2023 Look Ahead

In place of the usual ‘Weekly Minute’, I give you my 2023 Look-Ahead:

I want to start with my Word of the Year: ENERGY. My energy and enthusiasm has always been a way to describe me ever since I was a toddler. Back in the day, it seemed to. be perceived as a negative – but in recent years I really started to understand what an invaluable skill it is in the real world. In the professional setting, contagious energy is infectious and can lift entire teams to new heights while also being a catalyst for fond memories with family and friends.

As it comes naturally to me, I’m doubling down in 2023 with this soft skill and being more intentional about it. 

Now, for my 2023 Look-Ahead, I’d like to answer a few questions before laying out a few, specific goals:

QUESTIONS / REFLECTIONS

• If I took over my life from scratch today, what would I immediately stop doing?

• I would/will attempt to be less anxious and worrisome about things, especially with things out of my control. I think that’s a skill that could be useful for everyone. 

• What would I start doing?

• Being deliberate with my time: building in dedicated time for all aspects of life: work, play, rest, etc.

• What do I want to spend MORE time on next year?

• I’m actually pretty satisfied with what the time I spend on a day-to-basis, but I could always improve with more intentional time. That word is key. I often try to do too many things at once, which can dilute some quality time. 

• Also, I definitely would like to reach out to the people I care about more. I get into grooves where I might not reach out to those I do care about and my relationships become passive — where I only interact with people when they reach out to me first. A simple message or phone call can go a LONG way in furthering those relationships and letting people know they matter to me.

• What do I want to spend LESS time on next year?

• Similar to above, I usually feel pretty comfortable with what I do and don’t do. I generally spend time with the people I love and doing things I enjoy.

• What can I do to go first?

• Lead with positive intent and energy, always.

• What can I do in the next week that will make the rest of the year easier?

• 1) Reach out to people I care about, further developing the relationships that matter to me, and 2) Create my list of goals for the year that put me in best shape to look back and feel accomplished and proud on Dec. 31, 2023. (Health, wealth, personal and professional)

• What can I do this year that will leave me in a better position for next year?

• Create content, week by week, as a thought leader. This practice builds trust and helps establish a dedicated audience, one of the greatest things we have at our disposal in this digital age.

• Practice patience, especially with my children.

• Live in the moment and appreciate the experiences I have (even if that means the craziest of times with three little children)

• What am I doing that I’d want a film crew to see?

• Uplifting people

• Doing a lot of important work behind the scenes

• A good, well-balanced person – who 1) works incredibly hard, 2) a family man who is there for my wife and 3) stays active with fun experiences.

• What are the things I’m doing that I don’t want the film crew to see?

• My impatience with children probably has to be the first one. And I can’t think of anything else, ha.
  

GOALS

The most successful people have goals they want to accomplish AND the systems in place to make them inevitable. I also like to center some goals around four key pillars: personal, professional, health and wealth. 

Personal

• I’d like to tap more into my personal reflections. Perhaps I will start journaling? 

• Read:

• Industry articles, business/leadership (this has been a constant; I just want to maintain my yearning for learning.)

• Books, I’ll go for the 12 books in 12 months mission again. I did attempt this it last year and got to 10 out of the 12.

• It’s a recurring theme, but I’d like to have intentional time with my wife and babies. Even though time can get crazy and I can get bothered easily, I want to ensure this time doesn’t pass me by. All we hear is that this time (as young parents) flies by and I at least don’t want to regret anything.

• Identify and establish a Personal Board of Directors; this group is intended to help me make sound decisions, give advice and feedback, challenge my assumptions, and gut check ideas.

Professional

• Keep a consistent pattern of posting on this website (and my social feeds; this is something that used to be huge part of my life but I’ve been inconsistent for a number of years. I would like to get back to a consistent pattern of thought leadership and give people a glimpse into how I think.

• I don’t like to post about the actual work I do in my professional job, so I’ll just say: 1) create energy for my team and others, 2) be someone who gets things started – and 3) pushes things forward and through the finish line. 

Health

• Continue an upward trajectory of staying on top of my fitness, centered around Peloton (cycling and core strength); I will aim to have moderate to intense workouts five days per week.

• I hope to play a decent amount of golf in 2023, and when I do, I’ll try to walk the 18 holes more often than I have in the past.

• One aspect of ‘health’ that I have probably neglected throughout my life is eating/nutrition. While I have remained physically active, I usually just eat what I want (maybe a humble brag?). Now that I’m in my mid-30s I want to take more care of what I’m putting in my body. 

Wealth

• I will lock down down intentional budgets and investing plans for my family. Enough said. 

Thanks for reading. Let’s get after this 2023!

-Brian