2016 Accomplishments/2017 Goals
Following the same format as years past, I’ll now do:
Following the same format as years past, I’ll now do:
2016 Goals Review
2016 Prioritized Accomplishments
2017 Prioritized Goals
2016 Goals Review
I’d say 2016 was more of a personal triumph than a professional one, specifically because it lacked a crowning achievement like 2014 or 2015. In 2014, I created the I AM INDIAN video. In 2015, I opened for the Indian Prime Minister in front of 17,000 people. 2016 lacked that.
The one big goal for 2016 was launching a talk show, which was semi-accomplished by:
Recording three soon-to-be-released interviews.
Facebook-live-streaming eight interviews with prominent Indians in America.
Releasing a promo and two episodes of Raj Against The Machine.
Strategically, I doubled down on the Indian American community, recognizing and capitalizing on the area in which I have a clear Reason to Win. I abandoned the idea of “The Industry” (Hollywood) being my primary way in. I need to build myself up on the outside and then be invited in vs. trying to knock on the door. When I’m ready — and It is ready — we shall meet again.
I’ve also spent a lot of time getting used to the idea that I’m at “cruising altitude” in my career and that, if I never get any bigger or more successful than I currently am, I’ll be happy. I have what I need in life to be content and anything past this is gravy. I can’t say I’m yet in full embrace of that idea as I’m very competitive by nature, but I’m getting there. I do think a healthy dose of appreciation this past year has been good for me.
I live in a house in Los Angeles, California, married to a beautiful woman I love, and get to do what I want for a living. If I don’t say that I’ve made it, well, then I’m pretty much a douche.
Here’s what I had listed as my 2016 goals. Let’s review, marking a 0 for nothing accomplished, 0.5 for something significant accomplished, and a 1 for fully accomplished.
Make $XXXK through standup, hosting, and speaking gigs. I’ll have to tally it up but I fell a bit short of my goal. 0.5.
Run FunnyIndian as a business. Done. FunnyIndian, Inc. is now an S-Corp. It has logos, trademarks, one-pagers, and a new website. (Rajiv Satyal also has a logo.) 1.0.
Launch talk show. See above. 0.5.
Give a TEDx Talk. Done. 1.0
Give a Talk at Google. Done. 1.0.
Create three sharable videos that exceed 100K views each. Done. I’m at 448K views on four videos: A Guide to Indian Weddings (198K YouTube+ 63K Facebook = 261K). Doctors (96K). How to Not Get Deported (40K + 24K = 64K). Asians in Media (28K). 1.0.
Deliver 30 minutes of new standup material, consisting of at least five long-form bits. Kind of. I don’t have five long-form bits but I clearly wrote over 30 min as my hour this year looked quite different from last year’s. 0.5.
Develop three character sketches. I abandoned this idea halfway through the year. 0.0.
Get standup on radio (Shazam/Spotify/Pandora). Yes — Pandora and Spotify and K-EARTH. 1.0.
Develop Presidential run (possibly into a tour). No. I “ran for President” on Facebook but punted. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Ha. 0.0.
Become conversational in Hindi. No. I stopped at Chapter 13 of a book with 40+ chapters. I can read and write a bit but am not conversant. 0.0.
7.5/11 = 68%
That is much higher than previous years’ percentages:
2011: 54%
2012: 54%
2013: 42%
2014: 37%
2015: 50%
2016: 68%
2016 Prioritized Accomplishments
Here, I lay out my achievements in the order in which I care about each. There’s overlap with the previous section.
Professional
Got featured in The New York Times (print and online).
Launched website with video page, new logos, and one-pagers.
Gave four sold-out keynote speeches for the Hindu American Foundation— Dallas, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston.
Got nearly 500K more online views on new videos (not including the millions more on I AM INDIAN).
Headlined Go Bananas, my home comedy club, for the first time.
Celebrated a decade of comedy full-time with no other source of income.
Had a Quora answer go viral — 191K views; 963 up-votes; 16 comments.
Did my 8th gig for GE and 2nd for Google.
Got featured on/in Fast Company, Inc., The Hindu, FOX TV — Cincinnati, ABC TV — Cincinnati.
Performed semi-weekly at the Hollywood Laugh Factory.
Launched INDUStry Facebook Live Stream Talk Show — interviewed Melanie Chandra, Payal Kadakia, Reshma Shetty, Hasan Minhaj, Ravi Patel, Rizwan Manji, Don Ganguly, and Sramana Mitra.
Filmed first three episodes of talk show — US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Aasif Mandvi, and Vikram Gandhi.
Featured on radio — own station on Pandora; Spotify; K-EARTH 101 LA.
Performed for US troops for the first time ever.
Gave a TEDx Talk (658 views).
Gave a Talk At Google (1500 views).
Delivered twelve monthly newsletters.
Set up FunnyIndian, Inc. as an S-Corp.
Personal
Since I blog as not only a personality but also as a person, here are my personal ones:
Ran a perfect Year of The Hustle, meaning I did the things starting in #9 below everyday (and multiplied by 365 (even though it’s a leap year)).
Bought a house and began major renovations.
Started actually doing stuff for other people, like my wife.
Learned Transcendental Meditation.
Read five books.
Voted informed on all issues on our California ballot.
Got into Top 1% on Pocket by reading a crap-ton of articles.
Achieved Platinum Medallion status on Delta.
Ate 1,825 servings of fruit and vegetables.
Drank 228 gallons of water.
Flossed 365 times.
Did yoga 365 times.
Meditated for 121 hours.
Wrote for 182 hours.
Did 18,250 push-ups.
Did 36,500 sit-ups.
Did 109 hours of cardio.
Listened to 50+ albums.
Hit the LA comedy scene at least twice a week when I was in-town.
Kept my email draft box below 50 every Sunday — a game-changer.
2017 Prioritized Goals
As of two years ago, I made this section private. To learn what they are, tune in around this time next year and I’ll let you know if I hit ’em.
Happy Holidays and best of luck to you with your 2017 Goals!
Rajiv Satyal is a comedian, host, and speaker. He resides in Los Angeles. With a beautiful wife. Doing what he loves to do.