RESOLUTIONS
14 JAN 2018
I missed last week, so here’s an extra-long double feature to start the year off right!
There seems to be a vendetta against New Year’s Resolutions. I totally understand the mindset — why set unrealistically ambitious goals without any requirement of lifestyle change, and then feel guilty about when we continue to do what we’ve always done? — but I still believe there is value.
Here are some recommendations for starting the year in a sprint, instead of a zoned-out food coma:
Set goals that are just outside of your current ability.
This is a big one for me — setting the goal of squatting 400 lbs is stupid because I know I won’t be able to achieve that in one year — but setting a goal of going to the gym 50 times this year is totally achievable. Aim for the next level up, not Olympic qualifying. You’ll be a lot more motivated to achieve it in the long run.
Quantify your goals and make them trackable.
What gets measured gets managed, so be sure to set goals that are measurable. Having a number you’re aiming for is a lot better than “trying to be better”. How do you know when you’re “better”?
For example, don’t say “I want to get fit in 2018”. Say “I want to lose 25 pounds in 2018”. Of course, you’re a lot more than a number, but numbers make improvement trackable.
Set stakes to keep you accountable.
For all of my New Year’s Resolutions, I set a penalty and a reward for hitting (or not hitting) them. If I fail to read 52 books this year, I am making a donation to the Toronto Public Library for $500. If that’s not going to motivate me, I don’t know what will.
The key to setting stakes, I’ve found is to do the following: make the penalty (or reward) large enough that it’s painful (or pleasurable) but not unrealistic. Saying I’m going to give $10,000 to charity might be a good motivator, but it’s crippling if it were to happen. Donating $500 is painful enough to hurt, but not enough to ruin me.
And then of course, have someone to keep you accountable. Congratulations, you’ve just been nominated to keep me accountable! It can be as simple as posting it online, setting a calendar reminder, telling your significant other to hold you to your word, or putting it up on the fridge. I personally put a sheet with all my NYRs on the fridge, along with penalties and such, to remind me daily, and Emma and I hold each other accountable to these goals and penalties. There are lots of great tools to help with this piece of the puzzle, so you don’t even need a partner to hold you accountable.
Focus on the process, not the end result.
I’ve heard this a thousand times, but when you set a goal, it’s more important to set a process-driven goal than a results-driven goal. For example, instead of setting a goal of bench pressing 200 lbs., set a goal of going to the gym 100 times this year. The first is about hitting a result that may or may not be within your control. The second is about developing a process for success that is bound to lead to positive results. This helps take the pressure off of achieving a specific end result in the midst of unpredictability, and focuses more of life-shaping habits. As I mentioned, all great performers in their fields focus on getting the little things right, and often that means getting the right processes down before aiming for lofty results. If you can achieve the process, the results will take care of themselves.
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
The purpose of a NYR in the first place is to help you be the best you can be, to improve each and every year, and to get closer to the good life you’ve imagined. Being guilty about not hitting an arbitrary goal doesn’t help you do any of those things, so when you falter, which you will, be sure you don’t fail. Missing a gym session is a setback. Quitting a gym routine because of a missed workout is a failure. Don’t downward spiral, and give yourself the leeway to bend and sway with the tides of life.
Here are my resolutions for 2018:
Here’s to an amazing 2018 together.
With gratitude,
Brendan
Articles I’ve Been Reading, by length:
Words That Matter [10–12 Articles] (4/5)
This is a collection of articles Medium put together at the end of 2017 with the common them of reflecting on a single word that best describes the year from their perspective. Some pretty heavy-weight authors — Hilary Clinton, Jonathan Safran Foer, Roxane Gray, Reid Hoffman — weighed in and the results are exquisite. Would highly recommend spending an afternoon reading through them all.
Life is Short [20 min read] (4/5)
Life is short. Continuous time is difficult to quantify, but discrete time, the number of times we do a particular thing in our lives, is quantifiable and abruptly finite.
