Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. More details about the process are in this blog post and you can review the results from past years here. 2024 Theme: Movements I’ve made a bit of progress here, I had ChatGPT make me a nice list of movements and books about them and have been making my way down the list. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany – I started it last year when it popped into
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. More details about the process are in this blog post and you can review the results from past years here. 2024 Theme: Movements This is the final year of my current sabbath cycle, a six year period where I am focused on preparing for my calling. I actually said that last year was the final full year of the current cycle too, but have decided to shift my schedule back by six months so the sabbath
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. In 2023 I set out to learn about Strategy. You can read more about my intent here. 2023 Theme: Strategy Self Grade: 10/10 I identified the following books as great places to learn about strategy and was able to make some solid progress. Good Strategy Bad Strategy (DONE) Blue Ocean Strategy (DONE) The Crux (DONE) The Art of Strategy (DONE) On grand strategy (IN PROGRESS) HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Strategy (IN PROGRESS) Playing to Win
In 2023 I set my theme as ‘strategy’. Last January, when I selected it, I wrote: “My goal this year will be to learn more about strategy, to figure out what the common patterns are, how to improve them in myself, and how to be a skilled strategist.” This blog post serves as a summary of what I read and what I learned. What I Read I identified the following books as good ones on the topic and I was able to read through the first four and get about half way through two others. I’ll likely just finish those up in the coming weeks before I transition into reading for my theme for 2024. Good Strategy Bad Strategy (DONE) Blue Ocean Strategy (DONE) The Crux (DONE) The Art of Strategy (DONE) On grand strategy (IN PROGRESS) HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Strategy (IN PROGRESS) Playing to Win Understanding Michael
This year I picked Genghis Khan as my exemplar since the theme I was studying was strategy and he is widely noted as one of the best military strategists. I write these reviews following a review template to help me get the most out of the process of having an exemplar. Below is my entry for Genghis Khan. What did Genghis Khan achieve? He unified a large number of nomadic people on the Mongolian steppe and led the expansion of that kingdom until it became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Why did he care about that? I haven’t gotten any clarity into that during my study this year. It seems revenge and ambition played a role, but I also get the feeling that continual growth was just something that kept him busy and his people focused on a task. Perhaps that is all there is to it – he
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. In 2023 I set out to learn about Strategy. You can read more about my intent here. 2023 Theme: Strategy In terms of reading, here is my progress Good Strategy Bad Strategy HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Strategy – IN PROGRESS Blue Ocean Strategy – IN PROGRESS The Crux Playing to Win Understanding Michael Porter The Art of Strategy Competitive Strategy Your Next Five Moves Measure What Matters Your Strategy Needs a Strategy The biggest bluff
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. More details about the process are in this blog post and you can review the results from past years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). 2023 Theme: Strategy I’m continuing to enjoy this subject. Strategy is essentially identification of levers and applying focused pressure on them – its a bit puzzle, and I love puzzles. In terms of reading, here is my progress Good Strategy Bad Strategy HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Strategy – IN PROGRESS Blue Ocean
On June 2nd and 3rd, 2023 I completed the Seventy48 paddle race in just over 40 hours. Here is the race report Goals Results Enjoy being outside – ACCOMPLISHED Do something really hard – ACCOMPLISHED Do something new and learn some new skills – ACCOMPLISHED Finish the course (even if after the allowed time) – ACCOMPLISHED Officially finish (under the official 48 hour cutoff) – ACCOMPLISHED Finish in under 24 hours – Not Accomplished Finish in under 20 hours – Not Accomplished Strategy Start slow, keep moving, and dig deep in the end. – ACCOMPLISHED Tactics Eat 200 calories per hour – ACCOMPLISHED Refill water every 2 hours – ACCOMPLISHED Don’t exceed 140bpm – Not Accomplished Only stop on land three times – Not Accomplished Limit rest stops to 30 minutes – Not Accomplished Successes What am I proud of from race day? Found a way to finish Failures What areas could I
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. More details about the process are in this blog post and you can review the results from past years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). 2023 Theme: Strategy I’m having so much fun reading about this topic. I love strategy and reading more formally about it has only served to confirm that. My brain just loves chewing on things and thinking about strategy feels satisfying in the same way it feels good to crunch into a big sandwich.
Better every year. That is my goal. I believe that through focused effort I can keep improving and ensure my best years are still in front of me. With that in mind, at the start of a new year, I take the time to set my focus for the coming year. By being selective about where I direct my energy, I can achieve results that are exponentially greater than if I split my attention. More details about the process are in this blog post and you can review the results from past years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). 2023 Theme: Strategy This is the sixth and final year of my current sabbath cycle, a six year period where I am focused on preparing for my calling. As I entered this six year stretch I had the belief that there are four generic skills that are highly valuable to do anything well;