What are your goals for 2024?

Not asking for 'New Year's Resolutions' since that's kind of a meme. Can be goals you're either working on already (and have been for some time) or goals you're planning on starting at some point next year. Finding a new job, losing weight, traveling, etc

 
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Get out of audit and into finance (corp fin/ valuations/IBD), either here in London or in the US. Also get my first serious girlfriend, which at 28 is long overdue. I also need to decide whether to do an MBA or not, and if I do I'll need to make sure it's a T15 or bust. I'm also looking forward to my holiday to Japan and revisiting where I grew up in Sydney, though if I move to the US I doubt I'll have the annual leave to do the latter. It'll be a gigantic year for me tbh, make or break in many ways.

 

you'll be so relieved getting out of audit, it's insanely soul-crushing and mind-numbingly boring as you know (others may not). Japan is amazing, have a great time!

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

I'm dreading the upcoming busy season with every fiber of my being, it's goal number one for a very good reason and it's honestly the main thing I regret about my 20s (not doing enough at university to get into finance/consulting straight away and obviously spending these last 4 years working here). I can't imagine settling for the sorts of lives that my senior managers/directors/even some partners are living, it would be pure torture, I think I would literally do any other white collar job on the planet instead.

Anyway thank you, I can't wait for Japan, I've been dying to go for the longest time and I'm sure it'll be a blast!

 

For me it's to curate new hobbies and expand my social circle.

Curating new hobbies would make my life more interesting and expand my social life. My current social life revolves around the same few friends from university (who are great!) but I do want to make other friends. This would make my life more interesting (it gets kinda repetitive going out with the same group of people to the same bars every weekend). Some of my friends are planning to move soon, so I want to keep my social life fresh.

This would indirectly help my dating game, as I just got out of a relationship and I'm sick of Hinge (It's extremely superficial in NYC and I feel like I'm not meeting the quality of women I'd like on that app). When you meet organically, there is less emphasis on having 10/10 looks. 

If anyone has any ideas of social groups like this in NYC, lmk!

 

FWIW I met my gf on Hinge in NYC when I least expected it. Focus on self growth personally and professionally, continue to be social (can use dating apps to supplement but don't make primary focus), hit the gym, and things sort of naturally fall into place when you pave your own way. Making friends as an adult is hard but I've actually found people in NYC to be pretty receptive and welcoming to new people.

 

1. Grow my network - professionally and socially. 

2. Better time management.

3. If I'm able to afford to, move to a different location post MBA in the New England or the DC area

4. Doing well mentally but seriously considering monthly therapy sessions. Got into watching HealthyGamerGG (a Harvard trained psychiatrist) who discusses mental health for young male adults fairly often on YouTube. One of my classmates mentioned he does something similar in his adulthood (therapy sessions once in awhile) and it has done him wonders.

 

My bench has always been fkn trash and I really want to improve it. Going to try to up frequency to like 3x per week and see what happens. Also going to up my calories bc I feel like that’s the only way this gets done. It’s been kind of frustrating bc my squat and legs blow up from training literally once a week.

 

Better sleep habits, new job, and diet. 

The important thing is never to let oneself be guided by the opinion of one's contemporaries; to continue steadfastly on one's way without letting oneself be either defeated by failure or diverted by applause.
 
  • Be able to lift 1K lb between deadlift/bench/squat. Got a 1K friendly competitive session later in the year with some friends
  • Read more. 2023 was a trash reading year for me, I don't read all that many books to begin with but want to focus on it
  • Pilgrimage to see the Black Madonna in Czestochowa and maybe the Holy Land if things cool down there
  • Focus on more charity work
  • Figure out a better niche to get into the future in regards to work
  • Figure out if I want to get a MBA or not
Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

badass. Unfortunately I'm pretty inconsistent with a lifting schedule, but have been working on regular sleep and diet, so hopefully I'll get there. I'll reach out with some finer points as I get more into it, really appreciate it!

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Yep, same here. Got 12 last year but I'm bad about finishing books.

My list is massive and ever growing but some that I am really excited to read are: Chip War, King of Capital, Catch 22, The Fall of the Roman Republic, and some more of my favorite philosophers like Camus, Kafka, Hesse (if you can call him a philosopher lmaoo), Plato, etc.

Both of your books are on my list too but who knows when I'll get there.

 

I have worked alongside my career center at my liberal arts college to create a technical finance study program each week throughout the year to prep students for finance interviews. Being a junior with a SA24 offer, I have stayed motivated and I am proud of what we have created - it is revamping our whole recruiting scene and really helping our current sophomores land SA24 offers / prepare for SA25. Having gone through the process myself, a goal for 2024 is to continue to prepare our students for the technical aspect of the interviews. Proud to say it is going well and I want to keep it going in 2024 throughout the year and into the next. 

 

Permanently kick my weed habit - going on 30 days strong as a 15-year daily smoker. I used to be in the camp that one can succeed in a fast paced corporate job, smoke weed every evening to "decompress", while having a meaningful social life. While that might have been true in my early 20s (candidly I defined "social life" as hanging out with other potheads), I knew I was falling down the proverbial rabbit hole once I started letting deadlines slip and logging off earlier so I can spend more waking hours stoned. Weed became an outlet for me to escape the real world and permanently reside in a drug-induced mental safe place.

