Do Everything You Want in 2020. Here's How.
- For those looking to accomplish their goals in 2020 and stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. Advice from the most ambitious year of my life. -
Cover photo by Evan Mosley
“I’ve found the best experiences in my life have come from committing to something irrational and seemingly impossible, though it was something I knew I cared deeply about doing.”
Overview
Set lofty goals.
Set time-specific goals and others that must be done at some point before you die.
Make a list, and make it visible.
If you don’t commit, you’ll never fail. But you’ll never succeed either.
Multiple goals allow you to step back when you need a break from one objective.
There’s always enough time.
Be ready to sacrifice.
Find the right environment and the right people.
1: Set lofty goals.
People tell you to only set goals that are achievable, which is sound advice, but who decides what’s ‘achievable’ for you? You’re the only one who truly knows what you’re capable of. There are no gatekeepers to your ambition, and only you set your limits.
Conquering Diamond Hill, Connemara National Park, Galway, Ireland
My 2019 goals were a mix of time-specific objectives and overarching dreams that I wanted to live out at some point in my life:
I desired to complete a master’s degree. Check.
I wanted to live abroad for a year. Check.
I aimed to get original music on Spotify. Check.
I dreamed of writing a book, a real book. Check.
I wanted to learn how to rock climb (check) and surf (check.)
I needed to explore more of Europe and visit places like France, Spain, and The Netherlands. Check—check—check.
The list goes on. But this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive account of my recent accomplishments. It’s meant to be an example of the myriad objectives that are possible to tick off in one year. (Additionally, this should help add some credibility to what I have to say here. If it hasn’t, feel free to abandon ship now.)
This is also a segue to tip number two.
Can you tell which goals were deliberately meant for 2019 as opposed to goals I had generally for my life? And can you discern which I crafted before 2019 and which developed as I checked more and more off my list? Of course not. Only I know that information, but that leads to my next point.
2: Set time-specific goals and others that must be done at some point before you die.
Do you have a bucket list? Have you written down those things you want to achieve in life? Curious why you have to? Here’s why. You’re mortal, and having a physical copy of your life goals keeps you accountable and on track. These should guide every decision you make. They should dictate how you live. And I mean that literally.
One of my buddies in Galway spoke of a friend who considered a €20 night out counterproductive because that same amount of money could get him a Ryanair flight to mainland Europe. Obviously, a lot of this depends on how you prioritize your time and what you do with it.
But in reality, sacrifices are required when truly doing what you want in life. If anyone says differently, they’re lying. Whether it’s money, time with friends and family, a night out on the town, or whatever else, you will have to give something up at some point, even if it’s only temporary.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though.
In conclusion on this point, overall goals should help guide your decision-making process throughout everyday life that should eventually lead to their completion.
Time-specific goals are great at keeping you moving, motivated, and engaged. Without some goals that must be done by a certain date, it’d be very easy to lose track of time and lose track of life. [Splitting up major goals into more consumable pieces may help as well.] These time-specific dreams actually keep you grounded, though each accomplishment builds on itself until you reach bucket-list-level heights.
My Ireland journal, which contained my hopes, dreams, ambitions, and fears. Shot on film on Inishbofin Island, Galway, Ireland.
3: Make a list, and make it visible.
Without some type of list, it’s tough to keep yourself accountable, and it’s easy to forget what matters to you most. Honestly, it is. Getting caught up with school or work can easily distract from the grand scheme you’ve set in place. So once you’ve made that list (which could be written in a journal or on a sticky note, typed onto a Word or Google Doc, or visualized through images taped to a wall,) make that list visible.
Remind yourself DAILY about what’s crucial to your happiness because achieving that happiness requires conscious effort.
4: If you don’t commit, you’ll never fail. But you’ll never succeed either.
Somewhere in Ireland. Shot by Evan Mosley.
My girlfriend, Juliana, said this to me as I was reading the first draft of this article to her. And what she said is not only accurate, it’s invaluable. Being half-in or half-out will get you nowhere in life. (Or half there in life, I suppose.) Furthermore, while dreams are catalysts for setting lofty goals for oneself, committing to their realization is where the magic happens.
If you’re truly passionate, find ways to ensure you won’t abandon that passion. Sign up for classes—tell others about your plans for increased accountability—make drastic or irreversible moves that capitalize on a moment’s passion.
Some may find this last comment insane, but I’ve found the best experiences in my life have come from committing to something irrational and seemingly impossible, though it was something I knew I cared deeply about doing.
A great example here comes from the summer of 2016. I filmed a wedding and found myself drinking around a campfire at the end of the night with the brother of the bride. He said I should film his hiking trip in Colorado later that summer. I had no clue how it’d all work out or how I’d afford it, but I knew in my heart that it was my dream gig.
So, without hesitation, I agreed and committed. The rest sorted itself out later, and it would become one of the most rewarding and impactful experiences of my life.
The world (or whatever) has this strange way of giving you what you want when you’re following your heart, when you’re true to yourself. I’ve witnessed it countless times in my life.
