My April 2018 Goals Report
Early January I shared a list of my goals on this blog to hold myself accountable and do so in public. This here is my March 2018 goals report in which I go over each goal I set and the progress I made so far.
I have done monthly goals reports in private since 2014. It’s been helpful, but I lacked accountability. This is why I decided to go public this year. Try something new. All the goals reports for this year can be found in the category Monthly Goals Report.
My 2018 Goals Breakdown
In the following paragraphs, I am going into detail about each and every goal that I have set for myself at the beginning of the year and share my progress.
01 — Health & Fitness
0101 — I will easily do a 3–10 day juice fast by December 31, 2018
Result: Minimal progress
In March I didn’t do much about this. I kept it in the back of my mind and prepared mentally. That’s because, at the end of March, I moved to Bali for 2 months and that’s a fantastic environment to be more mindful about food and juices. I researched a couple places to do a fast but haven’t made any decisions yet.
0102 — I will easily meditate 3 times per week throughout 2018
Result: 20 Times in March
I am happy that I am integrating this habit better and better every month. I meditated 4+ times each week in March. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia provided the perfect environment for me. I had an incredible rooftop view to meditate while the sun was rising, so it was very supportive of my habit of getting up between 5 and 6 am to see the sunrise every day.
I started to meditate more or less regularly about 5 years ago. At the time I used the app Calm for most of my meditations (I had the subscription for one year). Those guided meditations are a great start, moving away from the guided part felt almost impossible, but once I tried it, I was amazed at how much of an impact that made. If you are doing guided meditations, I encourage you to go more minimalistic and try some sessions unguided. Just focus on the breath, maybe mentally saying “Breathing In, Breathing Out”, and see where that leads you.
0103 — I will easily practice (Acro) Yoga 3 times per week throughout 2018
Result: 17 Times
I practiced Yoga 3+ times in March. A mix of Flow Yoga (morning at sunrise time) as well as Yin Yoga (evening in the bed) sessions. I usually do 20–30 minute sessions. Yoga is an excellent contrast to my workouts. I like it for the meditative aspects and stretching deep into my core muscle structure.
0104 — I will easily workout 3 times per week throughout 2018
Result: 8 Times
The number of workouts went down a little. I’m not very happy about this but understanding. I did a whole lot of emotional work that took a lot of energy, and I often substituted working out with doing an extra Yoga session.
The new thing was that the apartment building I was living in offered a Gym. I started using the treadmill there and was amazed at the ease that I felt while going for a run. Don’t have to worry about where I am going, how long I have to go if it’s going to rain (serious consideration especially in Kuala Lumpur). Just set it all up at the beginning and start running.
Other than those rungs I still workout just by mentally selecting a set of body weight exercises. I decide on a repetition count and then do the workout. I don’t care about the time it takes, I just do it. Tracking of all my habits happens in the Habitify app.
0105 — I will easily go for a massage once per month throughout 2018
Result: one Massage
I slacked on this goal for most of March. But luckily, once I arrived on Bali, Indonesia and reunited with my partner Candice, she offered a massage and that felt so good. So many tender spots, so much tension built up, especially in my back, shoulders, and neck. This is becoming increasingly obvious to me, and I like that I am growing more aware of it all. Additionally, Candice also brought some massage balls to roll on from the US. I am currently testing these and love them so far. Ideal to do some muscle release in-between work sessions.
0106 — I will easily do 3 healing/therapy/coaching sessions per month throughout 2018
Result: 3 Sessions in March
Exploring new depth of the mind-body-connection, where blocks are, and how I can find release and support for all these different parts of me. It’s fascinating to see and feel the change over the months. I’ll continue as I think that the growth lies in exploring this longer term. That’s where everything lies buried: Freedom, boldness, sadness, dauntlessness, feeling, gut decisions, emotions, the past and the future.
02 — Money & Investing
0201 — I will easily make 10.000+ EUR per Month in Revenue by August 31, 2018
Result: In Progress
March was my highest income month to this year so far. I started working on a new client project, which got successfully finished and paid in the same month. That was very powerful. Next to that, I did a lot of new content work for my own business. The bulk of my money still comes from Consulting and Project Execution.
