The Best of 2023
My top posts, books, songs, decisions, wins, moments, and photos.
The Best of 2023
For the final post of 2023, I want to share highlights, best moments, and memorable milestones from my year.
I hope this is a fun read and provides inspiration and structure for you to complete a similar practice for your year.
Please enjoy!
My Most Popular Posts
One Year Sober: Why I quit drinking.
Stories over Science: Why exercise should be inspired by people, not studies.
Spirit over Six Pack: Exercising for aesthetics is not enough.
Letting Go Like The Waffle Man: Befriending an uncertain future.
The Standard American Diet: If you eat the SAD, you will probably die much sooner than if you don’t.
Looking for more to read? You can find more of my most popular posts in 2023 at the bottom.1
I published three ebooks…
P.S. Paid subscribers can download PDFs for From Stiff to Supple, The Complete Breathwork Manual, and my Outlive book notes.
Annual memberships are 20% OFF until December 31st.
My Top 3 Books
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
If you’re the same as I was — a hard-core non-fiction reader — I strongly encourage you to read more fiction in 2024. In some ways, fiction is realer than non-fiction.
You’ll learn more than you can from most non-fiction books while getting lost in a captivating story. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is a great place to start.
My Top 5 Songs
Stick Season by Noah Kahan
Northern Attitude by Noah Kahan
All My Love by Noah Kahan
She Calls Me Back by Noah Kahan
We Three by Cory Weeds
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of Noah Kahan. Other than Mac Miller, he’s the only artist who produces albums I love cover to cover.
Cory Weeds made the list for the sole reason We Three is the first song on the Coffee Table Jazz Spotify playlist.
My Best Decisions
Taking the online course Write of Passage
Quitting my job to pursue a more meaningful long-term career
Travelling with some of the people I love most (my girlfriend, dad, and brother)
Some Big Wins
I was a guest on my first-ever podcast
I published 85 posts on longevityminded.ca without missing a week (which makes for 148 posts in the archive to date)
I continued weekly calls with my best pal for the third year in a row. Nothing is off-limits on our calls. We share wins, work through problems, and can be vulnerable knowing that the other person will be supportive and provide honest and constructive counsel with your best interest at heart.
Health, Fitness, and Wellbeing
Consistent cold showers for a year
Completed my longest-ever water-only fast: 90 hours
Maintained strength and fitness despite spending 140 days on the road
Trained the hardest I ever have in the summer: 8-10 workouts per week (5 runs, 3-4 strength, 1-2 knees over toes)
I completed my longest runs ever…
June 25, 2023: 16.15 km / 1:24:41 time / 5’15” pace
July 2, 2023: 15.08 km / 1:17:58 time / 5’10” pace
July 9, 2023: 20.08 km / 1:50:45 time / 5’31” pace
July 16, 2023: 21.30 km / 1:52:28 time / 5’17” pace
July 23, 2023: 23.37 km / 2:00:28 time / 5’09” pace
July 29, 2023: 25.05 km / 2:05:55 time / 5’02” pace
Travel
In 2023, I spent 140 days outside of my home province of Ontario travelling to destinations in seven countries across four continents.
Egypt with my Dad: Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Luxor, Hurghada
Istanbul alone
Italy and Lisbon with my girlfriend: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Verona, Venice, Naples, Sorrento, Capri
Hiking trip to Canmore, Banff, and Jasper with my brother, a buddy, and his brother
Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires with my brother
Argentina with my Dad: Salta, Córdoba, Bariloche, Ushuaia, El Calafate, El Chalten, Mar del Plata, Iguazu Falls, Foz do Iguaçu
Moments to remember
My 2024 Forecast
In January, I leave for Vietnam where I’ll spend three weeks before skipping over to Thailand in February to meet my Mom and Step Dad where I’ll spend three more weeks acting as their Thai tour guide.
Once I return home in late February, I plan to stick around Ontario for a while so I can be close to my girlfriend. As of right now, I don’t have any other travel plans for 2024 besides potentially continuing my four years and running annual expedition to Western Canada to fulfil my yearning to be among the mountains.
After quitting my job in 2023, I want to find work I love in 2024 while continuing to publish my most engaging and valuable writing for you.
Along with finding meaningful work, I plan to move out and buy a place of my own (I’m leaning towards a cabin on a lake if I can afford it). I turn 25 in January and don’t want to be staring down the barrel of the second half of my twenties while living in my Mom’s basement.
Other than a few flimsy predictions, my life is still very uncertain.
But uncertainty means opportunity.
So I’m chugging along one day at a time, trying to slow down, and remembering to have fun while the music is still playing.
Your turn…
Reflecting on your past year and planning the year forward is an extremely valuable practice.
It feels good to look at all you’ve done and everywhere you’ve been in the last 12 months and to make a few plans for the 12 months that lie ahead.
To do so, I complete the YearCompass and Timeline Planning Practice every year. Both are completely free. Find more information by clicking the hyperlinks.
I want to hear from you!
I would love to hear your biggest wins, brightest memories, and best lessons learned in 2023.
If you want to share, please leave a comment on this post. I love hearing from readers and I always respond!
Here’s to much love, joy, and prosperity in 2024.
Your friend,
Jack
More of my best writing from 2023…
I quit. Jumping before you’re ready and learning to live with uncertainty.
I shall not enter Odin’s hall with fear: Accepting and embracing death
How Timeline Planning Transformed My Life: A fear-inspired practice to find your True North.
Knee Down Fitness: How I bulletproofed my knees to live longer and do what I love without pain.
The Physical Art of Not Being Lonely: Curing loneliness and building community through exercise.
I'm struck by the notion that all of this fruit on your 2023 tree is ripening on the limbs of a family tree. It's actually one of the most inspiring things about your presence here, your connection to your family of origin, how close you stay to those roots, how you are carrying it into your own relationship, and the result is a deep and stable capacity for growth. You have something special going personally and in the context of your family system. Those connections are a form of health that cannot be underestimated.
Love the format of this review. I’m sure this is something that will age like a fine wine. Super valuable to look back on and remember what your year consisted of.
Very impressive mix of travel and fitness and relationships.