I'm sure some folks out there have better self control than me and can live a balanced life with weed in the equation. However, I'd encourage everyone who partakes to reflect candidly on what positives it has contributed to your life, and what it has taken away. I'm regretful that I've relinquished 15 of my prime years to this plant, but 2024 will be a new me - I'm going to get the physique back that I used to have in school, hopefully get into a serious relationship for the first time, and continue to crush my professional career. A month in I can already feel the mental clarity coming back and I'm optimistic of the future.

 

StreetofBulls

Permanently kick my weed habit - going on 30 days strong as a 15-year daily smoker. I used to be in the camp that one can succeed in a fast paced corporate job, smoke weed every evening to "decompress", while having a meaningful social life. While that might have been true in my early 20s (candidly I defined "social life" as hanging out with other potheads), I knew I was falling down the proverbial rabbit hole once I started letting deadlines slip and logging off earlier so I can spend more waking hours stoned. Weed became an outlet for me to escape the real world and permanently reside in a drug-induced mental safe place.

I'm sure some folks out there have better at self control than me and can live a balanced life with weed in the equation. However, I'd encourage everyone who partakes to reflect candidly on what positives it has contributed to your life, and what it has taken away. I'm regretful that I've relinquished 15 years of my prime years to this plant, but 2024 will be a new me - I'm going to get the physique back that I used to have in school, hopefully get into a serious relationship for the first time, and continue to crush my professional career. A month in I can already feel the mental clarity coming back and I'm optimistic of the future.

I hit my absolute physical peak when I was a super stoner. That year I did two half Ironmans (4:48 PR), a full Ironman, the NYC 5th Avenue mile in 5:19, Muay Thai training, BJJ training, and a 50mi trail race attempt where I only made it 47.6mi (I smoked 3 blunts while running haha). I like Sativa for workouts and winding down at the end of the day with a Hybrid or Indica. My favorite Sativa is the classic Sour Diesel. I typically view bongs as one of the cleanest ways to consume 420.

Its not legal in my current state and you can't smoke where I live, so I don't want to risk anything and don't smoke it currently. I vape some shitty Delta 8 that is legal, but it is nowhere close to smoking the good stuff. I look forward to the day when I have my own house in a legal state with a home gym and just kill it. I currently have an indoor cycling setup and one day smoked my brains out and rode for 8.5hrs with minimal breaks (I had about 8 smoothies) - 170mi @ 20mph. I vibe well with weed and it greatly reduces my anxiety and depression and I feel very blessed about life in general. 

I'm doing a dry January for alcohol though and may continue to abstain from it for various reasons. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I'm doing Exodus 90 if you've heard of that, so I feel you on no alcohol (until Easter though).

Re: weed, it's not for everyone, I personally am not in a good place to smoke it, and I don't feel a draw to it anymore, but I do acknowledge that it's helpful for some. Rogan and others in popular media, seems to work for some but it's definitely not for everyone. Also, if it is a legitimate medical use, which is your case you could argue it is, then it is not a sin to consume (CCC 2291).

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

It's been a routine for me to smoke after work every day for the past year. Even during work hours, I occasionally sneak out for a few drags from my eCig. I wouldn’t know what to do all day after work if I don’t smoke though. Back in university, if I didn't have classes, I'd get high 2-3 times a day, often just sitting idly on my couch, watching movies or scrolling through my phone. I'm beginning to see how this habit has taken over much of my time and I'm actively looking for ways to break this cycle and find healthier activities to fill my days.

 

My resolution for 2024 is to develop my skills in one hobby. I’ve only been focused on my job for 10+ years. I want to have at least activity to look forward to post-career.

 
cigarlounge

Smoke less and learn how to ride a skateboard 

Smoke less what? Cigars, weed, cigarettes?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

2024

  • Run 1,500 miles
  • Qualify for the Boston marathon (this one is outcome oriented whereas all the others are process-oriented)
  • Read 6 books
  • Publish three Substack articles
  • Reach $200k net worth
  • Watch 10 current/former Best Picture nominees

2023 in review

  • Run 1,000 miles (1,447/1,500)
  • Run a marathon (completed)
  • Watch 10 current/former Best Picture nominees (5/10)
    • Favorites: All Quiet on the Western Front, Triangle of Sadness
  • Publish three Substack articles (1/3)
  • Read six books (5/6)
    • Favorites: Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara, Metaverse by Matthew Ball
  • [Not originally a goal, but an accomplishment I'm proud of] Run an ultramarathon
  • [Not originally a goal, but an accomplishment I'm proud of] Lose 20 pounds
 

A few in no particular order:

-Lower my LDL-C levels from borderline high to normal without pharmacological interventions (i.e. mostly diet). Ditto for apoB levels.

