arnoud aalbersberg

So I set some goals for 2019, as I do every year. Can be learning goals, physical goals, anything really. The idea is that I strongly believe in goal setting to grow as me, becoming a better version of me.

For 2019 my goals where the following:

1) read 12 books (I was frustrated that me once fierceful reading habit was nowhere to be found)

2) train to perform a free standing handstand (something that I think is really cool to be able to do and balance yourself upside-down)

3) produce an Italo Disco track (I love Italo Disco and making music seemed far out of the comfort zone on vintage synthesizers and a DAW

Well, did I realize all three goals? Yes and no. It is not that important. Goals may have been stretchted, but if you got close, how awesome is that!?

1) I am at 14 books, of which 2 not finished completely. I learned that I can read multiple books at the same time, funny! Which books? Here’s the list. Partly in Dutch, partly in English.

Finished:

Stephen Hawking: antwoorden op grote vragen (fantastic read and broadend my perspective of life)

Pieter van Osch: betekenis economie (Rockefeller Habits + meaningfulness = the way to go as a business nowadays)

Ilja Pfeijffer: Grand Hotel Europa (writer that takes self overrating to a new level, pity the actual theme of the book is quite interesting)

Mark van Langen: Dutch dance (as a wall fower in the RoXY in the early nineties a must read about an dance-area)

Redmond O’Hanlon: tussen orinoco en Amazone (was on my list a long time and lots of facts learned on insects)

Kris Newby: Bitten (conspiracy or not, The US gov has played with ticks as a taxi for biological warfare)

Stephen Hawking: het heelal (next level, that guy was a true genius)

William Sutcliffe: ben je ervaren (re-read, hilarious novel about unprepared travel to India)

Anthony Burgess: a clockwork orange (hard to get into the slang, but a true timepiece and still very, very actual)

Dave Eggers: The Circle (Facebook and Google had a baby. Scary, but not unrealistic I’m afraid)

Lee Child: Jachtveld (Jack Reacher, why not)

nearly finished:

Peter Freestone: Freddie Mercury (my youth hero seen through the attention asking eyes of Peter that was close to Freddy)

Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho (intriguing book about the hedonism early nineties, which is very actual again with our social media behavior now)

2) No handstand, actually no really good functioning right hand due to a severe bacterial infection in my right middle finger in July that screwed up my physical state of being due to anti-bioticals (lV total 6 weeks) and just fighting the bastard (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) 

So, bummer. Lost 6 kilograms in muscle mass, bending tendons snapped and finger dysfunctional, just like that! Started slowly with pushups in November to regain basic strength. Started Squats in December to be able to ski more than 10 minutes in February 2020. I was really down with my physical state and lost strength and sport options (no rowing, no Krav Maga, no pull ups, no kettlebells) but flipped it to realize that regaining strength and beating that f*cking bacteria was an achievement as well! Back to 50+ strict form pushups already, so that handstand will come, in the near future.

3) I totally underestimated making music digitally. That is a different game. I hired a great artist and performer and now certified Ableton (DAW= digital audio workstation) teacher Camiel Daamen for 10 lessons. I produced 10+ tracks, of which I uploaded 2 on soundcloud. Not there yet, the finger (see goal 2) did not help here either with playing keyboards. Because of course I went to Milan to pick up some rare keyboards and drum computers from the 80′s to have uniques sounds on my Italo Disco hit! Anyway, the vinyl printed track will come, but a bit later than planned! Stay tuned!

For 2020? 

This will be another interesting year / start of a decade with dynamics in business & personal life! As an serial / social entrepreneur even more focus on doing only things I love and that will contribute to making this world a bit nicer. 

1) continue reading, more in English, 12 books at least

2) get the finger working again and back to 25 strict pull-ups!

Traditional media is a challenge these days. Everyone in (social) media is a self acclaimed journalist to a certain extend and a potential thread for those who actually do it for a living and see it as their profession. 

Like in any business endevaour one needs core competences to stand out from the crowd and have purpose. Otherwise you are obsolete and you will not be successful. Same for program directors and journalists.

I like to tell stories too. About our company’s Big Hairy Audacious Goals (malaria free world in 2030) and our purpose (safe travels, great stories). I like to tell them to everybody I meet at any time. Because our vision and mission are our drivers, our magnet and important!

On the road to our big goal we try to innovate, to develop solutions for our customers. I can look back on 25 years of significant innovations from our R&D table. Some became and still are a (commercial) succes, some don’t. Products can be ahead of time or just off our focus. Some products you launch succeed, some will be taken of the market at some stage.

The R&D costs in SME companies are very high as a cost component compared to public (FSME) companies. It is hard enough to make a management decision to remediate a product. But it is part of the business game. Upward and onward to our BHAG.

Then there is this public/government funded TV program that needs ratings. Their production team digs up old news and makes a new item out of it and want to get juicy quotes from the spokesmen of the attacked company. Not for the higher goal of the company, not to listen to the purpose of that company, but to get ratings and try to smear companies that just are trying very hard. 

So far so good, if mutual respect is one off the core values that is. I was called this afternoon in such an “interview” where it was not the goal to talk about the best solutions for our target group. It was not the goal to have a meaningful conversation, but the goal was to broadcast a tendentious opinion and have the entrepreneur to defend. Owh, and they forgot to inform me if it was “live”, or would be taped. Quite normal to share that info before starting off by asking questions.

So far so good, if there was mutual effort to listen to arguments in stead of repeat ones own. 

I am proud of what my team has achieved in the last 25 years. A year of celebration with great results with regard to our goals and mission. But no room for that here.

The program director/presenter cut off after my last sentence and did not even bother to end the interview in a proper way with a minimum level of manners. He just hung up. Beep, beep, beep.

So far so good. No. It is not good. Not polite if you received someones free time to fill your “show”. It’s bad habits.

And the best part has yet to come. Since I did not take the bate and offered juice quotes for better ratings, everything I said will be cut up and pasted and to suit their format. Not that they will share the rough cut beforehand of course.