New Year's Resolutions

Since 2011, I’ve posted my New Year’s resolutions at the end of each year.  It’s a good way to do a year-end check-up and see how I did and what I need to recommit to into the New Year.  So without further ado:

1. Body - run 500 miles, swim 50 miles, lift 120 times, bike 500 miles, eat/sleep better.

Thankful for long-engrained habits around diet and exercise.  As I age, these habits become harder to keep but more essential to my happiness and functioning.  Now sleep, that's something I am not doing so good with.  My workout tallies for 1/1/18-11/30/18: ran 716 mi, swam 58 mi, lifted 136 times, biked 448 miles.  Grade: B.

2. Civic – leverage skill/opportunity for maximum social impact.

While I regret having to step down from all my other boards and dearly miss the people I got to serve with in those settings, I have had a profoundly meaningful experience serving on the new Philadelphia Board of Education.  What a wonderful group of people to serve with, and what an incredibly important thing we are trying to do.  Daily my heart breaks and soars.  Much more to do but thankful for the chance to do it.  Grade: B.

3. Friends and family – quality if not quantity.

This is an area that has suffered as my responsibilities at home, work, and elsewhere has intensified.  I have missed both quantity and quality, though the year has not been without its special moments of warmth and laughter and tears and support.  Grade: C.

4. House – an ounce of prevention, making it a home.

I feel like I'm playing defense more than anything.  Wishing I was handier and that I had more time.  We're stumbling along on this front.  Grade: C.

5. Kids – 1 on 1 times each month.

By choice and necessity, the older kids are more self-sufficient, but there are still plentiful times for teaching moments and just hanging out.  It won't be long before home and parents are but pit stops for them, so I'm trying to make the most of this phase of their lives.  As for our little emperor, we have plenty of one-on-one time, with bedtime stories being a particularly regular and cherished interaction. Grade: B.

6. Marriage – at least one date night per month.

Our schedules are so crazy that we don't often get more than five minutes of check-in time , let alone a date night.  We make up for it with kids-free getaways, this year enjoying Miami, Phoenix, and Rehoboth Beach.  Grade: B.

7. Mind – read 50 books, learn Chinese.

Reading is such an oasis to me.  I'll post tomorrow on the books I got through this year.  As for Chinese, I'm slogging through.  But if anything, I'm realizing how complex and nuanced the language is, and how little of it I know.  Grade: B.

8. Self – three hours per week of uninterrupted me time, three personal day getaways.

Nope nope nope.  There are days when I hardly have three minutes to myself to check sports or scroll through Facebook/Instagram/Twitter.  I'm sure I need this but not sure I'm going to get it.  Grade: C

9. Spiritual – 100 Bible memory verses, time each morning for Bible/prayer.

Consistent albeit brief.  Not great but I'll take it.  Wishing for more time to go deeper so I can stretch further.  Grade: B

10. Work – ten quality reports.

My job is a combination of running the business, bringing in business, and working on business.  I enjoy all three, especially working on interesting topics for great clients.  It's been a really good year on that front, including work for University of Notre Dame, City of Wilmington, and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.  Grade: B