Yes, I know, January 1st was just a regular Wednesday, that followed a regular Tuesday. Rationally, there is no reason why I should pause on that particular Tuesday, look over the past 365 days, and think about where I would like to be 365 days later. But I did it, anyway.
To be fair, I do this sort of exercise every month. At this time of the year, it’s just a little bit more elaborate. I formulate a theme for the year. Then, a number of goals that I would like to achieve in the next 366 days. Finally, I think about the behaviours that will help me achieve those goals.
My word for this year is “focused”, and I formulated 12 specific goals – some major, like applying for a research grant, some minor like joining a 10k race (booked it already) and reading at least three books in a foreign language (the joys of having access to a university library).
If you formulate goals / intentions / resolutions, you may like this episode of the HBR IdeaCast podcast. And, specifically for academic and writing related goals, I recommend episode 16 of the Academic Woman Amplified podcast, and/or the associated blog post.
Whether you join in formulating new year resolutions or not, I wish you a wonderful 2020, full of curiosity, lots of travels, and not taking ourselves too seriously.
Ana Canhoto 
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