Here are 10 of my biggest priorities for 2023. Similar to my goals from recent years1, this list features a mix of bucket-list style accomplishments and (more importantly) healthy habits I want to build.
1. Write every day
I will dedicate at least an hour each day, first thing in the morning, for personal and creative writing.
2. Deep scheduling
I will plan out each day by the hour, by hand, on a notecard. This is a second attempt at Goal 8 from 2022.
3. Screen-free Shabbat
I will not use my phone, computer or TV from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
4. Simple and Sinister kettlebell at 32kg
I’ve been chasing this whale since 2019. I will complete 10 rounds of 10 single-arm swings followed by 10 Turkish Get Ups (TGU) with a 32kg kettlebell. As of February 2023, I’m cranking out six reps at 24kg and four reps at 32kg. I aim to add two reps at 32kg about every couple months.
5. Beat your chest like a gorilla at least once a month
6. Run the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim
I will tackle this bucket-list beast in early October.
7. Train for violence
I will learn either Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, Muy Thai, or some form of mixed martial arts. I do a ton of running and lifting, but sometimes it feels good to hit something.
8. Memorize things
I will (1) memorize one new quote, poem, or excerpt every month; (2) stop using GPS to get places; and (3) re-read the book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer.
9. Go into the wilderness alone
I will through-hike another stretch of segments on the Colorado Trail this summer.
10. Reading list
In no particular order, these are the books on my reading list for the coming year:
- The Iliad (in progress)
- The Odyssey
- Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer
- Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
- Demons, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield
- Make to Know, by Lorne Buchanan
- Red Memory, by Tania Branigan
- Chip War, by Chris Miller
- Michael Lewis’s upcoming book about SBF and FTX