New Years 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 800 miles, swim 100 miles, lift 200 times, bike 1,600 miles, eat better.

COVID thankfully didn’t wreck my exercise routine, in that the local Y’s largely stayed open or I could exercise outside.  It did scramble my exercise palette, in that I bike a lot more now both for recreation and commuting.  And, as I get older, I’m trying to run almost as much but swim way more, as it’s easier on the joints.  My workout tallies for 1/1/21-11/30/21: swam 101 mi, ran 696 mi, lifted 241 times, biked 1,649 mi.  And, I’ll give myself some grace for not eating perfectly but generally doing ok on the diet front.  Grade: B 

2. Civic – leverage skill/opportunity for maximum social impact, make a difference on the hard issues. 

School Board was the service opportunity and exercise of a lifetime.  Glad to step down because my life was crazy juggling that, but glad to have served.  After a season of respite, starting to fill back up with some delightful opportunities to learn and contribute, including serving on the boards of Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and Missio Seminary, as well as joining the Board of Advisors for the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.  Good causes and good people are worth investing in always.  Grade: B

3. Friends and family – quality if not quantity, be there when needed. 

Zoom has bridged the miles and the years, but time remains painfully scarce.  I’ve made the most of the opportunities.  But I ought to do better making more opportunities.  Grade: C

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

We did fine on the home front, if only because we’ve given ourselves grace to let go a bit in terms of the place always needing to be spotless and beautiful.  Happy to have landed a great tenant for our Delaware River waterfront condo, and to have bought two great units in Washington DC (which was modernized not long ago so has been headache-free) and Ocean City NJ (which requires a lot of work but so far so good on renovations).  Grade: B 

5. Kids – 1-on-1 times each quarter. 

I wish I had more time but I’m happy with the time I did spend.  Each is so precious, and the life stages they’re in so fraught.  I love them to pieces and am happy to be a safe, steady, and positive influence as they grow.  Grade: B 

6. Marriage – three kid-free trips.

Feeling the loss of only having been able to go on one singular kid-free trip this year, to Washington DC over Fourth of July weekend.  That we enjoyed the time and each other then only reinforces that it would’ve been great to have more such opportunities.  Indeed, this past year we’ve spent a lot of time looking into each other’s eyes as the world spins madly around us and saying, “someday.”  Until then, glad to have Dallas and Chicago on the docket for 2022. Grade: C

7. Mind – read 50 books, learn Chinese. 

Later this month I’ll post the 59 titles I read over the past 12 months.  Loved the silent solitude and intellectual enrichment reading gave me this past year.  As for Mandarin, completely fallen off the wagon, and relying on Jada (now in 3^rd-year Chinese in high school) to be my guide if we ever go back.  Grade: B.

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

There were weeks I scarcely had three minutes of free time, so I kind of blew this category in 2021.  COVID-willing, I’ve got at least three me-days booked for 2022.  Got to block it off or it won’t happen.  Grade: C

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

Just enough discipline and fervor to guard my morning routines even amid scheduling chaos.  I consider myself literally a passing grade in this category.  Grade: C

10. Work – ten quality reports. 

My first full year as president was a heavy load of taking care of staff, helping run the company, and bringing in business, alongside a full complement of project work itself.  I run our Universities & Hospitals practice as well as our Equity & Inclusion practice, and I’m proud of the work we did in both spaces.  Eager to springboard into 2022 with an additional thrust towards prescriptive, forward-looking content.  Grade: B