It’s that time of year for resolutions. I don’t usually make resolutions but I thought this year I might take a focused approach, concentrating on my work/life balance so here goes:

1)      Own E-mail; Don’t Let It Own Me: My inboxes – both at work and at home – remain perpetually full. And yes, I do delete all the junk email, but it’s difficult to get to all the email I receive in a day. At work, I can be in six hours of meetings. After that I do have items I must complete, and emails often are at the bottom of my list. At home, it’s usually late when I am reading them, and I don’t want to make mistakes or be snippy because I’m tired. So what to do? I’ve now blocked Friday afternoons for email at work. I’m also working harder to send less email. If I send less, my theory is that I should receive less. I’ll let you know how this goes.

2)      Network Face to Face: Social media is wonderful. I’ve reconnected with friends from high school, colleagues from former jobs and relatives across the country. I’m also keeping in touch with NFPW friends. But nothing beats a lunch or a cup of coffee with a colleague or friend. You learn so much more that way and the connection is more real. So I resolve to have one face to face get-together each month. More are always welcome, but at least one. I’ll never be able to see if everyone, but I can make a real start.

3)      Be Selfish: Another way to look at this is to do one thing every day for me. The other month I wrote about how I was improving my fitness and working to increase how often and how far I walk. The amazing thing is that I am no longer alone on this journey. Iris June Vinegar of the North Carolina Press Club shared with me the health benefits of running and told me that she did not start running until she was 54 and did not do marathons until she was 74. She has since completed 9! I am truly inspired. Just in case inspiration isn’t enough, though, Louise Seals, who provided my initial inspiration, has offered to walk with me on the weekends. Fellow VPW member Bonnie Atwood said it would be great to get a group together to walk. I’m working on that!

4)      Stretch: I have a plaque on my desk that asks, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” It forces me to consider whether I am pushing myself past my comfort zone or if I’m more worried about making mistakes. I’ve been working with a business coach for the past year. It’s been a remarkable journey. I’ve been forced to stretch, and I’ll keep stretching. Thanks coach!

5)      Live in Flip-Flops: This is my calendar for the year and it was created by Sandy Gingras. The philosophy is straightforward: “It’s not a faraway exotic locale (although that would be nice, too…). It’s just a moment we inhabit in an exotic way – a choice we make to live more playfully, to live more alive…” The calendar is my daily reminder, as are the flip-flops I’m keeping out. I’m going to worry less about lists and more about playing. See you at the beach!

Did you make resolutions? If so, what are they?