In this document you can find my goals for 2025. Much of it is a continuation of my goals of the previous years; either building on what I did before, or slightly diverting from what I did before based on yesterday’s lessons. Everything I aim to do is based on my vision of explorer core, which you can read on this blog.

The standard categories that I use each year are 1) physical, 2) mental, 3) reading, and 4) charitas. Next to that I have two different categories this year; the Product Design Challenge, and the Explorer Core category. Let’s check them out.

Physical

Running

In 2024 I ran my first two ultra marathons, so in 2025 I would like to continue this trend and run a couple more ultra marathons. My mum notified me that the longest ultra trail run of the Netherlands passes through my hometown, so naturally I’ll have to give that one a shot. Here is the full list:

  • March: Sofia Spring360
    • I signed up for the 6h race
    • My goal will be to reach 60KM in that time. It might be a bit ambitious, but lets see where it will take me. I won’t be disappointed if I won’t make it.
  • May: Petranpad Ultra Trail 112KM
    • Longest ultra trail of the Netherlands, passing through my hometown Sevenum in the Netherlands.
  • June: Vitosha 100
    • 100KM race around Vitosha mountain, next to Sofia.
  • August: Wolf Backyard Ultra
    • Running loops of 6.7KM & 210m elevation until you can’t run anymore.
    • The last person standing is the winner.

Adventures

Sticking to the theme of Explorer Core, I’ll have to put my body to the test in the real world as well. Not just sticking to races with pre-defined routes, but also using my body to navigate through nature in various other forms. Here is an unextensive collection of adventures I’d like to go on this year in order to become a better explorer.

  • Climb the 3 highest peaks of Balkan (Musala 🇧🇬, Olympus 🇬🇷, Vihren 🇧🇬)
  • 1x solo bike packing weekend
  • 1x solo hiking trip
  • 1x mountaineering trip

Strength and mobility

Towards the end of 2024 I’ve compiled a couple of workout routines to strengthen my legs and the rest of my body. I found out that in order to run long distances, the entire body needs to be strong and thus I’ll try to do at least two strength workouts a week. This equates to roughly 100 logged hours at the end of the year. Next to that I’m aiming to continue my practice of prefacing each morning run by doing 10 minutes of morning yoga (this video to be exact, I’ve played it thousands of times by now and know all her phrases by heart).

  • Logging 100 strength workouts (100h)
  • Logging 2500 minutes of yoga (5x per week)

Baseline tests

In order to get a better understanding of my body, I think it would be interesting to get some actual hard core data noted on regular intervals. You know, the scientific stuff. That’s why I’m aiming to do two half-yearly baseline tests. They will contain the following elements. This is still an experimental goal, but I think it’s a good place to start.

  • Vo2 max
  • Blood test
  • Video of squat attempts
    • Pistol squat
    • Cossack squat
    • Dragon squat
    • Regular squat
    • Skater squat

Mental

Data logging and reflection

Daily logs: Last year I attempted to make a log of each day that I lived on this earth, I only managed to make a record of 127/366, so for 2025 I aim to do better and make a record of each and every day that I’m alive. The primary data point will be the score that I will give the day, but I’ll also collect various other data points (see below). These questions are not completely random, because they are all proxies for things that help me to have a good day.

Monthly reports: I had a conversation with Jim (Becky’s father) last year, in which he explained to me how much work is was to sort out all the old photos from the attic. It made me realise that making a personal almanac would a great way to get ahead of myself. Therefore I’m aiming to compile a list of at least 10 photos at the end of each month to go in my almanac. Each collection of photos will be accompanied by a short written description. At the end of the year I’ll be able to print the said almanac and store it in the archives.

Quarterly reflections: Finally, I’d like to take a moment at the end of each quarter to take a look at this goals and planning-document. During these moments I will check my stats and see if I’m still on course to meet my goals, or if I might have to change a few things. This will result in four written publications on this blog.

  • Daily logs (365) – make a log of all 365 days containing the following data:
    • Overall score of the day
    • Boolean
      • Did I go outside?
      • Did I work on a project?
      • Did I have a shower?
      • Did I have a shave?
      • Did I read?
    • Short written reflection
  • End of month report (12)
    • Selection of minimally 10 photos of the past month
    • Short written descriptions
  • Quarterly reflections (4)
    • Four written reflections, containing an overview of all data gathered during the quarter + an honest reflection on how things are going and if I need to adjust my planning.

Fasting

Fasting is one of the things that I’ve grown to love over the last years. Where I started a few years back only doing Lent, I’ve expanded my fasting experiences last year by trying a 90h water fast. This year I would like to explore the world of fasting a bit more, as it brings me down to a very fundamental aspect of my being. It’s an interesting mental and physical experience.

  • Participating in Lent (40 days of no alcohol, no mayo, no cigarettes, no hard drugs, no meat, no lunch, no snacks)
  • Have at least one 24h fast per month, total of 12 a year.
  • Do one 100h fast.

