Public Commitment 2026

Theme: Metamorphosis

“You can’t change the past. You can’t even change the future, in the sense that you can only change the present one moment at a time, stubbornly, until the future unwinds itself into the stories of our lives.” – Larry Wall

Where 2025 was about incremental progress, 2026 will be about the results from the changes implemented.

The theme Metamorphosis – for me – reflects the ability to make big transformations in my life, even at the ripe age of 35.

For example, I will focus much more on cardio/running (over weight lifting). And I will realise a transformation of our house’s first floor. Similarly, I will complete the transformation of Blossom’s database and turn the project from a hobby/community gift into a real business.

As I did last year, I will track these through OKRs. The OKRs update quarterly, become weekly goals, and trickle down into daily planning. Scroll down to see them grouped per category.

Pillars

Objective (O): Transform our house whilst compounding our finances

KR1: Finish the cabin toilet space (M1)
KR2: Make the big chicken enclosure (M1-2)
KR3: Full remodel of the first floor (M3-6)
KR4: Keep track of family finances every month
KR5: Donate 10% of our income (M12)

Pillars covers our core foundations: home, garden, and everyday finances.

Over the past year, I’ve laid the groundwork for the first-floor remodel. I figured out what needed to be done and estimated the costs. I even bought the materials for the remodeled toilet. But, I wasn’t ready to actually work on these changes (see 2025 Recap). Now the time has come.

I foresee it won’t always be fun, and it will be quite a bit of work. At the same time, I enjoy doing work around the house and think I will learn quite a lot.

Before we start on the first floor, I plan to finish the cabin toilet (paint the walls, install a door, and add decorations) and build an enclosure for the chicken coop.

As I did last year, I will track our finances and donate to effective charities at year’s end.

People

Objective (O): Take good care of our relationships and community ties

KR1: Help Lotte’s family with moving houses (Q1)
KR2: Deepen our relationship with weekly dedicated time
KR3: Celebrate 10 years together (M12)

People covers all our important relationships – our marriage, friendships, family, and community connections.

Looking back on 2025, I can confidently say that we’ve done our best to see many people (both together and separately) and that our marriage is going well.

As much as I’m mentally trying to get some metamorphosis-themed goals here, I think I will leave this section as ‘bland’ (or maybe steady) as always.

Pursuits

Objective (O): Go from uncertainty to a renewed sense of stability

KR1: Make Blossom into a revenue-generating business (Q1: €10k)
KR2: Post daily progress updates for Blossom
KR3: Support Lotte in getting consistent clients for FLO

Pursuits covers my business and creative projects, where I focus on building reliable companies and making steady improvements.

For now, I’ve simplified the Pursuits section to just three key results. Two of them are related: building and sharing what I’m building at Blossom. The third goal is to support Lotte with FLO Coaching.

During 2025, I felt quite a bit of anxiety, at least compared to my baseline, around my business activities. With Delphi, there was/is a challenge in finding clients and getting paid on time (though this seems to be heading in the right direction). For Queal, things have been going steady, but a new ‘sugar tax’ is something we have to navigate this year. And although I’ve been building the new version of Blossom, the current site isn’t generating money.

Looking through the lens of change, I hope that within a few months, I can confidently say that a steady stream of profit/salary/fees is coming in each month. And this isn’t to say we’ve been struggling financially, but rather that I would like this to be (even) less of a concern.

Finally, I also feel there is now room to focus on building out Blossom. Over the last year, there were times when the consulting work was heavy, times I had to support Lotte quite a bit, and the drag of moving things over from the old to the new infrastructure. All these things are now resolved, so I feel ready to go.

Physique

Objective (O): Transform into a ‘hybrid’ athlete

KR1: Do sports 6 out of 7 days, training towards the Styrekx
KR2: Research food and supplements to support the transformation (Q1)
KR3: Pause drinking alcohol until after Styrekx

Physique encompasses my attitude toward sports, nutrition, and overall health.

Physique is the category where the theme Metamorphosis will shine brightest. Last year, I didn’t have a specific goal to work towards. This kept me at about the same weight, staying strong and muscular.

Whilst I do plan to keep training ‘bodybuilding style’ for at least once a week, all other training will focus on a combination of running and cardio-focused exercises (e.g., rowing, skierg, burpee broad jumps). To support this key result, I will draft a schema for the coming months shortly. I will also pause drinking alcohol until after the Styrekx race (which I will be doing with my brother, who is a much better runner).

Next to sports, I feel a renewed sense of energy in looking at what I’m eating and taking as supplements (e.g., creatine, vit B12, vit D3). Currently, I’m going on autopilot – which is fine – and I hope that at the end of Q1, I can confidently say that what I’m eating is transformed.

Presence

Objective (O): Become undistractable

KR1: Make a weekly plan with concrete goals
KR2: End the workday with a shutdown ritual and time block planning for the next
KR3: Stop the scroll (block distracting sites on PC and phone)

Presence is about being more aware and making my life experience better.

If there is one ‘blocker’ to getting things done, it’s being distracted with browsing Twitter/X and watching YouTube. So, I’ve now blocked them during work hours.

Next to that, I’ve slightly changed the daily goal to do the shutdown and planning for the next day at the same time. In my LCD ‘whiteboard’ that I use as my daily planner, I’ve now added a section around doing the shutdown & planning.

Notes

I have a good feeling about the coming year. Things are already great AND I can take some directed actions to transform them into an even better life.

If you read this far, please feel free to provide me with feedback!

Public Commitment 2025 – Recap

Theme: Increments

Progress has been slow in the last quarter.

Which was similar to the quarter that preceded it.

Part of that had to do with not taking uncomfortable actions (e.g., starting to reach out to tradespeople to help with the remodelling), and part had to do with being too busy with ‘normal’ work projects.

One thing that I’m quite happy with is the time I’ve been able to set aside to work on the renewed Blossom website. More on that below.

Still, just like last quarter, I’m very happy with how life is going. If I had to give it a grade, it would be an 8.5.

So, without further ado, here is my full reflection on Q4 2025.

Pillars

Objective (O): Improve our living space whilst compounding our finances

X: Pay off 10% of the house
X: Complete first floor remodelling
V: Upgrade the cabin with a toilet
V: Keep track of family finances every month (Q4 good)
X: Earn twice as much as we’re spending (Q4 meh)
V: Donate 10% of our income (Q4)

V: Have a fully fleshed-out remodelling strategy (Q1)
V: Plant new trees and seeds before spring arrives (Q1)
V: Install an outdoor pizza oven (Q1)
V: Fully map out the steps and finances of all remodelling projects (Q2)
V: Plant and grow our garden (Q2)
V: Remodel the chicken outdoor area (Q2)
V: Complete cabin painting & install new window (Q3)
X: Finish at least one remodelling project (Q2)

I’m happy with how the toilet in the cabin project has gone. Over the last few months, I’ve built an extension to the cabin, plastered the walls, and installed the toilet. The project isn’t finished, but I’m very pleased with how far I’ve made it. I still need to make a door and paint inside (and add some decorations), but the big things are done.

Unfortunately, there is still quite a lot of money coming my way (from my consulting work), so I haven’t been able to pay down the mortgage beyond what I did at the start of the year. Being more ‘secure’ about what is coming in will be a part of the focus during 2026 (and monitising Blossom is part of that, for which the groundwork has been laid).

Inside the house, the remodelling hasn’t happened yet. Partly this is because I was still working on the cabin, and partly because I haven’t taken the actions I could have (e.g., for the new bathroom upstairs, I have all the materials and need to work with some people for the water and electricity). Actually doing this will be a big focus starting at the beginning of March.

Looking back over the whole year, I’m satisfied with the Pillar category of my goals. Not everything panned out, but I did get a lot done.

People

O: Take good care of our relationships and community ties

V: Have one day a week dedicated to each other
V: Visit friends and family at least every second week
X: Call a friend each week

V: Support Angelique with her daycare company (Q3)

As with every update, things are going well in the people area. We see friends just about every weekend, and spend enough quality time together.

The only goal that hasn’t been achieved is calling friends regularly. I will have to think about this a bit more for the 2026 goals and see if/how I want to bring this back.

Pursuits

O: Maintain strong business foundations while making consistent improvements in each project

X: Get a total of 50 clients for FLO in 2025
X: Build a chat interface for Blossom (Q4)
X: Start first Delphi EU project (Q4)
X: Launch Blossom 2.0 (Q4)
X: Reseach & write for Blossom 4-5 days a week (Q4)
X: Do the PLF for FLO Coaching (Q4)

V: Publish the report on psychedelics and reimbursement in Europe (Q1)
V: Launch the new product line for Queal (Q1)
V: Promote Queal & Phase out old products (Q2)
X: Share three pieces of content each week
X: Update one resource on Blossom each week

I started the year strong, with the reimbursement report coming out and being well-received. Unfortunately, no new projects came about (and Martin, who co-authored the report, and I did put forward some proposals). I’m still hopeful that new projects around psychedelics in Europe will happen, and some conversations are still ongoing.

All my other goals didn’t happen this quarter (some were already moved up from other months).

