Goals for 2022
Last updated: 12/30/2021
The holidays and New Years is a time for reflection. Reflecting on our experiences over the last year, and what you face moving forward. Typically, this leads to coming up with our annual New Years Resolutions, a promise of betterment for the future, addressing a key area of our lives that we may want to improve, are self-conscious about, or bucket list item we always wanted to complete.
Well, just as we are multifaceted people who wear multiple hats (students, brothers, mothers, employee, club member, etc.), I believe our goals should be just as multifaceted. So, this year I’ve compartmentalized my goals into 4 key categories: Fitness, Relationship, Financial, and Professional. This document will serve as a living, breathing source, with the intention of crossing off each milestone as the year progresses. The title shows the date of the most recent edit.
Fitness
- Complete first full distance triathlon (bonus: sub-12 hour)
- Qualify for Boston marathon (aka run sub-3 hour marathon)
- Race an endurance bike event
- Weekly group runs
- Host a 5k race
- Run 2022 miles
- Break a Guinness World Record
Over the last year, I’ve pushed the boundaries of my running ability. In 2021, I set to the goal of running a sub-4 hour marathon, which I achieved at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in October, and run 1,000 miles, which I finished way ahead of the mark with over 1,500 miles for the year.
Now, I set my sights on the next logical steps, and a few more fun ones. I was originally going to double the 1000 mile goal, but 2022 sounds way cooler. I’ve developed a love for group runs, creating camaraderie and friendship with other like-minded people, and finally, I would love the opportunity to organize and run my own race, so we are starting with a 5k and will see where this takes me.
I’ve already made some race plans. In May, I will run the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI, where I will attempt to qualify for Boston with a sub-3 hour time goal. Additionally, in August I will race the Michigan Titanium Triathlon, participating in my first triathlon, and the full ironman distance no less!
Oh, and the world record? Yeah that would just be super fun. Striving to officially be awesome.
Relationship
- Reconnect with old friends (2/month)
This goal stems from years of build up. Through attending 3 universities in 3 different cities, and several jobs and clubs, I have had the chance of meeting some extraordinary people who are now out there, right now, changing the world. With this network, however, it has become harder and harder to stay connected over the years, to the point where the majority of my connections are only those who are immediately around me, leaving past friendships to fizzle to near nothingness.
It is crazy that someone, at one point in your life, was so intimately connected to your life, and in another moment, you’re nearly strangers. But this doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to bring value to your life now. Therefore, my relationship goal for 2022 is to reconnect with people, particularly from different past stages of my life. See what they are up to now, how their life has changed, did they find happiness, and what they have learned about life. I hope this effort will rekindle past friendships and spark new lessons. So if you’re reading this, and we haven’t spoken in a while, please reach out, cause I can’t wait to hear from you.
Financial
- Double investment accounts
- Read 3–6 financial wellness books
- Discretionary fund
In the last year, I’ve developed an interest in getting a grip on my finances. I’ve never been bad with money per se, I’ve kept a modest budget for years and applied for and managed all my own financial aid for school. With my future career in motion, and having been in school for over 6 years, I don’t want to be caught off guard when I start collecting a consistent paycheck, wondering what I should do with my money.
My introduction to stocks, investing, and retirement accounts has been an eye opening experience, and only peaks my interest more into the world of wealth building. Previously, I have dipped my toes into my own investment accounts, therefore, I’m aiming to double down and double the amount I have in these accounts, further developing a habit of saving. This will be complemented with attempting to read 3–6 financial wellness books, upgrading my knowledge into other methods of wealth building.
I’ve historically been a frugal spender, keeping only budgets for essentials such as rent and food, but with running and other hobbies, I see more value in having a formal discretionary budget. A simple change that will add peace of mind when spending on social and discretionary funding.
Professional
- Write 12 blog posts (1 per month)
- Read 3 public health history books
- Learn more from peers…ask different questions
In 2021, I started this very blog. The idea actually stemmed from medical school applications. Not only do you submit a personal statement, but dozens of secondary essays, each one requiring you to reflect on past experiences and pull the meaning from them. Well, this exercise show me that I have a lot to say about my life, lessons learned, and perspectives. Writing was the MEDIUM by which I explored my personal thoughts and developed my own voice. Therefore, the blog was born, and an endeavor I plan to grow and expand, consistently, in 2022.
Public health is central to my values as a future physician. My training in graduate school and exposure to data analysis, bias assessment, and social determinants of health have become integral to my role in medical school in educating others and finding my niche in medicine. I’ve come to value my public health training now more than ever during this pandemic. But I need to continue learning so I understand broader health problems and their population based solutions. So, I’ve set the goal to read public health success stories and history books to continue public health education, and maybe get others to join me!
I debated putting this last goal under Relationship, but it’s a different kind of friendship, so it’s under Professional. In school, we hear from professors and lecturers about the content, but rarely, if ever, do we hear from our peers about their lives. What I mean by this is there are over 100 people in my medical school class, each with their own paths, significant experiences, problems they want to solve, and futures. I want to make an active effort to learn these stories of my peers, just as I strive to learn the stories of my future patients. I’m unsure what this looks like directly, but for now, I’m gonna be asking my friends some deeper questions during study sessions.
Final thoughts for 2021
The joys of planning the future gives me something to strive for; the anticipation, excitement, and satisfaction of crossing off a completed goal or task is incomparable. However, the unknown can be just as blood pumping. The opportunities that lie ahead, the doors I didn’t even know could open, or even existed, are just as exhilarating. The year 2021 can be defined in many ways, but for me, it will be defined as the kickstarter to many lifelong hobbies, personal values, and a world of possibilities.
Happy New Year!
