I have work to do. The progress I made in 2019 on a frustrating year of 2018 is incomplete, slowed by a few steps backward, despite considerable forward progress. So bring on 2020.
As is my custom, I’m publishing here my resolutions for 2020 to get a little bit closer to the person I want to be, and to hold myself accountable to those goals. Find my past resolutions here.
I got a lot done in 2019, both professionally and personally, including visiting Machu Picchu, as depicted above, with my wife. It seems I may have even more planned for 2020.
I always orient my resolutions around months in which I think I might focus that work, but many of these will continue throughout the year.
- JANUARY: Finish my basement project — I made significant progress this year. Now I’m left with the trim and finishing steps on my two-year-old plan to finish a portion of my basement, largely an exercise in revisiting my fledgling trades-skills.
- FEBRUARY: Convert a bedroom — I have plans for a bedroom related to a big life change. More on that.
- MARCH: Invest in my own mentors — I’ve put time into being a better mentor, to others sometimes at the expense of my having my own mentors. I aim to invest in my own mentor relationships.
- APRIL: Form a work executive committee — I want to form even closer relationships with my longest-tenured teammates.
- MAY: Establish a long-term vision for Philly Tech Week — It’ll be the 10th annual, so I want to have a good view for the next 10 years.
- JUNE: Have a major life milestone — More on that soon!
- JULY: Give myself a raise — In my continued effort to make myself replaceable, I need to further inch up my take-home compensation at my community journalism organization.
- AUGUST: Define my company’s place in talent services — I’ve written extensively that I believe journalism is a strategy that should be deployed in new models. I want to complete the journey.
- SEPTEMBER: Develop strategic partnerships list — As we compete in established marketplaces, I need to ensure we have strong partnerships.
- OCTOBER: Post life-change habits — After my major life-change, I know several habits will be challenged: savings, reading, writing and the gym. I hope to update these habits to last.
- NOVEMBER: Grow profitability — I need to maintain plans on company profitability, a mix of revenue growth and an eye toward expenses.
- DECEMBER: Fellowship Research — If I ever want to give myself a short period of time to stretch my mind, I need to plan for it.