One that I’m being a bit harsh on is the Blossom 2.0 not happening. I have built a lot, and within a few days, I think it’s ready for primetime (possibly even tomorrow), but I haven’t told others yet that it’s there.

For FLO Coaching, there have been about two dozen clients, so things are happening, and I continue to support Lotte with the promotion of the business (but haven’t seen many clients myself). For 2026, I plan to keep supporting Lotte. But for coaching, I will not focus on getting clients myself.

I also haven’t been sharing much for Blossom, and this mostly had to do with Delphi consulting work and rebuilding Blossom. My plan is to share a small update every day in 2026. And now that I think of it, I can of course already share a preview of the new site (without linking to it). Be right back.

Overall, I plan to devote more of my focus to Blossom in 2026 and turn it from a passion project into a steady income stream.

Physique

O: Get into the best shape of my life through healthy habits that last

X: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (training schema for Hyrox)
V: Drink fewer than 2 alcohol beverages per week
X: Weigh 93kg before Christmas

V: Map out and save standard meals
V: Make health dashboard on fw.com (Q1)
X: Improve the health dashboard (Q2)
X: Perform stretches in the morning after walking the dogs

During December, I did my first in-gym Hyrox. The official race was sold out, and my friend wasn’t able to train. So, I still did it on my own. My running stamina isn’t great, but still, I did it. I’m still in a good flow with training and do cardio and Hyrox exercises (in addition to weightlifting). But for 2026, I have to step it up (with the running) because my brother has gifted me a Hyrox-like race (Styrekx) for which I will start training immediately.

I don’t drink often and still enjoy a beer here and there, so all good on that front.

Unfortunately, weight management hasn’t been a thing I’ve thought about much during the last quarter, and I haven’t achieved this goal. With the race coming up, losing a few kg will again be part of the goals.

Presence

O: Mindfully implement incremental upgrades in my life

X: Switch to a dumb phone for most of the day
V: Set specific daily tasks based on the weekly plan
V: Make a weekly plan based on the OKRs and update these
X: Keep track of daily goal-related activities
V/X: Make one thing incrementally better each week

Again, a mixed bag. I haven’t switched to a dumb phone, but next to browsing Twitter/X too much, I haven’t been spending ‘useless’ time on my phone. I will need to reconsider whether to switch to the dumb phone more often or remove this goal for 2026. One ‘stupid’ excuse is that the audio over Bluetooth sometimes wasn’t working properly, and I need to investigate the cause.

For the goals, the loop is going well. The only thing I stopped with is keeping track of the daily goals/habits. I switched to ClickUp, but during the year, I stopped updating these. I will (again) have to reconsider how to do this in 2026.

For the final key result, I had planned to update something incrementally each week. I’ve done quite a few of these (mostly upgrading things around the house). Overall, I feel it was a good theme, and something that will leave some ‘fingerprints’ in the next year.

Notes

That is it for my reflections on the 2025 OKRs. A year that was fun, relaxing, incrementally better, and filled with love.

I will see you again at the 2026 goals.

Public Commitment 2025 – Update 3

Theme: Increments

During the last quarter, things have generally gone well. However, progress on the goals has been slower than I had hoped.

I haven’t done much remodelling on the house. Business projects are moving more slowly than anticipated.

Still, I feel happy and motivated, and am making incremental improvements.

Without any vacations or other travel plans, it’s time to lock in and get things done.

Here is my full reflection on Q3 2025 (and some musings for the final quarter).

Pillars

Objective (O): Improve our living space whilst compounding our finances

KR1: Pay off 10% of the house
KR2: Complete first floor remodelling
KR3: Upgrade the cabin with a toilet
KR4: Keep track of family finances every month (Q3 good)
KR5: Earn twice as much as we’re spending (Q3 medium)
KR6: Donate 10% of our income (Q4)

V: Have a fully fleshed-out remodelling strategy (Q1)
V: Plant new trees and seeds before spring arrives (Q1)
V: Install an outdoor pizza oven (Q1)
V: Fully map out the steps and finances of all remodelling projects (Q2)
V: Plant and grow our garden (Q2)
V: Remodel the chicken outdoor area (Q2)
V: Complete cabin painting & install new window (Q3)
X: Finish at least one remodelling project (Q2)

The big project that is mostly completed this quarter is the work on the cabin. I have installed a large window that replaced the old small window at the back of the cabin. The painting is also almost done. But at the back, we want to install a toilet (and build the structure around it), so that will be another goal for this upcoming quarter.

Financially, things are going all right. There is room to spare, but a lot of money from the consultancy work is just now coming in. So we should be good to do most of the remodelling (as a lot will be paid with my sweat) and also make significant donations and house payments at the end of the year.

People

O: Take good care of our relationships and community ties

KR1: Have one day a week dedicated to each other
KR2: Visit friends and family at least every second week
KR3: Call a friend each week

V: Support Angelique with her daycare company (Q3)

As always, there is not too much to report about people. I’m still seeing lots of people and just had a great birthday party with family.

I see that we are at another stage of life, one where people one to two generations above us struggle with their health (and sometimes lose that battle). It’s sad to see, but it also provides moments for us to come together and support each other.

I supported my niece a bit with her daycare company and will be available for that this coming quarter, but I don’t have it as a separate goal anymore.

Pursuits

O: Maintain strong business foundations while making consistent improvements in each project

KR1: Get a total of 50 clients for FLO in 2024
KR2: Build a chat interface for Blossom (Q4)
KR3: Start first Delphi EU project (Q4)
KR4: Launch Blossom 2.0 (Q4)
KR5: Reseach & write for Blossom 4-5 days a week (Q4)
KR6: Do the PLF for FLO Coaching (Q4)

V: Publish the report on psychedelics and reimbursement in Europe (Q1)
V: Launch the new product line for Queal (Q1)
V: Promote Queal & Phase out old products (Q2)
X: Share three pieces of content each week
X: Update one resource on Blossom each week

I’ve made the least progress in my pursuits area. On the one hand, this has played out this way because of the interesting work that I’ve been doing for Delphi. On the other hand, it’s been because of a lack of motivation and luck getting some projects off the ground.

There is now a relatively steady stream of clients for FLO Coaching, but it’s not at the stage yet where there is more demand than time that Lotte has available. I’m continuing work on the promotion, both with recurring actions (e.g., the podcast) and following the Product Launch Formula framework during the coming quarter.

At Blossom, I’ve completed most of the behind-the-scenes work for a new database structure and will continue working on releasing that during the next few months. One thing that I plan to start as soon as possible is to start writing again. I’ve done some huge projects (like the reimbursement report), but miss writing for ‘fun’ and exploring different topics around psychedelic research and the (medical) implementation (in Europe). So, that will be a focus for the coming quarter.

Physique

O: Get into the best shape of my life through healthy habits that last

KR1: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (training schema for Hyrox)
KR2: Drink fewer than 2 alcohol beverages per week
KR3: Weigh 93kg before Christmas

V: Map out and save standard meals
V: Make health dashboard on fw.com (Q1)
X: Improve the health dashboard (Q2)
X: Perform stretches in the morning after walking the dogs

Health/physique is going well. I’ve just added the goal to weigh 93kg before Christmas this year. That is the weight I had before my kidney donation. I’m now at just above 100kg, which feels too much. This means that I have to lose about 0.6kg per week (660 kcal per day deficit), which seems reasonable (and generally recommended for a pace to lose weight). The biggest lever — which I’m starting to ‘pull’ already — is doing cardio every day.

Presence

O: Mindfully implement incremental upgrades in my life

KR1: Switch to a dumb phone for most of the day
KR2: Set specific daily tasks based on the weekly plan
KR3: Make a weekly plan based on the OKRs and update these
KR4: Keep track of daily goal-related activities
KR5: Make one thing incrementally better each week

Presence is also going well. I’m working on the things that I want to work on and have my daily rhythms locked in.

The change I do want to make is to spend more time working on the remodelling and working less in the evenings.

I also don’t use my dumb phone enough (I still need to figure out the audio playback issues), but I also don’t use my phone too much, so the spirit of the goal is certainly there.

Notes

That concludes the Q3 update of my yearly theme. Things are going well, and I’m enjoying life. Let’s see what the next quarter will bring.

Public Commitment 2025 – Update 1

Theme: Increments

Over the last three months, the incremental changes have compounded. I’ve planted trees, painted the bathroom, upgraded our stove, added curtains, labelled the storage, stopped the heater ticking sound, and made many more changes.

Most are in the physical domain, but some changes to how I work have also transpired. However, there is still a lot of room for the latter to streamline and make those processes go better.

In this first reflection of 2025, I’ll check in on the progress of the goals and update them where necessary to reflect the new objectives for Q2.

