The meaning of the New Year lies in artificially segmenting the continuous linear time, which gives us the opportunity to pause, reflect on the gains and losses of the past year, and outline a blueprint for the coming year.
I have always been someone without much long-term planning. When I was in college, I could still stick to my hobbies like running, playing ball, and reading. However, after entering graduate school, the endless internal friction of research has made me feel even more fragmented. I can only use a to-do list to record what I need to do in the next few days, and I can't talk about any long-term plans.
But this is not good; without goals, how can one talk about effort? Recently, I came across two articles that use the OKR concept to make long-term plans from the perspective of the flower of life, which inspired me greatly. I will also use this to plan and see how it goes.
If I feel lost in the coming year, I can look back at this to give myself some strength; I can also make modifications at any time.
ORK#
OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is the Objectives and Key Results Method
- Objectives (hereinafter referred to as "O") are goals that answer the question "What do I want to achieve?" They represent the goals and tasks for a certain period.
- Key Results (hereinafter referred to as "KR") are a series of measurable key results that answer the question "How do I know if I have achieved my goals?"
- KR is derived from O and supports the achievement of O. Ideally, when all KRs are completed, O is achieved.
A Good OKR#
High-quality Os need to meet at least three criteria:
- "Granularity" is moderate, neither too vague nor too detailed: O should be a specific explanation of the achieved state. Compared to highly quantifiable KRs, O can be a bit more "vague," but it should still be meaningful. For example, "finding a partner" can be an O, but "having a happy love life" is not suitable.
- Long-term value: O should be valuable for personal long-term development, rather than focusing on short-term gains and losses.
- Control the number of Os, ideally 3-5, while distinguishing certain priorities.
Formulating KRs:
- Measurability: KRs are specific results and states, and should not be ambiguous. They should use objective, externally observable expressions that allow for quick assessment of achievement and scoring.
- Achievable yet challenging: KRs should be relatively ambitious goals, with a confidence level of 75%, not 100%.
- ❌ KRs should not be written as a To-Do List: To-Dos are means to achieve KRs, not KRs themselves.
The Relationship Between To-Do and OKR#
When numerous KRs are laid out, how to proceed in an orderly manner is key to whether OKR can be realized. It is necessary to use checklist tools to aid memory.
Tool Selection#
I have only consistently used two software tools: TickTick and Notion. I am actually someone who enjoys exploring new tools. I have tried Notion and Feishu for a while, but I couldn't stick with them, perhaps because I didn't develop the habit. I may explore them again when I have the energy. I highly agree with three attributes mentioned by a blogger:
- Multi-platform synchronization: I do not always have the opportunity to use a computer, so tools that synchronize across platforms ensure that I can track OKR progress anytime, anywhere.
- Cost-effective: Free is preferable; for paid services, I hope the cost is not too high, as OKR is a long-term project, and the cumulative cost can be significant.
- Habit priority: It is best if it can integrate with existing workflows, making it easy to get started and reducing the costs of learning and data migration.
Ultimately, based on the blogger's choice, I usually use TickTick for recording and Notion for reviews.
- OKR, To-Do, and Habit Tracking: TickTick
- Review and Reflection: Notion
Goal Setting and Execution Breakdown#
The Flower of Life#
The so-called flower of life consists of eight parts: career development, financial status, personal health, entertainment and leisure, family life, friends and others, personal growth, and self-actualization. These eight parts encompass all dimensions of personal summary that I care about.
My OKR#
Considering that I will graduate next year and face the dual pressures of job hunting and academics this year, I added a goal for my master's studies and combined family and friends into one item. Each O specifies 2-3 KRs, and each KR has several To-Dos underneath, with an overall span of one year. Here is the plan.
O1 Academics: Publish a small paper and find a graduation topic#
KR1: Publish a small paper#
I will graduate in June 2024, and the most important thing right now is to successfully publish a small paper. I submitted it on the 11th; I have never submitted before, and my teacher thinks this paper is quite impressive, but I know how messy it is, so I'm not sure how long it will take in the end. Based on the submission experiences of those around me, it should be a long tug-of-war, so I won't make detailed arrangements here. I will set three goals for myself:
- If rejected, revise the format, make minimal changes to the content, and submit a new manuscript as soon as possible.
