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2017 Review (IV. Money & Finances (Details, details (Key life metrics,…
2017 Review
IV. Money & Finances
Went well?
Finances are good. Has been a good year from a cash perspective. Got bonus of A$85k for 2016 plus a A$40k Associate sign on. Moving to London was a slight pay cut - but I do spend less now.
Not so well?
Missed out on the Cryptocurrency boom. I'm very disappointed with myself for not following up with my instincts on the matter. Lesson learnt though (hopefully). The pay cut moving to London is annoying, especially given that London is a more expensive city for the nice stuff in life. The only I didn't achieve was that I didn't buy another property. But I think that can wait. I'm not quite sure where I would be location wise.
Try hard?
Disciplined budgeting but leaving out money for important stuff. Two things about the way I've planned out my finances this year, I'm quite happy with: 1) Putting aside £500 a month for travelling; 2) Putting aside £500 for speculative investments - i.e. cryptocurrency. I've always talked about having 10% in crazy investments but never did it. Happy that I started it this year. Here's to keeping it up.
Didn't try hard?
Backing myself in terms of crypto. Missed out on about A$100k of potential returns. Can't really beat myself up too much about it. There'll be other opportunities. It's like my investment property portfolio - still got gains. One thing that's reassuring is that I have a rough idea of where I stand in terms of the normal distribution (somewhere between the 1st and 2nd standard deviation)
Status update
Like last year this is in a pretty good shape. Current status as follows. Expecting £65k bonus next month.
Essendon - A$(234,675) debt; ~A$600k value
Jacana - A$(384,000) - ~A$500k value
Cash - £12k
Crypto portfolio - US$13k
Net wealth - ~A$500k
Goals
Build up A$120k angel fund
Rating
6/7 - The main criticism on performance this year has been on inaction and missed opportunities rather than action on my part. I can't put this on autopilot because that means that I lose out on the opportunities. But I'm not worried about this area.
Details, details
Project status updates
Still paying off my two mortgages (Essendon & Jacana); looking to purchase a place that I plan to live in for the next five or so years
Projects completed this past year
Paid off A$70k in my mortgage
Finally got some exposure to cryptocurrency
Milestones from this past year
Refinanced my properties; I have officially paid off half of my Essendon mortgage (4 years basically).
Accomplishments
Paying off a hunk of mortgage
Exposure to crypto currency
Failures
Didn't get into crypto early enough - didn't follow my instincts
Key life metrics
Net wealth
Passive income
Streams of income
Liquid assets
Liquid assets / estimated yearly expenditure
Strengths
I'm very good at this - my mind is very active and i usually have very good instincts when it comes to money and wealth generation
Weaknesses
I have historically not had the nerve to follow my instincts. I will aim to change this going forward
Important events
Refinancing my properties, paying off half of my Essendon place. Renting out my Essendon place for a lot more than I had expected (A$410 a week)
Goals
Stat an automated savings account
Keep spending for 2018 the same as 2017
Reduce the amount of money spent on vices
Participate in a few more ICOs
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
Where do I put the next two bonuses, which is likely to involve a substantial amount of money (A$100k+)
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Can't really sent that much money home without paying fees
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Uncertain plans about future (where I am, UK economy etc)
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Me making a decision about where I want to be in a few years' time
Additional questions
Do I have savings? How much? Where are they?
I have ~A$200k of equity I could draw on from my Australian properties. I have £2k of emergency of funds, and about £9k of savings and £1k of cash.
Do I have an emergency fund? How much? Where is it?
£2k in a bank account. Plus another £9k of savings that i could draw on. I have many credit cards and I have equity.
What is the status of my assets and investments?
Like last year - key investments are my two properties - Essendon and Jacana. I refinanced mid way through last year and am on slightly cheaper rates. My funds in the UK total about ~£12k and most of that is in term deposits and cash. I do have some funds tied up in a crypto account. It's basically my play money so I don't really count it
Do I budget? What is my budget?
Yes. I budget using YNAB. I budget for all of my salary which is about £4.5k after tax. Of that, £1.25k is savings, £500 is play investment. So effectively, I'm spending £2.75k a month. Effectively, I'm saving about 20% of my money. My bonuses are all going to get saved and invested into a vanguard account. So it's more like 60-70% of funds getting saved. More like 70-75% of my money is getting saved if I count the income from my properties. That is very good
Am I aware of how I spend my money?
Yes, I track it a combination of smart banks and YNAB
How do I want to be spending my money?
Not too different from the way I've been spending it last year tbh. Perhaps slightly less on drinking and more on travelling and art and classes
Are my finances organised?
Yes - I have funds in AUD, which are sufficient to sustain my mortgage for a few years. I have funds in GBP which is basically my investing money. I have some funds in crypto currency as well. Not all of my money is working but I can't be accused of having a lazy balance sheet
Do I have any unwanted debt?
No
IX. Emotions & Wellbeing
Went well?
Semi-regular meditation and journalling - I think they were reasonably helpful.
Not so well?
Discipline in doing these things. When I had a bad night at the office, these habits went on the window. The other thing was managing my negativity, particularly at work.
Try hard?
One thing that I have worked hard this year on has been working on my emotional well-being and self-esteem
Didn't try hard?
Self-compassion and self-respect. Still got a way to go there with those things
Status update
I feel like I'm in a better emotional state than I've been for a very long time now. One key moment of carticysm has been the Kass incident and me being able to get into contact with Georgina as a result. Still need to work on the self-compassion - I still feel like I'm far too harsh on myself.