Pillars

Objective (O): Improve our living space whilst compounding our finances

KR1: Pay off 10% of the house (H1)
KR2: Finish at least one remodelling project (Q2)
KR3: Fully map out the steps and finances of all remodelling projects (Q2)
KR4: Plant and grow our garden (Q2)
KR5: Remodel the chicken outdoor area (Q2)
KR6: Keep track of family finances every month (Q1 ok)
KR7: Earn twice as much as we’re spending (Q1 ok)
KR8: Donate 10% of our income (done in Q4)

V: Have a fully fleshed-out remodelling strategy (Q1)
V: Plant new trees and seeds before spring arrives (Q1)
V: Install an outdoor pizza oven (Q1)

I’ve paid off a part of the house, but not all I had intended, so this goal will still be here for the next quarter.

I’ve mapped out all the different things we want to do for the remodelling. This includes an outline of specific materials and tasks, but not an overall plan for when to do what. This is what comes up next, and what will be the goal for this quarter. We may not be able to do all the remodelling at once, but we will have at least one of the rooms/projects finished by the end of the quarter.

It has worked out nicely for planting trees and seeds; we now have two old trees (pear & apple) and two younger trees. I’ve also pre-planted a lot of seeds (from tomatoes to courgettes), and they will move into the garden in the coming quarter.

We now also have a small outdoor pizza oven. It’s a wood-powered one and just a basic model, but it’s good enough to start with and enjoy when the weather improves.

A new goal for the quarter is to remodel the chicken coop. After I built the fence with the neighbours, the chickens were let to roam free throughout the garden. They enjoy the experience, and we love seeing them running around the garden. But they also poop everywhere. So, for the sake of our bare feet, I will remodel the chicken coop so it’s a bit bigger but contained to a part of the garden instead of roaming free.

On the finances side of the pillars theme, I’ve been mostly tracking our finances and will do so again when this post goes live (tomorrow). It’s generally going well, but I must consider which projects to focus on to generate income. Still, I’ve paid off a part of the house, and we are generally doing well.

People

O: Take good care of our relationships and community ties

KR1: Have one day a week dedicated to each other
KR2: Visit friends and family at least every second week
KR3: Support the family in Zaandam during a challenging time (H1)

This all has been going well. There are still health problems in the Zaandam family, so I will extend the goal also to capture the second quarter.

Pursuits

O: Maintain strong business foundations while making consistent improvements in each project

KR1: Get a total of 50 clients for FLO in 2024 (12+ in Q2)
KR2: Build a chat interface for Blossom (Q2)
KR3: Promote Queal & Phase out old products (Q2)
KR4: Start first Delphi EU project (Q2)
KR5: Share three pieces of content each week
KR6: Update one resource on Blossom each week

V: Publish the report on psychedelics and reimbursement in Europe (Q1)
V: Launch the new product line for Queal (Q1)

I put a lot of work into the reimbursement report last quarter. It was a big push to finish it in time, but we did it, and the report came out great.

For Queal, the new product line is ready and available through the Queal Quarterly package deal. In the coming quarter, I will focus on promoting Queal and the phase-out of the other lines.

For FLO, Lotte has had an inflow of clients, and things are starting to ‘work’. We are still exploring how to promote efficiently, but so far, it has resulted in new clients. Although 8 is the closer number (of the 10 goal), let’s aim for 12 in the next quarter.

For Blossom, the chat interface had to wait because of the report release. But I’m happy to report that for the report itself, I have implemented a free chat interface (so there is way less customisation, but it is still helpful as a case study/smaller test case for myself). During the coming quarter, I plan on finishing the chat interface and will continue updating the resource pages (now with a focus on the specific compounds).

For Delphi, I will lead the European consultancy engagements. I’m still figuring out how to shape this role and what projects to pursue. But it’s a great opportunity, and I look forward to exploring it. Next to the consultancy work, Delphi and Blossom will cooperate closely on content/research.

Finally, I have been publishing new things (e.g. on LinkedIn or The Bloom newsletter) every week, and I plan to continue doing this at about three pieces per week.

Physique

O: Get into the best shape of my life through healthy habits that last

KR1: Improve the health dashboard (Q2)
KR2: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (training schema for Hyrox)
KR3: Perform stretches in the morning after walking the dogs
KR4: Drink fewer than 2 alcohol beverages per week

V: Map out and save standard meals
V: Make health dashboard on fw.com (Q1)

Generally, it has been going well with my health. The results from the kidney monitoring (yearly) came back good.

Rens and I have decided to do a Hyrox challenge later this year. From Q2 onward, I will be training with a focus on cardio. The fuller plan for this can be found here (link TBD).

This also means that I’ve updated my task, which has generally been going well (but would say 5 out of 7 days), to reflect the changed focus to training for the Hyrox event.

I haven’t been doing the stretches. Now that I reflect, I realize it may also be because there is no ‘plan’ (besides using an app). So, from now on, I will also include which group of muscles to focus on each day in the stretches (and still use the app for the exercises).

I’ve mapped out a few meals, and hopefully, by this time tomorrow, I will also have them on the health dashboard.

And finally, I have been really good at not drinking alcohol (and still enjoying it here and there). The average is below two (and this includes a ski vacation with six drinks in total).

Presence

O: Mindfully implement incremental upgrades in my life

KR1: Switch to a dumb phone for most of the day (H1)
KR2: Set specific daily tasks after stretches based on weekly plan
KR3: Make a weekly plan based on the OKRs and update these
KR4: Keep track of daily goal-related activities
KR5: Make one thing incrementally better each week

Before the vacations, I used the dumb phone most of the time. But I haven’t picked up the habit after travelling (and having my regular phone there). So (because it isn’t entirely a habit yet), I will extend the goal to the coming quarter. I have all the right apps and tools (including a feed for newsletters, so they are in an article reader format on the phone), so the setup is complete.

I have been tracking (also until the vacations) my daily goals and doing the shutdown ritual (check tasks, plan tomorrow, verbally ‘complete shutdown’ the day), and from today onwards, I will continue doing this.

As you might have read at the top of the newsletter, there have been incremental weekly changes for the first 12 weeks of the year.

Notes

That is it for the Q1 update of my yearly theme. Everything is improving incrementally, and it’s been fun to tackle these small projects around the house. There will be a few more significant house projects this quarter and likely a larger focus on incremental improvements in work processes in Q2.

See you in three months.

Public Commitment 2025

Theme: Increments

“Little by little does the trick.” – Aesop

Building on a bedrock of lucidity, This year’s theme is ‘increments’. My 2025 plan builds on what I’ve already achieved, focusing on small, steady improvements rather than one big yearly goal.

I’ll keep using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), but I’ll track both what I do (inputs) and what I achieve (outputs). This means tracking both my daily actions and their results.

The big change this year is checking my progress more often. I’ll check in weekly instead of waiting three months to see if I’m on track. This keeps my goals active and real, not just forgotten plans.

Following the ‘increments’ theme, I want to create better feedback systems and set up routines that save time later. Even small things matter – like setting up automatic alarms or programming my lights for morning routines – these details make daily life easier.

For example, in the Physique category, I’ll make clear lists of which organic foods to buy and create a workout schedule that works for both Lotte and me. These might seem like small steps, but they make it easier to stay consistent and reduce daily decision-making.

I’ve organised my goals into five categories: Pillars, People, Pursuits, Physique, and Presence. Each will have its own objectives and quarterly targets. By focusing on good planning and constant small improvements, I want to build on my previous success and create something more ambitious and dynamic.

Pillars

Objective (O): Improve our living space whilst compounding our finances

KR1: Pay off 10% of the house (Q1)
KR2: Have a fully fleshed-out remodelling strategy (Q1)
KR3: Plant new trees and seeds before spring arrives (Q1)
KR4: Install an outdoor pizza oven (Q1)
KR5: Keep track of family finances every month
KR6: Earn twice as much as we’re spending
KR7: Donate 10% of our income (done in Q4)

Pillars covers our core foundations: home, garden, and everyday finances. This year focuses on maintaining these basics while making our living space more enjoyable.

The main financial goals are paying down the mortgage and keeping our monthly spending in check, aiming to earn double what we spend. We’ll also build up a healthy financial buffer.

We’ll develop a clear remodelling plan for the house and add welcoming touches like new plants and an outdoor pizza oven. Q2 will see us start the remodelling work and repaint the garden sheds, building on Q1’s groundwork for a more vibrant outdoor space.

People

O: Take good care of our relationships and community ties

KR1: Have one day a week dedicated to each other
KR2: Visit friends and family at least every second week
KR3: Support the family in Zaandam during a challenging time (Q1)

People covers all our important relationships – our marriage, friendships, family, and community connections.

This year, I want to make these relationships stronger and more meaningful. The focus is on having regular, quality time with the people who matter most.

We’ll keep building our local community connections, too, including hosting another neighbourhood gathering at the end of summer (Q3).

Pursuits

O: Maintain strong business foundations while making consistent improvements in each project

KR1: Get a total of 50 clients for FLO in 2024 (10+ in Q1)
KR2: Publish the report on psychedelics and reimbursement in Europe (Q1)
KR3: Launch the new product line for Queal (Q1)
KR4: Build a chat interface for Blossom (Q1)
KR5: Share three pieces of content each week
KR6: Update one resource on Blossom each week

Pursuits covers my business and creative projects, where I focus on building reliable companies and making steady improvements.

