As we tend to do at the end of a year we reflect on the past and focus on the future. In my reflections it became apparent that I was failing to communicate well and as frequently as I should. I further realized toward the end of the year that technology was using me versus me using technology. This led to the November No Social Media Experiment. You can not help but notice that in society that trust is falling, we are becoming more tribal, and rude to each other. My resolutions which I did not wait till 2018 to implement are going to be designed to address these issues.
My first resolution is to improve my ability to communicate. The logical way to do this is to communicate more. This will be less through social media and email and more through personal interactions, phone calls, and my two blogs. The work blog on the website and the personal blog. This is actually the hardest resolution of the three for me as I tend to be a bit introverted.
My second resolution is to use technology more intentionally. This is the result of my November No Social Media Experiment. On January 1 I deleted 32 apps from my phone that I hadn’t used in two months. I rearranged my home screen for the 22 to apps I use the most. The rest were transferred to folders and moved to other screens. I will continue to winnow out what I don’t use and minimize all but the essential. This will include a review of everything that comes in through my RSS Reader (Feedly), the bookmarks on my browsers, the email I receive in both my work and personal accounts, and any other digital technology I use. This will be very time consuming at first but should pay dividends immediately.
My third resolution is to live the Boy Scout Oath and Law. We should all have a code we live by that allows us to be our best selves. The knights of old had theirs, God gave us the 10 Commandments, Jesus gave us the Golden Rule, there are many unspoken rules to society that seem to be breaking but the Scout Oath and Law represent some timeless principles we should all strive to live by. As a Scout leader I should strive to live the rules to be a good role model for the Scouts I lead. It shouldn’t just happen when I am with them but be a part of who I am. The fact that I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as a youth and that the Oath and Law helped shaped me to be the man who I am today helps me. Yet anyone can choose to live them whether they are affiliated with the Scouts or not.
Boy Scout Oath
On my Honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Boy Scout Law
A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
Finally, I expect during the year I will resolve to do other things, perform new experiments, and make tweaks to my plan as I learn and grow.
Seek to make yourself better every day and there are no limits to what you can accomplish.
Have a great year!