Rating
4/7 - Again, an improvement on last year - systems are good, removed the emotional baggage of Georgina from my mind. Key focus is actually cutting myself some slack.
Details, details
Project status updates
Meditation - 164 days out of 365
Daily journal - ~ 70 entries
Projects completed this past year
None - this year was focused on systems
Milestones from this past year
Meditating on ~30% of the days
Accomplishments
N/A
Failures
Poor track record of meditation
Key life metrics
How mean I am to myself
Strengths
Recognise the need for this
Weaknesses
Discipline
Important events
Attended the School Of Life Conference
Began communications with Georgina again
Goals
Complete the piece on treating myself kindly
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
Every minor failure of character - drunkenness, drugs, loose women, lack of discipline, not calling grandparents often enough - is used to attack myself emotionally, which isn't healthy
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Me learning to love myself
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
I still don't like myself very much
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Me learning to love myself
Goals
Finish the entry on learning to love myself
Additional questions
How do I feel about my life?
I'm starting to feel good. I have no idea what the next few years have in store for me but keen to experience it. I think I'm on the right path.
Am I enjoying life?
Definitely starting to enjoy it more. I think I've also slowed down a bit as I have gotten older. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.
Am I generally optimistic or pessimisitic?
Long run optimistic. Actually short term optimistic these as well. I'm starting to like myself and my trajectory.
Am I generally positive or negative?
Caveated negative. I'm negative about the human race - this means I believe in the importance of laws in keeping people in check.
Am I easily aware of my current emotional state?
Yes - I have gone through too many fragile periods in my life. I know first hand how much damage wild emotional state can do if unchecked
Am I quick to notice how my emotions are influencing my thoughts, actions and decisions?
I don't think I've made any big rash decisions in the last year. But I'm well aware of how much of an impact this could have in my life.
Do I have a regular mindfulness practice?
I mediate and I do yoga. Meditation is kept up for 1/3 of the year on average
Do I practice self-compassion?
Practicing more of it now. I'm starting to be a bit less harsh on myself
X. Character & Identity
Went well?
Stopped drugs. Terrible realisation with cocaine in NY. Otherwise, reasonably happy with myself this year. Haven't done anything that prevents me from looking at myself in the mirror.
Not so well?
Self-discipline has been a bit disappointing, particuarly in H2. Way too much computer games. That's probably the biggest regret this year
Try hard?
A lot of introspection thinking about what sort of man I want to me. I have worked hard to try to be a good leader for my juniors as well.
Didn't try hard?
Discipline
Status update
I'm in a good place. I'm happy with how I am - I am man who largely lives by his word.
Rating
5/7 - Again in a pretty reasonable place - I like myself a lot more. Have done a lot of work thinking and reading. Yes, could have been more disciplined but so what? I'm not a robot.
Details, details
Project status updates
None
Projects completed this past year
Completed Graham Phoenix stuff
Milestones from this past year
Attended The School of Life Conference
Accomplishments
None
Failures
None
Key life metrics
How often I feel like I 'compromise' my character this year
Strengths
I am very proud and I have an ego - this means that I stay true to my character
Weaknesses
Susceptible to outside pressure
Important events
Moving to a new city - testing to see how true I stay to my conception of self
Goals
Goals
Covered in the other sections
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I'm still building up my strength to feel comfortable asserting my self, my will and my identity
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Working out how this interacts with my concepts of duty and honour etc
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
FOMO and the want to please people - whilst this aspect has improved - my default mindset is still to please people.
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Backing myself fully, all the way
Additional questions
What identity do I have?
I am a scion of the House of Lang. 1. I am a citizen of the City of Melbourne; 2. I am a subject of The Commonwealth of Australia; 3. I am a member of Han race and in receipt of 4000 years of continuous cultural development; 4. I am a member of the Western Cultural Elite.
I think these identities are going to change a bit in 2018. #3 may move up a bit. It's funny, I never thought race was an issue when I was living in Aus. And then if #3 clashes with #4 then i guess #4 will have to go. A lot of the 'received wisdom' that is associated with #4 pisses me off a bit already anyway.
One helpful thing when it comes to identities that I like to think about is where I am relatively speaking in a feudal structure. Basically, I am a soldier - a professional one, not one of the great unwashed but still relatively low in the grand scheme of things. Middle class but with the ablity to rise to the upper eschelons. I'd like like a corporal at the moment and in my life time, I can expect to move a captaincy in my lord's army if I work hard enugh. Prestigious but not nobility. Living in Europe has reminded me what real wealth and influence is.
Is my identity small?
http://www.paulgraham.com/identity.html
Despite all this - I still feel like I have a relatively small identity. If push came to shove, #0 is the most important - that is, family.
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths - I'm intelligent, have high EQ, well read in the arts and sciences. I think my strength over other people is my ability to synthesise. I have a very diverse educational background and have travelled around the world and met many people. I'm bilingual. As such I am able to bring unique views to things. The other key strength is that I have good mental stamina. I was joking to Johanna about a few months ago - I'm like a sledgehammer - point me to a door and I will hammer through it. Trying the handle or going around are not the first thoughts in my mind. The other one is I'm relatively calm and I am self-aware enough to assess the situations in relation to what matters. I can think Tim Ferriss for that
Weaknesses - I don't back myself enough. Downside of being the middle of the pack of the top 1%. Because I don't really engage with the average person, I assume I am of average intelligence, but I am average within my peer group. Ironically, being in London helps a lot with that. I bow to obligations that other impose on me - I go out of hte way to please other people and I try not to make a fuss
What are my greatest virtues and vices?
