Alone on my birthday

Goals for my next year


I’m alone on my twenty-sixth birthday, and that’s the way I wanted it.

Partied on Friday, visited family on the weekend, and worked like a normal person today. Today, friends wanted to grab beers and hit some golf balls and I wanted to be by myself. For the kid that used to beg his Mom to watch him beat the bad guy in the video game and couldn’t stand not being the center of attention, it’s a change. These days, time spent being alone is some of the best spent.

Time alone is good. It’s pretty good when watching House of Cards for a few hours, better when reading a decent book, and even better when thinking. I spent some time reflecting on goals for my twenty-seventh year and beyond. Here they are.

  1. Remember how fortunate I am: I have it very good. All it takes is ten minutes of local news or thirty seconds of world news to understand that. I grew up in a great little town full of great friends, went to a wonderful university, and live and work in one of the best places in the world. You probably have it pretty good, too, if you think about it. I read the other day that making ~$34,000 a year puts you in the richest 1% of the world (according to World Bank economist Branko Milanovic’s 2010 book The Haves and the Have-Nots). My parents worked their asses off their entire lives, and most of the twenty-somethings I know already make more than either of them. That sinks in.
  2. Strive for better: The above stated, I’ll always want to grow and be better. The key is the word, “better.” More money? More something else? It’s hard to put into words what better is, but in a year, I want to look back on where I’m at and know that I’ve grown on a personal level in some way. In all ways.
  3. Don’t waste time: There’s so little. Every New Year, I’m like, “Man, this year really flew by.” Especially when very little happened—what a sucky feeling. When you get out into the world into some routine, seasons begin to change while you stay in the same place and it’s hard to realize that life is just roller-coasting by. I’m not going to care about the shows I binge-watched when I’m old, but I will care about the hours I could’ve been spending with someone special.
  4. Invest in myself: Worst case-scenario, I learn something and I gain nothing from it. Best case scenario, I develop skills and ideas valuable enough to make the rest of it easier for me.
  5. Be thankful: When I think about it too much, answers become less and less clear. But at the end of the day, I hope that there’s a reason why I want to do good, and I hope to always appreciate the opportunities I have.
  6. Be open: Transparency is key in business, and as I’ve learned, just as important in personal relationships. No reason to not be forthcoming and true to myself.
  7. Be honest: I spend a lot of time wording excuses in ways that let people down softly. Enough of that. Criticism hurts, and oftentimes the truth hurts, but we all grow from it. Easier to deal than be dealt, though.
  8. Learn from others: I work with the type of people every single day that I would’ve never expected to be in the presence of when I was younger. Take in the knowledge of others. Learning from others’ triumphs and mistakes has been invaluable to me.
  9. Spend time with my family: People come in and out of life, and though I value my friendships—many of them especially—I know my family will always be there for me. And they won’t all be around forever. I plan to enjoy the time I have with my parents and bask in the lessons and love they provide me while I can.
  10. Enjoy it: Don’t listen to anyone, and don’t listen to dumbass ramblings from someone else more than you listen to yourself.

Now I’m going to reschedule Top Golf and drinks, and I’ll be having the best year of my life. I hope you do, too.