8760

As Peter and I prepared to ring in the new year, we sat down at a local coffee shop to set goals for 2026. At the end of 2024, we adopted an exercise we call “8760,” referencing the number of hours in a year. We utilize an outline created by Alex Vermeer on how to set goals across various areas in our lives. It is a method by which we are able to develop ourselves a little further with more concrete, actionable steps.

We’ve included the link below if you’d like to join us on this process!

LINK HERE

The guide breaks down our lives into 12 distinct areas. It also provides a list of questions to think about as we map out each of these areas. Peter and I wanted to share some of our overarching goals and perhaps the sequential steps we will take this year to getting closer to those defined goals. The exercise itself took only half a day to do, and is a great scaffold to set your year off right!

Values & Purpose

Peter: includes growth/progress, freedom/flexibility, family/friends, meaning/purpose, and time/choice. To this end, Peter has been much stricter with his time in 2025, moving conscientiously in all domains of his life to only involve things or people who matter to him. This has allowed him to move the dial in all of those categories (explored in more detail in the following categories). He will continue refining this process of optimizing his time usage in order to achieve those values.

Howard: includes freedom/flexibility, stability/contentment, simplicity/balance, change/growth, and friends/family. To this end, I have been working steadfastly in developing more structure within my life. Peter has helped tremendously in this effort. Structure has allowed me to partition my time effectively to also move the needle in these areas. Simultaneously, however, I have been working this past year to find flexibility within the restraints of our relationship to honor my own values.

Contribution & Impact

Peter: to have a homestead with minimal carbon footprint, and to further cultivate meaningful relationships with those around him. To this end, in 2025, Peter has taken steps in being more environmentally friendly, up- or recycling where possible, minimizing unneeded purchases, and slowly hosting more events as a social “glue.” He also contributes to society through his work which includes improving healthcare systems. In 2026, he hopes to just make an incremental step toward growing more of his own produce (herbs).

Howard: to be able to take care of loved ones, provide security for those close to him, and improving the lives of others through medical care. To this end, in 2025, I have continued to provide evidence-based medical care (despite some angry patients at times), acquired a new role in advising other healthcare providers at my institution, started up- and recycling, continued to be prosocial, and have been more consciously generous with friends and family. In 2026, I have a modest goal similar to Peter’s which is to start on a home garden of sorts.

Location & Tangibles

Peter: to ultimately have a home of his own, preferably nearby family and loved ones, and with minimal material belongings. In 2025, Peter was able to work toward this goal by still buying nothing, moving out from parents to live with his partner, and continues to work remotely which allows him great access to everything he needs. In 2026, he plans on donating and cleaning out old belongings. He would also like to move forward with possibly starting an AirBnB or rental property.

Howard: like Peter, I would also love a home of my own that is close to family, far from crowded areas and cozy enough to host for friends. In 2025, I was able to work toward this goal by holding off on getting a new car while still acquiring sentimental items to cozy up my home (Labubus, espresso machine, ceramics). I still only buy the things I love and have kept my home clutter free. Moving into 2026, I would like to re-consider getting a new car as my current one starts to face problems—the need for repairs and maintenance are showing.

Money & Finances

Peter: involves better control of money allocation, financial freedom (e.g., unrestricted spending on education, experiences, and travel), as well as FIREing with no strings attached. In 2025, he was able to progress toward this goal by getting a better handle on finances. This includes knowing his/our exact monthly budget, where every dollar goes, and long-term projections of current income and growth. With this improved financial road map, he is hoping that 2026 will be the year when he is able to reduce tax burden and living expenses, all the while increasing cash flow. The most obvious answer here may involve real estate and some form of house-hacking.

Howard: I would like to become more financially literate and achieve a point in FIRE where I don’t have to consciously budget, of course with the option to continue working if desired. In 2025, I was able to move toward this goal by becoming more knowledgable about alternative sources of income, some tax law and loopholes, and retirement investments. With Peter’s help, I was also able to get a good grasp on my budgeting skills and a better sense of where the money is going as well as where we are headed in the next few years. In 2026, I plan on refining and building upon this knowledge base to hopefully shelter some of my income in the year after.

Career & Work

Peter: would like to continue with a flexible (in both hours and location) job, perhaps pivot into a role more indispensable, and to eventually become his own boss (responds to no one and can hand off tasks to others)! To this end, he has expanded his skills in Excel and Notion which have provided him greater clout in not only his W2 job but with freelancing gigs as well. He still works in pharmacy and will continue to do so, but would like to consider alternative routes where he is not tied to being an employee. He hopes to pivot more into real estate in 2026 by learning skills around marketing, curating spaces, accounting, etc.