Virtues
Disciplinarian
Reader
Writer
Eternally curious
Keen sense of duty
Keen sense of honour
Vices
A little vain
A sheep at times
Gluttony
Lust
Envy
How do I rate my:
Integrity
About the same as honour I think. I think I will be tempted in this area this year when I try to liquidate my crypto currency portfolio - I may be tempted to try to avoid CGT. Although, CGT is amazingly low in this country.
Empathy
Okay. Teaching another grad means that I get to practice my empathy again. Although living in London I do feel like I'm becoming hardened a bit more - especially towards the homeless
Honour
High. This means that I don't get myself into situations that I'm not proud of. Yes, I do transgress at times, but I am human after all.
Self-discipline
Room for improvement. I've been gaming a lot in the last 12 months, I don't like it. Haven't been exercising as much as I would have liked. I keep using work as an excuse.
Self-awareness
High. I've realised something recently. I keep telling people that I want to be a writer which internally I have always felt wanky doing. But I do realise that I'm very self-aware of both my thoughts and motivation and other people. I'm very good at reading people for and I attribute that to my disposition to want to be a writer (correlation or causation?).
Responsibility
Relatively good. I'm taking a reasonable amount of responsibility for myself. I'm aware of my responsibilities to my broader family and community, but not doing too much in that area at the moment.
Courage
Getting matter - I'm learning to get after it. I've pushed myself this year doing this - going to a new country where I know very few people, doing physical things that I have always been scared by. But it's a muscle and I will exercise this more. One good one will be approaching women - this is something that has always terrified me.
Focus
Okay. Room for improvement. I don't multi-task and I'm a bit obsessive. So work has been great because it's been a key area of focus. But the other bits of my life are a bit disparate. Something to focus on this year (ha!)
Authenticity
High. I have made it a point to be true to myself this year - very apparent since moving to the UK. I'm finding that people like it. They find real Jack quite interesting because of my eclectic characteristics
Confidence
So much better this year. My god. But room for improvement.
Persistence
Okay I guess. I need to work on this. I keep feeling guilty when I'm too persistent. I need to stop that.
Effectiveness
Okay - I do get a bit of stuff done. Let's see how this goes next year.
III. Location & Tangibles
Went well?
As I had planned - I have moved to London. Upside of this is now I have not that much stuff at the moment. And it feels quite liberating. Another good thing is the monthly travel budget of £500 that I have set for myself. This means that I'm travelling once every month. I like that
Not so well?
No real mobility. Stuck here in this job. Moving jobs is possible but a bit of a hassle. And locked in until June next yr. From a possessions perspective, despite moving with not that much stuff, I've slowly begun to accumulate stuff again.
Try hard?
Moving overseas. Reducing my possessions to what I absolutely need.
Didn't try hard?
Resist the temptation to buy shit. Yeah - that didn't really go down very well. I can't believe how quickly everything has accumulated.
Status update
Currently I am in London, living in London Bridge. I am sharing a flat with Jan Klinkhamer, a colleague from JPM and Arjun Dorgra who is a random. Both are nice guys. I've made an internal transfer to the London office with JPM. I came over with 2 suitcases and 50kg of stuff. I have left the majority of my clothes and books back in Melbourne. I have decided to have an embargo on books and clothes for the rest of the time I'm in London. Hopefully, I will wear out some shit as well.
Rating
5/7 - All things considered this is going quite well. Moved overseas and have time and money to travel. Need to work on the minimalism a bit more tbh. But that will come.
Details, details
Project status updates
Projects last year were focused on location - which has been completed.
Projects completed this past year
Moved overseas to London
Milestones from this past year
Moved overseas to London
Donated a proportion of my clothes
Realisation that I no longer want to vagabond travel for the sake of travelling
Accomplishments
Desire list creation - what I want, why I want it, cost, when I can allow myself to purchase it
Failures
Book and clothing creep - Despite moving to London with very few items - I've let them creep up quite a bit - I sudden find myself having a lot of clothes and books.
Key life metrics
Am I where physically where I want to be in the world?
Can I justify my physical possessions? Or am I using them as a crutch to deal with broader underlying underhappiness?
Am I tied down to anything that doesn't fundamentally make me happy?
Strengths
My desire for stability. My recognition of the need not to be attached to physical items
Weaknesses
Growing up without having much - this is why I've been on such a book and clothing binge for the last decade, since earning money
Important events
Moved overseas to London
Projects and goals
One in one out clothing policy
No new book purchases
Eliminate 5 large items of clothing without seeking its replacement
Minimalism as a big project in this area this year
Start with philosophy
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
How to maintain a minimalistic lifestyle, which enjoying the good things in life and pursuing a career in banking
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
The fact that I like nice things
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Fulfilling deficiencies in other areas of my life through acquisition of material items
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Recognising the fact that my investments and financial health is far more important than the possessions that I have
Additional questions
Do I have material sufficiency?
Yes, most definitely - if anything, I feel like I have too much stuff
Where do I live? Where is my home? Where in the world am I?
I live in London, in a sharehouse in London Bridge
What is my living situation like?
I live in a sharehouse with two other people. I haven't been in this situation for a very long time now. I live in an ex-council housing estate. I don't mind it but I feel like there may be issues when it comes to picking up
Am I tied to one location? Am I readily mobile (if desired)?
Yes and no. I've come to London on a work visa but before the age of 30 I am able to get another 2 years of living rights. So whilst I'm not readily mobile, I can be mobile in the space of 2 months. I definitely have the money to be mobile
How much stuff do I own? Do I have too many things?
