Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

My 2023 Plans, Goals and Resolutions

As a chronic procrastinator it’s time to nail my colours to the mast and be accountable for what I aim to achieve in 2023. And I encourage every single person who reads this to do the same. What do you want to achieve this year? What sacrifices are you willing to undertake to ensure it happens? Are you ready to suffer for your goals? The best way to do that is to own your goals. Be honest with yourself. So here’s what I want to achieve in 2023:

Get Pregnant!

I got married in Thailand 14 months ago. And Jaa and I both want to have kids. She’s 36, I’m 39 so we’re already quite late to the game. My main goal for the year is for us as a couple to get pregnant. If this is the only thing I achieve this year, the year has been a success, simple as that.

It’s funny how the world works. For 20+ years I was praying I never got anyone pregnant, and now here I am in the reverse situation! Fingers crossed.

Summit Mount Everest

My second biggest goal this year is to summit Mount Everest in 2023. I have paid my deposit and everything is good to go. I’m climbing Everest with, statistically, the most successful operator in the industry – Furtenbach Adventures.

My climb is going to just shy of two months, so most of April and June. I’m terrified of failing it. Absolutely terrified. It’s so expensive, I can’t really afford a second crack of the whip, so I’m doing all I can in terms of training to ensure I make it to the summit this year. Only 6,000 have ever reached the summit. For reference, each Olympics has over 10,000 people competing. So despite the bad PR, only beasts summit Everest. I want to be one of them.

Raise $20,000 for Parkinson’s and cycle 100km across Jordan with my Mum!

A bit of a secret, but I’m organising a charity trip to Jordan with my 74yo mum. She’s had Parkinson’s Disease for over 11 years. And every 2 years we try to raise $20 for ‘Cure Parkinsons’ Charity. 4 years ago, it was climbing Mount Fuji. 2 years ago, it was a 10km at the Serengeti Marathon. This year, I’m organising a 100km cycle – from Petra to Wadi Rum Desert, in Jordan,

There will be 18 spots available only. If you want to join, let me know! More details very soon, but it’ll be roughly September 27 to October 7th.

Increase my net worth by $100k

EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR. This financial goal is my absolute bread and butter. Each year my financial goal is simple. Increase my net worth by $100k or more.

Fake Instagrammers and tiktokers, rented Lamborginis, and photoshoots in Private Jets have made a fake lifestyle seem mainstream. It’s not true. Stay humble and hungry. To increase networth by $100k means SAVING $8k PER MONTH. $2K EVERY SINGLE WEEK. It’s hard. And it’s huge.

I am worried this will be my first time failing this goal since starting my travel blog as Everest and South Pole etc is going to cost way over $100k. But I’ll try my best.

Expand my real estate portfolio

I now own 4.5 properties. 4 myself and a 50/50 on my airbnb investment in Chiang Mai (you can see my Bangkok condo I bought with cash ON AIRBNB HERE, and our new Chiang Mai condo ON AIRBNB HERE).

My real goal is to start building a villa in Thailand to sell/rent, and I want to start that process in earnest in 2023.

Exercise at least 184 days.

Work out on at least half the days of the year. Easy right? And finish the year under 80kgs to boot. I recorded 164 days last year, but I also spent 3 weeks climbing a mountain in Alaska. It’ll be something similar this year I hope, but with almost 2 months on my Everest expedition!

Complete the 7 Summits

A big one! The 7 summits are the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents. I’ve completed 5 of the 7:

1. Aconcagua, the Highest mountain in South America.
2. Denali, the Highest mountain in North America
3. Puncak Jaya, the Highest mountain in Australasia
4. Kilimanjaro, the Highest mountain in Africa
5. Mount Elbrus, the Highest mountain in Europe.

That leaves 2 to go. Mount Everest, which as mentioned above, I will attempt in April and May. And if successful, and finances permitting, I’ll try to get Vinson at the end of the year (or Jan 2024), to complete the 7 summits.

This would make me the first person to ever visit every country and complete the 7 summits. Then I can retire and get fat.

Reach the South Pole & Complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam

This is a big financial IF. If… I succeed with Everest ($70k). And IF… I can afford to and then actually climb Mount Vinson in ($50k USD), and IF… I can afford another $45k, I’ll try to hit the South Pole and complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam. And be the first person to do every countyr and the Explorer’s Grand Slam.

OneStep4Ward trip to Timbuktu (plus others)

God I love my onestep4ward trips! I’m taking a (sold-out) group to Mauritania next week to ride the Iron Ore Train, and I’m running another trip to Mauritania in November 2023 (if you want to join CLICK HERE). But the wildest trip I want to organise this year is a trip to Mali, complete with chartering our own flight to Timbuktu. For security reasons, I won’t be announcing dates for this. So if you’re keen, reach out to me.

On a side note, I’m also organsing trips to Syria, Iraq and Yemen (Socotra) – all in Oct/Nov 2024. Again, if you want to join, DM me!

Organise my first ever event – the Eye of the Sahara Ultra Marathon!

I LOVE MAURITANIA. And I love the idea of people pushing themselves beyond what they think they are capable of. You have to know pain to know pleasure. So, I’m organising what will be a yearly event in Mauritania. The eye of the sahara ultra marathon. 150km and 3 days through the sand dunes. From the ‘Eye of the Sahara’ to an ancient Islamic city in the desert, Ouadane. This year will be the first year. I need to get to work.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON MY 2023 PLANS

Well, that’s that. I have a few other easiest plans. I’m taking Jaa to the Bahamas in the summer to swim with pigs, at Staniel Cay in the Exumas. We may also cycle around Iceland. I may even run the length of the UK. Let’s see. But these 10 goals are things I’m going to work oh so hard on this year. I’d love to hear your goals, and I really, REALLY encourage you guys to write down your goals. Remember, goals without plans are just dreams. Don’t be a dreamer.

Past years goals, and results:

I write a blog post about my plans EVERY YEAR. Then at the end of the year, I look back and see where I succeeded and failed. If you want to look back at my years, these will help:

• 2022: My 2022 Goals and Plans for the year and my 2022 year-end review
• 2021: My 2021 Plans from the start of the year and my 2021 Year-end review.
• 2020: My goals and plans for 2020 at the start of 2020 and then at the end of 2020, my 2020 review.
• 2019: My 2019 goals from January 2019, and then my 2019 year review from December 2019.
• 2018: My 2018 goals from January 2018, and then my 2018 review at the end of the year.
• 2017: My 2017 year review.
• 2016: My 2016 plans. And my 2016 year in review.
• 2015: My 2015 year in review.