Do you make new year’s resolutions? Do you share them with others for accountability? Do you use the new year as a time for reflection and goal setting?
I have made explicit resolutions in some years and not others. A few years ago, I framed them as intentions – they were balance, passion and engagement. Regardless of what form it takes, the start of a new year is a good time to reflect on the past year and plan for the coming year in both your professional and personal life.
My resolutions at the start of 2022 revolved around life/work balance and I’m happy to say I have made good progress. In 2022, my work schedule was very manageable, I spent more time with family (including fun times with grandkids), got a lot of exercise (including becoming a Pickleball addict), and vacationed without worrying about work.
More time with family may sound like a cliché – maybe more available to family is another way to say it. So, what are some examples of being available? When my daughters tell me about a game or performance that my grandkids are in, I now have the flexibility to say yes, I’ll be there. When my daughters ask if I can take care of their kids for a few days, I now can say yes. That included “Nana Camp” last summer. And when my sister’s husband passed away back home in Minnesota, I was able to spend extended time with her.
I am carrying all these positive 2022 changes and more into 2023.
At the end of 2022, I also pledged to myself as we move into the next election cycle, that I am going to make some adjustments for my own mental health. I will continue to read and stay informed. But I will limit how much TV news coverage I watch and try to stop Twitter “doom scrolling”. As I start 2023, I’m trying hard to maintain a daily discipline of reading trusted news sources first thing in the morning before I start work to stay current and informed. And I’ve set up an account on Post (@sgschade) as I like many others slowly transition from Twitter for reasons you can figure out. And I continue to listen to informative podcasts on health IT and politics on my daily dog walks.
As you know from other blog posts and podcast interviews, I’m a fan of Bill Russell and This Week Health. Bill’s January 3 episode on the This Week Health: Newsroom channel highlights two of his new year’s resolutions – lead with vision, find solutions and not just talk about problems in ever more creative ways. For any leader, these are good ones. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate and respect about Bill as I’ve gotten to know him better is that each year he steps back to reflect on the previous year and determine what changes are needed in the coming year. He and his team continue to evolve one of the best sources for health IT news and analysis in our industry.
While I may have reduced my overall work schedule in the past year, my commitment to developing next generation leaders hasn’t changed. I was touched to get a note from my oldest daughter who is a Nurse Practitioner telling me they have created a mentorship program for the Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) at her hospital. She called me a “mentoring queen” and asked if I had any good articles or resources to share. Of course, I did. I sent links to several useful articles and pointed her to all the blogs I’ve written on mentoring and networking.
As month one of the new year comes to an end, I hope you are keeping your resolutions if you made any or at least took time to reflect on what you want the new year to be for you both professionally and personally. Here’s to 2023 and keeping your resolutions and meeting your goals!