I found that mental jiu-jitsu to be really helpful in deciding what things I actually want to spend time on this year. Before you spend hours creating lofty goals and elaborate vision boards for yourself in 2018, spend some time reading through this and thinking through “Does this really matter?”
When you acknowledge that your time will inevitably be very limited one day, and sooner than you think, you’ll wish you spent more of it meaningfully.
Thanks for the reminder, Paul.
Thirty Years of Projects [20 minutes] (5/5)
I love everything Seth Godin writes. This is no exception. There are 3 big lessons I took away from this one.
- Everything is a project. Every job, activity, collection of works, and relationship is a project. They all contribute to the growth of who you are and where you are going. Track your projects, and put yourself into them. They inevitably shape who you are. And perhaps, more importantly, projects succeed and fail, and they can (but don’t have to be) part of who you become. You get to choose how much impact a particular project has on you (or not).
- Nothing amazing happens overnight. It often takes years or decades of hard work before anything substantial happens, and even then, you’re never quite sure which project will be your break-through. The secret is to keep pushing, to keep shipping, and to keep working on projects that excite you. A career is really ever just a series of projects.
- The most impactful projects don’t have to be the most profitable, the most well-known, or even reach the most people. The most impactful projects is an entirely personal thing. The opportunity to create something impactful exists in all of us, and it has never been easier to ship something worth producing. What will be your most impactful project?
Wobbly Tables and the Problem with Futurism [7 min read] (3/5)
Why will some problems never be solved? And what problems are worth solving?
Will we still have wobbly tables in 50 years? How about electric cars? One feels pretty easy to solve, and the other pretty valuable, but my bet is that electric cars get made big time, and wobbly tables still exist.
Is the problem you’re trying to solve an electric car or a wobbly table?
Why Side Projects are So Damn Important [7 min read] (4/5)
Love the premise of this article — side projects ARE really important — and can really accelerate your learning in many domains. At the beginning of the year, it’s critical to map out some side projects you’re excited to work on over the next 12 months, and to dream big.
Surgeons Should Not Look Like Surgeons [5 min read] (5/5)
Is this thing really good, or does it just look like it should be really good? Appearances are fooling, but they can also be mighty revealing, if you know how to look at them.
The Lindy Effect applied to surgeons is also telling for restaurants, new hires, and sales people. The ones that don’t look like they should be there, but are there nonetheless, are probably worth their weight. A 2-Michelin-star restaurant that looks like a 2-Michelin-star restaurant is never as good as the 2-Michelin-star food truck. It takes some pretty damn good food to be a 2-Michelin-star food truck. It takes some nice lighting and decent food to look like a 2-Michelin-star restaurant.
If your surgeon doesn’t look like a surgeon, chances are they’ve had to make up for that by being really damn good at what they do. If you need surgery, look for the surgeons who don’t look the part. Results aren’t struck by an appearance bias.
Books I’ve Been Reading, by length:
The Rooster Bar by John Grisham [320 pages] (3/5) — Book 1 of 52
I read this book in 1 day (January 1st, 2018) to kickstart my goal for the year. It was a gift from my grandfather and he said it was a quick read. It was quite addicting, and I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a legal thriller about 3 law school dropouts, who, after the suicide of a close friend, form a fake law firm and start hustling traffic courts to make a living. They actively avoid paying off their student loans, start going after big medical settlements, and investigate a wealthy benefactor who happens to own the shady law school that put them all in mountains of debt. After others start catching on to their back-alley tactics, there flying under the radar is jeopardized, and they manage to find themselves in even more hot water than they had planned.
It’s a riveting read, and shows why John Grisham remains one of the most prolific writers today. My only complaint is the end (without giving it away) is a little too nicely tied together for my liking. A good foray into the world of fiction for someone who is normally allergic to such things.
