Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions: The Power of Personal Goals

Happy new year to all my readers! I hope everyone is enjoying time with family and friends. Whether you are skiing down a mountain (what I should be doing about now), in the tropics, or just chilling at home: I hope you’re enjoying this much needed break from school or work.


I disagree with the idea of new year’s resolutions because ultimately, they almost always end up being dropped; however, I am a fan of having goals no matter how big or small.

This year I will be prioritizing creating realistic and measurable goals and maintaining a goal-setting systems where I actively assess and redefine my goals throughout the journey.

For me that looks like:

  • Creating a goal-setting markdown file where I enter my short term (1-3 months) and long term goals
  • Breaking those goals up into manageable tasks or "wins" and placing those tasks into my todo-app Things 3
  • Utilizing areas and projects in Things 3 to separate different aspects of my life such as academics, personal projects, and lifestyle
  • Incorporating a weekly review of my goals into my schedule for assessing my progress

Find a process that works for you. It might be as simple as creating a list of your goals in your notes app or as complex as working with a customized Notion Dashboard. Try to be consistent and you will see it reap benefits in all aspects of your life!


Tech Goals


There are plenty of exciting things I want to learn this year. Including: Full-Stack Web Development, Data Structures & Algorithms, and CI/CD automation. As I embark on this journey of learning, I will use milestones, like portfolio projects, as a check-in on my progress!

It's All About Baby Steps

Making progress towards big goals doesn't have to be stressful. In fact the process can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable.

I have been making progress towards my goal of becoming proficient in Full-Stack development by completing The Odin Project Foundations course over winter break, giving me a needed refresher on HTML/CSS and introducing JavaScript fundamentals.

To keep the ball rolling, I will be completing part of their Full-Stack JavaScript Course and then switching to Full-Stack Open to pick up with React and other tools!

If you want to achieve your goals, make sure to have "baby steps" to keep you on track and help you progress.

The Odin Project

If your interested in learning web development, I would recommend The Odin Project as a starting-point.

The course is catered to work for absolute beginners and is aimed at helping build foundational skills. It will also help translate the programming concepts you already know to web development!


Year in Review

2024 was a crazy year. It was the end of one stage of my life and the start of a new journey. Here are some highlights:

  1. I had my best season of track, finishing the season with a new school 800m record (with a time of 1.55.28) and a trip to Oregon for Nike Nationals with a few of my teammates.
  2. I played double bass throughout the year, performing my first concerto with orchestra and and was a member of various music ensembles including: New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra (love this group), New Jersey All State Orchestra, New Jersey Wind Ensemble, and the Tenafly Philharmonic Orchestra.
  3. I graduated.
  4. I moved to a new city for the first time in my life.
  5. I visited Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the summer and explored the islands with my cousins.
    1. My dad is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and my mother is from Jamaica.
  6. I wrapped up summer by moving into my dorm at Columbia University.
  7. I had a bunch of Fall Memories.
  8. I got a new Kai Arvi Bass 😁
"I’m excited about the challenges and growth this year will bring. 2025 will be a year of learning, experimenting, and pushing boundaries. I’d love to hear what your goals are this year, so feel free to share them in the comments below. Let’s learn and grow together."