Annual Bhāvanā

Bhāvanā: A yearly cultivation of the self through one ambitious, reflective goal—physical, mental, or spiritual.

For over 30 years I've tried to identify one major goal to accomplish each year that is outside of my comfort zone. When I was younger these goals were more physical, but lately they have become primarily intellectual. In some cases they have radically changed the trajectory of my career and even life.

Many of these goals are very personal, but some of the ones I can share are:

2026: Cook a traditional dish, with appropriate sides, from a different country each week, with a goal of 30 (to account for vacations and conflicts). Here are the recipes!

2025: A deep dive into AI, which ended up comparing multiple platforms and testing them in a variety of use cases from cooking to a football pool, investing and financial management, and even writing a series of books on the history of ancient religious texts - an interest that grew out of my 2014 bhavana.

2019: Learn how to grow cannabis, legally.

2017: Remodel a house from the studs up. Patience, patience...

2016: Read a novel from an author from a different country every month.

2015: Write and publish a book - The Simple Leader.

2014: Deep dive into the history of the Bible. The stories of politics, translation errors, and intentional revisions would make for a good documentary.

2013: Deep dive into the history and practice of Buddhism, including a trip to Bhutan. I'm not Buddhist, but I wanted to learn about it.

2011: Run a full marathon - accomplished with the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon.

2006: Lose 30 pounds, safely, consistently. And it's stayed off.

2003: Learn to sell digital products online. Gave me the background for the eventual Gemba Academy.

1997: Learn to code HTML, which turned into Superfactory, a precursor to Gemba Academy.

1995: Learn and become proficient at windsurfing.

1993: Learn and become proficient at scuba diving.

1988: Rebuild a '73 Triumph Spitfire. Like working on a lawn mower.