Preparing for 2022: Part 2
Two weeks ago, I shared my goal preparation for the upcoming year. I like to think I’m relatively organized and strategic when it comes to New Years’ Resolutions. But I am still fully capable of biting off more than I can chew very, very quickly. Setting goals is one thing; having a game plan in place to achieve them is another.
Let’s look at some concrete examples of my 2022 goals and action I’ve already taken to achieve and optimize them.
Post may contain affiliate links, which allow me to receive a small commission on purchases you decide to make.
A simple example is my Financial goal to read two personal finance books in 2022. In preparing, I’ve already ordered Unshakable by Tony Robbins and The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. My plan is for these to be “travel books” for me, meaning that I’ll take them on trips for reading on the plane, the beach, downtime, or whatever circumstances on the road allow me to get some reading done. Once finished, I plan on re-reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, too.
Notice I’ve done two small, but critical, things here. I ordered the books and now have them in my possession. And I’ve also determined when I’m going to read them. The “what” and “when” questions are the two most important once you’ve figured out the “why” behind what you are doing.
In preparation, I’ve downloaded two audiobooks on blockchain basics and applications – Blockchain Technology Explained and Blockchain Revolution. When I do morning runs, rucks, or jump roping sessions, this is what I’ll be listening to. Once I finish those, I’ll probably order more, but I also subscribed to a podcast called Modern Finance by Kevin Rose that I already know to be an interesting format for this content.
One of my Relational goals is to conduct what I’m calling “legacy interviews” with five or more important people in my life. My mom and I have a tentative day in early January, and I reached out to all five of her siblings to see if they’d be open to doing a similar kind of interview.
They are all in, so now I have six people that are expecting and anticipating that I’ll be reaching out to them with questions I’d like to ask and to schedule a day that works for them. I created built-in accountability without even asking someone to hold me accountable.
As an aside, I’d highly recommend doing this kind of exercise with the people around you. I’ve done it with my dad and with my parents in a joint format, but I’ve waited long enough to start pulling in others.
Each year I pick a specific topic for my Learning goal. For 2022, that topic is anything blockchain, cryptocurrency, or DeFi (decentralized finance). My hope is to sign up for an actual course or online class for these topics (still researching), but in the meantime I’ve come up with a great way to get started.
In preparation, I’ve downloaded two audiobooks on blockchain basics and applications – Blockchain Technology Explained and Blockchain Revolution. When I do morning runs, rucks, or jump roping sessions, this is what I’ll be listening to. Once I finish those, I’ll probably order more, but I also subscribed to a podcast called Modern Finance by Kevin Rose that I already know to be an interesting format for this content.
Some of the ways we spend our time during the day – certain kinds of exercise, driving, waiting in lines, etc. – don’t require a lot of mental energy. In those cases, my plan is to optimize and make progress on a goal, even if only the smallest amount of progress. Some of the most important investments we can make are in exponential little bits.
One of my Health goals is to complete two “challenges.” This could probably mean a lot of things, but I am already set for two, and have a third on my radar.
The first is to complete 75 Hard, a 75-day program that requires participants to:
Follow a diet with no alcohol and no cheat meals
Do two, 45-minute workouts per day, one being outdoors
Drink one gallon of water a day
Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book for self-improvement
Take a progress picture each day
In addition to preparing a PDF that will govern my diet, exercise, and supplement schedule for the program, I have also scheduled a DEXA scan for December 29th to walk into the new year with an accurate perspective on my body fat and lean mass percentages. I’ll do another DEXA on the last day of 75 Hard to see how I’ve progressed in quantitative terms.
Additionally, I bought some new running and workout equipment to avoid any excuses on Day 1 that I’m unprepared.
So, 75 Hard is one challenge. My friend and I also prepaid to do another Spartan Race and are eyeing one in Utah, which would be a big upgrade in terms of difficulty from the one we did in north Texas this year.
On top of that, my neighbor and I are talking about doing MR340, a 340-mile kayak race from Kansas City to St. Charles, MO down the Missouri River.
The main hang-up right now is that neither of us have ever kayaked and we don’t know what kind of gear to get or how to plan for something like this. Also, it’s three days after the Spartan Race in Utah, so logistics are tight.
I have eight other goals for 2022, but the point is that goals are only as good as your preparation for achieving them. That doesn’t mean we need to have all of the answers before we begin. It simply means that beginning without asking the right questions makes the possibility of failure much higher.
What are your goals for 2022? How are you preparing to execute on New Years’ Resolutions? Send me your thoughts at michael@theothermichaeljordan.com. I hope to hear from you.
Comments