Most Effective Path to Achieve your New Year Goals!

At the end of every year, I open my notebook and plan out the next year. I jot down the things I want to achieve and complete. These aren’t just material possessions; there are also a few emotional aspirations. I like to document them to stay motivated throughout the year. This blog is about how I set my goals. It’s not something anyone should read, as none of you are going through what I am going through—whether good or bad, my life is unique, and so is yours. However, you should read it if you don’t know what you are doing with life. It may not resonate with you, but it might inspire you to find your own rhythm.

That said, this is not my ‘perfect’ rhythm either. As I get older, I discover more about myself. This process of setting goals gets refined each year, each month, each day. So I am as lost in life as you are, maybe more. Don’t consider this a ‘self-help’ guide; I dislike self-help books, and I won’t be doing that here either. This is just my version. It may or may not inspire you to create your own. What follows are my thoughts on the goals and life I want to achieve in the next year.

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What is a goal?

As a human, many aspects fill my life. It’s not just related to my career, work, or money; there are other practical and philosophical dimensions. I need to first find what the word ‘goal’ means to me.

The human mind is absolutely incapable of predicting the future. Those who believe in astrology are living a lie. What I want to convey is that even if I set a goal, it won’t necessarily be helpful for me to move forward.

Therefore, setting a goal doesn’t necessarily mean striving to complete them. I want to set a goal so that I can have a direction. In the process, I might mess up in the middle and then have to settle for less, and that’s fine. Because life is not predictable. I don’t want to feel bad for not completing my goals. Goals are not a checklist that I must complete. They are there to guide me. They are there to propel me forward and not to fixate on them to look anywhere else.

Why do I need to move forward?

I am a privileged guy. I have a roof over my head, enough food to fill myself twice a day, a healthy body, and enough IQ to make some money to survive. Forget other privileges; these things alone would make me a super lucky fellow. Then why change anything? Why not just accept my privileges, sit tight, and relax? Why do I need goals at all?

I am not rich enough to retire at this age and survive the financial necessities for the rest of my life. So that’s just one reason right there. But even if I were a financially rich person, I don’t think I would stop setting goals. I don’t set goals just to make money and just ‘survive.’

A conscious human, I possess a personality, aspirations, motivations, feelings, and, most importantly, a functioning brain! The goal is to lead a happy life. What will make me happy? Sadly, it’s not material things (and I am not saying that just to be pretentious; it is psychologically proven). I want to ‘feel’ life rather than just ‘survive’ it. Okay, that’s cheesy, I agree.

Life is not a marathon; life is a journey. And like every journey, it’s up to us to move forward, backward, left, right, or fly—do whatever! But to get more out of life, we need to ‘move.’ From bad to good, good to bad, worse to worst, or happy to happiest. I want to move! So I need to set goals.

All this might sound true, but will everything change in just one year? Am I expecting a lot from life in a very short period of time?

One year is not enough, yet it’s a lot

365 days, that is 8760 hours. Bonus, 2024 is a leap year, so it’s a total of 8784 hours! If I consider 8 hours of daily sleep, 2 hours of daily chores, and 2 hours of traveling/performing other activities, I get 4392 hours—that’s half! Yet, it’s a lot, isn’t it?

Well, it depends on how I use it. I’m not a machine that can work for hours without getting tired or focus for a long time without getting distracted. Heck, I am totally the opposite of that. I struggle to keep my focus for more than 20 minutes on one task. This may be abnormal, but it is what it is. And that’s why I want to keep this in mind: I don’t have ‘a lot’ of time; I just have ‘enough’ time.

I need to be realistic about the things I want to achieve. Obviously, my mind can’t predict anything about my future. Yet, I still want to be near the target area and not wander in the weeds. I need to move towards the goal, maybe just one inch, but at least I moved.

Although one year is not enough to achieve everything in life and attain nirvana, it is enough to jiggle in space and feel better than what I feel now.

What ensues is my approach to goal-setting. Regard it as my personal perspective rather than a rigid framework. Its impact on your motivation may vary, so feel free to treat it as a casual thought experiment without overthinking it.

Actual Goals

I divide this into total 6 parts.

1. Physical Health
2. Career
3. Personal Development
4. Finance
5. Relationships
6. Free time/Hobbies

Planning for better Physical Health

The body is crucial. We lead an active life for at least 50 years, utilizing our body as a tool. It endures everything we go through, whether running to catch a bus or train, sitting to complete work, giving birth to our babies, or interacting with the world to meet our needs. It performs a multitude of tasks, so it’s our responsibility to keep it healthy. Our minds, souls, and hearts are all housed within it.

We evolved to be physically active as we age, and in turn being active helps us age well. Further, the longer we stay active, the greater the benefit, and it is almost never too late to benefit from getting fit.

Daniel Lieberman

Although people have different bodies and various body types, I have identified four general practices that help maintain both my mind and body’s well-being.

