3. Remove filler words from my vocabulary e.g. like, you know etc -Listen to the voice notes I send people and actively think about what I want to say

Social + Relationships

  1. Lead a group meditation group of at least 5 people -I really believe in the power of meditation and it is something I would like to spread to others. This requires a lot of preparation. First I will need to develop the script and practice with one person I trust and slowly build my confidence with it
  2. Develop a group of close-knit friends in Barcelona -Somewhat limited now at the moment with coronavirus but do at least one activity with other people that I do not know to expand my social circle. People believe this is something that happens naturally, which it is but the process can certainly be sped up.
  3. Be as present as possible with people -I think this is a huge problem in modern day society, people are very distracted when dealing with others, I don’t want to be on my phone when engaging with others. It is the ultimate show of respect to be fully present when with others. Give them your full attention.

Random Skills

  1. Moonwalk -This is easily achievable and will just take on evening but it is a matter of putting in the time in that evening
  2. Backflip -Long term goal of mine, once the weather gets better I will program it.
  3. Stomach Vacuums -Integrate as part of my stretching routine

Spiritual

  1. Be open to others. Truly listen to them
  2. Avoid judging others before I know them
  3. Learn how to say no