INTERESTING TIMES

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stand at times of challenge and controversy.
—Martin Luther King Jr.

My resolutions for last year included a renewed emphasis on always doing my best. That practice allows me to go easy on myself when my best isn't the greatest. I did well on this resolution, especially when I decided to put my energies into doing the research that will allow me to be a good doctor, instead of simply doing what it took to pass my program. I feel good about the work that I've done and I know it will put me in good stead in the future.

I also resolved to keep my vision on the horizon. I have been swayed a bit much by men who have crossed my path; it is my weakness. My longterm goals need to be present in my daily life, and I need some way to remind myself of them. I think I was too vague about exactly what I was going to do, which helped me to not do it.

So let it be also resolved that I will make a list of my 10 longterm goals along with a timeframe for completion, and see how that ends up matching with reality. Prediction is a whole different matter from simply reporting what is. Planning is what makes some people in great demand as project managers. I need to manage this project of my life a little more actively and see how it goes.

Mind you I have a longstanding practice of going with the flow. I recognize the hazard of trying to force things, and I know the beauty in letting the finest manifestations emerge out of not knowing. I would like to enter a state of being in which the flow moves my goals forward. In other words, this is a good time for setting intention.

What Sort of Checklist Should You Be Using?
By Justin Fox | Tuesday, February 23, 2010
http://blogs.hbr.org/fox/2010/02/draftwhat-sort-of-checklist-sh.html
( article and links from David B. Schlosser's weekend reading email newsletter )

At long last we can turn the page on another year. Funny how we mark time, and make certain days into big turning points. Every day is a new beginning. Every moment is an opportunity to begin to do what you really love, to begin the work of being your truest you, to begin the process of peeling away the layers of conditioning and denial that separate us from who we really are. The new year starts today, and every day. But today is the day for resolutions, so I am going to check on my old ones, and write out some new ones. Most days I look only at what I need to do to get through the next day or maybe week. It is rare that I look years into the future and focus on longterm goals. I think this is the value of these marks in time; that they remind us of how much time is passing. Another year has gone by. I hope to have another year to follow, and another, and another. I hope you also have many years, and that they are all good. Thanks for sharing your voyage with me.
( new resolutions and old ones )

I resolve to keep a daily routine that includes morning and evening meditations.
I resolve to continue to live frugally.
I resolve to check my calendar every weekday morning (so I don't miss things!)
I resolve to leave lots of down time in my calendar for exercise, rest and reading.
I resolve to use what I have, instead of saving it for another time.
( how I did )