““I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is’””
It’s that time of year again- time to reflect on the past year, as well as plan for the year ahead. The things that stand out most when I look back on the past 12 months are the little everyday moments. The coffee and brewery dates with my wife and daughter. Many firsts for my daughter like tobogganing, skating, and hiking up Grouse Mountain together.
My word for the year was “now”. I tried to return to it as much as possible, taking a deep breath and immersing myself in the present moment. Attempting to capture and enjoy the fleeting moments of childhood, I found it helpful to remind myself to pay attention.
2023 brought a lot of memorable moments. Here’s a few of them:
The Highlights – What Went Well
This year I celebrated turning 34, my wife and I celebrated 9 years of marriage, and our daughter turned 3. Here are some highlights that stand out from the year:
Personal
I was able to spend lots of time with my parents, including an epic trip to see Metallica at the new SoFi Stadium paired with Disneyland in California.
I got out to many concerts, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Avenged Sevenfold, Alexisonfire, Metallica, Pantera, Ed Sheeran & Iron Maiden 🤘
Our daughter started pre-school this year! It’s been fun to watch her grow and make new friends.
I got to go skiing, which was high on my list of things to explore this year.
We were able to travel quite a bit, including a trip to Kelowna to celebrate our niece’s birthday, some time up in Whistler, a trip to the Okanagan where I was able to golf, our California trip, a trip to Seattle to see Ryan Holiday & Robert Greene live in conversation, and also a week in a tiny house on the Sunshine Coast.
Maddie and I hiked Grouse Mountain together, and we made good use of her running stroller as she helped me train for my marathon.
BookMark added some new readers this year, and I also made a major update to my personal knowledge system.
Business
Grew LinkedIn followers to 8900+, closing in on 10k for next year.
After 3 years with Impact, I made a big change, joining IT/IQ near the end of the year. It’s been an exciting time of transition, and I’m looking forward to some great things in store for the year ahead.
Health
Biked 2,526 KM, including the Valley Gran Fondo and Triple Crown rides
Ran the Vancouver Marathon in May, something I’ve wanted to accomplish for a long time.
Go Daddy Go!
Completed 75 hard in the first half of the year.
I’ve been consistent with weight training, primarily following surfer Laird Hamilton’s strength training circuit and Bryan Johnson’s “Anti-Aging” workout.
What Didn't Go Well This Year
My daughter and I both got really bad food poisoning in January, which took us out for a few days.
It was a challenging year work wise, with some turbulence in the tech sector.
Parenting requires a lot of patience. As much as there were many amazing memories with my daughter this year, learning to be a father and managing the wild fluctuations of a toddler’s emotions has been a challenge.
Things I've Loved
Massage gun- This thing has been amazing, and it’s remained part of my daily routine.
Airpod Pro- These have been wonderful and remain something I use daily.
Pilot Petit1 Fountain Pen- This little inexpensive gem is my go-to, and I carry it everywhere along with my notebook.
Casper Glow Light- I received this as a gift a while ago, and the slow lighting wakeup has been awesome in place of a typical alarm.
Strava- I use this to track all of my bike rides throughout the year.
Memento Mori coin- I’ve carried this around for years as a reminder of the shortness of life, a reminder to live with a sense of urgency.
We finally got a BBQ this year, which we’ve really enjoyed.
I got a typewriter this year which has been great as an alternative way to write and exercise some creativity.
What's Next – What I'm Looking Forward To In 2024
The word I’ve chosen to guide me through 2024 is “connection”.
A big part of my role at work involves building relationships and strengthening connections. That was initially why I chose this word, but the more I thought about it, I realized it’s a powerful guide in so many areas. I’d like to deepen my connection with nature. My connection with myself, my daughter, my wife and family.
A few of the things I’m looking forward to in 2024:
10th wedding anniversary - planning a trip to Europe in the summer.
There are a couple of weddings we are attending that I’m excited about.
The arrival of our niece.
HRV training, learning more about biofeedback and breath resonance work.
At least 1 Gran Fondo bike event, if not more.
Getting established and building connections in my first full year with IT/IQ
