Resolutions for the New Year (#1118)

Topics/tags: Autobiographical, short

It’s the last day of the year 2020 [1]. Since most people make New Year’s resolutions on the last day of the year, my muse has suggested that I muse about what my resolutions might be for the year. I’m not big on resolutions; my experience is that too often I need to break them. But that doesn’t mean I can’t set goals for the year. Let me see.

• I will try to write more, at least at the points that I have time to write.
• When I write, I will do my best to listen to my muse [2] and to follow her [3] advice.
• I will try to read more, at least at the points that I have time to read. Will reading take priority over writing? Will writing take priority over reading? I’m not sure.
• When I read, I will try to focus more on longer works, rather than the newspaper articles I normally read in the evening [4].
• Since I was expecting to be an empty-nester this year, I will try to embrace the additional time I have with my offspring (and Michelle, but that’s a given).
• I will continue to try to be thankful for the many wonderful things in my life.
• I will try to pay better attention to my mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Among other things, that means I will work on checking with my advisory panel, on saying No before I check with my advisory panel, and on realizing my limits. I’ve been doing better this fall. I’ve certainly been finding it helpful to apply a version of the serenity prayer to my work, such as to IT policy [6].

Yeah, that’s more than enough. Vague goals. All about trying. Mostly interrelated (e.g., reading and writing will help with my mental well being, reading gives me things to write about). Things that should be achievable (as opposed to, say, making significant progress on my lab or basement [7]).

[1] At least the year they call 2020 in most Western societies. There are, of course, older calendars and other dating systems.

[2] Or muses.

[3] Their.

[4] I will likely continue reading Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed in the morning [5].

[5] Or whatever you call it when I wake up at 4 a.m. and need to go back to sleep.

[6] G-d grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I’ve also added a within reasonable limits to the things I can [change].

[7] That doesn’t mean that I won’t try. I’ll just be okay if I don’t get it all done [8].

[8] Yes, Micki, I will get the stuff out of the family room.

Version 1.0 of 2020-12-31.