My Impossible List

In Paris, France
On top of Liberty Bell mountain

Ever hear of the impossible list? Yeah, me either, 'til just now.

An impossible list is a categorized list of all of the goals you'd like to achieve in life. It's similar to a bucket list, but there are some key differences.

Bucket lists are more passive, we write out some long-term goals we'd like to achieve at some point in our lives, but a lot of the time, there's not much urgency and not much gets done until you're 10-20 years out from life's end (brutal).

An impossible list differs in that its always growing. Rather than checking off each item in a bucket list until you reach completion, an impossible list requires that you continuously iterate and add new goals as you complete previous ones. It's called the impossible list because it'll always be impossible to complete everything on it.

It may seem counter-intuitive, maybe even discouraging knowing you'll never fully complete the list, but the impossible list encourages daily growth and prompts you to take action on the things that matter the most to you, right now, not later.

I heard of the impossible list from fellow YouTuber and course creator, Thomas Frank who has a very inspiring list of his own that contains goals not too different from those of mine. He even has a great video that explains the impossible list in more detail for those who need it (like my dumb-self):

I used his list as a baseline template to create an impossible list of my own so I too can begin marking off some of the life-long dreams I've had that mean so much to me.

What I'm working on now

Mar 1, 2023

I'm currently working on getting my YouTube channel up to 250k subs, earning $100k/yr from my personal business, getting my masters degree, and releasing my first music performances to YouTube. I'm working hard learning required concepts to teach my students new game development topics, applied for a bridge program for a comp. sci. masters, and have already begun releasing some music to YouTube.

Life Goals

  • Obtain bachelors degree (New Media Production at University of Tampa) (May 2015)

    • Honors (May 2015)
    • Cum Laude (May 2015)
    • Student of the Year (May 2015)

  • Obtain masters degree

    • Become part-time computer science professor

  • Obtain second bachelors in music performance

  • Release personally crafted indie game to Steam

  • Get married

    • Have kids

  • Earn $100k/yr off personal business

    • Earn $200k/yr off personal business
    • Earn $300k/yr off personal business
    • Earn $500k/yr off personal business

  • Save $100k for retirement

    • Save $250k for retirement
    • Save $500k for retirement
    • Save $1m for retirement
    • Save $2.5m for retirement
    • Save $5m for retirement

Fitness / Health Goals

  • Weigh 175lbs of mostly muscle (November 2019)
    • Weigh 190lbs of mostly muscle (September 2023)
    • Bulk to 200lbs
  • Bench 225lbs (~March 2022)
    • Bench 225lbs for 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Squat 315lbs
    • Squat 295lbs - 5 reps (September 14, 2023)
  • Deadlift 315lbs (~January, 2018)
    • Deadlift 405lbs off small blocks (April 23, 2020)
    • Deadlift 495lbs off small blocks (September 16, 2023)
    • Deadlift 495lbs no blocks
  • Achieve a powerlifting total (squat/bench/deadlift) of 1,000 lbs. (September 16, 2023)
  • Be able to human flag
  • Handstand for 15 seconds
  • Learn to walk on hands
  • Learn to backflip
  • Planche
  • Run a half marathon
  • Run full marathon
  • Complete Savage Race

Professional Goals

  • Start YouTube channel (September 11, 2016)
    • Reach 100 YouTube subs (November 17, 2016)
    • Reach 1,000 subs (April 12, 2017)
    • Reach 10,000 subs (December 28, 2017)
    • Reach 50,000 subs (January 19, 2022)
    • Reach 100,000 subs (August 16, 2022)
    • Reach 250,000 subs
    • Reach 500,000 subs
    • Reach 1,000,000 subs
  • Chris Courses
    • Reach $100/month passive revenue (April 1, 2020)
    • Reach $1,000/month passive revenue (January 1, 2022)
    • Reach $2,500/month passive revenue (April 1, 2022)
    • Reach $5,000/month passive revenue
    • Reach $10,000/month passive revenue
  • Interview on a development show (Scrimba, Syntax, ShopTalk)

Educational Goals

  • Get accepted to NYU Tandon Bridge program (March 7, 2023)
  • Get accepted into NYU or Harvard for a computer science masters

