Highlights from 2023

Business

• We hit over 50k click-throughs from Google search in July
• Got over 290k views on a single YouTube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBoX_JCKZTE&t=6017s
• Got over 3,000 subscribers to our YouTube channel
• Hit over 500k ARR/ 50K MRR by the end of 2023 – up from about 5k MRR at the end of 2022!
• Hired our first 2 people to help us work on the business – part-time but still a first!

Hiking Group

• Lead over 20 group hikes
• Several hikes took place without me – which is what I wanted last year.
• Did a group hike away in the snowy mountains near Dresden in December

German Speaking

• Got to the point of speaking German to German strangers several times for over 2-3 hours while doing an indoor climbing meetup.

• Was able to do several apartment viewings in German and had no issues with going to the viewings and dealing with the estate agents through German. Very useful to have it in this case.

Health/Fitness

• Trained over 20 weeks for the Berlin marathon
• Ran over 1000km in 2023
• Got down to 91.6kg on the scales the week before the marathon
• Completed the marathon in 4h, 34seconds – just outside my target of sub 4hs – will have to do another in the future!

• Cycled with a friend from Berlin to Copenhagen over 6 days. 3 days cycling through Germany – 3 days cycling through Denmark.

Finances

• Hit rock bottom and had to ask my parents for a loan to keep me afloat in January.

• By May I was able to have my first pay cheque from the business. By December my salary had risen to €75k (Gross – per year). All from the business. Finally able to build my savings back up again – after my debts are all paid off!

How close was I to my 2023 goals?

Business

• Grow the business revenue to 50k+ per month – Hit this goal ✅
• Grow YouTube subscribers to 5,000+ – got to 3,000/5,000 subscribers
• Grow website clickthroughs to 50k+ per month – Hit this goal ✅

Hiking/ German Practice Groups

• Grow the Practice German In Berlin to over 80-100 monthly regulars, at 4 different locations in the city. – kind of gave up on the Practice German In Berlin idea as I didn’t get anyone involved to run it with me. Needs a dedicated group to run this. Would like to try again in the future as there is a lot of demand there for this.
• Grow the hiking group to over 25-30 people consistently showing up weekly. Run 2 more 6-week hikes with a weekend trip at the end. – Hit this goal ✅
• Grow the number of people who can help me run both groups so I’m only doing 10% of the work instead of 90% of the work. This is the main key to success here – still mostly me doing the work – had some success but need to get more people involved

Health/Fitness

• Complete the Berlin marathon (In September 2023), ideally in less than 4 hours – my entry has already been accepted! – almost hit this – just missed out by 34 seconds…
• Get down to sub 90kg – got down to 91.6kg but then back up at 95kg by the end of the year
• Do a rock climbing course – Hit this goal ✅
• Do a paragliding/ sailing course – Not enough time in 2023
• Keep doing weights – Hit this goal ✅

German Speaking

Get my German speaking level up to B2 if I can. Join something where I can practice my German with only native German speakers. – Hit this goal ✅

Goals for 2024

Business

• Try to get the business to 100k-250k of monthly revenue by the end of 2024
• Get our YouTube channel to 10k subscribers
• Get our monthly click-throughs from Google to 100k per month
• Get a few full time employees to help us scale the business more in 2024

Health/Fitness

• 100km of running in 48 hours
• 100km hike/walk in 24 hours
• Get to sub 90kg

German Speaking

• Keep improving my speaking/reading/writing and attend a weekly meetup which only takes place in German

Other

• Do a sailing course so I can charter yachts
• Move into my own place
• Clubs finder – get people using my side project where people can find clubs to join in their city
• Maybe do a paragliding or skydiving course

Priorities for 2024

• Health – need to prioritise my health more in 2023. I think I was doing a good job for the 4 months leading up to the marathon because I was getting in 4 to 5 hours per week of cardio in and I was also doing a session or two of weights at the time. But before and after this 4 month period my training was hit and miss. For 2024 I’d like to get to 4 hours of cardio per week and maybe 1 weights session per week regularly.

• Business – just need to keep executing on the plan we have for the business which I’m fairly confident will work out and lead to more growth.

• Other – I’d like to keep trying new things and expanding my skills in other areas. This keeps life interesting and stops me from just getting comfortable.

• German speaking – my german speaking is still improving in spurts. The main thing I need to do is just find a regular place to practice and I’ll be fine. I’m not too worried about this now that I can manage most day-to-day situations.