-Coach/tutor my oldest child to improve their results on their school's math competition (they placed top-5 in their cohort in the Fall math competition). Winter competition is coming up in February and the goal is to place in the top-3. The Top-5 combined scorers across the Fall and Winter competitions get invited to a larger interscholastic tournament towards the end of the school year, so the ultimate goal is to qualify for that

-Mentor and *really* make a difference in the lives of at least two students from my alma mater (I've been volunteering as a mentor at my alma mater for several years, but in previous years I have been spreading myself thin by mentoring too many students and I feel that has hurt my ability to have a substantial impact on them. So, the goal this year is to only mentor a couple of kids and really go deep with them)

-Create one significant piece of long-form content (e.g. a book chapter, short story, essay, etc.)

-Unlock monetization on my YouTube channel - I have already met the requirements for number of subscribers and everything else, but don't have enough "public watch hours"

 

2100 Chess Rapid Rating (currently 2000)
+12 Handicap (currently 15)
Half Ironman (Running is strong. Cycling and Swimming are weak for me)
Finish three textbooks: "Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces"; "Probabalistic Machine Learning: An Introduction"; "The Algorithm Design Manual"

Kinda took 2023 off to have a kid. Now that all that is sorted, I'm ready to get back on the horse! Cheers to all of you!

 
dedline

2100 Chess Rapid Rating (currently 2000)
+12 Handicap (currently 15)
Half Ironman (Running is strong. Cycling and Swimming are weak for me)
Finish three textbooks: "Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces"; "Probabalistic Machine Learning: An Introduction"; "The Algorithm Design Manual"

Kinda took 2023 off to have a kid. Now that all that is sorted, I'm ready to get back on the horse! Cheers to all of you!

What kind of bike do you have?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Specialized Diverge E5 Comp

I definitely felt like a poser when I clicked "Purchase" on the website. I used to be deep into BMX as a kid and researched heavily the bikes I bought on DansComp (e.g. needed to have sealed bottom bracket, full chromoly, etc...), but my wife got me a gift certificate as a present / was pressing me to use, I knew the Specialized brand from BMX PMP days and felt good about my ability to re-sell if it wasn't a good fit just on the specialized brand / gravel bike hype.

I got in on clearance at $1,999. There are trails and jumps (do I have the nuts to hit them on my gravel bike at 30+???) near my home so I can guarantee use out of the suspension. The city is connected via bike baths and that's how I plan on putting in the actual work.

It was a pretty hasty purchase but I hope I'll be alright. Come on man, tell me I did good hahaha

 

I like to bucket them based on facets of life: 

  • Fitness: 600 LB deadlift, 500 LB squat, 315 bench 
  • Relationship: 10+ solid date nights, get married (currently engaged), spend meaningful time together each weekend 
  • Career: get promoted, figure out next step in what I want to do with my life 
  • Social: proper ski trip, trip to lakehouse with the boys, do something fun with the boys every weekend (even if its small like lunch) 
  • Recreational: read 10+ books, try and spend a few minutes a day learning about non-work related content, reflect more, instagram less 
 

Great goals. Deadlift conventional? Extremely impressive goals for all 3 lifts.

All legit goals I hope I am pursuing / accomplishing myself in the next few years.

Sadly have hung up heavy lifting due to significant medical issues that started past couple years. Could use as an excuse as to why I gained all this weight, but that won’t help anything.

Going strong 4 days into 2024 but is eerily similar to 2022. I hit PR dead then my dog died week later, day before my birthday. Still not over it 2 years later but think I’m maturing and have began to accept it a bit

 

Thanks man, and yes conventional. I hit 500 LBs conventional this past December and felt I had more in the tank. I have a coach who seems to think 600 this year is obtainable, and I am built for deads. 

I hope you can get back into lifting man, through our past convos on here I know you were very serious about it and quite strong. It has become such a big part of my identity that I cant fathom giving it up. I genuinely think I would rather lose my job than my ability to lift. I hope you can get some PT or find a solve and get back into the gym. Its not the same, but even just walking or light cardio can help your mental state. I am trying to walk 1-2 miles every day I dont lift this year, and would recommend you think about that as a goal as well. 

Congrats on the deads PR, nothing is a better feeling! Using the entire body to lift the maximum weight youre capable of incorporates some parts of our homosapien brain that I swear never get used any more, it is just so euphoric. 

Really sorry to hear about your dog passing mate, that's a loss I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy

Hoping your body doesnt fail you and you can continue making gains throughout 24. Happy belated bday btw :)

 

Do own thing (have been wanting to do forever - close to ~3 yrs now have had itch to break away)

Get back into something physical besides gym, training here and there (have BARELY the basics when it comes to ground-work, and used to train with a seasoned MMA guy I've known for years, have gd hands and decent kicks, and I'm nimble for a big fella)

Advanced math and get a feel for quant approach to the market (have been in IB & M&A for a while and have always wanted to get a feel of that side of the market etc.)

 
upstateNYguy

Pass CFA L3 in february. Get a new job in a big metro. Start thinking about grad school. Take GMAT or GRE by end of the year. Learn a new skill (python &/ or SQL)

Will turn 24 in april

You're supposed to say "ace" the GMAT or GRE by the end of the year, not just "take." GL 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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