Good morning, friends. I hope this finds you well in the midst of a peaceful break and excited, like me, to roll up that left arm sleeve.
Well, it is actually the last day of 2020. Can you believe it?You made it and you’re tougher because of it.Tougher, my friend.
In late December of every year, my thoughts shift to New Year’s Resolutions.I absolutely love them.Yum, yum, yum – stick ’em on a biscuit and slurp ’em up.
At times, though, I’ll second guess myself. 2013 – Did I pick too many?2018 – Am I not specific enough?2007 – Too challenging? 2011 – not challenging enough?Here’s great advice from Harvard.Well in 2021, I’m going micro (please see #2).Take just one job, right?
Starting right now, a day early, I will not use any more exclamation points.
I’m sharing this for two reasons.First, selfishly it makes it more likely to stick. (please see #4 above).Second, in this world of exclamation point inflation, I want it to be clear I’m diverting.I’d hate to have you all believe I’m bummed out, apathetic, or disinterested.Quite the contrary, actually.2021 is going to be upside down fantastic. It will be Walk with a Doc’s best year yet.I’ll share more in upcoming posts as we progress down our collective path in ’21.
Ok, here’s the backstory as to why I am entering myself into punctuation detox. Back in ’05, when I started writing the newsletter, one exclamation point made me feel great.It was a different era.My days were jammed up with stories of Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey, Tom Cruise jumping on couches, and Carrie Underwood winning American Idol.Who needed more than one back then?Life was an exclamation point.
Pre-Twitter, FB, and Insta most articles were filled with periods.We didn’t know any better.  It was all we had and we loved it.When it was time to show my genuine excitement the exclamation point was there for me and one gave me all the buzz I needed.
Then at some point, and I can’t remember when I needed two.I guess I’d been using one quite regularly, and just to make sure I was really sharing my passion, I reached for two.I wasn’t the only one.*This article boldly mentions maybe you should get one in your career so use it wisely or more generously, 2-3 per 100,000 words of prose.I was averaging an exclamation point every 6.2 words.
Everyone who has read more than one WWAD newsletter is keenly aware I am unaware of the concepts of ‘grammar’ and ‘punctuation’.And most all have been kind enough not to point out the EP abuse to me.You probably assumed I would eventually come to the realization myself.You were right and deep down, I guess I always knew.As we came down the 2020 homestretch, I just couldn’t get enough. One here, three there. It got to the point where I just had to totally cut them all out of my life.Cold turkey.Done.
That’s me.Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions (outside of returning to a more normal life)?Read more books?Intermittent fasting?Get organized?Meditate?Be more positive? (I love these)
If you would like to share any New Year’s Resolutions with me, or our team, feel free to send them to david@walkwithadoc.org. They will not be shared with the masses.
Please be safe tonight. We will be sitting at home alone while I do Legos in our side bedroom until I get tired (around 8:15-8:30).So, that’s your competition.
See you on the flip side of 2020, my friends.
Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!
Rachael, Bryan, Orelle, and David