New Year’s Resolutions

1. Remain present where it matters most.

Continue to try to be present with my wife and children. Protect ordinary time. Attention is finite and valuable.

2. Join the conversation.

Participate rather than observe. Write publicly more often. Share ideas while they are still alive, not only once they feel finished or safe.

3. Write for posterity.

In an age where AI produces endless text, write as a human. Write clearly and honestly. Assume much of what we write now is for ourselves and our children, not the algorithm.

4. Depth over velocity.

Read fewer things more carefully. Respond more slowly. Resist the pressure.

5. Be intentional about relationships.

Network better by treating relationships as ongoing, not transactional. Follow up. Reach out first. Maintain connections instead of collecting them.

6. Be local.

Pay attention to the immediate world. Write from somewhere specific. Allow place, history, and proximity to shape perspective.

7. Practice daily noticing.

Take one quality photograph each day. Not for documentation or posting, but as a discipline of seeing.