1. Sunlight: We often live indoors, but spending at least 15 minutes in sunlight daily, especially in the morning, has numerous benefits. The sunlight reaching our retinas has tremendous physical and psychological advantages. Further research on this topic can be found here.
2. Workouts: This is an undeniable truth. We need to keep our bodies moving. Indians are among the most susceptible to heart attacks, so it’s crucial to keep the body in motion. According to this Harvard doctor-professor, joining a gym is not necessary; sufficient walking and engaging in one or two enjoyable workouts are enough to maintain a healthy body.
3. Meditation: This practice is for the mind. Many misconstrue meditation as something that must be done sitting on a yoga mat with eyes closed. It’s more about achieving a state of mindfulness, where you are aware of your thoughts and surroundings. The goal is to observe your thoughts and think more clearly. Instead of diving into hardcore yogic practices, starting with simple breathing exercises can be effective. Some techniques that worked for me are outlined here.
4. Diet: Regardless of being vegan or a meat-eater, maintaining a clean diet matters significantly. Unfortunately, Indian food is not widely known for its hygiene, and many processed foods contain harmful substances. Since dietary choices are personal, thorough research is beneficial. I found this book discussing the processed foods we commonly consume to be enlightening.

Recommended book: Story Of The Human Body

Planning for an Impactful Career

Career could encompass job, salary goals, or business and its objectives. We are inherently competitive beings, a fundamental aspect of our evolutionary process. For most people, career ranks as the second most important facet of their lives, as it is through careers that we earn a living, survive, engage in meaningful activities, and cultivate happiness. Careers serve as a platform for interactions, relationship building, and personal growth. However, it is equally important to acknowledge that managing a career, especially when individuals harbor discontent or fear the prospect of job loss, is not an easy feat.

If you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like or who you love.

Barak Obama

Here are some considerations as I navigate the path toward my future self:

1. Money: The ability to make money is a crucial skill, essential for survival. Unless we are multimillionaires, maintaining a steady “cash flow” is imperative. However, it is advisable to choose a career that brings joy and satisfaction, not merely one pursued for monetary gains. The question arises: how to strike this balance? Resources that delve into this topic can be found here.
2. Philosophy vs. Practicality: Struggling to find a balance between philosophical pursuits and practical considerations is a common challenge. Deciding the next steps—whether to follow intuition and gut feelings or meticulously analyze every aspect before taking a leap—poses a dilemma. Both approaches carry the risk of going awry. Following intuition without considering practical impacts may lead to turmoil, while excessive analysis may result in a mundane and flavorless life. Maintaining a balance between the two is the key to making informed decisions. I like to write down everything on the paper whenever I am in such dilemma. 50% of risk and 50% of practicality is what has worked for me in the past.
3. Keeping the Momentum: As we age and our careers become more intricate, our roles and responsibilities within society evolve. Staying up-to-date is crucial. Continuous learning, encompassing both soft and hard skills, is essential. In the 21st century, self-learning stands out as a paramount skill. I have shared my thoughts on self-learning here.

Slightly Unorthodox Recommendation: Leonardo Da Vinci

Planning to froster Personal Development

Ask yourself, “Why are you moving?” is almost always important. Self-awareness emerges after immense hard work, requiring a focus on personal well-being, including our own identity in our eyes. How we perceive ourselves holds greater significance than the opinions of others, making self-comparison a practice with numerous psychological benefits.

Here are a few questions I like to ask myself regularly:

1. Would the version of me from five years ago be proud of my current self?
2. Am I moving in the direction I want to be heading?
3. If something feels like the wrong direction, am I content with this path without fixating on its outcome?
4. Am I content with my situation? Are my career, relationships, and finances aligned with where I want them to be?
5. Am I mentally content? Do the people close to me perceive me in the same way?

Practices that might aid in maintaining good mental and emotional well-being include:

1. Journaling
2. Investing time in meaningful relationships: with friends and family (an abstract yet true concept)
3. Therapy: If needed, it’s crucial to dispel any dogma surrounding therapy. Just like our bodies, our minds require periodic treatment.
4. Building and nurturing hobbies

Planning to find ways to manage Finances

Once, my friend was buying a rather expensive watch. He told me, “If I am the only one remaining on the planet, would I wear this watch?” This philosophy of buying anything stayed with me, and I try to implement it as much as I can. You can check out how I spent my first salary here.

