2022 in 8 forms of capital

I look backed at my 2021 through the lens of 8 forms of capital yesterday. Today is 1st Jan, and so it’s about setting intentions for 2022, in 8 forms of capital.

And continuing from last year as well, instead of saying “I will…”, I’m phrasing it with “I want to see if I can…” because “I will” sounds like a bold, unsubstantiated proclamation, while “I want to see if I can” is like an optimistic invitation to challenge myself.

I want to see if I can…

💵 Financial:
Hit $200 MRR from all my products by 31 Dec 2022, through small doggedness.

• I’m downsizing my specific goals. What started as $1M ARR in 2019 turned into $5000 MRR in 2020. Now in 2022, just $200 MRR. No more big moves, no ambitious moonshots. Just small doggedness, 1% daily consistency. Of course, I want to hit $5k or some level of self-sufficient lifestyle from my products. It’s still in the back of my head for sure. I’d be lying if I said I forgot the $5k target entirely. It just won’t be my immediate focus, not what I’d act on.

⚒️ Material:
Meaningful materialism for health.

• I completed the critical parts of my productivity cave in 2021, and immediately felt the ROI on my health, productivity and sanity. This whole thread of investing in material assets that keeps me healthier and more productive is something I want to pull on more in 2022. I’d always been mindful about consuming out of boredom, wary and weary of empty consumerism. But I can consume meaningfully, in ways that are wholesome and helpful. What are the best purchases under $100 that give multiple times more in intangible value back, for mind, body and soul? I want to get those, guilt-free. More biohacking equipment, better sleep wearable (Oura?), supplements, office gear.

🌲 Living:
Move more, feel fit.

• I set a goal called “Fit AF” for this intention. I’d never been so unfit before. Age is catching up (I’m 43 this year), metabolism slowing down, lifestyle getting more sedentary. My intention to move more in 2021 was dismal. That habit failed because I didn’t want to do it. That’s in contrast to this morning at 7am when I wanted to go for a celebratory new year run. And I did. Just 15min, short circle round the neighbourhood park. What was the difference? Not conviction or commitment, not the temptation bundling, not any habit hack whatsoever. I simply wanted to. This desire best sums up my intention for more living capital, and finding ways to generate that desire.

💡 Intellectual:
Follow my entrepreneur nose.

• I realised when it comes to intellectual curiosity, it’s good to simply let it unfold and follow the energy, instead of following some pre-determined topic. Because curiosity is child-like – children don’t stick to one thing just because they said they so a minute ago. They just go wherever, whatever. So I’d come to accept that I got to do what my curiosity bids me to do, when it wants. Anything in indie hacking and entrepreneurship is fair game – design, development, marketing, capital allocation, personal branding, community building, hiring. This intention sounds pretty open yes, even un-actionable or non-additive. But stepping back and letting the magic happen is also an act. An act of omission.

💪 Experiential:
Learn about web3 and AI.

• Another #100daysof challenge perhaps? Again, curiosity is hard to predict but I suspect I’ll succumb to the web3 hype and start to tinker. Can I be a real indie hacker if I don’t have a web3 project? Will 2022 be the year of web3 for me? Possible topics that I’m faintly curious about:

  • Cryto - crypto authentication, NFTs
  • Web3 - crypto domains (.eth), web3 apps, nocode web3

• I also waited so long to get access to GPT-3, and finally got it recently, so AI will be in the cards too. My tech for social good projects had always been memorable and are turning out to be an annual affair, so I want to continue keeping it as a regular feature of my work. At least one social impact project this year, that brings common good for all. Imagine: AI + Web3 + social impact?!!

👥 Social:
Serial 1-on-1 Twitter conversations.

• I’m doubling down on the relationships on Twitter. It’s just too much fun, and I’m getting too much value from the great and like-minds there. Somehow the introvert in me isn’t objecting to all this socializing. In fact, I’m enjoying the in-depth, quality, 1-on-1 conversations there. Yes! Twitter is really just serial 1-on-1 conversations. More DMs and Zoom calls on the way.

🎨 Cultural:
Pivoting identity to wealth subculture.

• I’d pivoted my identity into many subcultures in the past few years – indie hacker, developer, marketing. What’s next? It’s hard to pin down due to the random child-like nature of curiosity, but I suspect wealth will be a key area to dive deeper into in the years to come. After all, I can’t be an entrepreneur if I don’t know about wealth right? What’s the subculture like? How do they behave? What’s their values and ethics like? What do they believe? Some areas in the wealth subculture that I’m faintly curious about:

  • Wealth - money management, wealth mindsets/habits, capital allocation
  • Investing - ETFs, crypto (stable/alt coins), investing as a company, investing approaches like Dollar Cost Averaging

⛩️ Spiritual:
Mindful familyhood.

• Borrowing from the term “community building”, what does it mean to build family? Sometimes we assume that just because we live together, share blood or nuptial relations means there’s no need for any work to be done on our relationships. Untrue. I don’t want to just survive this year. I want to thrive. I want my family relationships to thrive. I want to build them up. With my wife, son, mum, dad, sister and in-laws. Relationships need work. Our time with each other is limited. Our best years together are already past. We’re in the tail end of our time with one another. And I’d been guilty of being lazy, taking things for granted. I want to bring more mindfulness and presence to my family. It’s not just about being social, but a spiritual pursuit: To bring a quality of attention, care and being present to these very dear people. I want to have fond memories with them, not raw regrets.

Onwards to 2022.