Most of what I own is in Australia. I have less stuff here in London. Nevertheless, I do feel like I have too many things. I will be looking to reduce over the course of the year
Is my life cluttered?
Definitely less so than this time last year - I have fewer things with me. But perhaps it's still quite cluttered.
II. Contribution & Impact
Went well?
Mostly through work - mentoring interns and grads. Same as last year I guess. The difference is I'm a bit better at it - more patient I suppose.
Not so well?
Disappointing year from this perspective. Didn't do much mentoring. Let a few opps slip as well. Didn't respond when people chased me for stuff. I'm a little disappointed with myself. I also failed the goals - donating 1% of my income, 5 hrs of MET a week and 8 hours of volunteering a quarter. I think those goals were too ambitious
Try hard?
Mentoring my interns and grads
Didn't try hard?
Seeking out mentoring opportunities outside the office. Last year I had a goal to volunteer one day per quarter. Didn't really get that done at all.
Status update?
Sorely lacking in many respects. Don't really have an outlet for this. Part of me thinks that this is not really a priority. I'm not sure if that's correct thinking though.
Rating
2/7 - A fair bit of this is missing in my life at the moment. But I get some outlet from work so it's not life threatening.
Details, details
Project status updates
MET has fired up a bit more this year - website is in the process of getting developed
Projects completed this past year
N/A
Milestones from this past year
N/A
Accomplishments
N/A
Failures
Didn't volunteer like I had wanted. Struggled with the idea of donating money - I need to rethink this a bit
Key life metrics
Physical hours volunteering
Amount of money donated
Qualitative judgments of the 'impact' I'm making
Strengths
I want to make an impact - that's something that I have acknowledged and is something that I want in my life
Weaknesses
This is an area that doesn't present immediacy - there's no real glaring impact if I fail to address this. Because of this, this gets very low on my priority list.
Important events
I officially resigned from my position as Director of MET Designs
Goals
Volunteer for the MGS 'Beyond the Gates' programme at some point
Re-conceptualise this - how do I make it so that this gets put forward?
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I don't have the time or headspace to really think about this stuff
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
The number of hours I spend in the office
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Work - both in terms of time and headspace
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Leave banking - get a 9 to 5 job
Additional questions
How am I giving value to the world? How much value?
The potential outlets in my life at the moment are: 1) My job; 2) MET; 3) my blog. I'm not sure how much all of these are contributing to be honest. I think the one that I can easily contribute the most would be my blog really. Part of that will mean actually having opinions on shit
How much money did I give away in the past year? Who did it go to? Did it have the most possible impact?
Almost nothing. I think this year, I'm going to have a fund for my aunties. Charity starts at home. So no public donations and all proceeds will go to my relatives
Am I taking responsibility for, and reducing my environmental impact on the world?
More so than the average Englishman, but I'm definitely doing less here than I am doing back home. However, I am going to go on a clothing moratorium so that will help
Am I making a difference?
Not really.
Am I contributing to important and worthy causes that I care about?
The main important causes I care about are: 1) Space travel; 2) Human longevity; and 3) Australia's place in the world. Currently, I am going through my journeyman phase - I am focusing on my skillset in order to get myself to a situation where I can contribute. Separately, I think this year I will start a fund for my aunties in China.
How much impact does my existence have (environmentally, socially, cognitively)?
Environmentally not too much - yes I live in the first world but I don't live too wasteful of an existence. Something that does bother me is how much plastic and packaging there is in England. Unfortunately, there's not too much I can do about that
Socially - frankly not too much - I'm a good chap in the office but that's about it. I don't really have a good group of friends here. I'm going to try to speak to my family more and speak to my friends more this year
Cognitively. I have a blog - I think I write reasonably well on it. I need to back myself more - I think I have interesting thoughts that are relatively intelligent. I am well read and I am very good at synthesising shit
V. Career & Work
Went well?
Yancoal deal - I'm happy to call that the highlight of my banking career.
Not so well?
Move to UK didn't get off on a flying start. H2 this year hasn't been great tbh - haven't done any deals. Has felt like a lot of work with very little getting achieved.
Try hard?
My work. I have worked quite hard H2 this year. Almost like when I was a first year analyst. I suppose it's natural - I'm establishing myself in a new jurisdiction.
Didn't try hard?
Working smart. I feel like I've defaulted back to my old self. I have also barely bothered with MET.
Status update
Currently, I am an Associate in the UK Natural Resources of J.P. Morgan Cazenove Corporate Finance group.
Rating
5/7 - Going well. But need to be a bit more proactive in terms of assessing opportunities. Thinking about business school was a stupid idea
Details, details
Project status updates
Moved to a bigger town, got promoted to Associate. Have a general idea that VC is where I'm looking at for the next bit of my career. Still working on building out a passive stream of income
Projects completed this past year
Moved to London. Got promoted to Associate.
Milestones from this past year
Moved to London. Got promoted to Associate.
Accomplishments
Closed my Yancoal deal. Moved to London. Got promoted to associated.
Failures
No passive stream of income. Likely to be a pretty bad rating for last year. No real headroads made into the VC space. Didn't really get that involved in MET.
Key life metrics
Am I working at a place where I want to be my boss?
Strengths
I work hard. I'm smart. I have a good sense of what's coming next.
Weaknesses
I'm really awkward around people. Combined with high EQ. Makes the finance game a bit difficult for me.
Important events
Moved to London. Got promoted to Associated. Closed my Yancoal deal.
Goals
Network with people in VC space
VC/Angel/Cryptofund?
