The Jona Gaze

Impossible List

Setting the pace for my future self on my first bike ride through Davis.

The Impossible List

5/6/22

The “Impossible List” is an idea I took from Thomas Frank of College Info Geek, who took it from Joel Runyon, the creator of the first impossible list. It’s very much in the spirit of a bucket list, but differentiates itself by being a fluid list of goals that compound on itself. The word “Impossible” is particularly important because it’s meant to describe goals that seem unobtainable to me, yet are set in stone as a way to one day accomplish. Some of them might seem small and mundane compared to the big and interesting, while some of them might not be succeeded in its entirety. Nonetheless, they are mostly goals that I find achievable, yet I know that they will not be met without friction.

Though these goals are personal, I share them publicly as I’m always one to provoke thought in living a deliberate life—after all, I live by the words Thoreau wrote in his book, Walden,

Latest Major Goals Completed (to get me started, and remind me of what I had already accomplished lately)

  • Became a certified California Naturalist (3/15/2022)

  • Sent a V7 boulder problem (7/21/2021)

  • Graduated from university in English Literature (5/14/2021)

  • Made my creative work emphasize my love for nature (1/11/2020)

  • Transferred from community college to university (28/21/2019)

  • Committed myself to, and share my life with my partner (9/4/2018)

Life Goals

  • Create a catalogue of impactful videos on the out in the wild experience as my stewardship of the environment.

  • Publish a curated collection of my photographs that has the out in the wild experience as its focus.

  • Screen a film or show I make at a movie theater. (2/16/2023)

  • Be self sufficient, and location independent.

  • Be less regretful of certain investments I make, monetarily and timely, while knowing damn well I will benefit from them down the line (i.e school, health insurance, traveling, social media, nothing).

  • Maintain a healthy and fulfilling relationship with family and friends, and especially my partner, Ekin.

  • Continue provoking thought in people so a deliberate life can be lived.

Professional Goals

  • Facilitate an outdoor adventure that involves camping and nature interpretation. (7/27/2023)

  • Become a locally known guide for my immediate community.

    • The goal is simply to be more known, but more importantly be a representative for those without access or relatability so they feel not only seen, but also motivated to get outside.

  • Produce an educational library of videos on outdoor and naturalist concepts.

  • Collaborate with another dedicated creator on a major project. (6/22/2023)

  • Be commissioned by a client that protects the environment.

  • Be a part of a PBS, Discovery, Animal Planet, National Geographic, or BBC Earth production.

YouTube

    • Gain 50 subscribers (9/8/2023)

      • Inspired by Tom Buck’s 50 subscriber milestone live stream

    • Gain 100 subscribers

      • For custom URL

    • Gain 257 subscribers

      • This is not a random number! My first YouTube channel I created back in 2011 has this many subscribers as of writing this. It’s accumulated to that amount randomly, and I also uploaded to the channel for archival purposes rather than creative.

        • I’d like to gain this amount for personal validation; this tells me that my scope goes beyond my immediate social circle.

    • Gain 1000 subscribers

      • For purpose validation; this tells me that my work is is making impact not only a larger scale, but also in a way that is lasting for those that have stuck around this long.

    • Gain 3000 subscribers

      • This milestone will be a moment where I begin thinking more in depth about the future of this channel. I want it to grow into something greater; something that is, at this very moment, inexplicable and unimaginable. One thought that I’ll ruminate over is doing YouTube full time.

    • Gain 10000 subscribers

      • This milestone will most likely mark the moment I do YouTube full-time, and in turn be the catalyst of major change in not only my life, but hopefully others as well.

Finances

    • Make $3,000 (gross) every month

      • This is the minimum amount of money I’ve projected to need in order to live the lifestyle I want.

        • It’s embarrassing to publish this particularly because I have a bachelors degree, plus I’m also 26 years old, but this is a self imposed inhibition that I want to surmount.

    • Make $5,000 (gross) every month

      • This is the amount of money that’s been reported to be the average monthly earnings for bachelor degree holders.

        • It’s an amount that is nearly double what is ideal for me, and it’ll be nice to have more income that’ll largely be added to an emergency savings, donation fund, and future projects.

    • Make $10,000 (gross) in a month

      • As someone who has never had that amount of money in my bank account, nor written out to me for as a budget, it’s hard for me to imagine what I could do with this money.

        • I know that it’ll largely buy me time, and, in saying that, some degree of clarity and sanity.

    • Purchase health insurance for myself (can you believe I bought health insurance for my dog before myself?!) (1/8/2023)

    • Save an extra amount of emergency money that is three times the amount of my monthly bills.

    • Donate at least $100 to a charity, foundation, project, or non-profit in a single year.

    • Donate at least $250 to a charity, foundation, project, or non-profit in a single year.

    • Donate at least $500 to a charity, foundation, project, or non-profit in a single year.

    • Design a tiny home, and live in it for at least a year.

