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 720 miles, swim 120 miles, lift 240 times, bike 600 miles; eat better. 

Actual counts for 1st 11 months of 2022: run 568 miles, swim 114.1 miles, lift 215 times, bike 455 miles. Totals down a bit due to tearing my calf muscle in August, but more important for me is that I was otherwise consistent. Feeling good about being disciplined without it becoming a drudgery, and about pushing myself without overdoing it. And, while more erratic, my eating habits are improving, as they need to since I’m no longer a spring chicken. Grade: A

 

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

2024 was a year of pruning some formal responsibilities while evolving my informal availability to people and causes. It’s rewarding to contribute, but it’s also important to be quiet and let others’ voices ring. Satisfied with where I am on this. Grade: B

 

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

Someday I’ll have more time to spend with people I cherish. For now, I try to be intentional with in-person connection where possible – golf is a wonderful way to do this – and supplement with texts as a way to let people know I’m thinking of them. Grade: B

 

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

For most of the year, our house has been a disaster zone of unfinished home improvement projects, Asher’s belongings, and dust. On a positive note, our now five rental properties are all doing well. Grade: B

 

5. Kids – 1-on-1 times each quarter. 

As schedules diverge, quantity of time is hard to come by, which makes the quality times we do spend together – on vacation, day trips, and special occasions – that much more important to cherish. I hope my kids know that their dad has a demanding job and his own personal pursuits, but that they are the most important thing in his life. Grade: B

 

6. Marriage – three kid-free trips. 

We had a weekend in Miami and more kid-free walks in the park, but mostly a million tiny slivers of affection during which we reminded one another that one day we will have more time to sit in the sun. Grade: B

 

7. Mind – read 50 books. 

Later this week I’ll post the titles I read over the past 12 months. By choice, it was a mix of long and short, fiction and non-fiction, representing a wide range of life perspectives. I enjoyed every page. Grade: A.

 

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

Personal days have been life-giving “me” moments devoid of work and kids and filled with golf and biking. Beyond that, I probably could’ve captured more space for myself, although the year wasn’t without little splurges, taking a solo walk here and buying a book for pure leisure there.

Grade: B

 

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

Thankful for the routinization of Scripture memory and morning devotionals, even if the quantity and quality could be better. Grade: B

 

10. Work – set the course for the firm. 

Proud to have moderated a major succession process and stepped down from being president in the process. Both are huge wins I don’t take lightly. And now I have more time to bring in business and do business, both of which I enjoy even if neither are easy. Grade: A