- If revisions are needed, assess the feedback, put aside other tasks, and complete the revisions quickly; do not let it linger too long.
- Aim to have it out within six months; if it takes longer, it should be done within this year, just enough to graduate, without wasting energy.
KR2: Find a new topic to start working on#
Based on my advisor's style, after submitting the paper, he will definitely not let me rest and will urge me to find a new direction or do miscellaneous tasks. In the new semester, I need to clarify my goals, avoid internal conflict, and not be influenced by the research group. The next topic will be my graduation topic, so I have plenty of time to do research slowly. I should not deliberately make it poor quality; I have enough time to do a good job, and I shouldn't compare myself with others. I will set three goals for myself:
- Maintain an attitude; spend no more than two days a week on so-called research, and do not invest too much emotion in meaningless research. Report weekly as required while in school; do not become a thorn in their side.
- Frequently go to the lab; the dormitory environment is not good, and the lab is more efficient. Leaving early and returning late is not a wrong choice.
- Spend less energy on the research group and consult more with classmates who are job hunting, as well as senior students, to gather resources.
KR3: Relationship with the advisor#
My relationship with my advisor will be completely different in the future. Based on past experience, he will not provide any employment help or resources; he will only repeatedly discuss academic matters. Therefore, in future interactions:
- Speak less and appear less frequently; be an invisible person, report more during group meetings to accumulate points.
- When I need an internship, I must fight for it, even if it leads to arguments.
- For the new topic, I should read more papers myself and listen less to innovative guidance. Reproducing a high-quality result on my own is meaningful.
O2 Employment: Two internships in the first half of the year, find a satisfactory job in the second half#
In terms of current preparation, there is still a lot to do, mainly due to my lazy attitude and a hit-or-miss approach. The past time should not be regretted; I need to seize the present. When in a chaotic and indulgent state, I should think about the gap after everyone finds jobs in the second half of the year. Job hunting for fresh graduates is brutal, and there is no second round.
KR1: Find an internship after the New Year (1-5)#
This is the most urgent task for this month. There is a lot of information on Maimai, but I always feel unprepared and lacking many things, so what I need most at this stage is preparation, and I can start applying after the New Year. I can use Notion to plan a resume submission archiving system, which is clear and straightforward.
The first internship is mainly to accumulate experience for the summer internship. At this stage, I do not have too many salary requirements and will choose a well-known company within a selective range.
- Familiarize myself with the basics; review the three-piece suit, computer networks, browser principles, performance optimization, common Vue interview points, and handwrite code. These are the contents to memorize and practice.
- Practice with 50 wheels to maintain coding skills.
- Brush questions on LeetCode, recording code freely.
- The basic content of my resume should remain unchanged, but I need to memorize it. However, when applying to different companies, I should reposition my strengths and competitiveness according to the job characteristics and adjust the resume content; do not submit the same resume to multiple companies.
KR2: Find a summer internship and prepare for civil service exams (4-8)#
One major reason for finding an internship after the New Year is the fierce competition for summer internships and the tight timeline. Many things will be overwhelming at that time, so I need to accumulate experience in advance. I prefer to find an internship related to my major.
Let's focus on successfully completing the spring internship first.
KR3: Find a job (9-12)#
I have heard that one should talk about choices only when there are choices. Therefore, during this period, I need to focus entirely on employment information and try everything I can.
O3 Consumption: Clarify income and expenditure, cultivate financial awareness#
I bought a fund in 2020, and the market was very good at that time. I only invested 800 yuan and casually made over a thousand yuan. However, starting in 2021, the funds turned green, and fortunately, I withdrew all my money at the end of 2020 due to platform changes. Later, I invested a little in Alipay and lost about 200 yuan.
Overall, I still made a small profit. However, I remain a novice in financial management.
Currently, I have little money, which means I can experience significant emotional value through relatively small losses. Even if I cannot gain, spending a thousand yuan is still a form of learning.
