Since starting EnergyX in December 2018, I have set a New Years “Theme” each year to have a clear vision for the main characteristic or personality trait I wanted to improve within myself, as well as the goals I want to achieve both personally and professionally as I lead the company. I have posted about this topic before and want to continue this tradition to share my thoughts since it is an exercise I reflect on often, and have seen it positively shape my life and work in years past.
Before I jump into my theme for 2024, here’s a quick look back at my previous themes:
- 2019: PATIENCE – I had started EnergyX one month ago, and I knew it would be slow beginnings, but that I needed to work on my patience as most good decisions come with time.
- 2020: SACRIFICE – After 1 year of slowing putting the pieces of the puzzle together, I realized that I had to sacrifice literally everything (except health and family) if I wanted EnergyX to be successful. I might have even sacrificed those.
- 2021: PERSEVERANCE – Moving into the second year of COVID, and not reaching our goals of raising Series A, I wanted to focused on perseverance for both sacrifice and patience. We ended up raising Series A in April 2021.
- 2022: LEADERSHIP – As the team started to grow, I really wanted to focus on what a good leader meant to my colleagues. How do I inspire them, how do I motivate them, how do I encourage them? How do I lead EnergyX to be the best company it could be?
- 2023: RESULTS – Starting something and not finishing it is 90% of failure. We had started half of our Series B fundraising, and I knew that all my prior themes would come into play here. Results are what drive a business forward over everything else. We ended up completing our Series B, and executing on many initiatives including acquiring our first lithium resource in 2023. Results are the only thing I ask you to judge me by.
For 2024, I am personally pledging it as the year of INTENSITY – a year where I not only channel my passion, determination, and unwavering focus to achieve our biggest goals for EnergyX, but to really take things up to a new level in everything we are doing. After closing Series B last year and in the midst of scale up like we’ve never done before, there is a lot of hard work that we as a company will face this year.
To me, intensity is that fuel that will propel us forward, pushing us beyond our comfort zones and into the realms of unparalleled success. It’s about starting each day with a relentless commitment to excellence, a burning desire to learn, and the courage to tackle challenges head-on. I’m reading Elon’s biography by Walter Issacson, and I am challenging myself to match his intensity that he brings to his companies on a day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, and year-by-year level.
I took my first true vacation over the holiday (in more than 5 years) where I did a lot of thinking about this year. Although BALANCE was another word I thought about as a theme of the year, ultimately I decided it was not time to pump the breaks – but rather accelerate the gas toward the goals we want to achieve. I want all the work coming out of EnergyX to be a testament to our resilience and our ability to turn challenges into stepping stones. These are opportunities to showcase our strength, tenacity, and unyielding will to succeed – and I know this all starts with me setting the example as a leader.
This pursuit of excellence demands rigorous effort. It requires all of us to push ourselves beyond “perceived” limits, to embrace discomfort, and to welcome the intensity that comes with growth. Whether you’re striving for professional milestones, personal achievements, or both – I want to challenge each one of you to approach your goals with an unwavering spirit that refuses to settle for mediocrity.
Let’s foster a culture of intensity within ourselves, our teams and communities. Encourage one another to dream big, work hard, and support each other’s journeys.
As we embark on this journey into 2024, let’s make a conscious choice to infuse every moment with passion, purpose, and the kind of drive that transforms dreams into reality. Here’s to the year of INTENSITY and EnergyX reaching a whole new level of success 🚀🚀🚀
Maybe BALANCE is for another year…