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
Deep down, I'm actually not sure if I want to leave finance
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
UK visa issues if I do quit JPM London
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
My love-hate relationship with banking
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Getting job offers in the VC crowd
Additional questions
How do I make my money?
I am making money through three sources, soon to be four: 1) I draw a salary from J.P. Morgan; 2) My two properties are being rented out; 3) I have a small crypto portfolio. Soon, I will be investing in index funds to take advantage of the UK's tax-free investment scheme
What do I do? What is my position? What is my role? Where do I work?
I am a 2nd year associate at JPM. I am the most senior below a Director. I work in London. I am probably the most experienced junior banker for mining across JPM globally. Fuck that is scary/disturbing to say
Am I so good that they can't ignore me?
I'm decent. I don't think I'm so good that they can't ignore me. Perhaps what's more relevant is that they can't find someone of my skillset and experience for my role. I'm very good as a mid-range leader and manager
Does my career give me mastery, control and purpose?
It gives me mastery. Control and purpose less so. Finance is a skillset and I'm nearly done with my 10,000 hours. I reckon realistically, it's probably another 2 years. Control is in the form of discipline and self-control. I'm not sure about purpose. I certaintly don't think I'm doing God's work, the way some of my colleagues do
Am I engaged?
Fuck no. I spend more of my day reading up on crypto currencies and thinking about investing. So good use of time I guess
Am I well-positioned and networked within my industry?
Positioned yes - I am a 2nd year associate at J.P. Morgan. Networked, not too much. It's a bit hard in Canary Wharf. But I was quite well networked in Australia
How stressful is my career/work?
Very - but I think I'm taking it less seriously now. I know what's required to get the job done and also, part of me just doesn't care anymore
VI. Health & Fitness
Went well?
Lost quite a bit of weight. Although I had gained quite a bit in the first half of the year. Gym sessions have been reasonably regular. Got sick for maybe a day or two during the year - pretty consistent with how I am normally.
Not so well?
Have been very lethargic in the last months. At least I thought it's vitamin D deficiency - England gets dark at 4:30pm which doesn't help. But I feel like there's a bigger picture to it. The biggest disappointment this year was the vegetarian thing - I was suppose to stick to that but didn't really do it after moving to the UK. Was targeting getting weight down to 85kg. I got half way there.
Try hard?
Fasting - one weekend a month. That's probably the most consistent thing I've done this year. I've felt quite good as result.
Didn't try hard?
Physical activity. Gym attendance has been okay. But quit boxing after 2 sessions and haven't done yoga for 2 months. Didn't start on martial arts as I had originally wanted
Status update
Energy levels aren't what they used to be. Can't party all night anymore. Can't really do late nights in the office anymore. I'm currently weighing in at 89kg. Bench and squat about 60kg. Managed to touch my toes earlier this year. Noticed that I'm using the shortest hole in my brown belt - basically what I was like in 2013. Fasting is just easy now.
Rating
3/7 - Better than where it was last year. I think the systems that I have set up are good. Need more discipline in applying them
Details, details
Project status updates
The vegetarian diet thing didn't really work out. I've lost weight but not the 10kg that I had originally wanted. So will need to reassess that again this year
Hit the outdoors activity milestone two quarters out of four
Projects completed this past year
N/A
Milestones from this past year
Half way to the weight goal. Got under 90kg for the first time in years this year
Accomplishments
Got under 90kg
Failures
Didn't stick to vegetarianism
Didn't lose all the weight I wanted to
Gym attendance was erratice
Key life metrics
Weight
How days I spend outdoors
3 km run time
Benching, squatting body weight
Ability to do chin ups
Strengths
I recognise the importance of this
I like being outdoors and exploring the wilds
Weaknesses
This area invariably gets put down to the bottom of the list as life's other priorities come calling
Important events
Got under 90kg
Goals
Bench/squat body weight
16 minute 3 km run
Reduce weight to 85kg
Be able to do 3 pull-ups
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
My lack of focus in fitness affects the other parts of my life - particularly relationships and comfort with self
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
I'm a glutton when it comes to food and I prioritise eating over gyming at night when I'm in the office. There's no gym on the weekends
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Discipline - I say it's work that is holding me back but really, it's a lack of discipline on my part. Maybe it's psychological - I have never been happy with my body before - maybe the mere idea is unfathomable.
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Reduce my dinner intake - going forward, eat only half of my dinner and save carbs for weekends.
Additional questions
What do I typically eat? What is my current diet?
No breakfast. Lunch will be from the canteen - usually protein and vegetable heavy. I tend to avoid the starches. The only issue here is that I think I overeat at times. Part of that is the speed at which I am eat. Dinner will be from seamless. Trying to do one night of Chinese on a Thursday night as a treat
Do I regularly eat fast food or make healthy home-made meals?
Weekends are homemade meals. Relatively healthy. But I will have bread. Fast food happens when I go out. So once every two weeks on average. I do get fish and chips from the canteen on a Friday as a treat.
Am I generally tired or alert?
Tired during the week. Weekends tend to be split between lethargy and alertness.
How often do I get sick?
Very rarely. I think I got sick once this year
Exercise? What form? How often?
Yoga once every few weeks. Averaging one gym session a week through the year. So not often enoguh
How much do I sleep on average? Am I getting good quality sleep?
Quality is okay - I'm usually sleeping through and I rarely wake at night. I'm getting about 6-7 hours of sleep a night
How much do I weigh?
89.5kg - a big improvement on my peak last year of 95kg
What is my resting heart rate?