Alcohol

Even though my relationship with alcohol is fine, I’m interested in exploring various ways of controlling it more. I’ve started tracking my alcohol consumption in 2023, after which I aimed to decrease my alcohol consumption in 2024. My main objective was to increase the amount of full weeks (Monday – Sunday) that I was completely sober. I managed to increase this amount significantly in 2024 by 31%, from 13 weeks to 17 weeks. But regardless of my increase in sobriety, I also managed to increase my total consumption of alcohol in 2024 (2%, from 745 to 762 standard units). This finding was shocking to me and I will thus aim to drastically decrease my alcohol consumption in 2025.

My first goal will to have at least 26 full sober weeks (half a year), but also to only have 24 days in which I drink more that 6 standard units (a measure that’s being used by the Dutch Trimbos Institute for Addiction – if you have minimally one day a week in which you drink more than 6 standard units, you’re classified as a heavy drinker, so using 24 instead of 51 days is being quite strict). But at least it still gives me a bit of room to go a bit crazy on some days, like Prilpop (the local music festival in my hometown of Sevenum). It’s good to blow off some steam every now and then, so I’ll gladly leave space for that in my planning 🙂

  • Minimally 26 full weeks of no alcohol
  • Maximum of 24 days of > 6 standard units (2x per month)

Reading

Last year’s reading challenge went fabulously. I set out to read 40 books, but ended up reading 46. Next to that I also managed to conclude all of my minor reading challenges, which gave me great satisfaction. Instead of increasing the target this year, I’ll keep it at 40. It worked well last year and I enjoyed not having to do a forced reading sprint in December (like I had to do in 2023 when my goal was to read 45 books). The minor reading challenges have different topics this year, following to some new interests. The female reading challenge will remain.

  • Read 40 books in total
  • Read 5 books about sheep
  • Read 5 books about natural signs/navigating nature
  • Read 5 books about Bulgaria
  • Study 5 T.S. Elliot by reading:
    • Waste Land
    • Four Quarters
    • 3x secondary sources
  • Read at least 15 books by female (or non-male) authors
    • At least 5 of these books should be classics, written by female authors

Product design challenge

This is a challenge I have failed miserably in 2024, but I’m still extremely keen on finishing. Why? Because the act of creation gives me enormous feelings of pride, satisfaction and joy. It’s by following these feelings that I know I will propel my life into the direction I want to go.

For 2025 I’ve come up with a few clever little tricks to make sure I’ll reach this goal. First of all, I’ll only do this challenge during the first 6 months of the year; when I’m the freshest. Second of all, I’ve come up with very clearly defined deliverables and deadlines, which will help me when I loose focus. And finally – perhaps the most rigorous measure – I’ve designed an accountability system that will make Becky very happy if I fail to deliver a product.

Brief overview of the challenge

During the first six months of 2025, I challenge myself to create and publish six products. There are no requirements as to what a product constitutes, it can be anything from a hand sewn garment to a hand coded piece of software.

Publication requirements and deadlines

Each project will have a deadline that falls on the Sunday that is closest to the final day of the month, or simply the final day of the month. The deadlines are:

  • Project 1 – Sunday 2nd of February 00:00
  • Project 2 – Sunday 2nd of March 00:00
  • Project 3 – Sunday 30th of March 00:00
  • Project 4 – Wednesday 30th of April 00:00
  • Project 5 – Sunday the 1st of June 00:00
  • Project 6 – Sunday the 29th of June 00:00

The final deliverable will be what ever product that I’ll make in that period. The design requirements are very open and the products will thus be quite diverse, this which is why I’ve chosen to use a uniform final deliverable format. Each project will be considered wrapped up once a video – documenting the creation process – is published on Youtube before the given deadline. This will make it very easy for the judge of this challenge to check if the deadline has been adhered to.

The soft requirements are as follows:

  • If possible, make any construction files / instructions available on the web
  • Write a blog post about the process and publish product pictures
  • Syndicate blog post to appropriate online forums

Accountability system and judge

In the case that the video is not uploaded, or uploaded after the deadline, the judge (my girlfriend Becky) will be asked to make a judgement. In case any rules have been breached, the following set of punitive actions will be released:

  • Becky will receive one Ultimate Veto, to use however she sees fit. There are no rules or stipulations.
  • Becky will get unlimited access to the office space when she’s working from home or otherwise (for one month)
  • Becky will get unlimited access to the water filter jug and use it however she sees fit (for one month)
  • Jaer has to clean up the house each night before going to bed (for one month). Every day he forgets, he has to pay a €50,- fine.

Explorer core

This explorer core challenge is strongly linked to my vision of explorer core. It brings together a couple of smaller challenges under one umbrella, and it gives direction to some other categories in this document (like the reading and project categories). These are all low priority, but fun little challenges for the year.

  • Read 5 books about natural signs/navigating nature
    • Apply learned skills in a solo survival/adventure weekend in nature
  • One project of my product challenge must me related to explorer core
  • Knot tying challenge
    • Learn 52 knots (one per week)
    • Take a picture or make a drawing of each successful knot
    • Do a quarterly presentation for Becky, showing all the knots I learned in the last quarter
  • Locking picking challenge
    • Dedicate one month in the second half of the year to learning to pick locks
    • End goal: be able to pick all three practice locks from my practice set with the covers on