Life Goals • Blake Boles dot com

Completed goals are in red.

I started this goal list at age 20, inspired by Jim Wiltens at Deer Crossing Camp (who was in turn inspired by John Goddard).

A few notes about my method:

I only post big, exciting, and slightly intimidating goals—not the little stuff.
I sometimes retroactively add goals that I’ve already completed, even if I didn’t know they were “goals” at the start.
I remove goals that become irrelevant to my life. This list isn’t sacrosanct.
I post my goals publicly because I believe the publicly sharing my goals gives me a better chance of completing them. (Others disagree.)
I post failures as well as successes (thanks, Tina Seelig).
I link to digital evidence of my completed goals whenever possible.

[Last updated: November 2020]

Do a speaking tour in the U.S. – 2018
Publish a book about going to college without high school – College Without High School, 2009
Publish a book about giving yourself a higher education without college – Better Than College, 2012
Publish a book about self-directed learning – The Art of Self-Directed Learning, 2014
Give a TED talk – TEDx YouthDay Palo Alto, 2010
Publish 10+ original audio or video episodes online – Off-Trail Learning podcast (formerly: Real Education Podcast), 2015
Speak in Europe – 2017, 2018, 2019
Independently publish a professional-quality book – Better Than College, 2012
Give away 10,000 free online copies of Better Than College – 2014
Blog every day for a year – failed in 2011 and 2013
Hand-write a letter or postcard to someone every day for a year – failed in 2015
Write the first draft of a 50,000-word novel in one month (the NaNoWriMo challenge) – failed in 2006 & 2009

Start a school (i.e. long-term structured learning program) – Self-Directed Learning 101, 2020
Start an international trip leading company – Unschool Adventures, 2008
Start a leadership program for homeschoolers – Homeschool Leadership Retreats, 2010 (eventually merged with U.A.)
Direct a summer camp – Deer Crossing Camp, Assistant Director 2006-7, Acting Director 2008
Run a “College Without College” program – ZTC Camp 2011
Run an Unschool Adventure trip without me on it – UA Writing Retreat 2013
Work at Not Back to School Camp – Advisor, 2006-present
Work as a summer camp cook – Deer Crossing Camp, 2008
Lead a workshop at a major homeschooling conference – 2009
Be self-employed for a whole year – 2010
Work a full season at a ski resort – Heavenly Ski Resort, 2007
Organize a conference – Trailblazer Gathering, 2013
Earn money teaching an online course – Launchpad, 2017

Hitchhike the Carretera Austral
See the Aurora Borealis with Matt & Patrick
Travel the world with a girlfriend for 6+ months
Live abroad with child(ren) for 12+ months
Live in Lake Tahoe – 2007
Live in Portland, Oregon – 2009
Live in Buenos Aires – 2017
Live in New Zealand – 2019
Live in New York City – 2019
Live in Europe – 2020
Live in one place for one year straight – Asheville (North Carolina), 2012
Go on an expedition with Jim Wiltens – tree climbing expedition in Guatemala, 2011
Explore the Himalayas – India (2011), Nepal (2014), Nepal (2019)
Explore South America – 2007 (blog part 1/2/3) + much more w/ Unschool Adventures
Explore Western Europe – 2002 + many times since