You Need a Theme, Not a Goal

> Don’t abuse rules to force a puritanical or tyrannical lifestyle I really like the CGP Grey's "Themes" instead of calling a rule [1]. The concept of a "trends towards healthy" is much easier for me than "eat healthy". [1] - ▶ this video

i prefer a theme[1] over goals. my this year's theme is learning - which i'm starting with learning to cook more novel dishes. [1]: CGP Grey's video on it: ▶ this video

You can learn more about yearly themes from this excellent CGP Grey video: [1] ▶ this video Here's my yearly theme log, which I started mid-2022: [2] link It's been a great experience!

Everyone has good insight so far - I would add that this video[1] from CGP Grey comes to mind about picking a theme for the year ahead. It's easy to get bogged down in the details but I try to follow a heuristic of taking action is infinitely better than sitting down and endlessly ruminating about it (of course easier said than done). [1]: ▶ this video

I'm a huge fan of yearly themes, popularized by CGP Grey! [1] ▶ this video [2] link My "year of trailblazing" was incredibly positive. Here's my recap: finally started antidepressants, became a dad, quit booze and cigarettes after ten years of attempts, conquered my internet addiction, started a popularish blog, biked from SF to LA, failed at starting a tech conference, botched a startup launch, read a ton of books, overcame chronic crippling anxiety [3] link

A similar idea that resonated with me is CGP Grey's suggestion to replace resolutions with themes: ▶ this video Rather than set a lofty goal you're more likely to give up on (leaving you having accomplished nothing), simply look for ways in which you can do/be better than you were before.

Excited about my goals this year - thanks for asking this... (1) I am building a community Makerspace / entrepreneur incubator lab in Latin America (related goal: Learn Spanish!). Agile product development methodologies, pairing, open-source product designs - High quality people, practices, tools, products and clients (and snacks). - If this is your jam, hit me up. I could use the help! (2) I'm learning Ruby & Rails (For fun: Using ChatGPT to propose a learning path & resources, and planning to use Obsidian + MkDocs to document what I learn). I'd like to feel comfortable hacking together interesting SaaS tools for friends & interesting business ideas. I'm familiar with Python/Django, so please feel free to suggest your best Rails advice! (3) Writing & Sales are the two most important skills for Entrepreneur mode, so I'm studying books in those areas and practicing. I've done roles as developer, consultant, product management, and solution/sales engineering, but I'm holding myself accountable to actually develop excellent Sales Skillz (after all - we all "sell" our ideas, suggestions). Wish me luck on that one! (4) Fitness / sports - Getting back into Squash (the best game there is). My dream would be to play at a 4.0 level (currently 3.0'ish) Wishing you all an excellent 2023 - full of happiness, health, good family vibes, creativity, and prosperity. PS: Check out this video on focusing on New Years "themes" - ▶ this video

Happy new year, HN. I'm a huge believer in CGP Grey's thematic year system ( ▶ this video ) in place of resolutions. After outstanding successes two years in a row with the system (first year with my physical health, second year with my work and finances), I'm doing a "year of relationships" where my focus will be general social and romantic recoveries. Especially since, in the last two years, this is what has suffered the most for many including myself. I posted on Tildes about this, in fact: link

Happy New Year! I am in the same line as you, I don't have any "new year promises" but I will try to focus on my health: eating better and training more. This is discussed in a video I think is specially relevant today: ▶ this video

A. Meet your basic biological needs. Your brain is a part of your body. A person with an iron deficiency can feel compelled to chew ice[1]. Ice does not cures anemia, brains are weird parts of the body and do weird things when the body is not getting what it needs. So, get better sleep, food, and exercise. Prof Andrew Huberman has some good tips[2]. B. Decide what few things you really value and allocate your time to those on purpose. If you find yourself repeatedly drawn to the news, maybe you are genuinely give a fuck about civic engagement. Your personality has a need for it. Trying to meet that need by scrolling twitter is like eating 3 bags of tortilla chips for dinner -- quick-access, but not healthy. If you be better off deciding that you value Mexican food, opening your calendar and honestly deciding to spend the time to learn to cook Mexican food. Look for the virtue underneath your vice -- What information are you most drawn to and what healthy activities does it point towards? Pick 3 and pursue those deeply. Why 3? You can only honestly give a fuck about a few things[3], so that requires deciding to not do other reasonable fun activities. If shallow engagement with your interests has been your primary mode of procrastination, then honest and deep engagement might deceptively feel like a waste of time. That makes this hard. Why arbitrarily avoid those other things? You are choosing to be the arbiter of your time. Take pride in grappling with the fear of procrastinat

CGP Grey has an excellent video on this exact kind of goal setting: link And another on New Year's resolutions more generally: ▶ this video

All of these present problems in different contexts Specific: This assumes that the picture you currently have of what you want is the thing you actually want. Do you want faster horse, a Model T, or swift reliable transportation of a form you've not yet imagined. Measurable: If you only value that which has a number, you'll lose sight of what truly matters in life because of the Streetlight Effect[1]. Consider the ridiculousness of the question "What NPS score would your children give you?" Attainable: There is a limit to the degree to which you can "be sure" of anything, especially without 2020 vision. Relevant: This requires really knowing what your values are so that you can practice the subtle art of not giving a fuck[2] about other things. Determining those can be hard emotionally-painful work, but in any context it is a good problem you want to have solved. Time Bound: Sometimes deadlines spur action, sometimes they paralyse or cause you to lose sleep. Sometimes, they are so far off in the future that you don't think about them until it is too late because you thought you could do them. If you're looking at a timescale longer than 6 weeks, consider instead that you might want a CGP-Grey style Theme: ▶ this video [1] link [2] link Highly recommend this to anyone who spends lots of time thinking about personal goal-setting.

Learning 12 skills in 12 months seems extreme to me, in particular, because a lot of skills take long to master. Instead, I prefer the "theme of a season" approach as espoused in this CGP Gray video: ▶ this video