At the begining of the year I set a variety of aspirations for this year. Not really goals or resolutions, but aspirations so that I would not obsess over them.
Health & Wellness
This was my primary aspiration to be selfish and focus on my health and wellness activities. I had set a few specific objectives
As of this morning (August 6, 2025), I have completed 250 out of 350 total workouts and 325 in iFit, so I’m well on my way.
I hit this goal while also completing iFit’s Around the World Treadmill challenge, which was nearly 30 miles and took me over 10 hours to complete the 21 workouts from around the world.
I also wanted to reach a specific weight, and I am now just 5 pounds away from it, feeling great and strong. I introduced kettlebells and jogging into the mix. I have a resting heart rate of 55 and a blood pressure of 110/70, which is well within the normal range.
Share Knowledge and Experiences
I wanted to share my knowledge, thoughts, and opinions. I have been doing more writing. I have written a multipart series on my epiphanies in search, a 12-part series on digital marketing for Search Engine Journal, and over 100 posts here on my blog and the Bisan Digital blog.
I had been hesitant to write because I couldn’t just churn out short, bulleted content that everyone says is necessary. I’ve realized that this is my writing style, and I will write for myself. If anyone wants to read it, that’s great. At least I have done my part, as my mentors have advised me to share my knowledge.
Visit 10 New Countries
I had set this aspiration to visit ten new countries. I may get halfway there. So far, I added Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Gibraltar, and Morocco. I will be adding Bhutan at the end of the year with a repeat visit to Nepal. We have decided to visit some cities in the Andalusia region in Spain and Naples/Pompeii in Italy, both countries we have already been to, so I will take them as new places. We will also spend the holidays in Japan. This is why it is an aspiration, as it is easier to adapt than a goal.
Spend Quality Time with Family and Friends
I am slightly better with this goal. I have spent more time with my kids, and I am always with my wife. As we both work from home, I try to find cool and interesting things for us to do on the weekend. We have toured many historical homes and museums, hiked trails, and recently took a Connecticut lighthouse cruise.
Reduce Cross-Boarder Trade Friction for GDP Growth
This was my master’s thesis and the planned PhD research, which I had hoped to start this past fall. I have conducted extensive research on this topic and have narrowed the thesis to focus less on GDP growth, while still exploring Search Theory. I have written over 5,000 words on this topic that I have not shared, but I am keeping it organized in Google Notebook.
I have not given up on this idea, but modified it to better fit my current consulting. Here is the revised thesis:
Just as Porter’s Five Forces transformed strategic thinking about industry competition, a Five Strategic Levers model—integrating consumer, search, behavioral, information, and AI economics—offers a holistic framework for maximizing web effectiveness in the digital age.
