Themes

• 2026

  Year of Creation

  Handmaking a life and a schedule I love: building my own AI, my own portfolio of clients, and new books on Mark Twain and Da Vinci.

• 2025

  Year of Faith

  It’s been a big year of change: lost a job, lost 16 pounds, focused on family, being present, celebrating my brother’s first baby, and a new book on Gandhi.

• 2024

  Year of Fatherhood

  I focused on being a great husband and father, reading a lot, playing, taking care of myself, started a new job, got a new car and released a book on Franklin.

• 2023

  Year of Community

  We moved to a new townhouse, cultivated neighborhood friendships, started pre-K, had family visit from Mongolia, traveled a lot, and released a book on Lincoln.

• 2022

  Year of Adventure

  We traveled a lot, spent the whole summer in Mongolia, I was my brother’s best man, said yes to a new job and focused on fitness with a great new trainer.

• 2021

  Year of Wellness

  I said yes to things that helped make me and my family happy and healthy, focusing on sleep, fitness, healthy habits, joy and moving into a bigger home.

• 2020

  Year of Home

  I explored what home means to me, focusing on our new family, being a first-time dad, spending time with family and friends and looking inward.

• 2019

  Year of Family

  We found out we were having a baby boy, moved to a new home closer to family, shifted the Optimist Center to new owners, and welcomed Dalai to the world!

• 2018

  Year of Love

  I was focused on Tunga, my amazing optimists, teaching and advising my graduate students, running the Optimist Center, traveling and our new puppy!

• 2017

  Year of Optimism

  I built the Optimist Center, helped Tunga graduate, taught high school, college and four graduate classes, stepped up in leadership, and launched my optimist program.

• 2016

  Year of Happiness

  I wanted my year to be about my top value and really explore what it meant to me. I took on several new jobs and projects with amazing people and released a new book.

• 2015

  Year of Focus

  I came into the year with a job loss and helping Tunga get into graduate school. I also focused more on freelancing and started to do more coaching.

• 2014

  Year of Simplicity

  I pared things down, simplified my personal and professional life, and got back to the people and things I loved most. I also finished my thesis and graduate school.

• 2013

  Year of Unity

  I focused on bringing together all of the various projects, organizations and initiatives I was involved in, unifying them under Advance Humanity.

• 2012

  Year of Awesome

  I focused on launching Advance Humanity, spent the year developing the website, working with New Media Group and starting graduate school.

• 2011

  Year of Reflection

  I focused on getting married, finishing my time with Peace Corps, writing Enough and spent more time meditating, slowing down and experiencing things more deeply.

• 2010

  Year of Greatness

  I wanted to define greatness for myself and my life. I wrote in the theme statement: this year I want to live my greatest life in the greatest service to others.

• 2009

  Year of Advance Humanity

  I began deciding what the idea of Advance Humanity was all about, how I wanted to share it with others and how they could join in the effort.

• 2008

  Year of Endeavor

  I left for Peace Corps and began living and working in Mongolia as a Health Volunteer. I wanted to see the whole year and every day as an adventure.

• 2007

  Year of Discovery

  I graduated from college, applied to Peace Corps and prepared for discovering new things about the world and myself. Mark Twain’s quote really inspired me.

“Make things as simple as possible.”

Albert Einstein

See the dreams these years made come true, and what I’m doing now.