Believing that "only professionals can benefit from financial management, while ordinary people are only destined to be cut down" is a cognitive bias. Investment and financial management do not mean one needs to master various complex techniques. My goal is neither to achieve financial freedom and retire at 30 like Guo Yu nor to become a quality son-in-law in Shanghai through financial skills. It is simply to keep pace with inflation, protect the hard-earned money, and slow down its depreciation.
KR 1: Regularly record income and expenditure#
This year, I used MOZE for daily accounting, and I persisted for more than half a year before it ended without results because keeping a detailed account was too tedious, and the energy consumed did not match the actual results.
Following the blogger's example, I will abandon daily detailed accounts and switch to recording income and expenditure weekly. I will establish my wish list: before buying something, I will ask myself three questions.
- Is the purchase wasteful?
- What is the reason for wanting it?
- What are the reasons for not purchasing it?
After completing this, I will evaluate the purchasing behavior. In fact, I am not a shopping fanatic; I rarely shop. However, I need to make necessary purchases while controlling my budget (improving dressing aesthetics, good life items, etc.).
TODO: TickTick check-in, once a week#
KR 2: Cultivate financial awareness, make regular small investments#
Last year's fund market was not good, but it has clearly rebounded since December, so I can continue to invest in funds monthly. I will separate my usual spending funds and place them on platforms with high annualized rates.
O4 Personal Health: Healthy routine, healthy diet#
Looking back at 2022, apart from COVID-19 making me uncomfortable for a while, I did not have other ailments. This year, I have had fewer breakouts than before, but the decrease in exercise frequency has made my physical condition noticeably worse, and my routine has long been poor. I often waste a lot of time in the mornings, which is quite regrettable. In 2023, my goal is to develop good living habits.
KR1: TickTick: Breakfast completion rate six times a week, weight to 135#
Sometimes when I wake up late, I choose to wait a bit longer to have brunch. The waiting time does not allow me to do anything productive and harms my health, which is really an unwise choice. Therefore, even if I wake up late in the future, I should still have breakfast, and after breakfast, go to the lab to work. Lunch can be flexibly pushed to after one o'clock.
My weight is slightly underweight, and in the new year, I can gain a little weight, which will also look better in clothes.
KR2: Sleep on time five times a week, each time for 7.5 hours#
I am a deep night owl and often stay up late due to various reasons. Ultimately, it comes down to a lack of self-discipline. In the new year, I hope to have high-quality sleep and engage in high-quality activities. Using 1.5 hours as a sleep cycle, I will aim for 7.5 hours of sleep each day. If I stay up late, I will set an appropriate alarm and not let myself sleep in. Additionally, I will adopt the following methods to help myself develop good habits:
- Do calming activities half an hour before bed; do not play games!! Go to bed at 12, and I can watch a video or read a novel until it's time to sleep.
- Ensure at least half an hour of nap time during school days and set an alarm.
KR3: Maintain basic exercise daily, go running or play ball whenever possible#
I do not want to specifically record my exercise, but I hope to maintain a basic level of activity, such as taking walks after meals or playing ball when I have time. This will also be checked off daily on TickTick.
O5 Leisure and Entertainment#
KR 1: Watch at least 2 movies per month and write reviews#
In the past year, I gradually developed the habit of writing movie reviews on Douban and synchronizing them to my blog, link attached. Looking back, I can see which movies I have watched and my emotions at that time. Although I may not write profound reviews, this record brings me peace.
In the new year, I hope to continue this habit and increase my reading volume.
KR 2: Visit different places#
During my graduate studies, facing the repetitive life of commuting between two points, I often felt suffocated and bored. In 2022, I traveled to Changsha and Shenzhen. Although it was just a few hurried days, it made me feel much more relaxed at that time. I cherish the remaining time on campus and plan to go out more during breaks and holidays, taking more photos.
I do not favor novelty; what truly moves me is the act of leaving behind a repetitive life.
KR 3: Try new things#
In the new year, I hope to make some interesting attempts, such as attending a stand-up comedy show.
I will pay attention to interesting activities around me to add some fun to my mundane life.