I see others going into great detail with their exact numbers of income, and I admire that level of transparency. I am not ready to do that yet. I have plans for more products/services that I will develop in the next few months which will help me grow towards this goal in active as well as more passive income.
0202 — I will easily have 20.000+ EUR in my investment account by December 31, 2018
Result: No progress yet
I am working to transform my life this year. Savings are a big part of that. However, for now, I am working to make some investments and sustaining life more easeful. This goal will be more interesting in the second half of the year.
The last few months), I wrote here that the smartest thing would be to start saving 10% immediately (as I learned in Money Master the Game by Tony Robbins). Since then I realized that I have on retirement structure which I am paying into that equals pretty much exactly 10% of my income. I plan to keep doing this and increase that number as my income increases.
0203 — I will easily have a system in place to continuously invest 10%+ of my earnings by December 31, 2018
Result: No progress yet
As mentioned in my goal 0202, I realized that I actually do pay 10% into a retirement investment portfolio. This is not as free as I’d like it to be but it’s better to do than nothing. It also gives me safety in case I would no longer be able to work.
As my income increases, I am going to build a system that is more self-directed (stock, crypto, metals, etc).
I have not set up any systems yet. This will be more interesting once other goals are in line and I increased my income.
0204 — I will easily invest in a new MacBook Pro by August 31, 2018
Result: Goal Achieved — 28th January 2018
See Why and How in: My January 2018 Goals Report
It’s amazing what it means to not need a charger for 5 minutes of work and work much faster than before. I’m delighted that I made this decision.
With this new machine I am able to serve you better, the community, other creators, and my clients. I can publish more efficiently and provide faster services.
What’s your oldest device? Are you still happy using it, or is it time for an upgrade?
03 — Business
0301 — I will easily publish 52 new videos on my YouTube Channel by December 31, 2018
Result: 1 Video Published in March (3 total)
I published “It’s Been One Year on YouTube. It’s a new beginning pretty much exactly one year after I started taking YouTube a little more seriously. I also recorded a new tutorial and haven’t edited that one. I have so many plans for new content!
0302 — I will easily publish 52 new blog posts on the MakeItYour.LIFE blog by December 31, 2018
Result: 4 Articles Published in March (14 total)
I am on track with this goal. Here are the articles that I published this month:
- Shedding Old Weight: Acceptance, Vision, and Killing Projects
- Questions and Statements Which Shape My Morning and Life
- What Would Life Look Like if You’d Put in the Work?
- There Are Always New People
0303 — I will easily send 52 new issues of my Newsletterby December 31, 2018
Result: 4 Newsletters Sent in February (12 total)
I stayed on track for March. I am committed to sending 52 newsletter issues this year. Would you like to receive my weekly exploration? You can signup for free!
The challenge I mentioned last month stays: it’s tough to produce on a regular basis and keep the publishing dates the same each time. I’m working on it.
Another interesting challenge is to produce these newsletter issues without considering the number of readers. I know that it’s valuable if just one person finds value in it. But sometimes it’s hard to actually keep doing it even if only a two handful are reading all the things.
0304 — I will easily publish 52 new episodes on my new Podcast by December 31, 2018
Result: 2 Podcast Episodes Published (2 total)
Podcasting is a whole new space for me. It’s exciting to get into audio, but at the same time, it is scary. In January, I bought the ATR2100 (Affiliate Link) Microphone. In February, I familiarized myself with Audacity, Adobe Audition, and the different workflows to increase sound quality. In March, I recorded two episodes and published them!
I plan to release one or two episodes per week. Starting out mainly with explorations that add on to articles I have written on this blog. Sharing more thoughts on what I wrote. Please have a listen and let me know if you have any feedback for me.
0305 — I will easily grow my Instagram Account to 50.000+ Followers by December 31, 2018
Result: 17.972+ subscribers (minus 30 compared to last month)
At the beginning of the year, I actually blocked about 10.000 followers on my Instagram profile. You are probably asking why? The main reason is that I wanted a more authentic profile and to get rid of fake followers. The whole story can be read in the email newsletter archive, which you can get access to by signing up for my weekly newsletter.
Since then there still is some clearing going on. My number of followers is fluctuating around 18.000 since then. To be honest, that is also understandable. I am not 100% clear on what my account is. I am not sharing very regularly, sometimes I add to my story but not every day, and I have stopped using Instagram for the most part of March (no commenting or liking of other peoples work).
