To begin with, I am not entirely sure
what I think about goal setting. Naturally goals are needed in
institutional settings, such as in businesses and governments, but
personal goals can be either constructive or disruptive. On one hand,
they can provide structure; clarity and focus on what one wants in
order to be satisfied. On the other hand, too strict goals can
prevent one from seeing opportunities outside of their scope, or
failing to reach these goals can result in disappointment.
There are people who are driven by
tackling challenges and turning difficult into easy. It is not so
much about the end result – since achieving one goal just makes
space for new ones – but about the journey getting there. I
definitely enjoy the process of working hard to learn a new skill or
acquire new knowledge, and step by step getting closer to mastering
it.
I am trying to follow a philosophy of
living in the now and accepting each event as it is. Therefore making
plans – defining which outcome is preferable to another one –
contradicts with my life view. I guess I can still set myself goals
but stay careful about getting attached to them. I can work towards
something with the mindset that each outcome - be it success or
failure - is equally alright. Instead of defining very quantitative,
limiting goals, I can come up with directive ones that can be altered
according to circumstances.
Unless something dramatic, like an
injury or illness happens, I would like to lead my life towards below goals:
#1 Settle down (in Switzerland)
During the past 20 years I have lived
in 7 different countries and done long travels all around. It has
been awesome and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities to
experience a lot while following my dreams. However, now I am done
being a nomad. I want to build myself a home base, from where to go
exploring and where to return to.
I have lived in Switzerland for a year
and for the first time I feel like I have found a country I want to
call home. Switzerland is greatly located in the heart of Europe, it
offers prospective job opportunities and its mountainous landscape
is simply stunning. Surely it is also hell expensive and making local
friends takes ages, but those obstacles can be overcome with
adaptation and persistence. I want to integrate in to the Swiss life
and get a nice home, a motivating job and good friends.
(Right now I am dirtbagging in Spain to
save money until I find my next job. Sure this is fun as always, but
I am a bit tired of people constantly coming and going. I am also
missing meaningful activities apart from climbing. Being a traveler
no longer feels as thrilling as it did some years ago.)
Disclaimer: I am also open to settling
down elsewhere, if I for example get a dream job or fall in love with
someone, that needs following.
#2 Grow professionally (among
international development)
I graduated from university 10 years
ago, and ended up in the IT sector. I learned a lot in many different
functions, but it was never my passion. During the past years I have
worked hard to break into the field of international development,
that is damn competitive, interesting and purposeful. I enjoy working
with people who are motivated, opinioned and tolerant, driven by
impact instead of money.
I have half accidentally acquired niche
knowledge in carbon finance. Next I want to broaden my expertise to
inclusive business models, sustainable agriculture and fair value
chains. I know that I cannot save the world, but improving lives of
some people through providing them means to do it themselves would be
meaningful to me. I would like to continue working with projects
located in poor rural areas in developing countries. There are many
NGOs and for-purpose companies offering interesting work
opportunities, and I really hope I will get a job soon.
Disclaimer: If I do not get an
international development job, but still prioritize living in
Switzerland, I am okey with working at a climbing gym, an outdoor store
or even a cafe until I get a job I really want.
#3 Climb better (send 7Bs)
I properly started outdoor climbing 5
years ago in Thailand, at the beginning of my first long travels. I
sent my first 7B route 2 years ago but have not sent any more since
then. I keep trying to improve in climbing but have plateaued at my
current level. I know I have what it takes to be a better climber,
but I have no idea how to get there. In order to avoid getting
frustrated always climbing at the same level, I have set myself
qualitative goals alongside grade goals.
I want to become a skilled climber with
precise footwork, balanced movement and dynamic style. Climbing
efficiently and confidently, not avoiding run-outs, finding rest
spots and trying until falling off also belong to my goal list. I
usually do not send my project routes because I cannot solve their
cruxes. I want to learn to come up with optimal beta (or listen to
advice about it) and memorize it rapidly. Also having the right
mindset is important, so staying positive, focused and calm will help
me not only in climbing better but also in fully enjoying it.
Disclaimer: I may compromise on the 7B
grade goal. If I end up traveling for a longer time without training
facilities and/or partners willing to project, I might have to stick
to skills improvement and having fun.
#4 Learn German (Swiss German)
As a kid I learned German at school,
but I never used it in real life. When I moved to Switzerland I
decided that I want to learn the local language. I put lots of effort
into speaking as much German as possible, often at the cost of not being
able to properly express myself by engaging in deep conversations.
Little by little the commitment has paid off and now I can handle
most situations in German.
However, German is not Swiss German. I
still need to ask people to speak to me in German, as I do not
understand anything in Swiss German. I do not care how I speak
myself, but I want to learn to understand Swiss German. I also want
to learn to write professional documents with proper grammar and
vocabulary. In a nutshell, I want to make (Swiss) German my primary
language in Switzerland.
Disclaimer: There is none. Of all my
to-be-achieved things during the past years, I have gotten furthest
with German. I have truly enjoyed the improvement, and I am looking
forward to returning to Switzerland to keep learning more.
I acknowledge that these goals can be
set either for the year 2020 or the decade 2020. I do not want to
explicitly specify which one I mean, but rather the first couple of
years than all of them. To be honest, this big year change does not
mean much to me, as tracking time is just an agreement for
convenience, but it has provided this incentive to write down my main
goals. Now, let's see what actually happens...
