Resolutions

Flickr CC by chiaralily 

It's a new year, which of course means new resolutions; new challenges ahead. This year I resolve to grow - as an educator, as a learner, as a professional, and as a human. So here are my resolutions:

1. Connect more. I want to spend more time with family, friends, colleagues, fellow students and even ideas. I want to publish more (here and Twitter). For me, this means being more deliberate during the day, with specific expectations for myself. It also probably means less screen time at night as I engage more with family, friends and colleagues.

2. Climb a mountain. Yes, I know it's a non sequitor after the previous item, but it's my second priority this year! I want to summit a mountain - more than 10,000 feet - while avoiding a technical climb. Mt. Whitney fits the bill. It's about 14500 feet, with a 10.7 mile hike to the top. According to the website, the 22 mile round trip CAN be done in a day, as long as you start before dawn! The challenge with this is that there is a lottery for trail passes, and there's no guarantee I'll be able to get a pass on a day I'm actually able to do it.

3. Read professional books. I read a lot, but mostly blogs (for professional growth) and research studies (for my doctorate program). I want to read more books like Jim Collins' Great by Choice, and actually assimilate ideas into my practice.

4. Learn Spanish. And Mexican history. Okay, I know I won't be able to fully meet this particular resolution, but I want to make progress. If we're going to spend a third of our retirement in Mexico, it certainly would be a good idea to learn the language and the culture a bit better! I've been playing around with Duolingo, and I just ordered a Kindle book of the history of the Mexican Revolution.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!