My white hair is coming in faster than ever, but it hasn’t brightened my dark hair yet. It’s only a matter of time before the salt-and-pepper sets in – a signal to the world of the wisdom I’ve gathered. I’ll miss my dark hair when it goes, but I’ll embrace my wise look when it arrives.

When I turned 25, I posted 25 goals for 25. Below I’ve reviewed them, annotated, refreshed, and added to create a new 35 for 35 goals list.

Key:

• Italic font: the 25 goals I had at 25-years-old
• Crossed out: 25-years-old goal that I completed
• Regular font: annotation
• Bold font: my goals at 35-years-old

35 for 35, listed in no particular order:

1. Ask for it. Done. REPLACE WITH: Finesse effective negotiation skills. Remember to apply these skills not just when negotiating for others but also when negotiating for myself.
2. Initiate: Don’t expect someone else to do it. Done. CARRY FORWARD: Initiate: Don’t expect someone else to do it.
3. Look for opportunities to be helpful. Done. REPLACE WITH: Advocate for underserved and marginalized populations represented within the patient population I serve.
4. Focus on living in the moment. Note the positive things. Done. CARRY FORWARD: Live in the moment. Note the positive things.
5. Take time to be thankful. Done. CARRY FORWARD: Take time to be thankful.
6. Get my novel ready for review. I did this then I threw it out. I have other novel ideas for the future should I wish to pursue that kind of writing again someday. REPLACE WITH: Create a home to call my own. By age 45 that home should include a plot of land.
7. Rock the GRE. Done plus the MCAT, all my med school exams, STEP 1, STEP 2, and STEP 3. REPLACE WITH: Pass my Internal Medicine board exam on the first try.
8. Be diligent about journaling. I journaled throughout my time in Paraguay. I lost the habit after I returned to the US until I started residency. I’ve been journaling at least weekly almost since I started residency. UPDATE TO: Journal using daily short snippets and weekly 1-pagers.
9. Read more. >> I read a lot of medical writing. UPDATE TO: Read more fiction and nonmedical writing.
10. Focus on health: Eat less sugar. Control portions. >> This is still a goal and a challenge. CARRY FORWARD: Eat less sugar and control portions.
11. Exercise every day. >> I’ve learned that exercising every day is not necessary or realistic. Exercise is, however, essential for health. Anything related to health is especially hard during residency. My current hypothesis is that residency shortens one’s life expectancy. I’m trying to dampen residency’s effect on me. I’m also trying to be healthy in general. UPDATE TO: Exercise multiple times weekly such that I feel healthy and strong.
12. Publish consistently on Connecting the Dots. Rocking it. Hit 10 years blogging in 2023. So far, my blog has documented my entire Peace Corps service, my premedical studies and getting into medical school, medical school, and now it’s recording my thoughts as I chip away at residency. CARRY FORWARD: Publish consistently on Connecting the Dots.
13. Learn Guaraní. >> I know some phrases, never did become fluent. Learned the important words for me. If I return to live in Paraguay I will reactivate this goal. REPLACE WITH: Stay current on the latest medical information relevant to my practice as a physician. Review uncommon and complex topics periodically to keep them on my differential and understanding.
14. Become fluent in Castellano. >> I made great strides while in Paraguay. I’ve used so much energy to learn medicine since I returned to the US that I’ve lost some of my Spanish. UPDATE TO: Practice and study Spanish to achieve better fluency with a focus on medical Spanish.
15. Stay in touch with my US network. Now I have an international network which evolves and changes like all living things do. REPLACE WITH: Create more opportunities to connect with family and friends.
16. Reach out to friends in Paraguay; don’t always go it alone. Done. Remember that time I lost my key in Paraguay? I didn’t have water and needed a shower in Paraguay? Got an upset stomach and asked my Paraguayan friends for the right herb to sooth my stomach? REPLACE WITH: Get involved in several activities/organizations to diversify how I spend my time and to meet like-minded people.
17. Hone patience. Done. REPLACE WITH: Work on calm, clarity, and patience in the setting of becoming a better teacher of medicine.
18. Smile more. Done. REPLACE WITH: Take at least one international vacation yearly. Travel abroad as much as is possible.
19. Learn biology, chemistry, and math. Done. I also learned medicine. REPLACE WITH: Learn to identify more local plants, trees, and birds.
20. Make listening to podcasts part of my routine. >> I like this idea, but I don’t think it will ever happen given how I live my life. REPLACE WITH: Learn about herbal medicine and explore what role alternative medicines play in helping my patients achieve their health goals.
21. Solidify a positive self-image. Done. Seems like forever since this was a challenge. REPLACE WITH: Push myself to learn about people who are different than me to expand my horizons and to understand others better.
22. Listen to understand, not to respond. Done. CARRY FORWARD: Listen to understand, not to respond.
23. Share more. Done. REPLACE WITH: Protect time to be quiet and reflect.
24. Let the little things go. Done. CARRY FORWARD: Let the little things go.
25. Ask more questions. Done. REPLACE WITH: Remain curious. When things become routine remember to be curious about new ways, new views, and new opportunities.
26. Explore every national park in the US.
27. Hike the length of Chile (chunking it is fine, though it’d be cool to do it in one go).
28. Hike the PCT (chunking it is fine).
29. Visit every state in the US. A visit is defined as: at least 24 hours with 3 meals, one night stay, and at least one activity other than travel.
30. Explore every country in Central and South America that is reasonably safe for US citizens to visit.
31. Start traveling to countries in Asia and Africa.
32. Retrace Darwin’s path on the Beagle.
33. Cultivate my nuclear family – which will metamorphose as time unfolds.
34. Attain financial independence by age 55.
35. Stay open to opportunities in my career. Push myself. Be brave enough to change and adjust as my goals and priorities evolve.