At Queal, I’ll continue running daily operations smoothly while we prepare for an exciting product launch in Q1. This launch is a big milestone for us, and I believe it will help us grow significantly.

For Blossom, I want to keep it as a helpful resource for our community while using it to learn and grow personally. By updating one resource each week, I can make steady improvements without getting overwhelmed, keeping Blossom both up-to-date and manageable.

With Delphi, I’ll be helping with the important work of bringing psychedelics into medical treatment, working with existing systems like finances, healthcare, and government. I plan to spend about 1.5 days each week on this challenging but meaningful work.

For FLO Coaching, I’ll spend one full day every week focused on growing our client numbers, with the goal of reaching 50 clients by the end of 2024, including at least 10 new clients in Q1.

Because of the reimbursement report, all my time is accounted for. However, I hope to start coaching again in Q2.

Physique

O: Get into the best shape of my life through healthy habits that last

KR1: Make health dashboard on fw.com (Q1)
KR2: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (2× weights, 2× rucking, 2× cardio)
KR3: Perform stretches in the morning after walking the dogs
KR4: Map out and save standard meals
KR5: Drink fewer than 2 alcohol beverages per week

The Physique section is about getting healthier and fitter. This year, I’ll focus on regular exercise, eating well, and making healthy choices.

My main goal is to get into the best shape of my life through regular exercise and healthy habits. I’ll make a health tracker on fw.com in Q1 to keep an eye on my progress. I’ll exercise every day (and saying 6 out of 7 days to leave room for travel/off days) – doing weights, walking with a weighted backpack (rucking), and cardio. I’ll also do stretches each morning after walking the dogs. To eat better, I’ll plan out my regular meals and keep them saved. And to stay healthy, I’ll have fewer than two alcoholic drinks each week (so averaging 1.9 p/w or lower).

Presence

O: Mindfully implement incremental upgrades in my life

KR1: Switch to a dumb phone for most of the day (Q1)
KR2: Set specific daily tasks after stretches based on weekly plan
KR3: Make a weekly plan based on the OKRs and update these
KR4: Keep track of daily goal-related activities
KR5: Make one thing incrementally better each week

Presence is about being more aware and making my life better, step by step. By setting daily goals, checking my progress (daily, weekly, quarterly), and making my routines better, I can tighten my feedback loop. Starting to use a dumb phone (Boox Palma 2) in Q1 will help me avoid getting distracted by X and YouTube. Instead of checking my phone before bed, I’ll read a book.

I will also restart the tracking of my daily goal-related activities. I have been doing this for years (see Triggers), but for the last few months have stopped doing this. It is time to pick back up the habit.

Notes

This might have been the longest session that I’ve dedicated to setting my goals for the new year. I’m happy with the consolidation of categories, and feel that this format gives more clarity (may I say ‘lucidity’) than what I had before.

If you read this far, please feel free to provide me with feedback (so I can incrementally update the goals).

Public Commitment 2024 – Recap

Theme: Lucidity

Looking back at my goals, it hasn’t been a great end of the year. We were away on our honeymoon (which was awesome), but at the end of Q3, we had a terrible time with people doing our roof. So, in all that stress and overwhelm, I didn’t get to make new goals for the fourth quarter.

With that caveat said, let’s reflect on the objectives and key results of 2024 before we move onwards to 2025.

Before I move on, let’s reflect on the theme ‘lucidity’. In some regards, I feel it has gone great. I’m married, and I live in the house I want to live in for the foreseeable future. Most things regarding life and work are stable (or in a stable flux). I didn’t achieve the clarity of mind I was partly looking for, and I’ll get to this in writing next year’s goals. But overall, it was a great theme to have and a perfect, calmer follow-up to the ‘expansion’ theme from 2023.

House

Objective (O): Make the garden unambiguously green and lively

V: Clear out the front garden and prepare it for flowers

V: Process the tree branches and store them to dry

V: Place the fence between the gardens

X: Paint the garden sheds

X: Remodel the workspace (upstairs and/or garden office)

V: Plant and grow a lot of veggies

V/X: Paint just about everything outside

V: Remodel the bathroom downstairs

V: Rework section between house and cabin

V: Build a compost heap

V: Add more hens (done, Jan 29th)

Having about 500m2 of garden has continued to be a fantastic experience. It gives us the room to work on our vegetable garden, have space for the chickens, and chill in the sun (whenever it comes back).

Over the course of last year, we’ve totally redone the section between the house and the cabin and have had our first full seasons of gardening.

In the latter half of the year, I removed all the grass from the front yard and shaped it into three ‘organic’ layers. On the bottom layer (closest to the house), we already have a lot of small plants and a pond (for travelling frogs). The second layer will be full of flowers in a few months and already has some flower bulbs planted. The third layer has an amber tree and a few other plants, but it could use a bit more ‘style’ when spring arrives.

For the Q3 goals, I’ve achieved what I had planned for (front garden, process wood, build a fence) but haven’t done the goals I had set for Q4 (painting sheds and remodelling a bit). I started designing the house’s first floor and expectddds we will fully execute this in 2025.

Finances

O: Earn twice as much as we’re spending

V/X: Keep track of finances every week (H1 good, H2 meh)

V: Earn as much from psychedelic work as from Queal

X: Lotte earns as much from FLO as from her regular job

Previously, I defined the objective as earning twice as much as spending on our day-to-day activities (including vacations). This excludes things like replacing the roof, paying off a part of the mortgage (or organising a wedding).

Looking back at the finances, I see we didn’t achieve this. A quick look at the finances tells me we spent 58% of what we made. Two caveats I want to note for myself: 1) we did a lot of home improvements (besides the roof) that have added up, and 2) I have just transferred a part of my salary (in January), so that is pushing down on the percentage. But overall, it’s looking good, and we can be happy with where we stand financially.

I have been earning about as much from the psychedelic work as from Queal. In a way, that is crazy; it’s where I spend the vast majority of my time, and I know how ‘blessed’ I am with being able to keep earning from Queal without spending a lot of time on the company.

We haven’t made the time or haven’t had the success with FLO coaching as we had hoped for. I believe we have an excellent base for success, but we need to step up our efforts to (at least for Lotte) make it happen in a way that makes it work the effort.

Flotte

O: Continue unblurring who the other person is

V: Have one day in the week for each other

X: Spend at least eight hours per week working together

V: Get married

V: Become business partners

V: Prep all big things for the wedding

I reflected on the wedding in the second update. But once again, it was an enchanting experience. A sub-theme of the year was ‘water’. We had rain during the wedding (the sunniest day of the year – statistically). We had to divert our honeymoon to Cambodia (the north of Thailand was flooded a few weeks before our trip started – but in the end, this turned out to be a great diversion).

Our relationship is a great place. We love doing things around the house and garden together. The neighbours here are lovely, and we continue to find joy together. Where our friends already characterized us as a married couple that bickered (in a fun kind of way), we are now indeed that couple.

We also go to the gym two to three times a week, which has been a great way to do things together.

Relationships

O: Maintain quality relationships

V: Thank friends for the wedding gifts and visit everyone in the coming year (of course, the latter part still needs to happen)

X: Visit friends independently three times

X: Message with friends during morning cardio (medium, not enough time cardio b/c cold, same, low cardio rate but all good w/ contact)

V: See friends at least every two weeks (H1 done)

I see friends less than during my years as a student. But with everyone moving around the country, having kids, and getting into another life phase, I don’t feel this is a loss. We have a car and are away to see friends and family at least every second week. This is going well, and it has been fun thanking everyone for the wedding gifts (most of which were for the honeymoon).

FW.com / Brand

O: Build a personal brand

X: Publish a piece of content for every day (average)

X Take half a day to operationalize the personal branding/content strategy further

X: Publish one piece of significant original work each week (>1000 words or equivalent) (H1 half)

X: Publish a transformative piece of work every quarter (H1 fail)

This hasn’t gone well. Work and other priorities still get ahead of building a personal brand. I have a lot of things I’m interested in, and I would love to unite them under writing (or other media) that I bring into the world. I still want to do this, but I will have to reassess how I will do it in the coming year.

Blossom / Delphi

O: Provide clarity for all stakeholders in the ‘psychedelics as medicines’ field

V: Launch a course for novel psychonauts (build the course for Delphi)

V/X: Share one content piece each workday (Q1 done, Q2 meh, H2 fail)

X: Have 5k subscribers to The Bloom (now at 3.4k)

V: Get paid help for improving the content and consistency of promotion for Blossom

V: Continue the consultancy work for Delphi

X: Publish or update one piece of original content for members only (to increase Blossom’s revenue) (Only Jan)

The astute reader probably has caught on to the fact that I have a lot of things I want to achieve. But if you’re chasing too many disparate goals, you’re likely not to achieve them (vs focussing on one goal at a time – insert Cal Newport quotes).

With Delphi and Queal being the ‘breadwinners’, the work on Blossom has mostly been my ‘gift’ to the community. Still, thousands of people read my recaps of the research. But I have put a pause on monetising Blossom. Some people pay for full access (to summaries and reports). But if I really want to make this bigger, I do need to change my focus (and I don’t know if I will). With next year’s theme, I see a more small-scale plan I can engage with to keep improving Blossom on the side.

