Resolving to be better

By the end of 2009….

Physiological

• I will take time for rest and relaxation; giving myself permission to slow down or enjoy open space.
• I will have fixed my left foot.
• I’ll have spent more days than not with regular exercise and good diet, and I won’t feel guilty about the lapses.
• I’ll have done what I need to do to maintain health and wellness for the long term, even if it means risk management and preventative care.

Safety

• I will find my place in the world and settle there.
• I will find financial security or stop worrying about it and downscale my aspirations.
• I will know when to stop, rather than conquering every challenge.
• I will overcome haste and distraction when I drive.

Belonging

• I will strengthen my connections with the positive people  in my life and eliminate some negative ones.
• Wherever I end up, I will find ways to join the community other than just hanging out with people from work.
• I will be proud of how I conduct my relationships.
• I will spend more time with my children and my parents, because neither is going to be around forever.

Esteem

• I’ll have finished the Stanford classes that have been left undone for years.
• I’ll stay informed and engaged in the wider world, reading, writing, and collaborating with artists and scientists in hilltop retreats.
• I’ll nurture my relationship with (and give back to) Cambridge, because its always going to be a touchstone.
• I’ll understand spoken Dutch, not just written messages.
• I will make a habit of speaking truth to authority.
• I’ll have crossed the boundary between life as it is today and life as it must become tomorrow.  It sounds vague, but I know exactly what I mean, and I diminish as a person every day that I put it off.

Self-actualization

• I’ll better balance, or at least better divide, my work and non-work lives.
• I’ll have an outlet for my ambition, creatively engaged in meaningful, constructive entrepreneurship.  I’ve put it off for too long and I can’t wait too many more tomorrows.
• I’ll have scratched my itch for sailing, writing, art, travel, and reading, although it will never be satisfied.

Footnote:  I’ve always enjoyed reading Maslow and Jung on the nature of human potential, and when I reflect on changes that I need to make in my life, I can always look to their thoughts to stimulate my own.