O6 Interpersonal Relationships#
KR 1: Regularly share with family#
Although I am not far from Wuhan, I do not go home often. This year, due to job hunting, I may go home even less. My original plan was to call my family every two weeks, which felt too forced, like a task. Instead, I will share more daily life in the family group.
KR 2: Meet friends every two weeks#
Although I do not like the current environment, maintaining social connections is necessary. Communicating with different people will yield some gains, and at the very least, it is an emotional supplement. This includes senior students, college classmates, high school classmates, etc.
KR 3: Maintain interaction with online friends#
Having a few good friends is not easy; relationships are cultivated. I will communicate more in group chats and share more. One of my friends will be going abroad for work after the New Year, and it may be two or three years before they return, so I need to maintain this friendship well.
KR 4: Self-cultivation#
My relationship with my girlfriend is strong, but there are two points to pay special attention to in the new year. First, I need to control my temper, think twice before speaking, and take a step back to see the bigger picture. Second, I need to find a good job to give both families confidence.
O7 Self-Organization:#
KR 1: Input a quantifiable amount of effective information#
Do not become a slave to the information age. I am a heavy user of Bilibili, but this is meaningless. This year, I started using RSS and the web version of Inoreader, which has allowed me to see more effective information.
In future use, I will systematically incorporate useful information rather than interesting information, and cancel Bilibili subscriptions to save a lot of time.
KR 2: Establish norms and make more records#
Much of the time wasted is unconscious, such as scrolling through Bilibili, playing games, or reading a few chapters of a new novel and then abandoning it. Time passes, and I gain nothing but fatigue.
I hope to improve my self-discipline, leaving fragmentation for entertainment rather than leaving my whole emotional state for entertainment.
I will establish some norms, such as using TickTick to spend some time daily on record-keeping.
KR 3: Improve appearance#
A good image is very important.
TODO:#
- Take care of my skin. Compared to before, I have had fewer breakouts this year, and my skin is no longer red. However, there is still much room for improvement. Overall, in the new year, I hope to have fewer blemishes on my face and look fresher.
- Improve my clothing style. I bought a down jacket for the New Year, which is quite nice. In the new year, I want to watch more outfit videos, try different styles, and actively buy clothes. If something doesn't fit, I will return or exchange it; I shouldn't be too lazy.
- Maintain fresh breath. After waking up in the morning and after meals, my breath is often not fresh. I need to keep breath fresheners on hand.
O8 Self-Actualization#
KR 1: Improve photography skills#
I bought a Canon M50 Mark II camera this summer. Six months have passed, and I have taken many photos in Wuhan, Changsha, and Shenzhen. I have some good works, but most of the results are average.
There are no issues with using the camera, but I still lack some aesthetic sense, especially in photographing people (mainly my partner), where there is significant room for improvement.
I have tried photo editing but have not found an efficient workflow, so most of my photos are in their original state. In 2023, I need to put effort into photography; otherwise, I will keep getting criticized by my partner.
TODO:#
- Take my camera out to shoot whenever possible; more practice leads to improvement.
- Pay attention to some photography experts; watch less gaming content. Only by seeing beauty can I capture it.
- When funds are sufficient, buy a new lens.
- Consider publishing on new media platforms.
KR 2: Write one blog post of any topic each week#
In 2022, the most notable achievement was putting effort into my blog. I have transformed from someone who could only follow tutorials to someone who has invested a lot of energy into this.
Writing these articles has made me realize that clearly expressing an idea in my mind is not easy. After some time, I may find my expressions naive and need to refine them.
Overall, the blog has provided me with a paradise where I can freely record and express myself. The process of typing helps me think more clearly. In the new year, I hope to maintain a frequency of at least one post per week, regardless of the topic.
KR 3: Say goodbye to low-quality entertainment#
Low-quality entertainment refers to poorly written novels, wasting time on meaningless videos, etc. Sometimes, I could engage in high-quality similar activities, such as finding a good quality novel to read before bed instead of low-quality thrillers or searching for books late at night, reading a bit, and then abandoning them. I can save and watch videos from my favorite creators.
I hope to produce more output. Looking back at 2022, the words I typed in my blog have been a significant comfort, alleviating my anxiety and confusion. In the new year, let's keep pushing forward!