Before 25.

This has become a yearly habit after my birthday where I quickly jot down intentions and goals before my next birthday.

I turned 24 two weeks ago. This was the most productive and formative year of my life. I succumbed to many vices, faced unprecedented personal challenges, cried more than I ever have, struggled with deep depressive episodes, pursued truth with my entire being, failed publicly, achieved many long term goals, and developed deep community in three new places. It was one hell of a year, way harder than I thought it’d be.

I’ll save my deeper public reflections for my year in review. For now, I am one year closer to death and movement into being beyond being. I choose to embrace the lovingkindness and grace of my creator in each breath, not taking a second for granted. I will, of course, take everything for granted, but my intent and energy will flow toward urgently transforming into the man that can best love my communities, increase public good, and live in joyful surrender to divine paradox.

To frame my goals for the year, here are my lifelong missions:

  • Enrich the lives of billions of people through technology.

  • Make a meaningful contribution to humanity’s corpus of wisdom.

  • Live a life animated by love, aligned with truth, devoted to justice.

Traits that I MUST invest in this year:

  • Focus

  • Attention to detail

  • Humility

  • Public speaking

  • Simplicity

  • Leadership

Main Quest Line:

  • Cultivate a deep community in New York City filled with thinkers, artists, and entrepreneurs in pursuit of higher good.

  • Invest in my family - connect meaningfully and emphatically with every member of my family one on one, at least once. Do not let how I feel about them be left to their imagination.

  • Raise $100,000 for the Uganda orphanages.

    • Match what I raise with my own funds.

    • Deploy the funds effectively.

  • Write something that is included in a major publication.

  • Be CEO of a company that breaches $30M valuation.

Side Quests:

  • Create a piece of visual art that I am proud of (painting, short film, etc).

  • Skydive.

  • Gallop on a horse somewhere beautiful (learn to ride too).

  • Remove all plastics I have the potential to absorb from my life.

  • Fast for 10 days.

  • Be silent for an entire week.

  • Get Scuba diving license.

  • Invest in a movie.

  • Climb Rainier.

  • Become semi-fluent in French.

Rules I’m enforcing:

  • Do not take work calls (besides discovery or calls) that do not have an agenda.

  • Single tasking. Single tab workflow.

  • 2 blocks of focused work per day.

  • Prioritize and make specific my initiatives monthly, weekly, and daily.