One success has been the launch of the course under Delphi. We plan to work more on education (for those just outside of the psychedelic ecosystem), and I foresee that I can keep providing value in that way. A more general course (for people who want to do psychedelics themselves) probably isn’t in the cards. For a final note, we have made quite a few introductory videos for FLO, which hopefully are helpful.

Related to Blossom – or under that banner – I have also initiated a project that investigates psychedelics and reimbursement for them in Europe. The report will come out in Q1 2025; building it has been a fantastic experience. I’m working with one main collaborator and have three more contributors helping us. Again, Blossom itself isn’t providing direct income, but I keep enjoying tracking the research and new opportunities that result from this work.

Queal

O: Continue providing sound nutrition

V: Launch QQ offer each quarter (done)

V: Do a mega overhaul of our webshop (launched)

V/X: Introduce new Queal products

Queal has been going strong over the last year. We have spent significant time revamping the website and making the company more future-proof. The launch didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but eventually, everything worked well again.

We have also developed new products, which will only launch in 2025. I won’t reveal more here, but I look forward to sharing these in a few months.

FLO Coaching

O: Build a meaningful practice with weekly facilitated sessions

V/X: Experiment with the four different promotional methods (1-1/1-many x (un)known)

X: Get Lotte one client each week (still not there)

As I said, we haven’t invested enough time to make FLO a success. Lotte has done a lot of sessions, but a part of those was for coaching/therapy friends in exchange for video testimonials (which have turned out great). We have revamped the website, and Lotte is making a podcast to promote the business. But we are not yet at 1 to 1.5 clients for Lotte, which we had hoped for.

We have a strong base; now it’s time to convert that into a practice with more demand than availability.

Sports

O: Improve on my fitness level of 2023

V/X: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (probably 5ish)

X: Incorporate stretching routine at the end of workouts (fail)

X: Cut back weight to 95kg

In 2023, I spent much time on the move, and my fitness level was lower than I had hoped. Over the last year, I (and Lotte) have been going to the gym two to three times a week and doing cardio (indoor cycling) on some of the remaining days. My fitness level is good, and I’m happy with my progress over the last year.

I haven’t worked on stretching a much as I had hoped and I still need to find a better moment to do this (after sports doesn’t work as there isn’t enough time before we have to leave the gym). I have also just bought a ‘rucksack’ (weighted backpack) and have some fun plans on using that for cardio training.

My weight is higher than I want it to be. It’s currently at 99kg, which is quite near where it was last year. In my plans for next year, I see this going down a bit and my focus changing from the gym to the outside.

Health

O: Improve health through metrics

X/V: Measure 3+ health metrics

X: Build a place to store the (health) metrics

X: Improve VO2 Max

This section of my goals has failed to materialise. I have done two blood tests, and the results were good (e.g. for B12 levels). But I have not yet started really tracking my fitness over time. I need to find a way to make this more automatic (e.g. information about VO2 Max going from my watch to a dashboard).

In a way, I have the ‘knowledge’, I know generally what is good to track and know where to find the information that I don’t have yet. But systemising this probably needs to be part of a bigger plan to make sense. Now that I’m writing this, I probably want to fold in fitness and health, as that makes sense.

Mindfulness

O: Brighten my cone of consciousness

X/V: Take psychedelics every month

V/X: Meditate each day, building up from 12 minutes (Q2 good)

V: Go on a Jhana retreat

X: Write a substantive post on the Jhanas (read some, but paused for now)

Changing my mind was one of the goals of the year of lucidity. And I have put in effort to make this happen. I went on a Jhana retreat. This at-home retreat spanned ten days, each filled with about five hours of meditation. During the retreat, I had experiences that were definitely a changed state of consciousness. When discussing the experiences with the instructors, they (and I too) felt I was near the first jhana (a very joyful state), but I didn’t get there. For a few weeks after the retreat, I kept meditating (3×1 hour), but I didn’t get closer (or actually got further away).

I would still love to take another stab at doing this type of meditation, but not soon. I have also paused meditation for now. In a way, my mind is already very calm, and I feel I already have what many people seek with mindfulness. Going for that more ‘hardcore’ meditation would be amazing, but I’m happy where I’m at right now.

I have done psychedelics nine times, and these were good experiences. I still love getting into another state of mind, reflecting on my life, and having fun during the experience.

Notes

A lot has happened during 2024. I got married, we had our honeymoon, and we made considerable changes to the garden. Work has been fun and challenging. Life has been joyful, and I feel clear going into 2025. Let’s bring it on.

Public Commitment 2024 – Update 2

Theme: Lucidity

Now, six months into the year, the year of lucidity is 50% through. I feel that, in some respects, I’m falling behind, yet I also now have the ‘space’ to work on the neglected goals.

The wedding was a blast and a pure joy to have experienced and look back upon. A lot of effort went into organising it, leaving less time to focus on my body and the business together with Lotte.

So, next quarter, I will focus more on those aspects.

Living in Anna Paulowna, in a house with a large garden, is still amazing. Moments like this reflection make me take a step back and appreciate how blessed I am to live the dream life.

Now, let’s look back at Q2 and forward to Q3.

House

Objective (O): Make the garden unambiguously green and lively

Key Result (KR) 7: Clear out the front garden and prepare it for flowers

KR8: Process the tree branches and store them to dry

KR9: Place the fence between the gardens

KR10 (Q4): Paint the garden sheds

KR11 (Q4): Remodel the workspace (upstairs and/or garden office)

V: Plant and grow a lot of veggies

V/X: Paint just about everything outside

V: Remodel the bathroom downstairs

V: Rework section between house and cabin

V: Build a compost heap

V: Add more hens (done, Jan 29th)

The garden is exploding with life.

We just returned from our mini-honeymoon and spent most of yesterday trimming down plants and harvesting carrots, greens, and peas. The vegetable garden is going strong, and although we’re not that organised yet (i.e. planting in phases), we’re enjoying eating out of the garden and continuing to grow in our vegetable boxes and the greenhouse.

The painters did a great job on the outside of the house. Instead of an entirely white house, we now have lime-green wood panelling and I’ve christened the house ‘Primrose Hill’ (where I proposed to Lotte a year ago).

We remodelled the toilet, which is now bright orange and much better-looking than before. For now, we’re happy with the house. In the fall, I might remodel the office/rooms upstairs or work on a garden office (next to the home gym).

In the coming months, we will focus on maintaining the garden, and I will prepare the front garden for the flowers we will plant when the time is right. This means I will remove the grass currently there and start planning where we want to put the different flowers (a small pond and a tree).

In the back of the garden, I’m still processing the wood that once was the rotting tree that stood there. We will also place a fence with the neighbours so the gardens are not connected anymore, and the dogs can roam free (and not trash their garden).

It has been fun working in the garden, as both a relaxing form of exercise for the body and mind(fullness).

Finances

O: Earn twice as much as we’re spending (H1 done)

KR1: Keep track of finances every week (H1 done)

KR2: Earn as much from psychedelic work as from Queal (H1 done)

KR3: Lotte earns as much from FLO as from her regular job (H1 fail)

Tracking spending and earning (more than) enough has gone well in both Q1 and Q2 (together = H1).

Alas, the wedding and the work for Queal and Delphi have prevented me from focussing more energy on FLO. So, Lotte hasn’t been earning much from doing psychedelic coaching.

The goals remain the same, but – as stated at the top – I will focus more on FLO so that Lotte feels secure in earning a stable living after she stops working at the GP.

Since we’re married now, our finances have also merged (more than before), so I will involve Lotte more in tracking the finances to keep her informed of where we stand in this aspect of our life together.

Flotte

O: Continue unblurring who the other person is

KR1: Have one day in the week for each other (H1 done)

KR4: Spend at least eight hours per week working together (Q2 fail)

V: Get married

V: Become business partners (Q1 half)

V: Prep all big things for the wedding

Woehoe, we’re married now. The day was an epic celebration of our love and that of our lovely friends and family who joined us at the wedding. The week before the wedding, we built the tents, got drinks in Germany, had some delicious meals from my dad’s garden, and got everything ready relatively stress-free.

The day started with final preparations, such as putting on our wedding clothes (Lotte looked terrific), me ‘stealing the bride’, and then having lunch with a small group of friends and family. A few hours later, with our bellies filled and rain still pouring, the official wedding ceremony commenced.

The wedding officiant did a great job leading the ceremony. We had three excellent speeches from Rens (who reminded everyone of the existence of this series), Mariëlle, and Martijn. Martijn (Lotte’s brother) also guided us in a hand-fasting ceremony (a Nordic ritual that matched the day—midsummer), all under the beautiful music (on a ‘hang’) by a colleague of Lotte. We recited our vows, and then we were married.

The latter part of the day consisted of eating lots of cake and vegetarian Italian food, singing ‘Lay All Your Love on Me’ (ABBA) with everyone, and dancing into the night with a silent disco. It’s a day never to forget (heck, we even recorded a ‘podcast’ a few days later so we can go back and remember the day).