What will help in a more regular flow of content is that Buffer App now supports automatic scheduled Instagram postings and I am planning to build a consistent posting schedule that way. Let’s see how that goes.
Would you like to follow me? @spieglio (send me a DM, and we can chat)
0306 — I will easily grow my YouTube Channel to 10.000+ Subscribers by December 31, 2018
Result: 500+ subscribers (plus 30)
My YouTube Channel started out at about 400 followers in the first few days of 2018. As of today my channel has 500+ subscribers and is growing at about 30 subscribers per month.
This is the first milestone that gives me a really cool feeling, and it’s especially surprising because it’s just one year after I actually started posting more to YouTube and did my #30VideosIn30Days challenge last year.
At the current rate, I will end up with about 800 subscribers by the end of the year. I seriously have to step up my game a lot to reach my lofty goal of 10.000+ subscribers by the end of the year!
I had the plan to produce a whole lot of content in Kuala Lumpur in March. That didn’t happen. I planned to stay in an apartment by myself but ended up just renting a room. The people were excellent, the building was wonderful, but I felt shy about producing in that environment. The new plan is to find a longer-term stay on Bali for April and May to create all kinds of videos there. Let’s do this.
0307 — I will easily create and publish consulting packages by January 31, 2018
Result: Failed / Halfway Done
Well, the first example of a goal not being achieved in by the deadline. Technically this is a fail. I am still sorting this through in my head to get clearer on what direction I want to take with this. It’s also going to be impacted by my plans of creating online courses.
I have a couple people working with me already, and if you need help with your website, structuring your online business, or doing some business development, please contact me, and we can work on that!
Work With Me / Consulting, Coaching, and Accountability
Next steps for this goal:
- ❌ Brainstorm & Create Packages
- ❌ Update Landing Page
0308 — I will easily create and publish my first online course by February 28, 2018
Result: Failed / In Progress
I planned to film this in Kuala Lumpur, but the AirBnB turned out to be not as ideal for filming as I thought it might be. On top of that my fears around publishing (creating something valuable) kicked in. This is also where my article “There Are Always New People” originated.
I know all the theory and that it’s a matter of “just doing it”, but that doesn’t necessarily help. I’ve been working on these things in the healing sessions, and I start to feel better about it.
If you are reading this and you have any requests for a course (or information video) from me, please send me a quick email. I am developing topics, but it would be even better if I could directly help you in what you need. I also plan on giving away a few copies of the corse for beta testers.
Next steps for this goal:
- ❌ Find a long-term stay on Bali (probably Ubud) with video creation in mind.
- ❌ Send a test video to the Udemy Course Creation Support Team.
- ❌ Create the final concept and table of contents for the first course.
- ❌ Write the course titles, description, and other copy.
- ❌ Record, edit and publish the course to Udemy.
0309 — I will easily organize and hold a workshop by December 31, 2018
Result: Goal Achieved — 21st January 2018
Together with Candice Wu, I organized and held an Interactive Intimacy Workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was a new and fascinating experience for me. I am looking forward to facilitating more workshops like it as well as workshops about other (more technical and business related) topics as the year continues.
0310 — I will easily launch WriterSprints.com and PushNotice.chat on ProductHunt by February 28
Result: Failed then Killed
I had grand ambitions with all the software projects that I started. So much I could do with them, so much fun I have while coding. But more and more I am noticing the draw towards making more content and sharing more of my knowledge. Eventually, I decided to actually take most of my side projects offline so I could focus on less with greater passion and dedication. I discussed that in more detail in the article “Shedding Old Weight: Acceptance, Vision, and Killing Projects”.
I still love coding and sometimes feel a random pull towards writing some lines. But I’d like to do it more out of passion than because I have to earn money with it.
04 — Self-Development, Lifestyle, and Relationships
0401 — I will easily read 24 books to learn, grow, and enjoy by December 31, 2018
Result: 1 Books finished (4 total)
I finished one book in March. It took longer than expected to finish Benjamin Franklin: An American Life : Walter Isaacson. It’s a long book, with a lot of details.