Fitness / Health Goals

Rock climbing

    • Bouldering

      • Send V4 and V5 consistently (11/1/2022)

      • Send another V6 at Rocknasium, then do the rating consistently (7/2/2023)

    • Ropes

      • Send TR 5.11 consistently (11/1/2022)

      • Send lead 5.11+ for the first time

      • Trad climb for the first time

      • Big wall climb (150+ feet) for the first time

      • Be able to traverse for an hour straight—no getting off the wall

Cycling

    • Bikepack overnight at Lake Solano Park (42 mile round trip)

    • Do a 30+ mile trip on a weekly basis, and at least for a month straight

    • Do 50 miles in a single day (7/20/2023—Actually rode a total of 67 miles that day because I commuted back and fourth for a 12 mile group ride later in the evening 😉)

    • Do 75 miles in a single day

    • Do 100 miles in a single day

    • Do 100 miles in a single month (7/23/2023)

    • Do 200 miles in a single month

    • Do 300 miles in a single month

    • Do 3 routes from Davis Bike Club (under 25 miles list)

      • Pony Express

      • Two Cemeteries and a University (5/12/22)

      • Davis to Discovery Park

Calisthenics

    • Do 20 continuous pull ups

    • Do a front lever

    • Plank for 3 minutes straight

Habit Goals

    • Maintain a daily stretch routine (fitness)

    • Read 25 pages a day for three months in a row (intellect)

    • Produce videos twice a month for 6 months (creativity)

    • Camp at least 5 times in a year (lifestyle)

    • Go on a romantic jaunt with my partner at least 3 times in a year (relationship)

    • Make up my own minimalist principles

    • Practice buddhism until I’ve reached nirvana.

Creative Goals

    • Do a documentary along the Sacramento and American Rivers, on the concept of “places taking us elsewhere mentally.”

      • Sacremento and its surrounding environment, at times, reminds me of the South, and even the French Quarter of New Orleans—places I’ve never been, but only seen in movies or read in books.

        • I’d love to talk about the history of the city with the Sacramento and American Rivers being the core of the storytelling.

          • The documentary will be the visual vessel, and Jazz will be the auditory delivery.

    • Create a series on outdoor activities in the style of PBS and Discovery channel.

      • I.e Rock climbing history, but not focused on the difficulty or milestone, but the historical and environmental significance.

        • Meant to inspire a broader appreciation for the experience of the activity.

    • Write an ecopoetry anthology dedicated to John Shoptaw and Catherine Edelmann, English professors that taught me about nature writing

      • Perform that anthology dedicated to Lawrence Driscoll, the British English Professor that told me its ok to show up even if I don’t know what I’m doing—I’m here to learn he told me, and to that I say I’m here to have a good time.

    • Write an ecocritical ethics statement dedicated to Angela Misaghi, the English professor that told me to go for the major

    • Learn how to properly work with lighting set ups for photography and filmmaking

    • Learn how to play the piano or become a pro whistler

Skill Goals

    • Become fluent in Turkish

    • Become fluent in Tagalog

    • Become literate in bird identification

    • Become literate in bird behavior

    • Learn how to Salsa

    • Learn how to Tango

    • Learn how to Waltz

Fun and/or “Insane” Goals

    • Meet Jane Goodall, the anthropologist that I read about as a kid that inspired my wide eyes for wildlife

    • Meet David Attenborough, the naturalist that I’m aspiring to be

    • Meet Terrence Malick, the filmmaker that brought me to my senses

    • Meet Emmanuel Lubezki, the cinematographer that showed me another way to see the world

    • Skydive

    • Underwater dive for a filmmaking production

    • Climb Mt. Shasta

    • Climb Mt. Whitney

    • See a shoe-bill stork

    • See a wild secretary bird

    • See a wild bald eagle

    • See a wild king fisher

    • See a wild grey wolf

    • See a Philippine long-tailed Macaque

    • See an Oregon grape flower

    • See Pando

    • Dine at the French Laundry with my partner

    • Dine at Medieval Times with my partner

    • Dine at Medieval Times with my bros

    • Take my mom on a camping trip out in the wild

    • Take my dog on a camping trip out in the wild

Events to Attend

    • California Naturalist Conference

    • Cannes Film Festival

    • Palm Springs International Film Festival

    • Jackson Hold Wildlife Film Festival

    • Wild and Scenic Film Festival (2/16/2023)

    • The weddings of my closest friends

Travel Goals

    • Visit all 9 National Parks in California

    • Visit all 15 National Monuments in California

    • Visit all 63 National Parks in the United States of America

    • Visit all 50 states of the United States of America

    • Visit Canada

    • Visit Mexico

    • Visit Brazil

    • Visit Venezuela

    • Visit Colombia

    • Visit Egypt

    • Visit the Serengeti

    • Visit the Nile River

    • Visit Chobe National Park

    • Visit Turkey (7/12/2022)

    • Visit England

    • Visit Ireland

    • Visit Spain

    • Revisit Italy

    • Visit New Zealand

    • Visit Fiji

    • Visit Japan

    • Visit China

    • Revisit the Philippines

If you found this list to pique your interest, then I encourage you to make your own! Feel free to share it with me, the world, or no one. In doing all of this, the point is for me to be able to look back on my life, and reflect on it constructively, positively, and progressively. I’m showing up, and trying to have a good time while doing so.