Stepping back from the wedding, I feel confident we are more connected than ever. Now comes the time to deepen our working relationship and make FLO a success story. More on that in a moment.

Relationships

O: Maintain quality relationships

KR4: Thank friends for the wedding gifts and visit everyone in the coming year

X: Visit friends independently three times

X: Message with friends during morning cardio (medium, not enough time cardio b/c cold, same, low cardio rate but all good w/ contact)

V: See friends at least every two weeks (H1 done)

I’ve updated the goal of seeing friends every two weeks to start messaging them individually for the gifts they gave us and for visiting them. Among the gifts were many flowers for the garden and tips for hikes (of which 90% were in the areas around them, so we will visit them and do the hikes together).

I still feel content with the amount of time I spend seeing friends, though I think I only went to see them once last quarter without Lotte.

FW.com / Brand

O: Build a personal brand

KR1: Publish a piece of content for every day (average) (H1 meh)

KR4: Take half a day to operationalize the personal branding/content strategy further

X: Publish one piece of significant original work each week (>1000 words or equivalent) (H1 half)

X: Publish a transformative piece of work every quarter (H1 fail)

I’m not where I want to be with this aspect of my life. In a way, I want to build out a brand by sharing what I’ve been thinking about, but at the same time, I’m not allocating time actually to make this explicit.

For now, I’m not adding anything new to this but keeping the half-day to operationalise it further. Part of this is me getting ‘lucidity’ on how the different projects all fall together. Is there a way for me to share my thinking (or ‘brand’) that covers Blossom, FLO, Queal, Delphi – all of it?

Blossom / Delphi

O: Provide clarity for all stakeholders in the ‘psychedelics as medicines’ field

KR1: Launch a course for novel psychonauts (H1 fail)

KR3: Share one content piece each workday (Q1 done, Q2 meh)

KR4: Have 5k subscribers to The Bloom (now at 3.2k, not made big strides with this)

KR5: Get paid help for improving the content and consistency of promotion for Blossom

KR6: Continue the consultancy work for Delphi

X: Publish or update one piece of original content for members only (to increase Blossom’s revenue) (Only Jan)

There is still not much progress on adding new initiatives to Blossom. Yes, I’ve updated the trials database with the help of my VA and have kept track of the research. However, I haven’t been working on updating the reports or adding other features/reports.

The ‘unlock’ here (from my brief thinking on this) could be a combination of 1) doing some work that is both for Delphi and Blossom (which involves making public the psychedelic ecosystem map that we’ve developed internally) and 2) becoming more ‘lucid’ about which few projects I want to take on and then hiring help to realise these pages.

For the second (but maybe also first) point, I want to flag a tool for myself: ‘write book,’ a free tool by the team at Basecamp that could help design ‘books’ (or, in my case, reports – which I’ve now installed).

Again, I feel somewhat in limbo here, as I also want to focus more of my time on FLO.

Queal

O: Continue providing sound nutrition

KR1: Launch QQ offer each quarter (done)

KR2: Do a mega overhaul of our webshop (Q2 good, launch July)

KR3: Introduce new Queal products

Behind the scenes, we’ve updated the whole Queal website and improved things along the way. After deliberating on switching platforms, we’re still using relatively the same tools, but we will switch hosting and the front end. The path so far has been smooth, and we hope that the transition (i.e. going live with the changes) will be a good experience, too.

In addition to the online changes, we’re also considering Queal’s product line-up and will have some updates soon.

FLO Coaching

O: Build a meaningful practice with weekly facilitated sessions

KR1: Experiment with the four different promotional methods (1-1/1-many x (un)known)

KR2: Get Lotte one client each week (still not there)

The ebook has been revamped and is now part of the marketing mix. However, time-wise, there hasn’t been enough investment to make FLO happen significantly. So, this quarter I will devote a larger share of my attention on doing the promotion of FLO (e.g. videos, blogs, personal reach outs, etc.).

Lotte and I will also have more meetings to discuss what we’re up to and how we can divide our time strategically to make people aware of how we can help them with the coaching. Initially, the focus will be on getting Lotte clients. Though time permitting, I would love to guide more people again.

Sports

O: Improve on my fitness level of 2023

KR1: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (Q1 good, Q2 medium)

KR2: Incorporate stretching routine at the end of workouts (H1 fail)

KR3: Cut back weight to 95kg

The wedding (and gardening and work) took up more time than was available to focus more on sports. I also weighed myself near the start of Q2, and my suit was exactly made for that body shape. I stayed around that weight for the remainder of the quarter.

But, my weight is now just below 100kg, which is too much (BMI-wise and for my liking). Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased with the amount of muscle I have, and standing at 1.94m tall, that weight isn’t terrible. But I can do better.

So, for this quarter, the goal will be to cut back to 95kg and then reassess. This means cardio six times a week, eating three meals (a protein bar or some fruit if I feel hungry), and nearly eliminating snacks.

I still haven’t systematised stretching, but I’m attaching it at the end of the cardio sessions (going ok in the first few days of the quarter).

Health

O: Improve health through metrics

KR1: Measure 3+ health metrics (H1 fail)

KR2: Build a place to store the (health) metrics (H1 fail)

KR3: Improve VO2 Max (H1 fail)

To make a good thing out of bad things, AI technology has gotten better, so building the tracking place for the metrics (which might just be a Google Sheets first) is easier than last quarter.

Also, I’ve just put together this draft for the VO2 Max improvement schedule, which is also my cardio schedule:

Monday - High-Intensity Intervals:
Stationary Bike: 10 min warm-up, 8x(1 min all-out, 2 min recovery), 10 min cool-down

Running/Assault Bike/Cross Trainer: Same structure

Rowing Machine: Same structure, but 45 sec all-out, 2:15 recovery

Tuesday - Tempo Training:
Stationary Bike: 10 min warm-up, 30 min at 80-85% max effort, 10 min cool-down

Running/Assault Bike/Cross Trainer: Same structure

Rowing Machine: 8 min warm-up, 24 min at 80-85% max effort, 8 min cool-down

Wednesday - Pyramid Intervals:
Stationary Bike: 10 min warm-up, 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 min intervals (1 min recovery between each), 10 min cool-down

Running/Assault Bike/Cross Trainer: Same structure

Rowing Machine: Same structure, but reduce each interval by 15 seconds

Thursday - Endurance Ride:
Stationary Bike: 60 min at 70-75% max effort

Running: 50 min at 70-75% max effort

Assault Bike: 50 min at 70-75% max effort

Cross Trainer: 60 min at 70-75% max effort

Rowing Machine: 45 min at 70-75% max effort

Friday - Tabata Training:
Stationary Bike: 10 min warm-up, 8x(20 sec all-out, 10 sec rest), repeat 3 times with 2 min rest between sets, 10 min cool-down

Running/Assault Bike/Cross Trainer: Same structure

Rowing Machine: Same structure, but 15 sec all-out, 15 sec rest

Saturday - Mixed Intensity:
Stationary Bike: 10 min warm-up, 5x(3 min at 85-90% max effort, 2 min at 70-75% max effort), 10 min cool-down

Running/Assault Bike/Cross Trainer: Same structure

Rowing Machine: 8 min warm-up, 4x(3 min at 85-90% max effort, 2 min at 70-75% max effort), 8 min cool-down

Mindfulness

O: Brighten my cone of consciousness

KR1: Take psychedelics every month (4x)

KR3: Meditate each day, building up from 12 minutes (Q2 good)

KR4: Go on a Jhana retreat

X: Write a substantive post on the Jhanas (read some, but paused for now)

The daily meditation has been going well. After each session, we do a short reflection, and it’s been an excellent way to start the day and have some reflection built in.

In a bit over a month, I will go on a Jhana (at-home) retreat that spans two weekends (with self-guided practice in between). If you want to learn more about Jhanas, this blog is a great (short) intro.

The Perfect Day

6:30 wake up (dogs, chickens, coffee)

6:45 meditation

7-9 sport (travel & shower)

9-18 work (and some gardening etc)

18-19 dinner

19-22:30 hobbies/social/work/game

Notes

I look back at one of the most satisfying quarters of my life. Things are where I want them to be, and I’m working on making adjustments where I think they need improvement.

The journey continues, and hopefully, I’ve inspired you to contemplate where your life is driving towards (with you in the proverbial driver’s seat).

Onto the next quarter of ‘the year of lucidity’.

Public Commitment 2024 – Update 1

Theme: Lucidity

It’s been a bit over three months since I started the ‘year of lucidity,’ and I’m happy to report that things are going well.

As always, the key results are a bit ambitious (meaning not all will be achieved). Still, this is the way to go for me (your mileage may vary), and I’ve updated them for the coming quarter with the new (or sometimes similar) ones.

Overall, I can report back that work has been very rewarding, living in the small village of Anna Paulowna is still a blast, and that I’ve spent more time gardening than every working on a house interior – in my life.

