The past few years, I've written all of my goals down on a whiteboard in a large checklist. Sometimes I get through them all; a lot of the time I get through maybe half. In 2024, I was very ambitious. Too ambitious. I wanted to compose a song without knowing how to play the piano, dive into the hardest parts of embedded software without doing anything introductory, and hit a large savings goal. Some good came of that -- I relearned the piano, and if it weren't for a series of emergencies over the year, I would have hit the savings goal. But with embedded software, I hit a rut because what I wanted to do was so far out there that I couldn't see the starting point (that's bad!).

One of the only goals I hit was a modest 50K word target, which rekindled my love of writing and honestly that probably got me into the very good headspace I'm currently in. Because I fell so short last year, and because I saw someone else do it on the TikTok, I was inspired to create a "bingo" card for this year's personal development. That way, if I don't achieve everything, that's okay. I just have to hit a bingo -- a straight line across the board. That should be easy, right?

In the spirit of bingo, I didn't just want goals there either. I had to have some random events and states of being, just to give it some randomness in case I decided to go whole hog and try to get everything done. I could say more, but putting it out there seems better.

The Goals

Get a random compliment from a stranger: I don't control this one, but I hope it happens!

Find something amazing at a thrift shop: This one I tangentially control, but it mostly relates to wanting to thrift more.

12 books read: 1 book/month is always a good goal

3 camping trips: I did two last year. One more this year!

Save $5K: Deliberately modest compared to last year to not incur violent wrath upon my savings like last year.

Stretch for 30 days: I'm unbearably stiff. That's not "consecutive days" btw, that's any thirty days.

Someone recommends a song I end up loving: Another one I don't control

Try an adrenaline activity: My wife says "getting into a car crash doesn't count"

Do a winter hike: I never have!

States hiking trip: I did a trip to Montana last year. We're hoping to make this a tradition.

Triathlon: A sprint triathlon.

Go to a night sky preserve: There's one a province over. I love seeing the night sky.

FREE: Learn anything to claim this space.

Dig a really deep hole? One day I will have this manic energy and will dig this hole.

Consistently achieve the second jhana: I can only hit the first reliably. I don't even know if I've hit the second before.

Host a dinner party for friends: Seems fun!

Swim Meet: Goes with the triathlon. I've been swimming competitively in a masters program and I should be ready this year.

Run into an old friend unexpectedly and form a genuine connection: Love this one

Play Megalovania on piano: Continuing my piano goal

6 blood donations: Goodbye microplastics

Abs + Geta sandals summer: I have a specific image of my summer look and it involves single spike Geta sandals and having visible abs.

2 great programming projects: Self explanatory.

Someone tells me I've inspired them (real): It has to be genuine and they can't know about this goal at the moment!

200K Words Written: 150K more than last year!

Have an amazing birthday party: Hopefully!