2025 Goals
Maximalist Approach
Since 2014, I've publicly shared my annual goals. These goals have ranged from universal aspirations like learning to meditate and regular exercise to complex goals like learning new marriage skills or learning a language.
In 2021, I ran an experiment and massively increased the number of goals I aimed for. In that year, I had 70 goals that I attempted and outright completed 39 of them.
This result wildly exceeded my expectations and brought the added bonus of teaching me so much about myself--how I'm motivated, and what I want from this practice. As I wrote in my 2024 Goal Review, I would rather play one hundred games of chess and win some, lose some than only play 5 hard games.
This year, I'm returning to this maximalist approach to goal setting, with more vim and vigor than before. I've realized in the interim years that this approach allows me to be defiant and proud and impassioned. The world says, "Focus! Be glad of your little victories!" I say, "Take up all the space, win all the games, get it all."
Approaching the year this way encourages me to treat my life as a giant and flourishing garden. Here my spirituality grows; there my body is stronger; that bloom is how I'm learning music; that vine is my relationship with my dog. Watch how my garden grows!
Key Principles of Goal Setting
I've tested many theories and frameworks on how to write goals, but the 4 that matter most to me are:
SMART Goals
Emotionally motivated goals succeed
Align your identity with your goals
Love the process.
Before moving on to sharing my 2025 goals, I want to concentrate briefly on principles 2 and 3.
Emotional Motivation:
Goal-setting is an odd practice. It requires you to look inward and outward and ask, "What do I want to be able to do?" and "What is possible?" These are aspirations, but they don't explain why we should pursue them.
Over the years, the goals that are most likely to fail are the ones driven by how I want others to see me. Of course I want people to like me, want to work with me, think of me as an expert. But that motivation is so weak and fragile for me. It has moments where it inspires action, but it is so short-lived. Almost any other motivation within me is stronger. Better to be enraged, disgruntled, or curious than seeking some story of how others perceive me.
On the other hand, "It sounds fun!" is, without a doubt, the strongest motivator for me. If I can't find a way to have fun with goal, it's likely to fail. But if it's fun? I'll do some of the hardest work I've ever done. Which leads me to...
Identity Alignment:
When I was younger, I wasn't sure what sort of person I wanted to be or what path to take. I also didn't really fully realize that who I was becoming was mostly up to me. If I want to be a martial artist, I get to decide that. If I want to be a good writer, that's up to me. If I want to be a better lover, a better husband, a better friend, that's all up to me. Successful business owner? Me. Songwriter? Me.
Nearly any change on the horizon is to a largely determined by my reaction to the world and my proactive engagement with the cards I’ve been dealt. No one else can or will make it happen for me.
Over time, I've realized I want to be a man who:
Connects deeply with others
Has security and flexibility with my wealth
A deep knowledge and ability with my mind and body
Creates engaging writing and evocative performance art
Weaves disparate knowledge and ideas together to make magic
Many of my goals this year demonstrate the sort of man I am and am becoming.
2025 Goals:
My broad list of goals can be found here. They’re spread across twenty or so arbitrary categories and aren’t exhaustive of everything I’ll do next year. Additionally, I’m keeping some additional goals close to my chest. These are slightly embarrassing or private objectives. I might share them with you if you ask, but I won’t be sharing them publicly.
When sharing this volume of goals, I run into a practical problem: I want to give a taste of their breadth, difficulty, and the motivation behind each one, but doing so would require an exorbitant amount of writing and summarizing.
My solution this year is to gesture toward some of the broader long-term motivations behind these goals, and then highlight a few specific goals that feel special or particularly exciting to me.
High level: Long Term Objectives
Build toward $5 million in wealth
Become one of the top 100 experts in Digital Transformation globally (I estimate there are about 1,000 serious experts worldwide.)
Become a great Jiu-Jitsu instructor
Develop into a skilled and inspiring leader
Write well and consistently
Love deeply—my people, my land, my dog
Teach others about the nature of the mind
Create magic through performance art
2025 Goals: A Few Choice Morsels
Below are a few of the goals I’m aiming at for the year.
Diet Optimization:
I’m on a slow journey to identify all the “bad” foods in my diet. It’s been a year at the time of this writing, and I’m hopeful that in 2025, I’ll have a complete list of “safe” foods.
Learning:
I have eight different courses I’d like to take this year. They include courses on neuroscience, inflammation, leadership, sports anatomy, and breathwork. I suspect earning full marks on all of them will be a challenge, but every topic excites me.
Read My Height in Books:
I’m doing this challenge with my friend Megan. The goal is to stack the books I read until they reach at least my height. It’s a playful way to measure reading success and connects nicely with my other reading goals.
Be A Guest on Three Podcasts:
I really enjoy public speaking, and I’m confident I’d make a great podcast guest.
Book Clubs:
I plan to join and actively participate in three book clubs this year. Discussing books with others brings me so much joy, and I’m excited to learn from other perspectives.
Overcome Creative Resistance:
This idea comes from the book The War of Art, and it’s something I’ve struggled with. I often find myself stalled—either because my expectations are too high or my opinion of my art is too low. It’s worth pushing through this resistance and simply doing the damn thing.
All Things Piano:
This year marks about my third year of learning piano. I’m finally starting to read music and play with some confidence. My goals this year focus on combining music theory with practical playing—I want to confidently play many chords and scales and string music together from that knowledge.
Writing:
I have several writing goals, but I’m most excited about creating spoken word poems and recording them. Some pieces are ready to be recorded, while others are still waiting to be written. Projects like these—blending text, sound, and performance—feel magical to me.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu:
I always have many BJJ goals, but this year I’m focusing on unlocking my inner BJJ nerd. I want to build systems, solve problems analytically, and refine my skills to razor sharpness. The brown belt calls me.
Fight Back the Jungle:
My yard has become overgrown, and it’s time to reclaim the middle and side yard. It’ll be a big project, but consistent effort goes a long way.
Do a Kayak and Swimming Day with Su-Z:
I just want to play with my dog in the water—it sounds incredibly fun. I’ll load her up in a life vest, and off we’ll go!
Host a BJJ or UFC Fight Night at My House:
My den is well set up for a watch party, and hosting an event would be a great way to transition some of my BJJ students and colleagues into friendships outside the gym.
Conclusion:
These goals are not about checking boxes—they are about becoming. Each goal represents a thread in the larger tapestry of my life, a deliberate choice to grow, to learn, and to create. Some of these goals will be hard, some will be playful, and some will surprise me entirely. But all of them serve a purpose: to cultivate a life that feels full, vibrant, and deeply mine. Here’s to a year of growth, discovery, and a little bit of magic along the way.
