My Goals for the Next Six Months as of January 2024

As part of trying to set my life on course to achieve my goals, I have done some research and discovered that it often helps to write them down regularly to keep on track. Posting them here will both give me an easy location to review these in the future but also give me accountability as I plan to come back and write a progress update every 3 Months.

In a perfect world, every goal on my list would be achievable, but we don’t live in one. My list may seem short, but I cut it down to this as I am using a method I have read in a couple places that is usually attributed to Warren Buffett. The method in question is the two list method.

Here’s how it works:

1. Write down your top 25 goals
   • I would recommend a 1 year or 6 month timeline to give a sense of urgency but not to the point where there is an overwhelming sense of doom or failure.
   • These goals should be a bit of a stretch as all good goals are, but keep things realistic. These are not dreams they are measures of progress.
   • 25 goals is the suggestion but not a necessity. Write until you can’t think of anymore. Don’t waste time if you can’t think of more than 10, you can always add or reevaluate these lists every few weeks.
2. Review that list and circle your top 5 goals
   • These are the most crucial to you, and will have the most impact on your future. These goals should reflect progress towards your goals a decade down the road and align with your core values.

Now you should have two lists:

List A: They are your absolute priorities and need to become the center of your focus, time, and energy. These goals are not just tasks, but rather the pillars that will shape your life and future.

List B : Avoid these at all costs. Multitasking is a distraction, and you need to put these off at a later date or drop them altogether if they are no longer important to you down the line. Keep these as they may prove useful for making your next list or for a laugh down the line.

It’s my advice to check on this list every two weeks to evaluate progress towards your goals. I will be posting my progress as I go.

Now without further ado, my list for the next Six Months:

1. Graduate College (Successfully completed)
   • This one is a bit of an obvious one, but I spent three and a half years working towards this I don’t want to screw around at the end and fail.
2. Have a job lined up (by April – Failed)
   • The next natural big step in life is getting a job. I need to put more emphasis on this as the market is tight, and I have lots of competition. I will spend the next few months working to build out a network and hopefully land a job in that time as well.
3. Prepare for moving (Done)
   • As I have yet to arrange a job I don’t know where I will be headed next, but I do know that I have more possessions than I need to take with me. I need to dedicate time to getting prepared and downsize. There may be a post about how I plan to do this soon.
4. Save up 5 Grand (On hold until I secure employment.)
   • I need to set up a cash buffer for emergencies. I plan to live as frugal as possible until I achieve this.
5. Get my first apartment (On hold until I secure employment.)
   • I need somewhere to live, don’t I? This one is also an important decision I have to make in the next few months.
   • This is dependent on the first two goals so this one will be a bit more difficult to set up, but it is on the same timeline and cannot be put off.

Update(2024-01-06): I just realized that Pareto principle managed to sneak its way into another one of my habits! 5/25 = 20%. This 20% of my goals will likely have the greatest impact on me. Statistics and probability are neat.

Update(2024-06-24): I made it through college! Hooray! Now comes the hard part of finding employment. Wish me luck!