My 2019 Resolutions

These are my priorities for the year for getting closer to being the person I want to be. As in years past, I want to share my resolutions.

Find past ones here.

I was proud of what I accomplished in 2018, which included a trip to Mexico City (and a visit to Paso de Cortes, as depicted above, where the Spanish conquistador entered the valley to attack the people sometimes called the Aztecs). I’m excited for 2019.

There are many resolutions I continue from years passed (annually committing to a domestic and an international trip, cooking new meals monthly and a dozen behavior ticks I want to keep up). In 2019, I’ll continue those too.

But these are my resolutions for this new year to mark new ground.

  • JANUARY: Join a Writers’ Workshop — I want to more formally establish a creative space for me to push forward a novel project I’ve started (but allowed to linger).
  • FEBRUARY: Start with Leftovers — As a means of portion control, I want to more often start a meal by assessing what I can save for later. I want to break my childhood habit of always finishing my plate.
  • MARCH: Read a Book Monthly — I’ve returned to a more rigorous reading habit (thanks to my Writing Process Podcast, a WOC resolution and my wife’s library-hold rigor). I want to expand what I’m reading and likely how much I do but a dozen books a year is a very achievable resolution for me.
  • APRIL: Build small habits — I’ve had starts and stops with my French learning through the years, but I haven’t really formed the habit; I want to compete with friends to stay active on Duolingo for the entire year. I want to stretch daily, to be able to touch my toes easily, and floss near daily.
  • MAY: Master Gardening — Last year, I did a rooftop garden and bedroom plants for the first time. I want to advance that and my learning by taking over these two plant-life spots in my house.
  • JUNE: Give myself a raise I’ve focused a lot on business growth, at the expense of my own development. I plan to hit first half revenue targets and thank myself.
  • JULY: No sunburn in 2019I am rotten at doing a thorough job of protecting myself from the sun. I don’t know if I’ve ever gone an entire year without sunburn. This year that will change.
  • AUGUST: Tidy up my digital footprint I’ve had to do this every few years, shutting down digital experiments I’ve had. So I want to close down a personal WordPress and a Tumblr, plus mothballing my Story Shuffle site.
  • SEPTEMBER: Find a Movement — I’ve struggled for years to navigate how to ethically engage civically and politically while still maintaining the non-political reputation that the news organization I run has. I have found moments; I disclosed donating to the political campaign of a childhood friend of mine, I’ve built my company on a mission of progressive workplace culture I believe in; I’ve engaged on social around issues I felt were universal truths for our country, like press objectivity. I want to find how I can be more publicly engaged. (Perhaps this can relate to the nonprofit boards in which I choose to be most active.)
  • OCTOBER: Speak more — Though public speaking has long been something I’ve done more than most (examples here), I’m in need of a more strategic plan to use this as a personal and professional tool. I resolve to be more strategic in speaking for business development and to discover other opportunities that excite me.
  • NOVEMBER: Pursue Patent I’ve always admired my sister. I was never more impressed by her than when she was part of a successful U.S. Patent last year. It landed at just the moment when I was challenging myself to think of what defensible intellectual property my company has. It’s made me want to investigate my own approach to this. Thanks big sis.
  • DECEMBER: Basement Order — I’ve spent more than a year pushing forward a project of finishing my basement myself. I want to continue to resolve to get this done, including emptying of old boxes, decluttering and the actual work I have to get the finished portion and workshop section to a place that makes me proud.

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