81bpm
Are there any health risks that run in my family? Am I taking adequate steps to address these?
High blood pressure, diabetes - I rarely eat sweets, I don't eat a lot of carbs and I try to exercise as much as I can
VIII. Social Life & Relationships
Went well?
Went on more dates this year. Slept with two different women.
Not so well?
Didn't find a mentor. Not sure if my relationships with friends improved this year - I certainly didn't go out of my way to do it.
Try hard?
Approach women. Especially the second of the year after moving to the UK
Didn't try hard?
Finding a mentor. A bit disappointing
Status update
Need to work on this a bit more. Now that I've moved to another country - will need to put even more focus attention to this area. Still need to find a mentor. Have made a few friends here. Have reconnected with a few people, but I haven't really been that social this year.
Rating
3/7 - Need to work on this. Finding a mentor is probably the most key thing for you right now. And sleeping with more women. Let's aim for 3 this year.
Details, details
Project status updates
Slept with two women this year
Went on 12 dates
My goal of two social engagements a week was too aggressive
No mentor
Projects completed this past year
Went on 12 dates this year
Milestones from this past year
Went on 12 dates last year
Got into a 'sugar' relationship
Accomplishments
N/A
Failures
Only slept with 2 women
Haven't found a mentor
No systematic way of catching up with friends
Didn't call grandparents once a week
Key life metrics
My scorecard - I want double digits before I settle down (G, E, M, EA, R, N)
Close friends
Relationship with family
Strengths
I recognise that this is an area that needs work
Weaknesses
I'm an introvert so on bad days I literally do not want to speak to anyone
Important events
The Kass incident
Goals
Sleep with 4 women this year
Get a girlfriend to take back to China - I think this is the key goal
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I need to recognise that I'm high value and actually quite interesting and that people want to get to know me.
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Part of it is time - I'm usually so drained from the week of work that I have very little time to pursue these interests
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
My low view of myself
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Getting laid a few times in Q1 - that will boost confidence up
Aditional questions
How is my home life?
Home life is just me. So quite well :smiley:
How is my relationship with the members of immediate and extended family?
Parents - good. I need to speak to them a bit more I think. Grandparents are pretty good. They do show unconditional love. I think this year I'm going to do what they've been wanting for a while and bring home a girl for them to meet.
Am I a good friend?
Yes. I may not be in contact as often as I would like if I'm needed, I'm there
How many core friends do I have? How large are my social circles?
Half a dozen to a dozen in my inner circle. My social circles are relatively broad. Upside of being 'in' with the right crowds in Melbourne. I'm a very likeable guy.
Am I cared for, loved, and valued by others?
Family yes. Friends, some yes. I'm missing a partner at the moment but that's not too much of an issue I guess. I'm okay without one but I guess people want to meet one
What clubs, organisations, and communities am I a member of?
None at the moment. I'm not sure what I want to do. Something like a literary salon would be great but I'm a bit sick of it tbh. I'd rather be a part of a martial arts club or something
Do I have influence and status in my social circles? In society?
No. I don't really have a much a social circle at the moment. I'm basically living an expat lifestyle in London. I don't see much of a point in trying to maintain influence in my social circles back home. Whilst there's the argument for out of sight, out of mind, nevertheless, I feel like there's an air of mystery being added
VII. Education & Skills development
Went well?
Learnt how to ride a bike and ski. A lot easier than I thought. Quite proud of myself. Read a reasonable amount. Finished Mastery and Art of Seduction. FInished the Chinese lists
Not so well?
Didn't get everything done that I had planned. Didn't touch the whole swimming thing at all. Let Duolingo slip. Didn't do martial arts or the accounting course
Try hard?
Reading and writing. I have prioritised that a bit in the evenings. My evenings were reasonably productive this year - particularly in the first half.
Didn't try hard?
Let computer games slip. I've realised I've played ~160 hours of Civilisation V this year. That is fucked. It's far too much of a time sink. I think I will revert back to sci-fi novels next year. I signed up for martial arts course - just never got around to it. Dissapointing. Ditto with boxing. Just didn't get motivated or had massive nights of going out.
Status update
I'm not too dissapointed with last year in terms of this year. I was reasonably productive I think so it wasn't that bad... Still could be better. Part of me reckons that the goals I had set were too high - but that's a good thing. Shoot for the stars so that there's upside even when you don't hit those goals.
Rating
5/7 - Need to stop being so harsh on myself. I'm doing fine. I've got a good system and I've exceed the aim of one new skill a year. Just reduce the computer games and everything will be fine.
Details, details
Project status updates
Duolingo - Big chunk done - at 48% - still quite a way to go
Finished the Chinese word lists (2k characters)
Swimming - No update
Cycling - Took basic lessons (have spent 2 hours on a bike)
7 Effective habits - have been reading once per quarter
Books - Read 10 non trashy novels
Didn't take online course
Accounting book - Have done a few additional pages but still not finished
Martial arts - didn't take those lessons
Projects completed this past year
2K Chinese word list
Mastery - Notes are done - reading every quarter
Milestones from this past year
Learnt how to ride a bike
Learnt how to ski
Accomplishments
Skiing, cycling
Got qualified as a financial practitioner in the UK
Failures
No action on martial arts - I had even booked a course (!)