House

Objective (O): Make the garden unambiguously green and lively

Key Result (KR4): Plant and grow a lot of veggies

KR5: Paint just about everything outside

KR6: Remodel the bathroom downstairs

V: Rework section between house and cabin

V: Build a compost heap

V: Add more hens (done, Jan 29th)

Starting off strong, we totally revamped the area between the house and the cabin. Instead of two patches of grass and a stone path in between, there are now six gardening raised beds (old fruit boxes), a path of sea shells (against slugs and for aesthetics), and lots of plants and herbs on the sides. The first vegetables have been planted (as well as many tomatoes in the greenhouse).

One thing that took longer than expected was cleaning the remaining tiles. But about 10 hours of work later (while listening to an audiobook, many podcasts, and the theme music from Dune), the tiles now look fresh again.

With the chickens, we’ve had quite the adventure (some may even say it was traumatic (with a small ‘t’). As the original chickens were two cocks and one hen (they are no longer with us). Someone from the next village over was selling her six hens (their barn had collapsed, and they were roaming around the neighbour’s garden), so now they are living with us. Every day we get six (huge) eggs from them. So, if you know us, then we’re likely to gift you a few in the near future.

For the coming quarter (April-June), we plan to fill all the raised beds and start growing in the greenhouse. We also have a small pond to which we’re going to add some plants to make it self-cleaning (if that is the word for it).

This quarter will also be the time of painting. The lady who lived in our house before left it in a relatively good state, but she had moved around 20 times in her life, meaning she didn’t take care of those long-term things like painting. We will be painting the sheds in the garden, within the cabin, recoating the furniture in the garden (which, in our lack of experience, we left out in the winter rain without a cover for the first few months), and letting a company repaint the house (in a light green colour – instead of the current white).

Inside the house, we’re working on repainting (and tiling) the bathroom downstairs. And that should keep us busy for the coming months.

Finances

O: Earn twice as much as I’m spending (Q1 done)

KR1: Keep track of finances every week (Q1 done)

KR2: Earn as much from Blossom as from Queal (Q1 done)

KR3: Lotte earns as much from FLO as from her regular job (Q1 fail)

There are 24 hours in the day, and if I’m being realistic, I can only work eight hours per day (my time tracking puts me at 37 hours per week). Some days, I’m working a bit more, and lately, I’ve been working a lot in the evening doing consulting work. But overall, I feel that the balance between work and other things in life has been great.

The work that I’ve been doing has been interesting, and because a lot of it has been consulting work, it has also paid off financially. The objective has been reached, and key result two (which I’m keeping for the coming quarter) has also been achieved.

Unlike last year, I’ve also been consistent in tracking where I’m spending money. There are not crazy things to note here, except that home improvement is (of course) a much bigger bucket than it was a year ago.

Unfortunately, the third key result has not been achieved (by a long shot). I’ve been taking on a few clients for FLO coaching, but Lotte hasn’t had success in attracting clients (though this has changed now at the start of April). I’ll get to our coaching business in a bit, but here want to note that this is still a goal that we’re pursuing actively.

Flotte

O: Continue unblurring who the other person is

KR1: Have one day in the week for each other (Q1 done)

KR4: Spend at least eight hours per week working together

KR5: Get married

V: Become business partners (Q1 half)

V: Prep all big things for the wedding

In line with the previous goal, we haven’t spent enough time (in my eyes) working on FLO and the promotion of the business. So, I’m making the goal more concrete, with an average of eight hours working on the business (i.e. non-coaching time) per week.

We have consistently made time for each other (which was a reaction to spending a lot of weekends seeing friends and family without spending time together). One thing that has pleasantly surprised me is that Lotte enjoys going to the gym (lifting weights), and we’re now doing that together three times a week (agenda permitting).

We have also started recently started meditating together in the mornings and reflecting on the experience right after. This has been a fun way of doing another activity together. I suspect that we’ll also be spending a lot of time together painting and gardening.

The big tasks for the wedding have been completed, and we (okay, mostly Lotte) are now continuing to work on the fun small things (like table decorations). The wedding rings are in the pocket, and all that is left is praying to the weather gods for the sun during the big day.

Relationships

O: Maintain quality relationships

KR1: See friends at least every two weeks (Q1 done)

KR3: Visit friends independently three times

X: Message with friends during morning cardio (medium, not enough time cardio b/c cold, same, low cardio rate but all good w/ contact)

There isn’t much to note about the goal of maintaining quality relationships with friends. This has been going well overall. I haven’t been doing as much morning cardio as I wanted to (and some of it has been a combination of cardio and weights—i.e., no time to message friends). I’m dropping this goal for now and replacing it with a goal to (independently) go and see friends at least three times this quarter (e.g., a day going to Rotterdam).

FW.com / Brand

O: Build a personal brand

KR1: Publish a piece of content for every day (average) (Q1 meh)

KR2: Publish one piece of significant original work each week (>1000 words or equivalent) (Q1 half)

KR3: Publish a transformative piece of work every quarter (Q1 fail)

KR4: Take half a day to further operationalize the personal branding/content strategy

Who is Floris? What is the phrase that one person tells the next at a cocktail party when I’m not around? That is the objective of this section and I’ve not been paying enough attention to it.

I want to bring more unity to the projects I’m working on and consistently broadcast this to the world.

Now that I’m reflecting on this objective, I need to operationalize this more (in my daily routines). One action I’ve added an item to my daily action items (Todoist; to make this more top-of-mind). Yesterday, a friend of mine spoke at a conference on the intersection of design and psychedelics on the topic of branding. I’ll have a conversation with her about how I can apply some of those lessons in my own (presentation of my) work.

Blossom / Delphi

O: Provide clarity for all stakeholders in the ‘psychedelics as medicines’ field

KR1: Launch a course for novel psychonauts (Q1 fail)

KR2: Publish or update one piece of original content for members only (to increase Blossom’s revenue) (Only Jan)

KR3: Share one content piece each workday (Q1 done)

KR4: Have 5k subscribers to The Bloom (now at 3k, not made big strides with this)

KR5: Get paid help for improving the content and consistency of promotion for Blossom

KR6: Continue the consultancy work for Delphi

If I look back at the last quarter for Blossom specifically, I’ve dropped the ball. As I said earlier, there are only eight hours per day which I’m working and the priority has been on consulting work for a significant chunk of this.

This also means that there is income that has been very welcome (especially when planning a wedding). But, now that I’m reflecting here, I think it’s time I start spending a bit more on Blossom (I already have a VA helping with some basics, but I know there are a lot of talented people in the space that can help out with different parts of the site.

This also matches with the key results of being more consistent in bringing out content. I don’t need to do all of that myself. With a good brief, I know others will be able to help me get this out the door.

Similarly, the course has been stuck in limbo (all the ‘chapters’ are there, just need to sit down and make them). So, a new goal here is to actively get more help with maintaining and improving Blossom.

I’ve also added a goal of continuing the work with Delphi, which has been challenging and rewarding in the best way.

Queal

O: Continue providing sound nutrition

KR1: Launch QQ offer each quarter (done)

KR2: Do a mega overhaul of our webshop (and potentially for our products)

Queal has been humming along, and we’re still happy to help our customers each day (and fuel ourselves with Queal, too).

The second key result has been added for the second quarter as we’re now planning to overhaul the webshop completely. This means working on adopting new platforms (that weren’t around when we started Queal). This is leading up to the 10-year existence of Queal this August.

FLO Coaching

O: Build a meaningful practice with weekly facilitated sessions

KR1: Experiment with the four different promotional methods (1-1/1-many x (un)known)

KR2: Get Lotte one client each week (still not there)

As discussed above, the activities with FLO Coaching have been too slow. We haven’t been doing consistent promotion and therefore don’t have the client base to support one session per week for Lotte.

We have been revamping our ebook, which is a great thing to have, but we also need eyeballs on the products. So, that will be the focus for the coming quarter.

Sports

O: Improve on my fitness level of 2023

KR1: Do sports 6 out of 7 days (Q1 good)

KR2: Incorporate stretching routine at the end of workouts (Q1 fail)

I’ve been consistently going to the gym and also doing cardio/HIIT training at home (in the cabin). I’m happy with where I am with sports and don’t see big changes coming in the second quarter (I also have to stay about the same size for the wedding).

Stretching has been very sporadic. The current plan is to (at least) do them after sports at home. I’ve also added this to Todoist.

Health

O: Improve health through metrics

KR1: Measure 3+ health metrics

KR2: Build a place to store the (health) metrics

KR3: Improve VO2 Max

To be frank, I haven’t taken any actions on this part yet and it’s less ‘top of mind’ as everything is going well. Still, I want to start more ‘biohacking’, and measuring is the first step in this journey. So, I will keep these goals here and (now) mentally file this under ‘hobbies’.

Especially with the assistance of AI, I should be able to put together an online place to keep track of my measurements (and I am already tracking a few things).

Mindfulness

O: Brighten my cone of consciousness

KR1: Take psychedelics every month (2x)

KR3: Meditate each day, building up from 12 minutes

X: Write a substantive post on the Jhanas (read some, but paused for now)

Lotte and I have started meditating daily since about two weeks ago. This has been a great experience and I like the daily inquiry. Over the coming months I plan to build on this foundation.