Howard: would like to eventually work only as needed in his role as a physician while considering other unconventional jobs, eliminate work stress, and expand upon mastery of psychiatry. In 2025, I’ve been increasingly frustrated with a variety of parameters within healthcare which I’m actively working to reduce. I worked toward various milestones in my current job in terms of administrative duties, specialist consultations, and education. I also continued edifying my skills through reading. In 2026, I would like to continue expanding my skills as a psychiatrist, both in psychotherapy and in pharmacology. I would also like to work with Peter in garnering a new skillset for alternative forms of work.

Health & Fitness

Peter: includes maintaining as much muscle mass and bone density as possible while aging to ensure physical independence in later age (capable of doing anything and everything)! To this end, he was ate a diet primarily consisting of lean protein and vegetables throughout the year, kept better tracking of his weight-lifting, and got more consistent sleep. He did, however, unfortunately stop rock climbing due to the strain on his fingers. Moving into 2026, he would like to replace his snacks with healthier alternatives (sour gummies are going to be his demise). He would also like to be more consistent with getting 10k steps per day.

Howard: similarly would like to age well both in physical and cognitive health to ensure optimal independence in later ages and minimal chronic illnesses. In 2025, I was able to track and progress quite a bit in terms of weight-lifting. Similar to Peter, I had to unfortunately stop rock climbing due to finger strain. However, I am happy to reach approximately 56k steps per week (8k average per day)! I did partake in a little more junk food than I had hoped as Peter often brings home bags of sugary treats. For this next year, I am hoping to specifically to ensure a fully stocked fridge at all times with healthier alternatives. This will also mean further improving my skills in cooking and food preparation. I’d like to also bump my daily steps up to 10k per day.

Education & Skill Development

Peter: would like to leverage more technology and eventually learn the structural and functional “anatomy” of houses in hopes of becoming self-sustaining. In this past year, he developed robust skills in Upwork, Excel, and Notion. He took it upon himself to learn various skillsets that would augment not only his day job but his everyday life which, coincidentally, also translated into freelancing. We also started listening to audiobooks on our nightly walks as a way to continually learn about various topics. He hasn’t learned much in the way of maintaining houses, but that is a goal of his in 2026 so that he is better able to manage AirBnBs and eventually his own personal residence.

Howard: would like to develop skills in nutrition, plants, language, and psychiatry. In the past year, I finished a dense psychotherapy textbook in addition to several other audiobooks. Thanks to Peter’s sister, I was also able to adopt a few more plants to slowly care for them. Conversely, I also failed in caring for our first herb garden where even the hardiest of them met an untimely demise. And finally, I am very proud of consistently learning Japanese, Vietnamese, and English (vocabulary) on a daily basis. Moving in 2026, I plan on doing much of the same, though will put all my efforts into learning Vietnamese more thoroughly first. I’d also like to develop more technical skills for increased handiness when it comes to home maintenance and repair.

Social Life & Relationships

Peter: is focused primarily on family experiences, expanding his family, and deepening existing relationships. To this end, Peter spent 2025 refining his familial relationships. He is happier in his relationships not only with his baby sister but also with his parents. He has found increased consistency with several friends. We tried our hand at couples therapy, though our therapist was not a good fit for us. And finally, we has worked tremendously hard at cultivating a relationship with my family and friends. Moving into 2026, we hope to find a new couples therapist as well as many more trips together with our blended families. Peter also would like to host more social events, something he is slowly learning to tolerate.

Howard: similarly would like to deepen existing relationships, re-engage in couples therapy (so fun!), and eventually expand into raising a family. Since coming back to Orange County and settling in for 2025, I have been seeing my parents on a near weekly basis which has done wonders for our relationship. This has given us the opportunities to explore local adventures, restaurants, and experiences. I continued to emphasize quality over quantity in terms of relationships. In 2026, I also look forward to hosting more events for family and friends while also re-engaging with couples therapy. We already have another trip to Japan planned for 2026 with members of both our families!