Didn't do swimming classes - had a bit of time at the start of the year in Melbourne
Key life metrics
One physical and one intellectual goal per year
Strengths
I have a 1% / incremental frame of mind - I want to do things that improve my abilities
Weaknesses
Discipline, being too harsh on myself
Important events
Skiied down from the top to the bottom of a mountain
Goals
Swimming
Book total immersive swimming lessons
Attend total immersive swimming classes
Be able to swim 50m
Tread water for 1 min
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I use my work as an excuse for not engaging and pushing myself
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Mental discipline - the weekends I just flail around, make excuses and not do much
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
For the physical stuff - it's the mental block that I'm not very sporty of coordinated
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Momentum - I've got a bit of momentum from last year, I think it's a matter of using that
Additional questions
What is my current education status?
Nothing has changed in the last year. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Economics and Finance, a certificate in Global Issues and a JD.
Am I spending time learning new things and developing my mind?
Yes - I am reading a bit, writing a bit (which is good to hammering home the knowledge). The main issue that I find is that my current education/development is not focused. I'm taking a bit of a scatter-gun approach, when I should really be prioritising and executing.
What are my talents and skills?
Finance, economics, law, writing, synthesis, leadership, food/wine, travelling, engagement with people from different cultures, high EQ despite being possibly a sociopath
How much have I read in the past year?
I read 11 books (not counting the trashing science fiction and fantasy novels which I read for fun)
What skills and talents have I recently developed, or plan to develop?
Recently, I learnt how to ride a bike and how to ski. The next two skills I want to learn are swimming and martial arts. I think a Chinese martial art will be good because it will help me with my Chinese
XI. Productivity & Organisation
Went well?
The structure I had set up earlier this year. Works reasonably well. It's not too invasive on my day to day and if followed properly actually leads to a lot of good habits and a few things done. Want to make a few tweaks but not too much.
Not so well?
Sticking to it is a slightly different story. Iv'e done an okay job of it - not as well as I would have liked.
Try hard?
Setting it all up
Didn't try hard?
Sticking to it. Resisting the temptation of video games / TV watching after a long day.
Status update
I've got a pretty good system for outside of work. I think the main thing now is to improve my hit rates with these. And frankly it's entirely motivation.
Rating
5/7 - Again pretty happy with this. It's like what the creator of Dilbert says - systems > goals. I have a good system set up. My adherence % will increase with time.
Details, details
Project status updates
Routine is pretty good - I dont think too many tweaks are required
Sticking to them is a slightly different story
Projects completed this past year
Set up my system for keeping track habits
Milestones from this past year
Set up a system of keeping track of what's important
Accomplishments
Created a system
Failures
Didn't really stick to it
Key life metrics
The extent I am able to stick to it
Strengths
I like being a systems thinker
Weaknesses
Discipline
Important events
N/A
Goals
Get on top of MET
Get on top of my property investments
[X] Pomodorros of work aimed this year
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I realised this the other day - my problem is that because my free time is limited - I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a lot of shit during the weekend. And half the time, the volume scares me into inaction
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Spare time - well - how banking works in terms of face time etc.
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Discipline - me using my work as an excuse and how tired I am for not doing shit
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Transition to a job where there are distinct time constraints and where I can leave work at the office
Additional questions
What productivity system tools do I use?
'Habits' 'My Effectiveness' and 'Mastery'. These keep track of my routines, pommodorros worked and skills developed. If you can't measure it, you cna't improve it
Am I organised? What are my systems?
Relatively. OneNote has been the greatest piece of technology ever to enter my life. My life is there. Day to day, I rely on my journal.
What are my routines and rituals?
I have a system set up - I think it works quite well
Is there too much complexity in my life? Do I need to simplify?
I have too many interests / there are too many things i want to develop. It's more a matter of priotising.
Am I doing any deep work?
Yes a bit, at home or at the cafe. Very little of it in the office.
Am I busy due to a lack of priorities?
Yes. But the problem is that I have no idea where I want to be in 12 months' time. And the priorities would shift depending.
Do I have a good workspace environment and set up?
Work - not really, it's open plan and I hate open plan. At home it's good. A nice small desk which focuses me to be focused. And a nice cafe nearby which I can read and think in
XII. Adventure & Creativity
Went well?
Did quite a few things outside the box - art, skiing, etc. Stuck to my thing of half a day of creative stuff once a month. I think that's an easy one which I will stick to.
Not so well?
Didn't do everything I wanted to do. Didn't do any cooking classes or dancing classes.
Try hard?
Pushed myself to do new things. Climbing a volcano earlier this year in Bali was certainly a highlight
Didn't try hard?
Didn't try to incorporate my active outlets more regularly in my day to day
Status update
Okay. Set some precedence this year. Hopefully the momentum will carry itself next year. Will need to think hard about setting some appropriate goals for next year.
Rating
6/7 - Good progress this year - discovered quite a few new things that I like and will probs keep going with. Keep at it.
Details, details
Project status updates
Got 11/12 for half a day of arts this year
Writing - 35,786 words
'On Wasted Weekends' - 193 words
'This Side of Paradise' - 1,846 words
'Red Dust' - 1,065 words
'Trainspotting - Live' - 674 words
'Putin in Perspective' - 990 words
'Siddhartha - Book review' - 3,583 words
'Florence & the Medici' - 646 words
'Vision of LIfe at 35' - 1,526 words
'The Michelangelo Phenomenon' - 1,755 words
TSOL conversation session - 2,105 words
TSOL - Brian Cox vs Oliver Jeffers - 1,903 words
TSOL conferece - 20,500 words
Projects completed this past year
Took art classes
Milestones from this past year
Blog - second year running
Got ~33% of the words I was aiming to write
Accomplishments
Took art classes
Wrote a lot
Failures
No cooking classes
Didn't take dancing classes
Didn't touch my narration of the Prince
Key life metrics
How many words I write (draft is fine)
How much creative output I do (art, music, writing)
How often in my physical life do I find myself in situations where I am nervous
Strengths
I like new experiences and I have a fundamental need for a creative outlet
Weaknesses
My life and how much time I have
Important events
Rediscovered how much I like art
Goals
50k words this year?
