ABout Buffet Year

Buffet Year is about breaking the habit of autopilot.

Meet Josh Johnson (@IMJOSHJOHNSON)

I’m Josh Johnson, the founder of Buffet Year. My journey began with my own transformative experience—my Buffet Year.

Buffet Year: A Year of Growth and New Experiences

Feeling stuck in a rut after too many years of autopilot, drinking too much and wasting my time, I decided to test out whether trying new things and stepping outside my comfort zone improved my satisfaction and zest for life. I called it my Buffet Year, and it was filled with diverse experiences that challenged me, brought me joy, made me test being a beginner over and over, and expanded my horizons. From yoga and needlepoint to learning to play the guitar, every new endeavor taught me valuable lessons about growth and resilience.

I’ve truly transformed my mindset around change and new experiences simply by looking for ways to do something new. I don’t believe we’re meant to stay the same, working the same or similar job, and coasting in our comfort zone until we die. I believe we’re meant for so much more.

In 2025, I’m doing the thing that scares me the most - committing to my innermost passion of becoming a musician. For someone who only started playing guitar in 2023, that feels hella scary, but I’m doing it. LFG!

Buffet Year is mindset to approach life as if you were at a buffet with thousands of food options, many of which you’ve never tried before.

The ability to fill your plate with anything is the reality of your life. You actually have full agency and power to try this or that, put a scoop here and a dollop there. And if you don’t like what you put on your plate, immediately stop what you’re doing and try something else.

However, as human beings who biologically crave safety and security, we don’t actually consider that possibility in our own business and life. We build up our identity and our ego and assume labels to guide who we are and what we do every minute of every day. But what if we get back to trying things on before we pre-judge them?

“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.”

— Meredith Wilson