
As we embark on a brand new year, many of us are resolving to better ourselves in various ways. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, mostly because the stress of setting expectations and being unable to meet them is often more detrimental to my psyche than continuing to be the same old person I’ve been for years, warts and all. I also think that the calendar year is a pretty arbitrary concept, and that modest goal-setting can be a year-round process rather than a huge one-time ordeal that takes place on January 1st.
That said, I was thinking about an exercise that we complete at my workplace every year, where individuals provide feedback to their supervisors and managers in order to help them improve. One of the questions on the formal survey asks “what things should this person start, stop, or continue doing?” This is closer to how I like to approach thinking about the New Year. There are things I’m already doing that I want to maintain going forward, there are bad habits that I should probably attempt to curtail, and there are potentially new things I could start doing to make my life easier and more fulfilling. It’s a good way to take stock of the good things that are already happening while still leaving room to make tweaks and improvements.
Looking ahead, there are definitely some blog-related things I’d like to start, stop, and continue doing. While it’s been a good year around here, I feel like there are some bad habits I’d like to break and some new avenues I’d love to explore. Below are some thoughts.