Aspiring Bug Bounty Hunters’ New Year Goals Toolkit

As we stand at the cusp of a new year, it’s the perfect time for aspiring hunters to chart their course toward success. Setting achievable goals and establishing clear milestones is not just a ritual but a strategic move toward becoming a more effective and accomplished bounty hunter. In this blog, I will share my little experiences in setting goals with the help of some podcasts and blogs I read about this topic.

Choose a Priority Goal

Setting the stage for success begins with choosing a priority goal. Learn from experienced people who advise against attempting multiple goals simultaneously. For instance, consider making your primary goal tangible, like accumulating $10,000 in bug bounty earnings by year-end, while continuously advancing your skills to help achieve this goal.

Supporting Goals for Clarity

To add clarity to your journey, establish supporting goals to achieve your main objective. These goals should be measurable, providing clear performance levels to track your achievements as you progress.

Define Verbs, Actions, Specifics

Avoid vagueness by writing down specific actions and verbs required for goal accomplishment. Identify key actions that will contribute to your success, such as “Hunt, Learn, Apply.” etc.

Goal Execution Blockers

Allocate dedicated time each week to execute the identified actions. This helps in monitoring goal progress effectively and ensures that you stay on track throughout the year. Let’s say there’s an amount of time I must reach every week no matter what happens. You can start by setting let’s say 20 HRS/Week and If you across this goal then you are on your best version.

Myths About Goals

Challenge the common myths about goal-setting. While regularly visible goals can become overlooked, consider private tracking methods. Moreover, avoid excessive public proclamation of your intentions or achievements, as this might hinder your progress.

Measurable Goals

Develop a 12-week cycle, allocating time weekly and daily for goal pursuit. Determine actionable steps and time commitments for monitoring progress, ensuring your goals remain measurable.

Initiating Goal Pursuit

Visualize the end goal, but also prepare for challenges. Consider worst-case scenarios as motivational tools during times when motivation is lacking.
Enhance your focus by incorporating visual targets. Short visual focus sessions can increase alertness and motivation levels, keeping you engaged in your goal-achieving journey.

In this phase I can recommend the best productivity app I have ever used, you will find its name in the first tip on Tim Ferriss's Instagram Post.

Addressing Motivational Lows

Anticipate and accept days of low motivation as normal. Break work sessions into smaller, manageable tasks, and acknowledge external factors like sleep, nutrition, and personal challenges influencing your motivation.

In conclusion, I can say one thing that has significantly impacted my journey: Don’t just stay in the learning loop; stop learning things that you don’t need right now. The best thing you can do is to hack, not to be in a perpetual learning loop. Focus on one program and understand it as if you were its owner. Don’t overwhelm yourself with tips, labs, books, etc., that you don’t need at the moment. Save them for later, and if you encounter something during your hunting that requires studying a specific topic, find it in your bookmarks or reading list, then return to hacking, and so on. You’re not a scientist; you are a hacker.

Happy hunting!