My
New Year's Resolutions
By Walter
Hanig, President
No muse today.
Every year about this time, I'm struck with creative writer's block. My
family puts out a holiday newsletter with a theme. We've done tabloids,
cookbooks, limericks, standardized tests, and other formats. As you can
imagine, it gets harder and harder to think up new ideas. And so it goes
with my newsletter article for January.
Lacking better ideas—more on that later—I offer some personal resolutions for the new year.
- Take
chances. Apply for jobs that I may not be perfectly qualified for.
Ask STC members to take on specific duties. What's the worst that can
happen?
- Listen
harder. Just because I disagree with an idea as it's being presented
shouldn't stop me from encouraging the idea's presentation and presenter.
Besides, the perspective offered may have value in other situations.
- Confront
difficult situations. Whether it's a professional or a personal
situation, avoiding the issue usually doesn't solve it.
- Have
more fun. I need to cook more—just eat less!
- Allow
more slack for everyone, including me.
- Spend
more time with first-timers at meetings.
- Write
minutes from council meetings!
- Submit newsletter articles on time!
Readers, is there a topic you'd like me to address in a future column? Just let me know: wdhanig@alumni.rice.edu
