Instead of coming up with New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to state some intentions. Resolutions are like a to-do list, if you don’t complete the resolution you’ve somehow failed. To me they feel pass/fail. An intention, on the other hand, is a suggestion. It allows for partial success or partial completion.
In 2025 I had both of my knees replaced, one the first week of January, and the second at the end of September. Prior to the first replacement I was walking 2 miles a day outdoors (weather permitting) and another 30-60 minutes on a walking desk treadmill.
I intend to resume daily walks, both outdoors and on the treadmill. The outdoor walks are meditative in addition to being physically enjoyable.
Twenty years ago I weighed 250 pounds. In June 2006 I started tracking what I was eating, and eliminated lots of empty calories from my diet. A year later I weighed 193 pounds. Since then my weight has fluctuated. As of this morning I weighed 184.3 pounds.
While I am not going to track everything I eat, I do intend to be mindful of how much I am eating. I intend to do more and eat less.
I intend to retire on my 67th birthday. Which is two years, four months, and seven days from now. I want to continue to contribute and be of value to my employer for the remainder of that time.
I need to start learning how to retire, how to collect social security benefits, how to manage our retirement investments, and how to navigate Medicare. I do know that I need to sign up (register) for Medicare during the six months centered on my 65th birthday. In other words, between February and August this year.
I intend to talk to our accountant, our financial adviser, and to take any retirement seminars or workshops the University offers.
This one is easy. I intend to read for fun. Whether that is fiction, science fiction, fantasy, or non-fiction.
We like to watch some TV shows, like Elementary, or Numb3rs, or Silo. And we enjoy some movies-usually on DVD.
I intend to continue to enjoy escaping into some well-known alternate reality.
I intend to keep playing my cellos and mandolin. I intend to devote more focused time to improving as a musician.
I intend to spend more time writing on this website. In February I will have owned this domain for 30 years. I’d like to keep adding content that is meaningful to me.
I intend to live my life my way, including the people I want and letting go of the people I don’t want or need.
My greatest source of joy, comfort, security, and love is the relationship I have with my wife. We were incredibly fortunate to find each other nearly 20 years ago. I treasure every day I can spend with Sibylle.
I intend to keep loving her, and to keep sharing all of this life with her.