One of my biggest pet peeves is when people squabble the chance of the new year. You’ll hear it over social media and with family, “oh I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, if I need to change I’ll just change” but they don’t. There’s something profound about the human spirit that we chose an arbitrary time to reset the clock and give people the chance to start anew, don’t waste it!
I’m coming off of one of the better years of my life. I made a lot of progress and feel like I’m the best version of myself in years. I want to build off of this momentum.
Here’s what I want to achieve in 2025:
I’ll be taking part in BYUs sandbox program in the fall with my friend Matt. Sandbox is an opportunity for students to build a startup and get credit while doing it, it’s a win win. I’ll be taking the remainder of my math classes, but I’ll get the chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do, build a company. My goal for sandbox is to fail quickly and a lot. I want to gain the experience of knowing what pitfalls to avoid in an environment that isn’t life or death. However, if I’m going to spend a lot of time building something, I’m going to be all in. We’re going to make this company succeed.
Relationships are everything. Last semester I was playing defense with my life. I would wake up and whatever was taught in class that day would dictate my life until 10pm that evening. It’s good to study hard and work hard, but at what cost? My priorities were off and I’m adamant about not making the same mistake this year. I’ve conceded that i’ll need to do the very thing I’ve been avoiding since my mission—plan my day. It’s hard for my free spirit to submit myself to a planner, but I’m realizing that sometimes freedom comes from following the rules. On the topic of dating, this past year I was really bad about putting people into boxes. I was quick to label girls as too indie or too trad, when I need to be more open minded and see where I am wrong.
I’m convinced the kids who will be stars in the future will be the ones who are able to resist getting the answer immediately and are willing to embrace the academic grind. Toward the end of last semester, I found myself relying on chat to explain things to me more than I should. I believe in using the tools that are available, but I also believe that the mental struggle of figuring out ideas is necessary and will help down the road.
I ran a lot last year, I completed my first marathon and got really into trail running up at snowbird and Alta. I want to build off of my wins and pursue a tougher goal—ultras. I’m planning on doing rim to rim to rim this fall ~ 75 miles of Grand Canyon running. It should be fun. I also need to get back in the gym. The back half of the year slacked (see playing defense again). My goal has always been to be able to run more than the lifters and lift more than the runners. I’m worried some of the runners are out lifting me these days, hence time to get back into the lab.
I’m on X a lot and admire a lot of what people have to offer. I think it is the place to network and gain a group of people who can back you in your career. In 2023 and 2024 I developed my style for posting, but I want to take some risks this year in this domain. I want to build a stronger following and become more active in the ml and tech circles. Furthermore, I want to reach out to some ballers just because I can and see what advice they can offer, why not?
I’ve got some great ideas for projects in 2025. Building is a skill and you only get better at it by taking on bigger and better projects. I hope to really refine my skills and produce some meaningful work this year, so that when something really good comes across my plate I’ll be ready to build.
I want to become a better writer. I have hot and cold streaks with writing. Sometimes I’ll write everyday for six months straight, and other times I’m out for the count. Im starting to get into a rhythm again, but I want to really produce some great stuff in 2025. my goal is to put out a blogpost a month and contribute the same to heretic magazine.
It’s time to do the reading. I want to dig deep and really understand the underlying technology that’s going to change our world. I’m now at a place with my math abilities that I can understand the majority of what is going on. I’ll need to pivot my research from sports analytics and see if there are any professors that will let me set out for what I’m trying to do. That’s the plan as of now. I hope by the end of 2025, to fully understand where this technology is going and have a few ideas myself.
In 2024 I consumed way more than I produced. I want to flip this. In order to do so, I need to cut that fat. Most of my screen time is dedicated to listening to music, but I am still wasting too much time on platforms that are not productive, it’s those damn instagram reels. I need more intention with my internet life, no more going there for comfort when I’m bored. With this, I need to pack my days. I’ve already mentioned my need for a calendar, but I really do think it will be the crucial factor that helps me get to where I want to go in 2025. Doomscrolling hates packed days.
Drumming was the catalyst for a lot of change in my life in 2024. I was getting over a difficult breakup and the ability to just plow away at the drums really was the thing that helped me express myself. At first the music was awful (my family can attest) but it was real, authentic, and it was me. Since the beginning of 2024 I’ve made leaps and strides with drumming. In 2025, I want to get better at it. I’m getting an electronic kit for my place in Provo so that will help me get the reps I need. I’m hoping to make some good music with friends and find my style.
By the end of the year, I hope I look back at 2025 with a special admiration. Every year I like to have a motto to live by. Something to think about and hopefully define a year. There’s a great story of the Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh. When asked about how to make great music he replied, “the first thing you need to do is listen. The second thing you need to do.. listen. And the third thing you need to do…. Listen.” I’ve always laughed at Phil’s comments, but he’s right. Humility is the mother of giants, one sees great things from the bottom, only small things from the top as George McDonald famously said. There’s something special, whether with music or with life, about listening and being in tune with what’s going on around you. That’s my motto for 2025: Listen.