January 1, 2020 marks more than just another new year, it marks a new decade. And a good time to take stock.

What are your personal highlights of the past decade? What does the new decade hold for you? Are you living the life you want to live?

I have never been a “bucket list” kind of person, but I did set four big, broad goals for myself early in this decade. They involved family, work, travel, and friends.

My family goal involved grandkids that weren’t yet born. I told my husband that I wanted to spend a lot of time with my grandkids if I was fortunate enough to have them someday. That someday came for us four times between 2012 and 2016. Happy to say, I’m meeting my family goals. Once we had grandkids, there was no question I wanted to make the changes needed to live near them so I could see them often. We made the move back to New England in 2016 and it was one of our best decisions ever. They are now 7, 5, almost 5, and 3 ½. I fondly call them the “Fab Four” and we see them often.

That decision to move was tightly coupled with a major career decision. Leaving a fulltime position as a healthcare CIO to start down a path of interim management, consulting and leadership coaching. It’s a decision I have never regretted as I now have more control and flexibility in my career and work. This period has included launching and growing a successful health IT advisory firm, StarBridge Advisors, with two colleagues for the past 3 years.

My husband and I have had some fabulous travel in the past 10 years and continue to plan more trips in the coming years. Whether traveling close or far, for a short or long trip, having new adventures together is always a good time. Some of the most fun trips have included our daughters and their families. This coming year will mark the first Disney World trip for two of the grandkids with us. We’re also singing in a community chorus that will do an 11-day tour in Portugal including several choral performances while there.

We’ve kept in touch with good friends that we have made over the years who live all over the country while slowly making a new circle of friends in our community. With busy work lives and having lived in several different parts of the country over the years, making new friends and spending time with them takes intentionality. You can’t just say, “We should get together some time”. You must commit, pick a date and do it. One of my best periods for time with friends was in Michigan when I had a monthly lunch date with three girlfriends – we never said goodbye until we had booked the next date on our calendars.

I remember well the day my brother-in-law and I talked about what you want your “60’s decade” to be like. How much would you want to work, how much would you want to travel, how much time would you want to spend with your family?? As he said then, you never know what chronic health conditions you might have by the time you are 70 so make the most of your 60’s. That conversation made a big impression on me.

As the decade turns for all of us and our own personal decades unfold, being intentional about your goals, what is most important to you, how you spend your precious time, how you show up for others, and how you give back are all questions worth considering now and throughout the year – regardless of your age and what personal decade you find yourself in.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy new year and new decade.