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
Lack of free time
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Lack of spare time / a few of the big projects I need a partner to do it with
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
Lack of prioritisation. There's a lot of shit I want to do and I'm paralysed by indecision/volume
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Schedule adventures / 'mini-breaks'
Additional questions
Am I experiencing what I want to experience in life?
Intellectually yes, in terms of adventure, I'm getting enough. I want to experience a bit more in terms of romance and relationships.
What fun things have I done lately? In general?
Skiing was really cool. Art is cool. Bikram yoga is amazing afterwards, I feel like I'm able to look through the world through new eyes
What creative things have I done lately? In general?
Taking up art clases, writing my blog
What are my hobbies? What do I do for fun?
Art, reading, computer games, writing
I. Value & Purpose
Overall assessment
Not so well?
Haven't really acted on the clarity - still working in banking. Haven't really taken any steps to put myself in a position where I can satisfy myself intellectually (i.e. quit banking). I was suppose to explore hedonism this year. Didn't really do it - didn't even do the first bit of it - summarise what hedonism is.
Try hard?
Testing my pre-conceived notions - I have moved to a new place to test that. And I'm happy to report that what I want hasn't changed. And I like that very much.
Didnt try hard
Changing my life situation where I can live out value and purpose. Fair, it may not be the right time to quit banking but I'm a bit disappointed that I haven't done anything... The other dissapointing thing was that I didn't explore hedonism like I was suppose to.
Status update
I've come to grips with the possibility now. I've realised that I want to spend my life pursuing advancements in society and technology. I want to cultivate a life of introspection and meditation and learning. What's been really reassuring is the fact that coming back to a bigger town with more distractions hasn't changed that vision.
Went well?
More clarity on what I want. I've realised I definitely am not interested in 'success' as defined by traditional means. I don't care about having a respectable job etc. I want to intellectual fulfilment and impact. Having moved to a different country in 2H this year has tested this but nothing has really changed there.
Rating
4/7 - Starting to understand what all this is about now. Need to make a bit more progress on life projects
Details, details
Project status updates
Exploring hedonism - this was started and has been a little progressed - I think I will continue this one again this year
Projects completed this past year
Finishing the Graham Phoenix materials
Milestones from this past year
I've come up with some systems that reinforce my vision - the prayer, the mission statement
Accomplishments
Finishing the Graham Phoenix materials. Setting up a system for reinforcing my values (prayer, mission statement)
Failures
Not really exploring hedonism properly this year - it's been haphazard and without exploring the overarching philosophy behind everything
Key life metrics
How many times in 2018 I read my prayer / mission statement / affirmation
Strengths
I'm very introspective and my mind is flexible and open to new ideas
Weaknesses
I'm dramatic - I feel like that I need to have a grand narrative of all this. In the absence of such, I feel like I'm not doing my job properly in my self-discovery of this area
Important events
None this year
Projects
Explore hedonism
Hamming questions
What is the most important problem here?
I'm quite comfortable with myself and how I am. I like where my headspace is at and the 'values' that I am living with at the moment. However - I feel a little bit too comfortable. Is that a bad thing though?
How can I be sure that what I'm doing / feeling / believing is actually correct, as opposed to just being the easiest path?
Where is my biggest bottleneck?
Time - I only have so much time before I would feel compelled to do my duty and settle down
What is the most holding me back from achieving my full potential?
External pressure from family, friends, work etc
Society's expectations
Conflicts within my character - a sense of duty etc
What single thing, if successfully performed, would have the biggest impact?
Getting rid of that little voice in the back of my head that questions everything
Additional questions
Do I have a sense of purpose and direction in life?
I think so - at least I have a better idea than I did 12 months ago. The main thing is that I want to get involved in the advancements that we're expecting as a society. And I think the best way to do that is through investing. I am getting more comfortable with seeing banking and finance as a core skillset and a core part of my work identity. In terms of other stuff - I want calm and quiet. I'm not sure about the public life anymore. There seems to be too much noise and I feel like I can do more in the private sector
What do I want out of life?
I want to make a contribution to humanity. That could be as simple as helping to develop a new piece of technology or teach/mentor people who go on to make an impact. I've become more cognisant of my privilege and the associated duties that go along with it
How do I want the world to be different?
I want the world to be more introspective, stoic and more curious. I really dislike the current culture of victimhood and the general complaining. We are the on cusp of some massive scientific advancements and people are extremely dismissive and would rather focus on the negatives - such as the lack of equality in our societies
What is my philosophy of life?
Stoicism. I've been getting all up this area for a few years now and I like the precepts. It's founded on logic and thought and focuses on internal development rather than pursuit of external glory. The fact that the leading of proponents are men of wealth and power is also good. To bring in a concept from TSOL - this is a philosophy for the 1st world, or perhaps more accurately, a philosophy for the 1%. It will benefit me to explore this now so that I am ready when I do find myself in the position of wealth, power and influence. Whilst I'm more prepared for failure, the older I get, the more I feel like it'll be a distinct possibility
What are my fundamental values?
I believe in duty, self-discipline, study, introspective, service and honour
What do I truly value?
I value ratioanlised thought. I value genuine desire to contribute. I value humility and I value calm and quiet