20 things to do in 2020

If you're like me, born in the 2nd part of the 20th century, Year 2000 (Y2K as we called it then) was something supposedly crazy, with extreme innovation everywhere. That did not totally happen, or at least not at the scale we thought it'd be.

The 20 years that followed made us jump into a society where innovation and communication reached new heights and speed, mostly through the democratization of the Web then mobile interfaces and services. We all know where it led us to...

Now, at last, we managed to reach this 2020 year, another date that seemed so futuristic when we were kids (at least when I was a kid) then it's hard to realize we made it. I can't even imagine what it'll be like when we reach 2050, because I'm sure we'll make it, despite all the craziness the world is generating and facing. Basically, it's also when I'll turn 75... But that's not the point here.

Like every brand new year, one is tempted to reflect back on the past year(s) and make self promises about what to change, add, optimize or stop doing in the future. Most often though, these promises won't stand the test of time, yet it looks like a mandatory step, at least to give oneself a fresh perspective. And believe one can do it.

As someone who's not better than anyone else, I did this small exercise and put together a list of 20 things to do in 2020, then logged everything on a Trello board. Yes, I'm a Product guy and I'm that addicted to Trello...

Here comes the list:

1. Stop putting everything on Trello boards. I guess you can see the irony there. And rather move to mind mapping tools, for instance Xmind, to boost creativity instead of analytically organize and triage my thoughts.
2. Write more often and share online what is relevant. Back when I moved from Paris to San Francisco, CA, in early 2007, I had a personal blog, now defunct, that would serve as the liaison with people in France, as well as a way to meet new folks in California. It served me well, to the point that some people I encountered through this blog are still very close friends to this day. Now that I slightly aged a bit (let's say "just a bit"), having a place to share thoughts with like-minded people (or not) does not seem stupid at all. We'll see as it goes.
3. Get away from toxic people. The problem is that they're everywhere, sometimes hiding in plain sight, sometimes not hiding at all, being in your face all day long. It's rather easy to separate the good from the bad seeds in your personal life, it's more difficult when it comes to work. Given that you don't have to be friends with everyone at the office, spend time with people displaying positive energy. "You become who you know" might be a new mantra of mine, at least thanks to what some lessons I learnt in 2019. And I intend to do exactly that.
4. Spend more quality time with people I love. Be there, in the moment, listening, watching, making souvenirs that will last for ever. For me, this is mostly about telling bad jokes, singing and dancing like nobody's watching, inventing kid stories on the spot (try this: randomly pick 3 words and craft a story that your kids will resonate with), kicking a football (soccer) ball, reading books together, playing in the pool (on vacations) or simply talking about problems and issues. Time is the most important asset you'll ever have, so you'd rather spend it well...
5. Travel at least 3 times for leisure in 2020. Travelling is mind-opening. Travelling is awe-inspiring. Travelling is thought-provoking. Visiting cities and countries for the first time, if possible, will certainly make an impression on you IF you want it to happen and IF you're willing to get out of your comfort zone. By meeting new people and talking to them, discovering new cultures will always teach you something. Having gone to 30+ countries so far, I can testify there'll always be at least one of these 3 topics you can talk about: food, music and sports. Everywhere in the world! If you're a bit curious, there's so much more to discover. So I'll make the time to travel in 2020. Will you too?
6. Listen to more podcasts during spare time. "Always be learning" is one of my mantras, and the podcast consumption mode is perfectly set for dull times, like doing my chores or commuting to work. In 2019, I listened to great french content (Growth Makers, Silicon Carne, La French Touch, Dans la tete d'un VC, Les Liberos) and american podcasts (Star Talk Radio, Dear HBR, HBR Ideacast, This Week in Startups, Startup Therapy) that generated interesting and sometimes provocative thoughts. Any recommandation on great programs will be appreciated, thanks in advance...
7. Launch a podcast. Speaking of podcasts, after having purchased and tested the required hardware and software, then recorded a couple of episodes with a bunch of friends (I won't be sharing a link here, the sound quality was rather poor), I'd want to seriously host, produce, launch and maintain a new podcast on a topic that I really care about. With interesting people to learn things from, and have others benefit from it in the process. More to come on that.
8. Recycle more. In 2019, I've started being more aware of what I was consuming in terms of products. It's also last year that I realized I was keeping some old stuff at home that was not useful anymore, yet in good sometimes great conditions. Filling in bags with my or my kids' old clothes and donating them to charity not only served a greater purpose but also had a pragmatic impact in terms of available space. I also bought second-hand stuff that I needed and still looked great. In 2020, I'll do my best to keep on that path, for all the good reasons you'll read everywhere else.
9. Listen more and speak less. People have things to say and they rarely have others who will listen to them. There's so much we can learn by simply putting all of our attention to what is being said. A few years ago, my friend Matthew Mansfield told me about a silent retreat he had done for a week, and how, afterwards, it had helped him better be in the moment, attentive to the person he was talking to. While this kind of experience might not be for everyone, me included, the idea of not talking to better listen certainly resonated with me.
10. Practice sport more frequently. 2019 was a terrible year on this front. I had to stop practicing football (soccer) with my friends for logistics reasons, stressed out a lot, dangerously flirted with depression and gained weight. The benefits of practicing sports are not to be explained, neither are those of healthy eating. Additionally, the social experience that is related to cooperative sports, like football (soccer), enriches the relationship qualities you have with folks you know or happen to meet. For all of that, and way more, sports are good.
