Reviewing the Results of my 2023 Goals

For the past 4 years, I've shared my goals publicly and reflected on their outcomes at the end of the year. This practice has proven invaluable in keeping me on track for what I've deemed to be the most important things for that year. When I first started this goal setting processing, my goals were largely work and business based and as I've continued to progress, my goals have become more happiness based.

While I didn't achieve everything I set out to do this year, I can honestly say I've had one of the best years of my life. This past year, I achieved a really good balance of letting my goals guide my overall direction, without being so attached to achieving them that I forgot to enjoy the everyday moments that make life so great. With our son, now 6 years old, continuing to grow and change at an astonishing rate, our top priority has been to maximize quality time together. That has meant becoming an assistant hockey coach for his team, volunteering at his school, starting Jiu-Jitsu with my son, and camping more in one year than I ever thought I would do in my life.

At my current stage life, I believe happiness serves as the most comprehensive gauge of success, and I am genuinely thrilled with how the year unfolded. Nevertheless, there is still a lot I want to accomplish on the work and personal fronts.? A crucial lesson I learned this year is to be patient and willing to trade or defer some traditional notions of "success" in exchange for memories and moments of happiness.

I've also decided to create a video recap of each year going forward as a way to capture all the great memories and experiences of each year.

Family

We enjoyed an exceptional amount of family time this year. Not only were we present for our son's regular activities, but also embarked on 10 vacations, totaling nearly 50 days away. Some of the highlights included bringing my cousin to Disneyland, attending the Berkshire Hathaway meeting with Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, and road tripping and camping in our latest addition to the fleet of vehicles.

I've also come to realize how important it is to have unscheduled time to let life happen. One particular moment that stands out was an afternoon I spent with Emerson where we explored a path to the Fraser River. Emerson armed himself with a backpack full of activities and we found a rock to sit on and drew, played cards, and read a book.? Emerson kept on saying how much fun he was having and it was such a wonderful afternoon.? He still reminds me it was one of the best days ever which has prompted me to be more conscious of spending time with him in an unplanned way.

• 50%: Create one “Dad Day” video per month with Emerson
• 100%: Play sports with Lily or Emerson 4 days per week
• 60%: Celebrate monthly anniversaries with Lily
• 30%: Finish Emerson’s Education Plan
• 200%: Go on 5 or more family vacations this year

Work

I definitely worked less hours this year but am pleased with what we were able to achieve. I would've liked to work more as there were projects I really wanted to finish, but the trade-off for more family time was well worth it in my opinion. Currently I'm of the mindset that there will be plenty of opportunities for work when our son is older.

• 50%: Implement a CRM system
• 100%: Expand internationally by opening online stores in Europe
• 100%: Draw 500 new car designs
• 0% Generate revenue from 2 new projects
• 50% Connect with 2 new similar businesses

Personal

I attempted to budget and track my time at the beginning of the year, but quickly found that I was too undisciplined to follow-through. Despite this, I found the exercise of budgeting my time to be very informative and it highlighted the harsh reality that there simply aren't enough hours in the day. Confronting this limitation has reinforced the importance of prioritizing time where it matters most.

• 20%: Schedule all activities for every day and track time to see how I’m spending my time during the year
• 20%: Complete online guitar lessons course
• 75%: Complete a Photoshop course
• 0%: Finish the Mitsubishi Eclipse promo car

Health

I'm very pleased with how my health regimen has progressed this year. We've been eating healthier than ever before with mostly organic foods and I feel great. I've also been exercising daily and have taken up another new sport, Jiu-Jitsu. Emerson and I both entered our first competition and medalled. While my tennis tournament debut didn't go as well as I would've liked, I'm committed to improving this year. I've also been doing ice baths and sauna on a regular basis. I've kept up with my intermittent fasting, but still haven't had the courage to try an extended fast.? I started training for a half marathon and found that my flat feet weren't designed for long distance running. The experience luckily has made me prioritize my foot health which is long overdue.

• 0%: Win the top tennis ladder at my club
• 100%: Enter a tennis tournament
• 0%: Run a half marathon
• 20%: Complete the Wim Hof method course
• 80%: Ice bath and sauna 4 times per week
• 0%: Try an extended fast one time

Conclusion

In 2023, I've reached new levels of health and happiness, and enjoyed an unprecedented amount of quality time with my family. While my work life did suffer somewhat as a result and I didn't have any traditional "big" accomplishments that I've had in previous years, I honestly feel like it has been one of the most successful years of my life.