2010 Recap: Thinking Back and Moving On

I originally posted this video some weeks back. I was watching it again this morning and decided to edit a bit and repost for today as I could not have come up with anything better to say about the last year. How do we measure the last year? The last 365 days, 525,600 minutes, have almost completely expired now. Ever since I had kids, I have found that time has just flown by. It didn't take but the blink of an eye for 2010 to ring in and tap out again. Where did it go? What do I treasure? And where do we go from here?

I would also like to thank Andrea Krick for her amazing photographs of the family. We had such a great time and I hope we can do it again!

New Years: Just Another Day

The fireworks, the ball drop in Times Square, champagne and resolutions. Just a few things that come to mind when one thinks about the upcoming New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day festivities. There is so much anticipation, excitement, and a certain amount of uncertainty as we approach the new year.

So why do I not feel any kind of excitement this year? Why do I not feel the urge to set resolutions and goals and celebrate a year that has passed? Perhaps it is because I am older. I have a wife, kids, a job, bills, and this one night seems to pale in comparison to all of that. Maybe it is because I have been too busy to realize how quickly this year is coming to an end. Perhaps it is something a little bit deeper.

We all talk about resolutions: Our goals, hopes, and promises for the new year. For many of us parents it revolves around being a better parent, more involved, or doing more things with the kids. A lot of us married men tend to lean towards being a better husband, more loving, listening more, and treating our wives the way they deserve. This is where I lose the passion for the celebration. Are these not things that we should strive for any day, any time, and anywhere?

I always seem to set the same goals every year. Quit smoking, be a better dad and husband, do this and that. Every year though, I seem to fail. I started thinking about this last night and came to the conclusion that maybe I should stop worrying about once a year goals, and start focusing on goals in general. Why do we place such importance on this once a year and not year round?

This coming year I have but one resolution: To focus on my life as a dad and husband every day. Not just setting goals on January 1st, but striving to be a better person, better husband, and better dad, every day, all year long. I want to be the best dad and best husband I can be. That’s not just a goal for the year, that’s a goal for every day of my life. I am not going to worry about what I want to do in 365 days. I am going to focus on what I need to do for that day, one day at a time.

Maybe I have put too much thought into this. Maybe I’m on the verge of a great personal breakthrough. Who knows, life is like that. I do know this though: For my wife, my children, and myself, I will continually try to be a better person each day. It is what they deserve and what I am called to do.

How about you? What personal goals do you hope to accomplish, not just for the year, but for each day, one day at a time?