11. Only buy books that I'm sure to finish. Alternatively, make a point of reading any book I buy. I know you're there with me: your library is full of books you've bought because they were recommended by friends or thought leaders, though you did not make the time to go through them. This is neither ethical (printing on paper and not paying attention to it?), sustainable (book shelves are not expandable) or useful (you won't look smarter by owning this kind of books). Also, I'm a big fan and user of Koober. Therefore, less is more.
12. Spend less time watching online shows. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV+, OCS or MyCanal, you name them, I'm registered to all... That's going to be a hard one, since the production level increases all the time, scenarios are more and more sophisticated, the offering is diverse and Disney+ will open in March 2020 in France. For a big Lucasfilm, Marvel and Pixar fan, it looks like big trouble. Plus, talking about shows with my friends is totally enjoyable. However, spending less time passively watching TV will also free up hours if not days to focus on other activities and projects that will make me grow as a person. Trading immediate satisfaction vs. latter one, when a project is accomplished, should increase a sentiment of self-fulfilment.
13. Help entrepreneurs as much as I can, be it through (small) investments, chat, solicited advices, connections, employee recommandations or time. Invest some money on projects that resonate well, driven by highly committed entrepreneurs on a promising market. Having starting a sports data company in 2009, with my friends Manuel and Cyril, on a topic that we loved, I know how difficult yet exhilarating it is to run a business while still discovering the rules. Sometimes money can help. Most of the time, smart money helps a lot. And if what I learnt over the course of the last 20 years can boost someone's company, if raising questions and having discussions on tough topics can make a change, then it's worth it.
14. Work on professional ideas and projects that matter to me. In times of uncertainties, for instance when you start as a contractor, or when you are unemployed, it's easy to accept what you find, make compromises with yourself, just for the sake of doing something, having a professional (thus social) life and earning a revenue. In 2020, I want to invest time, energy and passion in things I care about, in projects I believe will have the potential to move the needle for someone somewhere. Oh, not change the world, like everyone in Silicon Valley will tell you, but make an impact at a reasonable level.
15. Fill in my notebook with 3 positive things that happened during the day. At night time, the temptation to browse the Internet on a mobile phone is high. Also, it's now scientifically proven that it has a bad impact on the sleep quality. So spending 10mn every evening looking back at the last day and listing 3 moments that brought you satisfaction will not only remove the bad phone habit, but also generate a positive atmosphere that will make your night a happy moment. Additionally, in times of low morale, going back to this notebook should have a positive effect on your thoughts. There's no point not creating this new habit then!
16. Laugh every day. People think of me as a funny guy, sometimes it helped, in both my pro and personal lives, sometimes it deserved me (like this C-level person who thought I was not to be trusted because I had made jokes in his vicinity). It does not mean that my jokes are good, they're actually pretty bad most of the time. More interestingly, there is a lot of funny people, writing funny stuff or having funny ideas, everywhere and all the time. And since laughing helps living a better and longer life, it should be a no-brainer for you to find the things that make you laugh, online or in real life.
17. Discover new music, new artists, new genres and play those tracks every day, either on headphones or my DJ set. The famous philosopher Felix da Housecat once said "My life is music and music is life" and I could not agree more. How often do you recall special moments when a specific tune or song is being played? If you're like me, all the time! In 2020, music is available everywhere and I'm sure that we'll find new gems that will be linked to moments for ever.
18. Be introduced to and meet someone I wholeheartedly respect and admire. I have a Trello board (yes, I know...) about serious candidates from this list of idols. As I already had the chance to clear a few names off this list (Robert Pires, Arsene Wenger, Francois-Xavier Pinault or Michel Serres), I deeply value these times of honest conversations where nothing is at stake, besides spending quality time with the best of the best, and learning from them. To this date, these happened to be fantastics moments with very accessible people. So why not try to respectfully meet my idols?
19. Spend less time thinking and more time doing. In September last year, I read about Mel Robbins' 5 second rule and started to put it into action. What sounds like common sense actually reduced my tendency to postpone what was not generating satisfaction. And believe me or not, doing so indirectly generated satisfaction because I had done that stuff. Of course, this rule can't apply to everything and you'd want to reflect on some major decisions before taking actions. Yet if it's worked on me in the past, it should work in the future. Probably for you as well.
20. Contribute to the community. What's the point of going through life if all you care about is your own personal interest? What would be the sense of a life built around reaching your own goals, without considering how you could contribute to others? Some will dedicate their time to NPOs, other will support a cause they believe in, most won't do anything. In 2020, through Slack channels, articles like this one (provided it's rather personal and might not give you tons of value, given its nature), speaking gigs, mentoring, and debates, I'll try to contribute back and will probably learn in the process.

Now you might think that list is either ambitious or naive. And you might be right. Yet, I consider life very similar to riding a bicycle, you've got to keep on moving forward or you'll fall. May 2020 be for you a time of change, happiness, growth and success, on any topics that matter to you.

Happy New Year!

PS: If you've read this article until there, first thanks a lot! Also, please leave me a comment with your take on what you want to do in 2020.