Now that I’ve concluded my 2014: Year In Review, it’s time to roll-out the big 2015 plan!

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Goals for 2015

There are 2 main goals for 2015:

1. Experience New Things
2. Build & Create

1. Experience New Things

This year I want to push myself to try out and experience new things. This challenge will come in the form of new experiences, new skills to learn, and new levels of productivity and focus. Some of these I’ve never done and some I haven’t done in a long time. A few of the top challenges for this year include:

1. Surf at Venao
2. Learn Ruby on Rails
3. Learn Portuguese
4. Run a 10K
5. Write a Book on Leadership

2. Build & Create

I spent much of my time during 2014 reading, reflecting, and learning about myself and topics that interest me. 2015 is the year I want to challenge myself to start building and creating. For example, every article, video, and book I read must have notes. If I learn a new skill I must challenge myself to build something with it. It’s time to put that brain of mine to use; to create more and consume less.

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Projects for 2015

Starting from the 2 goals, I have outlined all the tasks and projects I want to complete in 2015. Seeking a simple yet effective solution, I’ve implemented the following scoreboard to aid me along the way.

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Attitudes for 2015

During 2015, I hope to live the following perspectives. These are the things that I plan to work on at a personal level, the areas where I believe I can grow.

 

1. “Simplify Thy Self.”

Complexity is bad. It’s confusing and difficult to manage. The goal is to continuously reinvent myself and the way I do things, removing unnecessary complexity and allowing me to focus on the essentials. Seeking simplicity should allow me to achieve more with less.

 

2. “Keep Thy Self Focused.”

Clutter, (too much), is bad. It’s distracting and makes it more difficult to focus on the things that matter. The goal this year is to employ a laser-sharp focus on the things that add value to me, and rid myself of distractions that get in the way of progress. Maybe every now and then i’ll give myself some time to unwind, but only enough to replenish the strength to get back to work.

 

3. “Don’t Sweat the Little Things.”

This year I want to work on my patience, my temper and my ability to manage stress. To do this, I’m going to need to exercise a great deal of restraint when something rattles me. I’ll need to stop, take a cold hard look and ask myself if that which I’m worrying/mad about “really matters”. If it doesn’t, then let it go. If it does, then “How can I deal with it in a calm and productive way?”, and “How can I deliver it in a way that is patient and respectful?”

 

4. “Listen to Understand, to Learn, to Empathize.”

There’s so much to learn about the world and from others, if we take the time to listen. The goal this year is to listen to others: to the things that they say and the things they aren’t saying, in order to truly understand them. I want to learn to understand their motivations, their values and where they’re coming from. Only by understanding others can I learn to empathize with them.

 

5. “TBD – June 2015“

This one goes without defining to let me address new opportunities throughout the year.

 

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Here it is 2015.

These are my big promises for a BIG 2015. I look forward to the wins, struggles, lessons, and new experiences to come!

Cheers to the New Year!