As I write this, almost one-sixth of the year has already passed. This also means…as fast as time flies, my birthday is right around the corner.

In the spirit of summer babies and half years, I have set out a list of goals I want to achieve by the time I turn 27. A man/woman without goals is not living but merely surviving.

Since I moved to Los Angeles last summer, much of my time has been consumed by job hunting. I have been stressed out because of a lack of productivity, a lack of stability in terms of my visa, and a lack of direction. I stopped being who I was: cheerful, fun, adventurous, enterprising, passionate, curious, to name a few generic/unique traits…

In order to rectify that, I am going to set some goals. I want to learn new skills and continue to become a better person.

I know that every year I am gaining more experience. Every year, I have grown and become a better man. This year, I am writing this down and posting it up so I can hold myself even more accountable; I have always been a man of my word.

If I need external motivators and motivation, so be it until I can become internal. In life, we all struggle with ourselves and our own demons. Some people can deal with it alone, some people need some hands along the way.

So this is my list, what’s yours?

1. Learn Spanish and be at least 50% Fluent on Duolingo  (currently 19%) – I want to become trilingual eventually
2. Learn to write Chinese (500 words) – I can type, read, and speak fluently but I probably only know how to write around 50 words right now
3. Complete Data Analysis and Interpretation Specialization with Coursera
4. Complete half of the GIS Specialization with Coursera
5. Complete a site suitability study – Bakersfield project
6. Write and submit poetry to http://www.poetryfoundation.org – Feb 25th
7. Work-out regularly
8. Practice the violin everyday for at least 15 mins
9. Start volunteering – Orientation is on April 5th
10. Talk to my parents, sisters, and family more
11. Play more chess
12. Find a new job – definitely the hardest goal to achieve

You might wonder how that list has anything to do with becoming a better person. It’s all about being anchored, in order to bring love to those around you.

“The only thing we have to fear…is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt