All protocols duly observed; all enthusiasms at ‘making it’ into a new year perfunctorily ejaculated; all telegraphings of a different mindset towards 2018 convincingly telegraphed, let us begin.

Ahem.

In 2015, I, in a sort of clandestine, hush-hush way, fondled (with attendant turgidity) the idea of running my life like a company, you know: fiscal budgets, big goals, 10X growth projections, early hires and fires, expansions and, yes, KPIs. That sort of thing — applying several tedious mental models to capture, and ensure the longevity and growth goals of the extant organization.

What if I ran my life like that, I wondered? Like a company — with targets and goals, quasi-arbitrary numbers which, depending on if I hit, surpass, or fail them — would determine, in quantifiable terms, if I have had a successful year?

Out with the vague New Year Resolutions. In with KPIs!

It is now 2018, and for the first time, I am going forward with the very idea: a KPI system. First, of course, I have to define the aspects of my life I wish to see growth in.

Join me:

Reading 

Instead of reading ‘as the spirit leads’ and deciding afterwards that it was a ‘good year for my reading palate,’ I have decided to curate first — before consuming — the ponderous tomes I shall be dedicating my time to this year.

To that end, I shall be reading 50 books this year (already read two, so yay good start!). They shall span the interest areas of design, illustration, animation, speculative fiction, storytelling and Nigerian history.

Comics

(At least 20 comics on Obaranda)

Illustrations worthy of a portfolio

Thirty of those things!

Obaranda animated video webisodes

At least five this year, depending on how quickly I get the hang of full production of animations.

My graphic novel

At least 100 pages this year.

Spiritual life

As part of my aspirations for 2018, I want to become more active in the church. This means, for starters, attending church every Sunday (that’s 52 weeks, one of which I already missed — SAD!).

Two more KPIs which I am not sharing here because of their, ah, delicate nature: charity and investments. I have a figure, scribbled after much thought, in the back of my sketchbook.

There. Bare KPIs. Might add more to this list, but I’m definitely not taking anything out.

I am posting this here in the hope that knowing a number of people have seen this will (somehow) hold me accountable.

Happy New Year everyone!