The catalyst for restarting meditation (which I’ve been doing on and off for about a decade) was a coaching call with Roger Thisdale, a very experienced meditator. He was able to answer some of my worries (some of the other experienced meditators I’ve met were quite different than me in some aspects that I didn’t like – e.g. not seeming to care much about their body or not recognizing me after meeting an hour earlier). The analogy Roger mentioned about investing in different skills (like in a video game) really hit home and made me more comfortable with exploring meditation more (whilst still caring about fitness and other goals I have – and as you can see above – those are quite a few).

The Perfect Day

6:30 wake up (dogs, chickens, coffee)

6:45 meditation

7-9 sport (travel & shower)

9-18 work (and some gardening etc)

18-19 dinner

19-22 hobbies/social/work/game

Notes

Overall, I look back at a very good first quarter of 2024. Only FLO Coaching (and the health metrics) are lagging, but other than that, I have been reaching most of my goals.

Onto the next quarter of ‘the year of lucidity’.

Public Commitment 2024

Theme: Lucidity

“Life is a game and you are the player. As you master the game, so you also create it.” – Jay Woodman

There is no ultimate truth, no one thing we can say with 100% certainty. One way to interpret this is to be nihilistic and announce defeat, to live a life full of vice and regret. I choose to accept the challenge and try to get as close as possible to living a lucid life as possible.

This doesn’t mean I will become a full-time meditator or that I will rescind my worldly belongings. No, it signifies a focus on getting to the bottom of things, not taking lazy explanations for an answer, and challenging assumptions.

In a way, it’s also challenging my status quo of getting outside the current habits and replacing them with even more helpful ones (or conversely stopping some habits). Like last year’s theme, ‘expansion’, becoming more lucid also means pruning what doesn’t serve me.

Throughout the different life areas, I aim to reflect the theme in its various aspects (heck, this framework is a thing that provides me with clarity every month/quarter/year). The objective is the overarching direction for the life area. The key results are the concrete outcomes I hope to achieve in the next quarter (unless otherwise indicated).

House

Objective (O): Make the garden unambiguously green and lively

Key Result (KR1): Rework section between house and cabin

KR2: Build a compost heap

KR3: Add more hens

The house is pretty much finished. On the inside, I’ve built most of the things I want to build, and further improvements will likely not come in 2024. On the outside, some painting needs to be done, which might be in Q1 or, more likely, in Q2, which leaves our attention on the garden.

Here, we want to transform the already green garden to be even more lively (a bit wild) and with a lot of space for gardening (in the greenhouse and vegetable garden boxes). We will start with the area between the house and the cabin and work from there. This includes removing more tiles, probably adding garden boxes, etc.

For a few months, we have had chickens; alas, there are only three and two of them are roosters. So we will have to do some reorganising and finding more hens.

Finances

O: Earn twice as much as I’m spending

KR1: Keep track of finances every week

KR2: Earn as much from Blossom as from Queal

KR3: Lotte earns as much from FLO as from her regular job

During the last few months, I’ve been very diligent in tracking my expenses and have had the good fortune of being able to work more on consulting projects for Blossom that have brought in additional income.

I expect the work and income to expand in the coming months, and I aim to earn twice as much as I’m spending on regular expenses (e.g. this doesn’t include costs for the wedding). One underlying (but not Q1) goal is to pay 10% of the mortgage yearly.

I’ve also put Lotte here, as I want to help her achieve freedom from her day job and will devote a part of my time towards the promotion of FLO coaching (to get clients for her).

Flotte

O: Continue unblurring who the other person is

KR1: Have one day in the week for each other

KR2: Become business partners

KR3: Prep all big things for the wedding

We were away for full weekends when we first moved into the new house. We have toned this back to one day in the weekend, so we have time to continue building our relationship (and work in the garden).

Another part of the relationship, which is relatively underdeveloped, is our working together as business partners. Although I like to believe that I’m lucid in my communications, I also know that I can be terse and push for my way (or the highway). Lotte is a great therapist (and coach) but lacks the nearly decade of business experience I have. So, it will also be a good challenge to work – and learn – together as business partners.

Relationships

O: Maintain quality relationships

KR1: See friends at least every two weeks

KR2: Message with friends during morning cardio

Unlike last year, I feel less need to meet new people in my areas of interest (although I continue to do this via work). I’m also very happy with our neighbours in Anna Paulowna (AP) and see this as a great addition to my social life (as you also hang out more with people older/younger than your normal bubble).

I made a goal of calling friends when walking Max but living in AP there is just too much wind to do this reasonably. So, my experiment for Q1 is to message a few friends each time I’m doing (morning) cardio.

FW.com / Brand

O: Build a personal brand

KR1: Publish a piece of content for every day (average)

KR2: Publish one piece of significant original work each week (>1000 words or equivalent)

KR3: Publish a transformative piece of work every quarter (e.g. interactive site or course)

A recurring theme on a business podcast I listen to is the power of brand. It’s the difference between why someone would pay $5 or $500 for a t-shirt. In a world of commodification, brand is the thing that enables the gap between costs and price.

At the start of last year, I revamped this site and laid the groundwork for building my brand. But this site (which will see more activity than before) is not the only thing that defines my brand. My brand is me showing up to work, delivering results, spreading information, etc. It’s the culmination of all that I do, and it’s something I can share in a more thoughtful (you might even say, ‘lucid’) way.

The different key results here reflect my ambition to communicate with some volume (every day, something on average) and also to build towards more substantive pieces of content that I can uniquely make. About every quarter, I hope to bring everything together into something more significant (e.g. a map of where psychedelic research occurs).

Blossom

O: Provide clarity for all stakeholders in the ‘psychedelics as medicines’ field

KR1: Launch a course for novel psychonauts (for real this time)

KR2: Publish one piece of original content for members only (to increase Blossom’s revenue)

KR3: Share one content piece each workday

KR4: Have 5k subscribers to The Bloom (now at 2.7k)

Starting with the third, I want to share something from Blossom daily, but this could also be older, relevant content. I’ve been slacking somewhat in spreading the word (by being busy updating the database, for instance), but I can’t influence the field without readership.

The course technically is a separate site, but it will closely track the information I’ve gathered for Blossom over the last few years. It will be a big project (also considering the various other things going on, but the ‘knowledge’ is here; it’s now my task to communicate that clearly).

Queal

O: Continue providing sound nutrition

KR1: Launch QQ offer each quarter

As last year, I keep enjoying our products, and as a company, we see people returning over a long time horizon. We don’t expect to make drastic changes, but we might consider infrastructure upgrades to take place later in the year.

FLO Coaching

O: Build a meaningful practice with weekly facilitated sessions

KR1: Experiment with the four different promotional methods (1-1/1-many x (un)known)

KR2: Get Lotte one client each week

It’s interesting to see the goal for last year being a hesitant yes to continuing with FLO. This year, it’s a total yes and a big focus for Lotte, too. How we will get the clients to come is a challenge that I’m ready to take on.

Sports

O: Improve on my fitness level of 2023

KR1: Do sports 6 out of 7 days

KR2: Incorporate stretching routine at the end of workouts

After the kidney operation, getting back into a good rhythm with sports took quite a while. When I returned to regularly going to the gym, I packed up my things to move to AP. Now that I’ve been here for over half a year, the rhythm is back, and the sports cabin has the tools to get going. So, I see myself doing more sports than in 2023 without the excuses from last year.

Health

O: Improve health through metrics

KR1: Measure 3+ health metrics

KR2: Build a place to store the (health) metrics

KR3: Improve VO2 Max

A place to start with health is the book Outlive by Peter Attia. It’s a longevity-focused book grounded in today’s science (not mice experiments). I plan to implement some of the lessons from the book, and I see quite a bit of overlap between the health and sports areas (who knows, they will someday merge).

Mindfulness

O: Brighten my cone of consciousness

KR1: Take psychedelics every month

KR2: Write a substantive post on the Jhanas

The goal of the post above is not to write something but to use this as a forcing function for myself to gain clarity on the Jhanas and the path towards experiencing them.

I’ve also written down to take psychedelics as a specific goal so as not to forget to experience them and not only write about their effects as a detached observer.

The Perfect Day

7 wake up

8-12 deep work

12-14 sport

14-18 communicate/work

18-22 relax/write/work/game

Notes

One discrepancy between what is presented here and how I partly judge myself is that there is still much ‘f*cking around’ happening in my day-to-day life. I read Twitter in bed, watch a lot of ‘edutainment’ on YouTube, and sometimes take days to check off a relatively simple task on my to-do list.

As the different goals become more lucid, I also hope to see a positive trend towards (even) more engagement with the activities that I’m undertaking. Every day, there is a time that I’m fully engaged with what I’m doing (e.g. making a presentation, leg pressing more than my body weight, enjoying the sunset whilst walking the dogs), and having more of those moments is an implicit goal underlying the various life areas presented here.

If we know each other and you’ve come so far, please send your feedback (or even your goals/plans).