Something I’ve Been Using:
Hamilton Beach Blender ($20!!) (5/5)
I can’t believe this product is so cheap. I don’t know how they make it so cheap. Not that I’m complaining — it’s a great product! — and one that I use almost every day.
There are three things I love about this blender above any other I’ve owned:
- It’s super easy to clean. Big mess? 15 seconds and you’re good as new.
- It’s small. It doesn’t take up a big footprint on my counter. For anyone who has seen my apartment, counter space comes at a premium. The less I can occupy by still having the tools I need in the morning available, the better.
- It’s reliable. I used it at least 3 times per week the entire year, and I never had an issue with it.
This is amazing for bulletproof coffee, titanium tea, protein smoothies, fruit smoothies, pureed pestos, or even making soup. It is the perfect size for single portions, and is versatile enough for most blending needs.
Pro tip: The only times I had a problem was blending frozen blueberries when they all froze together into a big clump that didn’t reach the blades. I’ve learned to blend the frozen fruit first, then add everything else. No problems since.
Pampered Chef Stoneware Baking Sheet ($80-$100) (5/5)
This was a birthday gift from Emma’s mom. It’s changed the way I cook things in the oven. Super versatile, a lifetime warranty if you take care of it, and very easy to clean — I can’t say enough about this. I will be saving up to by a set of these they are so good. A bit on the pricey side, but how much would you pay for a lifetime of cooking ware?
Messermeister Chef’s Knife (You Don’t Want to Know) (5/5)
This was a christmas gift last year from my friend Isaac, and one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. After a year or so of daily use (and rather aggressive use at times) it is still sharp, feels amazing to hold, and gives me tremendous confidence in its use. Those Germans really know how to make an amazing chef’s knife, and I couldn’t be happier with this one. It’s a centerpiece in my kitchen.
KRUPS Espresso Machine [couldn’t find a link sorry =( ] ($100-$200) (4/5)
This was a gift from my Aunt, and I use it nearly every day. It makes amazing espresso, is small enough to deserve a permanent footprint on our countertop, and is very easy to use and clean. It’s lasted almost 3 years of abuse so far, and shows no signs of slowing down. My advice if you’re going to buy a coffee maker: get the best one you can afford. Buy with the expectation of it lasting 10 years, and be disappointed if it doesn’t. Don’t go cheap on something you expect to use daily.
Something I’ve Been Writing:
New Year’s Resolutions 2015 [7 min read]
This is an oldy-but-goody from a few years ago. I put far more effort into writing and constructing the whole article than I did actually implementing the resolutions, but every year I have found my way back to this and enjoyed reflecting on how I’ve implemented this in my life. The subtle factor I love about this, in reflection, is how none of these require massive action. They are simple, tiny steps in the right direction, taken day after day.
As 2017 has come to a close, one of the biggest things I’ve been reflecting on is the importance of the fundamentals, the small simple basic steps that lead to much bigger things. So often we neglect the simple steps immediately in front of us for massive action to change. The power of 1% compounding every day, in almost every case, will outperform the massive act of change in a willpower-fueled moment.
In fact, the best resolutions happen monthly. Or weekly. Or daily. It’s the little things that add up. The best athletes, investors, and performers in nearly every field compete at the top levels by doing all the little things right before they focus on getting the big actions.
Starting small adds up.
What is the 1% change you’re hoping to implement this month?
Something I’ve been listening to:
Self-Titled by Oh Wonder (5/5)
This band out of London has been my album of the year. It’s great to listen to while you work, while you’re cooking, or while you’re having a romantic evening with your partner. This dynamic duo recorded the entire first album themselves and released it to unexpected fanfare and response. I think it might be the best album I’ve heard in a long time, and despite many of the songs sounding similar, each has a distinct tone that seems to flow together. Albums seem to be more and more collections of singles rather than holistic experiences. They certainly don’t make them like they used to. But this is certainly an homage to a bygone era of extended symphonies, instead of catchy concertos.
What was your album of 2017?