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life : Walter Isaacson (Affiliate Link)
It’s incredible how much detail Walter Isaacson put into this book. I was on the brink of boredom a couple times and found it hard to get through the book overall. The most inspiring for me was Franklins early life and rise to success and fame. His dedication to creating social structures (Juntos, Fireguard, as well as his Library).
Read this Year (Affiliate Links)
- The Graveyard Book : Neil Gaiman
- The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself : Michael A. Singer
- Schwarm : Frank Schätzing
0402 — I will easily attend at least 2 self-growth events or retreats by December 31, 2018
Result: No progress yet
I have some ideas of what events to attend but still looking.
0403 — I will easily stay in contact with all my family members on a regular basis throughout 2018
Result: On Track
I FaceTime called all my family members at least once in March. It’s quite magical that we can call each other around the globe.
0404 — I will easily build the relationships I have and check in with the people I care most about throughout 2018
Result: On Track
I’m happy with the progress on this goal. I’ve been messaging some more people, checked in, had some Skype calls. I’m always looking forward to a good conversation.
0405 — I will easily schedule nice activities with my family members for the time when I am in Germany in 2018
Result: No progress yet
I have some ideas of what to do, but there are no concrete plans yet.
0406 — I will easily travel to and explore 2 new countries by December 31, 2018
Result: 2 new Country / Goal Achived
I arrived in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Monday the 26th of March. This is the second new country this year and marks this goal complete. Now let’s see how many more countries I can add.
Looks like all the countries coming up are countries I have visited before. My up to date travel plan can be seen on my About Page. My next flight will most likely bring me to Hawaii, USA. That trip is planned for May & July 2018.
0407 — I will easily go to meetups in the locations I travel to and meet inspiring and motivating people throughout 2018
Result: Kinda Failed in March
I didn’t really go to any meetups. I met up with friends for dinner and had marvelous “dinner table meetups” with my new apartment mates in Kuala Lumpur. I am starting to think that these kinds of meetups are more valuable than the random meeting people once in a bar to network. I’m happy with the amount of social interaction and new people in my life right now.
05 — Non Goals
In addition to my concrete goals above, I also have a list of Not-Yet-Goals. I treat these as ideas to keep in mind. There might be opportunities to make these happen.
- Take Courses and Attend More Seminars to Improve and Become Better
- Rhetoric, Public Speaking, Story Telling, Body Language, NLP, Cold Reading, Video Creation, Life Coaching
- Refresh and Get to the Next Level Diving License (Advanced Open Water Diver)
- Learn more about Relationships Styles, Open Communication, and Sex Education
- Learn How to Shoot a Classic/Modern Bow and Arrow
- Go Horseback Riding
- Learn about Tantra
- Have more experiences with Family Constellations, Breathing Workshops, Wim Hof Method, Embodiment
- Learn to Listen, Ask Questions, Form an Opinion, and Speak Last
Random Achievements
One achievement for me was the decision to actually kill many of my projects and websites which I just kept running. It’s so much to keep track of them all. Have the different project timelines in my head or in my notes. Getting rid of those helped me tremendously to find more focus and space for everything else.
I am now on Bali, Indonesia with my lovely partner Candice and we plan on traveling together for the rest of the year. This feels most exciting and beautiful. I’ve been traveling alone for the past year, and now this gives us the opportunity to go deeper into our relationship and explore the world together.
I decided to shed some more weight, more than I already have mentioned in my article. This time in real weight of my travel gear. The decision was made in March, now in April I already started selling my drone, one of my cameras, and a bunch of other things. I’m looking forward to less stuff #minimalism.
I did not watch any TV Series, Netflix, or Movies in March. This is probably the first time since I am able to think and it was so good. Feeling the urge to watch something. The reactions in my body, not using the movies as a coping mechanism for loneliness or fear. A pretty intense movie detox.
April — What’s Coming
More of what’s already happening. The first three months of 2018 feel like preparation. Now it’s time for some action. Finding an apartment for the next 6 weeks to produce videos, podcast episodes, and courses.
What’s your plan for April? Are you reviewing the months as they are happening? Building, growing, improving, slowing down?
Let’s connect if you have any questions or feedback and: Enjoy the next month!
Thoughts you’d like to share?
Please let me know either publicly
via Twitter or privately via Telegram.
Originally published at makeityour.life on April 5, 2018.