Shockingly, there’s science that backs this up.
“A friend once remarked that it's through serendipitous encounters with objects and strangers that the world speaks to us. But we have to be listening. In fact, research by Sanda Erdelez, an information scientist at the University of Missouri, suggests that serendipity isn't necessarily a fluke—we can create situations that are conducive to it.
“While some people look at the world through a narrow lens, others are what she calls 'super-encounterers.' They describe themselves as curious, with a desire for exploration and an interest in different hobbies and subjects, qualities that Erdelez found may have helped make them prone to serendipity....
"Super-encounterers not only get excited about encountering information, Erdelez wrote, they may also be more sensitive than others to noticing information in their environment."
— Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom, p. 56 [emphasis added]
Another wild example of this was when I wanted to start professionally recording my original music. Within weeks, I was on a bus to the Dublin Airport, and I unknowingly sat next to a man who could turn that ambition into another checked box.
I gave him a spare pair of headphones after he explained, simply, that his sucked. He graciously accepted then told me he owned a recording studio off the West Coast of Ireland. I shared my latest resolution with him, and he invited me to visit and record when it was convenient.
(There may be a sub-lesson here concerning good karma, but we’ll move on for now.)
Anyway, commit and stay true to yourself. These methods should help in those pursuits. They have in my case.
5: Multiple goals allow you to step back when you need a break from one objective.
I’ve often found I’ll get tired of working on a project, but I’m not done producing or being creative. I haven’t spent myself, and I want to do more…. Just more of something else. For this reason, I always ensure that I have multiple goals set, usually that play out through different mediums and in different environments. This allowed me to capitalize on a full day’s worth of creativity, even when I exhausted one endeavor.
For example, last year I focused on school, work, writing, and producing music (among other things like blogging and photography.)
6: There’s always enough time.
People like to convince themselves they don’t have enough time. What it comes down to is simply prioritizing better how that time is spent. If you cut down time spent doing those things that don’t fulfill or advance you, you’ll be happier.
For me, that meant I hardly watched Netflix or spent time at my apartment. I was always out and about trying to make life happen. Now that I’m working full-time, I get up three hours before I have to get in to sip coffee and work on personal projects.
Again, it hearkens back to the old adage of spending time wisely.
This is a bit tougher if you have other obligations like children or a home to take care of, which is why it’s even more important to take advantage of every second of youth.
Inishbofin, Galway, Ireland
7: Be ready to sacrifice.
I accomplished more in 2019 than I could’ve possibly imagined. But it didn’t come without its price. The cost of inspiration and creativity, for me, was saying goodbye to family and friends in the States, effectively uprooting my life. It took months of adjusting to become comfortable on a new continent.
I missed out on a year of watching my great-niece grow up. I was absent for family events and milestones in my friends’ lives. I was accused (by a very select few) of being selfish for taking so much time to work on myself.
I risked money and time on ventures that very likely could’ve failed and almost never returned the monetary investment. I was often uncomfortable and down-right terrified.
But all of it was worth it for the amount of creativity that flowed so freely through me and the sense of euphoria for being who I truly am.
8. Find the right environment and the right people.
For me, nothing matters more than my environment and the people I choose to surround myself with. The group of friends I made in high school taught me that. I was invited to join a small band of brothers that would change the entire course of my life.
To this day, we’re the best of friends.
But if you’re wondering how they changed my life, it’s quite simple. Each of them are driven, way more intelligent than I am, and they have moral compasses that ground them… which give them a sense of purpose and allow them to be empathetic to all other humans. Again, it’s simple. They’re good people.
Step 8.1: Surround yourself with good, honest, caring, empathetic people that want you to achieve more in life. You’ll know when you make the right friends because they’ll push you; they’ll help guide you when you’re lost; they’ll always want you to be the best version of you. If they detract from you in any way, that’s a pretty good indicator they’re not real friends.
That very group of high school friends that made me the man I am today; they all flew over to Galway, Ireland when I lived there for a year.
Step 8.2: Transplant yourself in an environment that has good soil. It’ll be easier to take root. You’ll be properly watered and encouraged. You’ll sprout into the person you desire to be and grow stronger than you would in a place that’s not conducive to your ambitions.
I discovered how important this was in Ireland. Galway was full of dreamers, full of intelligent and caring people. And everyone in Galway wants to see others succeed. Galwegians thrive off of community. When one improves, all improve. It invokes a sense of belonging, and it pushes you to be the best you.
When you’re surrounded by passionate people that are doing incredible things with their lives, you can’t help but want to be a part of that. Borrow the energy and excitement of others. Let them fuel you.
Conclusion
Last year was the year that changed everything. I was more proud of who I was, what I achieved, and how true to myself I stayed than at any other point in my life. These tips are based on that year, and they should help you attain your goals.
Follow your ambition. Believe in the impractical. Rekindle the flame that fuels your passion.
Have any thoughts on this blog post? If so, let me know in the comments. I love feedback, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
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Thanks for reading; keep an eye out for future blog posts; and happy reading! - Cullan
