My Goals for 2014

A mentor once told me that I should always jot down my intentions and goals so I can hold myself accountable and track my progress in life. Despite this sound advice, I’ve never taken the time to write down my personal and professional goals even though I always enjoy discussing them with others during the holiday season.

With 2014 less than a day away, it’s time to finally buck this trend and put the proverbial pen to paper.  I’m doing it for three reasons.  First, I intend to check this list throughout the year to see how I’m doing relative to what I think is important right now.  Second, if I make my goals public, I’ll likely feel a big sense of failure if I don’t tackle everything I set out to accomplish.  Finally and most importantly, I hope you’ll get to know me better based on the areas I’m focused on and the things I’d like to achieve in 2014.

Without further ado:

Life

1. Read one book per month: Because reading tech and business blogs alone doesn’t really feed my brain.
2. Travel to two new countries: I’ve found the best way to learn about the world is by experiencing it.
3. Volunteer twice per month: Adopt a non-profit and contribute on a monthly basis so I can give back and feel good about it.
4. Attend two intensive classes: Explore areas of interest such as painting, cooking, and graphic design.
5. Spend less time working at home: Throughout 2013 I spent more time at home working than being focused on my life.
6. Get rid of clutter and focus on quality: I find the more “stuff” I get rid of the happier I become (e.g. clothes, twitter followers, etc.).
7. Build a long term financial plan: I’ve been fortunate to save some cash but now I need to devise a long term investment plan.

Work

1. Blog monthly: I’ve had a longtime phobia of writing and it is time for me to get over it.
2. Take fewer meetings: In 2013 I took thousands of meetings so I’d like to cut that number in half and spend more time thinking, researching and creating.
3. Find a coach / mentor: It has been years since I have had a formal mentor and my gut tells me now is the time to find one.
4. Help a founder daily: assist a new founder every single day and expect nothing in return.
5. Launch a resource for NYC Tech: I’d like to create a new resource for the NYC tech ecosystem (think online community, newsletter, etc.).
6. Invest in fewer companies: I plan to be hyper selective in 2014 so I can focus on providing high-touch support to my founders.
7. Build RRE brand: I’m going to implement a half dozen ideas to foster community within the RRE portfolio as well the NYC tech ecosystem.