I have read hundreds of stories from successful people who were unhappy & miserable.

Unhappy, because when they finally achieved what they were working so hard for, it didn't feel like they thought it would.

The main reason, I believe, is because they chased the wrong goals, climbed the wrong mountains.

That's easily preventable.

When you start sailing, you first need to decide where you want to go. When you start climbing a mountain, you first need to decide what mountain to climb.

It's the same in life. Before you start running after shiny goals

You are at the starting line of life. In the middle of a crowd - your peers. And everyone starts running in one direction. So you start running in the same direction. But hold on - is this even the direction you want to run towards? What's at the end?

Every year, I sit down for an hour and ask myself the question: What do I want out of life?

So, here's what I currently want out of life (these are unfiltered thoughts):

I read something the other day that said: "the ordinary life isn't for me".

I want to live life on my own terms. I want to do WHAT I want WHEN I want with WHOM I want.

I want to live many lives: entrepreneur. Adventurer. Speaker. Author. Filmmaker. Explorer. Dad. Philanthtroph (what a weird word) - better: guy who makes the world better. 

I want to go to bed with a smile. I want to wake up monday morning being excited for the day. 

I don’t want to distinguish between weekend and Mo-Fr. I decide when to work. And it doesn’t even matter. Because work doesn’t feel like work. 

I want to have my default mood settings as happy. I want to no external event to affect my mood. Grumpy german cashier yelling at me - no problemo. I smile. 

I want to be the most optimistic & happy person you know. 

I want a house full of love.

I want to laugh often and much. 

I want to have fun. 

I want to make my 12yo me proud. If my 12yo me looks at my life and says: “wtf happened? What happened with all the dreams?”. Something went wrong

I want to make my 99yo me look back at his life and go: “yeah. That was awesome”. 

I want to live in a beautiful state, no matter what. Even when things don’t go my way, because life is too short to suffer. 

A strong mind, a strong body, and a house full of love

I want the things that I do to give me energy.

I want to work with people that give me energy. No energy-drainers.

I want to be free. 

I don’t want to say certain things just so that the other person likes me. I want to be confident in who I am in every situation.

I want to keep being naive like a child. A child doesn’t know what’s possible & what isn’t. They just try. They put themselves on a skateboard and go. And fall. But they get back up again. 

I like nice things. Expensive vacations. A nice house. But I want to know that I am happy without them. I don’t need them. They are like the cherry on top of a cake (find a different saying to spice it up)

I want time to be the thing that I value most. Don’t spend it cheaply. 

I want to do things that make my eyes light up. 

I don’t want to complain, ever. I travelled to the poorest countries on this planet. I have seen a 10yo boy work 12h shifts making shoes. He would love my problems. I have nothing to complain about. ##One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted.

I want to remind myself that it is ok to fail. Steph Curry fails. Michael jordan won 4/7. (Greek player speech)

I want to remind myself that you need to embarrass yourself to win. 

I want to follow my dreams. But more important is to enjoy the journey to achieve those dreams. If I don’t enjoy the journey to get there, I need better dreams. Choose the things you are chasing wisely. 

I want to inspire others. 

I want to be the guy that says he makes something happen and then makes the thing happen. 

I don’t want to sleepwalk through life. (different wording, da Shaan said it). I want to think about what I want out of life. Make a plan on how to get there in Chris-style. And then do it. And I want to have a lot of fun while doing it. 

I want to meet inspiring people. 

I want to build a business. Give speeches where people say: “that speech changes me”. Make documentaries about rural tribes in Africa - national geographic style. 

I want to be the guy that made a plan on how to live his life and then make it happen. 

I don’t want to feel envy. I want to be the guy that genuinely is happy for other people when they achieve something. I want to leave my ego at the door. I want my insecurities to disappear. 

My priorities: #1 health, #2 happiness, #3 family, #4 work

I wnt to live life as if everything is rigged in my favor. 

I want to be impatient with action but patient with results. 

I want to work on things where I can pour my soul into. 

Some of my strengths/ values: curiosity, creativity, love of learning. Find work that satisfies those. 

I want to live that: 

• “What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh

I want to remember that I will die. Live life with urgency. Call your grandfather. He is 86. He might live only for 4 more summers.