I’m going to be honest. I never made resolutions for New Years 2014, but it isn’t that I don’t believe in them. New Years resolutions are why I rarely drink coke and why I’m more active now than I was ten years ago. But my yearlong resolutions were made back in November, when I turned 29. Motivated by Duct Tape Then Beer’s epic video called 35, I decided to take a long form approach and selected 30 goals to complete by 30.
My 30X30 Goals
I’m not about to wreck the surprise by laying out the terms and conditions of my life for the next 12 months (truthfully, I only have 10.5 months left), but I’ll foreshadow a bit. My goals are ambitious. If I complete all 30, I’ll be exhausted. Cycling 10 000 km isn’t even the most difficult on the list. Yet, considering that the roads in the great white north are snow covered for 6 months of the year, 10K isn’t a gimme.
The reason I set difficult goals isn’t to fall short. What I want from adventure in 2014 are new challenges and this list will push me beyond my current limit.
Since returning home to Canada, I’ve seen my photography and writing career flourish. But personally, I’ve been unsatisfied. It took two years, but I’ve finally come to terms that yearlong adventures aren’t in my immediate future. I have commitments at home that take priority, but I’m inspired by Alastair Humphreys’ Micro Adventures. If he can have dozens of unique adventures while barely leaving London, imagine what I can do. I live in one of Canada’s wildest national parks.
What I Want from Adventure in 2014
Like I said, rather than simply state the goals, I’ve opted to put them into a simple mission statement that will guide me through the upcoming year.
What I want form Adventure in 2014 is to find suitable adventures – that challenge my abilities and fitness – without having to venture too far from home. I want to share these adventures through innovated storytelling that inspires people to go outside and explore.
To take it a step further, I also want to foster the relationships I have with my wife, my friends, and my supporters. I want to learn to say yes more often, but I also want to have the courage to say no.
I want to look back on 2014 and see that I not only accomplished my 30X30, but that I consider it the best year of my life.
What do you want from adventure in 2014?
Leave a Reply