One Good Thing
Improving the Work Experience at UCSF

Issue 93
To make our True North "Our People" efforts more visible at UCSF, this communication provides a highlight of one enhancement, story or tip intended to improve the work experience for clinicians and faculty at UCSF Health.
A meteor from the Quadrantids captured in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Credit...Yuichi Takasaka/Stocktrek Images, via Science Source
The Anti-New Year's Resolution and Meteor Showers

Happy 2020 to all!
"May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows..." and many more wishes for your coming decade in this Jason Mraz song: "Have It All."

This time of year is ripe for resolution making, new beginnings, and change, and beginning a new decade makes it seem even more so. Despite that, every year, I feel a bit anti-New Year's resolutions. Maybe because it feels so cliche, or maybe because 92% of resolutions are not seen through to reality. Mostly, I actually think that reserving renewal to one day a year is too much pressure and a well-being mistake. I prefer to think of renewal as a constant process that I can partake in all year long in ways that keep life more satisfying and interesting. Less pressure, more fun and, I propose, more effective.

An article featured in NY Times Smarter Living "How Small Habits Can Lead to Big Changes" describes a way to rethink the "big, hairy, audacious goal" style New Year's resolution to instead take "micro-steps." These small changes in habits are much more likely to stick, and therefore, change your life. They are so doable that you don't need a holiday to gear up for them. In the article, Arianna Huffington proposes the most compelling part, that micro-steps are essentially "too small to fail." Now that is something I can really get behind.

A few ideas Huffington features include:

  • Set an alarm for 30 minutes before bedtime
  • Sit down to eat
  • Turn one regular sit-down meeting into a walking meeting
  • Declare an end to the work day, even if your to-do list is not done
  • Let yourself be bored instead of picking up your phone (while standing in line, for example)

Take a moment to consider what tiny steps may get you started on your own "big, hairy, audacious goals." If experiencing awe happens to be one of them, consider checking out the Quadrantids Meteor Shower which peaks tonight, January 3rd, between dusk and dawn.

And if you're still wondering how the 8% of people who keep their New Year's resolutions do things differently than the rest of us, check out this article.

Related Resources:

Special thanks to Eric Seeley who told me about the "Smarter Living" newsletter from the NYT. I love it!