Reviewing my 2023 Goals (Part 2 of 3)

The way we spend our time defines who we are. 
– Jonathan Estrin

There is a common saying that how you spend your time everyday, is how you will spend your entire life. To many of us who hear or read this for the first time, it is easy to shake it off with disbelief. Recalling my first impression, I chose not to believe it, convincing myself that the achievements and all the good stuff will definitely happen for me regardless.

Sadly, reality is harsh. What doesn’t get planned and tracked will never materialise. And that positive future that you are quite certain of, will remain as a blurry concept in your mind. I had to learn this truth the hard way prior to 2021, seeing the years go by and just repeating the same old new year’s resolution time and time again. That was until I came across the concept of Kaizen, which I shared in greater detail in this post.

A Steady and Indirect Approach

It can be a misconception that when you are just working on your big goal for the year, it is necessary to direct all your attention and effort to doing just that in the shortest time possible. With great enthusiasm entering the new year, I see many around me walking down that unsustainable path, only to tire and lose their momentum in a matter of weeks. It is therefore crucial to plan for steady progress using multiple milestones over the new year. It could be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The milestones have to be strategic and realistic. If you want to lose 10kg in the new year, starving yourself or embarking on an intense exercise regime right off the bat in January will easily lead to development of adverse health conditions or injuries. Consider starting off slow, light and easy. Such as 5 to 10 minute breeze walks or jogs, gradually going for longer distances at a faster pace. Or getting to caloric neutrality before progressively going into caloric deficit for your daily diet.

Coming back to my main goal of moving to and living in New Zealand in 2023 (post here), simply preparing for interviews and making job applications week after week is a surefire way to burnout and failure. This is where the concept of obliquity comes into play. The concept suggests that there is always an indirect approach towards your goals and that since your goals might be unclear and always shifting, its better to strive for related milestones along the way. In my case, the related milestones I have identified falls into the category of health, self development and relationship.

Everything Adds Up

It goes without saying that your health forms the bedrock for most, if not all your endeavours. Good health is a powerful enabler for us all, without which, you will be deprived of the mental capacity and energy required to tackle the tasks on hand. Therefore, ensuring that I adhere to a proper sleep regime of roughly 7 hours of sleep coupled with regular strength and aerobic exercises is a must have. You will be surprised but these small little things are indeed on my monthly goal setting list. Remember, how you spend your days are a proxy to how you will spend your life! It goes without saying that having a healthy report card is an essential pre-requisite when applying to work and live in other countries such as New Zealand. 

Next up is self development. Since 2021, I have subscribed to an app called Blinkist, which offers a vast and ever growing library of audiobooks and 15 minute summaries of key points and ideas for each book. In order to expose myself to new and fresh ideas everyday, listening to an audiobook summary has been a daily task for me. And I am proud to say that I am still on track in my third year, hitting my daily quotas even till today in 2023. You might question whether this activity of mine has been beneficial or useful. Honestly, I ask myself that all the time. The truth is I have no way of quantifying the immediate or obvious benefits. But what I do know, is that the countless ideas and nuggets of knowledge has inspired me to tweak my decisions and actions ever so slightly in my daily life whenever an opportunity arises. Whatever the outcome, I will choose to accept them, learn from them and move on. It is also important to keep track of these nuggets of wisdom for easy review and application – this will be another topic for discussion another day!

My personal growth also includes completing online courses and certification from recognised institutions such as Coursera. This year for example, I completed “The Circular Economy Course” by the Lund University and “The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialisation” by the Wharton University of Pennsylvania as I identified that sustainability and ESG are current key global trends. Gradually developing my CV, professional knowledge and skills allows me to remain relevant and attractive to future employers. These efforts could potentially increase my chances of landing a relevant job in New Zealand. Although the main intention of attending online courses is to gradually broaden my professional skillsets, there is always room to explore topics that are of personal interest, such as “The Disaster Preparedness Course” by the University of Pittsburgh. Who says that learning must be boring and always be about work?

Last but most importantly, my relationship with family and friends. It could be a simple catch up session over some drinks, or a message to check in on how my friends are doing. I strive to intentionally connect with someone different each month just to maintain or strengthen the existing friendship. For me, these friends are individuals who I can depend on for emotional and mental support when the going gets tough. And it is especially important to have such connections in our stressful adult lives, for there will definitely be tough challenges ahead that can’t be overcome alone.

I am also very appreciative that I got to explore South Korea with my family this year. Coordinating 6 working adults’ schedule and self planning an overseas trip was no easy feat, but we managed to do it and had a great time exploring and experiencing the rich culture and delicious cuisine that South Korea has to offer. At many juncture along the trip, I was conscious and aware of how precious these experiences with my family are, constantly reminding myself to stay present and enjoy the blissful moments during the holiday. It also reminded me once again that regardless of what happens, I have my family’s unconditional love and support to approach whatever stands in my way, which is extremely important for my psychological and mental wellbeing.

Concluding

End of the day, the world is not doom and gloom if I didn’t achieve my main goal for 2023. That is why, it is important to have multiple goals planned around the main one I set for myself. Even if I didn’t make it to New Zealand this year, I still have a healthy body and mind to persevere again in 2024. I will end the year with a CV that is even more attractive compared to 365 days ago and have my friends and family’s love and support as I pursue bigger goals in the future. Closing with Jonathan Estrin’s quote, I will continue to strive towards developing multiple aspects of my life with commitment and discipline every day, honing myself into an individual who lives life intentionally with values and principles. 

Stay tuned to the next post on what I have in store of the remainder of 2023!