Emotions & Well-Being

Peter: working towards more self-reflection and mindfulness, becoming the best version of himself, and become more well-rounded in emotional development. In this past year, he has felt emotionally content with his life, maintaining a good supply of optimism. He refrains from comparing himself to others and this has led to less stress. Additionally, he has worked toward being more compromising in his relationships (especially with me)! He found it difficult this past year to establish firm but gentle boundaries at times, often letting his compromises go down slippery slopes. He will work at improving that in 2026. He will also work to be more mindful in offering others help, even if others are not openly expressing such.

Howard: working toward less overthinking, establishing boundaries without worrying, happiness and contentment even in the face of difficulty, and surrounding himself with positive relationships. In 2025, I’ve been overall happy and content. I’m glad to still maintain abundant optimism about the future. I had some difficulties with being open with discontentment and frustrations in the context of my relationship with Peter, which is something I’d like to actively work on moving into 2026. In addition, I’m constantly working on resiliency and not letting the small things affect me too much—much of this will require proactive management of the issues at hand or discussing with the people involved.

Character & Identity

Peter: would like to avoid conforming to social norms, evolve into someone who consistently checks his weaknesses while growing his strengths, and to identify as someone who is a lifelong learner or reader. For 2025, he has embraced his identity as a friend and son, working on his relational weaknesses to grow into a better version of himself. He’s also been a great learner in all the ways iterated above. For 2026, he will be working on dimensions and qualities of empathy, courage, and confidence. Of course, he will continue to nourish his strengths while seeking feedback and growth in areas of weakness.

Howard: would like to feel less shame around weaknesses and utilize that as inspiration to improve, to work on comparing myself less to others, and to develop more of a character or identity outside of work. In 2025, I avoided continual merging of identity with work by setting better limits and not saying yes to every opportunity. In developing character outside of work, I’ve stopped giving so much in that arena while finding other ways in my life to give. I continued to invest in relationships with time and energy as the people around me contribute to my identity. Moving into 2026, I’d like to work more on confidence, continue learning, and continue giving abundantly in my relationships.

Productivity & Organization

Peter: is focused on a life with less variability in his week (i.e. more structure), and with work to be more focused and with fewer distractions. In the last year, Peter worked on several methods of organization to create as little variability in his week as possible. At the very least, he wants to avoid surprises that can be heavily disruptive to his flow. We were able to develop an ideal week, in addition to getting him a dedicated workspace in our apartment. With 3 screens, he has been able to optimize his productivity. He’s also slowly put more and more of his life onto Notion as a means of organization. In the coming year, he hopes to further streamline Notion. He’d also like to incorporate more habit stacking to make incremental progress toward larger habits.

Howard: is focused on improving organization of internal deadlines, maximizing efficiency, outsourcing skills and activities that I have no passion for, and focus on activities that produce life satisfaction. Overall, 2025 has been full of great organizational success. Weekends have been more structured with just enough room for spontaneity that I do not get bored, even if I am working extra shifts. The development of our ideal week has been a great skeleton to get in major goals for the week. The downside is that this level of productivity and organization requires a lot more planning than anticipated. To that end, I would like to develop in 2026 more skill in adopting structure—this way I can carve out more time for productivity that is also meaningful. This might mean that I need to learn and utilize Notion more regularly…

Adventure & Creativity

Peter: is focused on adventure and occasional exploration with friends, as well as sharing new and exciting knowledge with others. In 2025, he worked towards this goals by learning how to creatively utilize AI across many areas, went on a variety of trips with loved ones, and even started a few projects (Wealthy Prognosis being one)! In 2026, he would like to leverage some of this creativity and sense of adventure into doing something entirely new to him: management of AirBnB. Of course, we’d also like to travel more and experience new things abroad as well.

Howard: is focused on travel as the primary means of adventure (so much to see in the way of architecture, landmarks, and ecosystems), but would like to hone in on more creative outlets including cooking, design, art, and language. In 2025, I have been able to embark on this journey of Wealthy Prognosis with Peter. I was also briefly working on projects with Canva (more for personal pleasure than anything). Cooking with a random number generator for ingredients has also been a creative challenge for me. Perhaps the funnest of activities were the floral arranging parties throughout the course of the year. In terms of adventure, I’m so blessed to have explored Hokkaido with great friends. In the coming year, I’d like to continue exploring nearby trails/hikes, adventure more while traveling, and try new food combinations both in restaurants and at home.

That’s a wrap! This is a very lengthy list, but let’s see how Peter and I do over the course of 2026—stay tuned for our weekly rambles! And if you have any resolutions for the New Year, do let us know!