40 things for the 40s

So, I am turning turned 40 this year and here is a list of things that I will do in my 40s.

By this age, I was supposed to be financially free and contribute to making a dent in this world. I am of course very very far from any of those goals that I had for myself, I do believe that I have a deeper appreciation for life and work and other things. And in this decade, since I am not sure if I am getting closer to dent, I will for sure do things that I have always wanted to!

And thus, here is a list of things that I will do in the next decade. In no order (but bifurcated into sections)…

PS: I know some of the following are goals, some are systems, some are one-time activities and some are all.

Health

1. Eat better. This is not a tangible or measurable goal but I want to make a conscious effort. So I will use shortcuts. I will eat natural, organic, and unprocessed food. I will eat fewer carbs. I will not eat anything that may not be edible at room temperature (no ice-creams). I will be mindful of what and how I eat.
2. Fix Hernia. Get operated upon if required. 
3. Run 10 full marathons. Each in under 5 hours.
4. Do the Killer Boogie in 3 mins.
5. Get 6-pack abs.
6. Take a shot at Everest. My deadline to do this is Jan 1, 2026. Also, after I went to the base camp last year, I am on the fence about even trying. But let’s see. And if not Everest, do a serious amateur hike every year. The experience is very very humbling and one must do treks often.
7. Make sleep a priority. As I grow older, I am unable to function if I haven’t had good sleep the previous night. I will be 8 hours in bed without devices. No screen. Not even TV. 8 might be overkill. The point is, I dont want to be tired when I wake up. And if that means I need to say no to work and say no to money opportunities, I will say no. Sleep will become a priority.

Family / Friends / Relationships 

1. Make parents a priority. Move them to the same city as I. I know I plan to be a nomad per se and it may not pan out but I will try.  
2. Make parents travel to one new place EVERY year. And do this in relative comfort and luxury. I mean I may not be able to fly them in business class but I will not put them in a bad taxi. And thus I need money. For the money, I dont have an upper limit per se but it has to be at least 5 lakhs a year. And most important, accompany them as much as possible.
3. Find love. I am not sure if I am capable of being loved – I am way too rational when it comes to real life (and a dreamer on the other end when it comes to work). And I say this with all sincerity. 

Work

1. Stop active work. This means I will not be responsible for day-to-day operations.
2. Teach a full-time course.
3. Prevent my mornings from others at all costs. See this.
4. Become very very active with #BrandSG. To a point that before I walk into a room, people know who I am. As part of this, I will make a brand manifesto that will have tenets that are dear to me (say, Zubaan Ki Keemat).
5. I will NOT rent my time! Thanks, Naval!

Money / Wealth 

1. I will become financially free. This means that I will have enough that I dont need to worry about money and yet I can support everyone around me. You know, “Saain itna dijiye, jaame kutumb samaay, main bhookha naa rahoon, sadhu na bhookha jaaye“. Some people call it FU Money (I mean not really, but the same zone). Right now, the number is 10 crores. Each year that I dont get to this, I will add 25% inflation. And once I get to it, from there on, become a billionaire. And then the richest man in the world. I know that this pursuit of THE richest may not bear fruit. But I want to try. And get there. 
2. Get a membership at MCA. I challenge that I’ve been on since 2019.

Yeah! That’s all I want. Not more. Not less.

Impact / Contribution / Spirituality 

1. Teach writing to 100 people a year. And in 10 years, 1000 people.
2. Get mentioned in thank you of 100 books. Right now, the number is 2 or 3.
3. Get mentioned in the Oscar acceptance speech 100 times. Right now, the most thanked person at the Oscars is Spielberg (some 42 times).
4. Expand SoG network (and alumni) into a million young people. Right now, we are in the low two digits. I have no clue how to do this. But I want to make this my life’s work. 
5. Build SoG Grant into a gateway for young people to explore their interests. And expand the network of recipients to a thousand people!
6. Build LHV into a substantial venture investment vehicle.
7. Take C4E or one of our ideas to a point where our impact reaches a few million people. So far we are in the hundreds. PS: I like how I talk about C4E as a collective already. #win
8. Each year, do at least 10 days of no-connection to existing people kind of trip (Vipassana, gumnaam sheher me anjaan insaan, treks etc.) 
9. Become a pillar of support to people around me. This will happen if I am able to do all the ones I’ve listed above.

Hobbies

1. Play a musical instrument on a stage with more than 1000 people in the audience. I got myself a Uke. VG gifted me a guitar long ago. Krishna got me a Uke as well. So despite all these divine interventions, I’ve not been able to get to it. Let’s see what happens this time.
2. Travel to 100+ countries. So far I’ve done 40 odd. This seems like an easy one to do!
3. Move to a different country and live there for a few years. This I want to do within the next 2 years. #in2025 
4. Publish at least 3 books. Lol!
5. Make 1 feature film. This one looks the most plausible.
6. Get a WSOP bracelet.

Social

1. Get to know 10 billionaires on a first-name basis. Right now I know none.
2. Be more active on social media and chase vanity metrics. 100K on Twitter, 100K on Instagram and 100K on YT. Or any other platform that is large at the time.

Misc

1. Get consistent. Do EVERYthing I say I will do. This will be HARD!
2. Move to an iPad and quit using a laptop. This should be easy!
3. Ensure that people that have put their faith in me get closer to their life goals. This is what I want to live for!
4. Release 100 Youtube videos where I am talking to random people that I want to talk to. So, for example, I should release a YT conversation with my favourite musician.

So that!

And as I end this, here are some footnotes…

1. This is NOT a comprehensive list. As of 24 Sep, these are 38. I need to figure out 2 more.
2. This is an add-on to my #lifeGoals lists. They are here (bucket list, wish list, lifeGoals).
3. More notes are on this Doc. I will try and update the progress there.
4. This post has been inspired by this.
5. And, as always, open to inputs, feedback, thoughts and more! You know where to reach me.

Thank you!
And wish me luck!