They say money doesn’t buy happiness, and to some extent, it’s true. Having too much money doesn’t really affect our lives all that much. However, we live in a country with a relatively low GDP per capita compared to developed nations, so making money is essential for survival. Finances aren’t just about earning money and spending it on necessary things. As a young earner, I am yet to learn new things about money, but here are a few lessons I have learned so far:

1. Cash flow: Understand that the money you work for should not be the direct source of your spending. Put your money to work and let it work for you. The returns you get after investing are the actual ‘income’ you have, not just your salary.
2. Wealth is not how much money you have: Having a billion dollars doesn’t mean much if your spending is in the billions too. Wealth comes from having more incoming cash flow than outgoing.
3. Insurance: Secure the future. If you are middle class, invest some money in insurance. Health insurance, term life insurance, and others are essential for mental peace, not just for yourself but for your entire family.
4. Never buy luxury on EMI: Avoid buying depreciating assets such as cars, phones, or tech on EMI. This is a common mistake, especially among youngsters. Expensive items are not always necessary.
5. Compound interest: Understand the compound effect early in life. As a young person, invest more than you spend. Compound interest can work wonders over time.
6. Don’t let money overpower other aspects of your life: While money is important, it is not as crucial as your mental and emotional well-being. Work for yourself, and learn to earn money from that, not the other way around.
7. Buy a home at the end: While owning a home is a common goal for the middle class in India, paying home loans for decades can strain finances, especially for the young. Consider investing in other opportunities early in life and buying property later with the compounded money. This is my plan, and your views may vary.

Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.

Albert Einstein

Cliche but effective Book Recommendations: Rich Dad Poor, Psychology of Money

Planning to build and nurture Relationships

Researchers have done a lot of work over the past few years analyzing social networks. It turns out almost everything is contagious. If your friends are obese, you are more likely to be obese. If your friends are happy, you’re more likely to be happy. If your friends smoke, you smoke. If they feel lonely, you feel lonely.

David Brooks

As I am getting older, I am understanding the value of relationships. I am quite detached from emotional things, and I am not the most emotional person on the planet. Yet, nothing makes me happier than a deep conversation with a friend or family member. After all, I am a social animal. So building a few, but deeper relationships can make a huge difference. It is scientifically proven that people who have good relationships with friends and family have an extremely low probability of experiencing mental depression compared to those who don’t.

(My plan is not to get married; I will talk about it in some other blog). Marrying someone or romantically staying in a relationship with someone effectively takes a lot of hard work, although I don’t have any firsthand knowledge of this. I still think that nurturing any close bond requires time and effort.

Here are a few things I like to practice and am yet to master:

1. Be kind to those who need help: Even if they have hurt you before, be kind to them when they need you. The butterfly effect suggests that it will come around one day, and you may start to have better bonds.
2. Have fewer friends but deeper bonds: Quality over quantity.
3. Never say no to your close friends/family: In emergencies, no matter what you are going through, never refuse to help. I have explore this topic in my “Why do people like to help others” blog.
4. Take time and effort: Give time to your kids, parents, spouse, and friends. Relationships need to be nurtured. They don’t just grow out of the blue.

Book Recommendations if you want science behind it: The Social Animal

Planning to give time for Hobbies

One of my idols, Richard Feynman, was a world-renowned scientist who valued his time at work. Despite his scientific acclaim, he picked up the hobby of painting. He would go out to learn from his friend how to sketch and paint things. People would get mad, questioning why he was seemingly wasting his time and intellect on painting instead of solving the mysteries of physics.

Let me put it straight: I don’t want to be the person who has no hobbies of their own, ever. I dislike those individuals who spend hundreds of hours a week at work and never indulge in a hobby. I genuinely feel sad for them because I am a man with many interests, as we all are. Unfortunately, life is too short to give attention to all of them. Thus, those activities that are not our top priorities or ones we simply enjoy doing become our hobbies. It’s like living a sub-life within our real life.

I differentiate between hobbies and free time. Free time is what you get after you have done with your day. In my free time, I like to read. I enjoy reading good books, like everyone else. I like to have something in my brain that I can ponder over. I’ve found that reading random things, nowadays novels, makes me happier than reading or researching about work. This is because I don’t have any goals or expectations other than pure enjoyment. It’s not just books; I also enjoy good movies and TV shows.

I have many interests, but there needs to be a balance:

1. Dedicate at least one hour of your daily time to a hobby. (If your work is what you love the most, then you are already living in dreamland.)
2. Don’t expect anything from your hobby. There’s no need to have the goal of painting the Mona Lisa just because you like painting.
3. Hobby time is where you let your mind wander freely.
4. Embrace soft hard work: It takes a little bit of effort to learn a new hobby and genuinely enjoy it.
5. Read like a Leonardo: Leonardo was not a voracious reader (he never learned to read formally), but he was curious about many things and learned many things on his own. Be like Leonardo Da Vinci; don’t restrict yourself from learning or trying anything new!

Life is a Journey, not a Marathon

As a young person navigating life, there’s so much I still have to figure out. I’m on a journey to understand what goals mean to me, and there’s no perfect answer I should already know. Life itself doesn’t come with a manual; we have to discover its meaning.

Balancing different aspects of life is crucial for stability, but venturing beyond boundaries, trying new things, challenging norms, and rebelling against the establishment has its perks. What I aspire for myself is not to be the same person one year from now as I am today. I want to keep moving. Honestly, my goal is simple – to keep moving, somewhere, anywhere! And who knows what exciting adventures await in the journey ahead! with that I say,

Happy New Year!

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