Hey, it’s Adam, on January 1, 2021.

Did you make a bunch of  resolutions last night? Break any yet?

Mine will be a snap because they don’t involve doing anything new. In fact, they’re about NOT  doing stuff.

Most people plan (yet only about 46% actually succeed) on exercising more, getting organized, saving money, and so on. I used to.

Not any more.

I’ve been experimenting this COVID year and omitting activities that weren’t delivering bang for the buck. So, it’s out with the old and out with the new too.

  1. Cancel news and social media. Social media, just distorted clickbait. TV and cable news, sensationalism personified. As Dr. Scott Atlas writes, “The decline of objectivity in journalism has been evident for years.”  And this from Will Durant: “Most of us spend too much time on the last 24 hours and not enough time on the last 6,000 years.” So, adios amigos.
  2. Quit Starbucks.  Here in Naples a venti caffe latte is $4.65 a pop. Average 2-3 of these a week and you’re out $600 (Star)bucks for the year. Pebble Beach Links is $575 for 18, and more satisfying than a few gallons of Pike Place Roast. Fewer jitters too. Sayonara SBUX.
  3. Alt-Cntrl-Del business books. From my reading list. Mission statements. Strategy. Execution. Customer-first focus. “Our employees are our greatest asset.” Frankly, pretty much everything since the Bible and Drucker is recycled/repackaged gibberish. No offense to authors, because, hey I wrote a business book too. Once. But slick, repetitive reinvention of  the wheel in print form does not deserve my energy and attention. I’m headed for the biography and history stacks.  “Hasta la Vista, Baby.” 

Happy New Year! Actually, Happy Better Year…