Resolutions for 2022

Happy New Year!

Like many of us do around this time of year, I recently sat down to write out my New Year’s resolutions. In preparation for this, I went back and read my resolutions from a year ago. Little did we know then that a year later we would still be facing headwinds from the pandemic … But throughout it all, I can’t help but remain grateful for the grace with which our Raymond James family has supported each other while continuing to make a difference in clients’ lives.

As is my tradition, I shared my New Year’s resolutions with my colleagues in Raymond James & Associates, and thought I’d once again share my top three here on LinkedIn with my professional network, too.?

In 2022, I resolve to:?

1.Wherever I am, be there.

When our daughter Sophie went to college two and a half years ago, I remember wondering if I’d spent my time during her senior year (and really the many years leading up to that) the way I should have. Now with our son Johnny graduating from high school this coming May, and Emily and I faced with the inevitability of soon being empty nesters, I’m again reminded of the importance of making every moment count. Which brings me to one of my favorite sayings I’ve learned over the years: “wherever you are, be there.”?

P.S. We also decided to combat our empty nester fate with the addition of a new border collie to the family. Meet Buttermilk, who is now the puppy companion to Hashbrown, our 12-year-old rescue. Bit of a Southern food theme going here, I know.

2. Preserve the best of my new habits.

Like many of you, I went into the pandemic with the intent that I’d use all of my newfound “stay at home more” time to come out of this smarter, better looking and funnier. Well, I’m not sure any of that happened to the extent I’d hoped, but I did foster some new habits I intend to preserve. Included amongst these are eating much, much healthier than at any other point in my life, exercising more and better (thank you, Peloton), and reading even more than I already did. So I encourage you all to pick one or two of your best new habits from the past almost 24 months and resolve to perpetuate it. As for our bad habits, well, that’s probably best saved for another letter someday.

3. Make the world a better place.

OK, maybe we won’t make the entire world a better place, but we can make our part of the world a better place. And at Raymond James we do that by doing what we do so well – serving our clients. We DO change the world one client and family at a time. Truly, we do. We’re also changing the world with the countless ways we give back to our communities. Personally, my favorite way to give back is through mentorship. I mentor within Raymond James through the Women’s Inclusion Network and the Mentoring for Black Associates program. I’m also in my second decade now of mentoring in the community via the University of South Florida Corporate Mentor Program. I share these simply as examples of what I enjoy doing, but what’s more important is that you find your passion for giving and leverage it to lift up others around you. We can, and do, change the world one person at a time.?

Wishing you all happiness, good health and success this year and beyond!