Creative Goals

  • Release any musical performance to YouTube (Februrary 21, 2023)
  • Release guitar + singing performance to YouTube (March 13, 2023)
  • Join a band (Joined Young Drunks - April 11, 2023)
    • Join a band (Joined second band, The Eclectics - Sep 24, 2023)
  • Perform anywhere in NYC
  • Perform at a bar gig with a band (this is on the way for Oct 28, 2023)
  • Perform at concert venue
  • Perform at Pier 17
  • Write and create own song
    • Release an EP
    • Release an album

Skill Goals

  • Take golf lessons
    • Hit back net at Top Golf
    • Complete a full round of golf without sucking
  • Join volleyball league
    • Learn to jump serve with force
  • Ski a double black diamond trail
  • Clear stage 1 of American Ninja Warrior

Events to Attend

  • John Mayer Concert
  • Backyard BBQ Festival rd. 2
  • Bills playoff game
  • Bucs tailgate and playoff game
  • NHL final featuring Lightning
  • Home run derby

Videogame Goals

  • Reach masters league on Starcraft 2 (top 2%) (July 2011)
    • Reach grandmasters league (top 200)
  • Win a minor Starcraft or other RTS tournament
  • Complete Hogwarts Legacy
  • Complete Breath of the Wild
  • Complete Majora's Mask
  • Get first place on Fall Guys (March 2022)
    • Become a three-time champ (Feb 2023)
  • Reach 500 ELO in chess (3/27/2023)
  • Reach 1000 ELO in chess (4/30/2023)
  • Reach 1250 ELO in chess (7/13/2023)
  • Reach 1500 ELO in chess
  • Reach 2000 ELO in chess
  • Become chess Candidate Master (2200 ELO)

Travel Goals

  • Visit England (January 2017)

    • Re-visit (January 7, 2023)

  • Visit France (January 13, 2023)

  • Visit Italy

  • Visit Japan

  • Visit Korea

  • Visit Turks and Caicos

  • Visit Bora Bora

  • Visit New Zealand

  • British Virgin Islands (~2006)

    • Re-visit

  • Singapore (July 2018)

    • Re-visit

  • Malaysia (July 2018)

    • Re-visit

  • Ski in Colorado

  • Visit all 63 US national parks (2/63)

    • Acadia National Park
    • Arches National Park
    • Badlands National Park
    • Big Bend National Park
    • Biscayne National Park
    • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    • Bryce Canyon National Park
    • Canyonlands National Park
    • Capitol Reef National Park
    • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
    • Channel Islands National Park
    • Congaree National Park
    • Crater Lake National Park
    • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    • Death Valley National Park
    • Denali National Park and Preserve
    • Dry Tortugas National Park
    • Everglades National Park
    • Gates of the Arctic National Park
    • Gateway Arch National Park
    • Glacier National Park
    • Glacier Bay National Park
    • Grand Canyon National Park (December 27, 2022)
    • Grand Teton National Park
    • Great Basin National Park
    • Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
    • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    • Haleakala National Park
    • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
    • Hot Springs National Park
    • Indiana Dunes National Park
    • Isle Royale National Park
    • Joshua Tree National Park
    • Katmai National Park and Preserve
    • Kenai Fjords National Park
    • Kings Canyon National Park
    • Kobuk Valley National Park
    • Lake Clark National Park
    • Lassen Volcanic National Park
    • Mammoth Cave National Park
    • Mesa Verde National Park
    • Mount Rainier National Park
    • National Park of American Samoa
    • New River Gorge National Park
    • North Cascades National Park
    • Olympic National Park
    • Petrified Forest National Park
    • Pinnacles National Park
    • Redwood National Park
    • Rocky Mountain National Park
    • Saguaro National Park
    • Sequoia National Park (~2014)
      • Re-visit
    • Shenandoah National Park
    • Theodore Roosevelt National Park
    • Virgin Islands National Park (~2007)
      • Re-visit
    • Voyageurs National Park
    • White Sands National Park
    • Wind Cave National Park
    • Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
    • Yellowstone National Park
    • Yosemite National Park
    • Zion National Park