I aim pretty high, and expect a lot of myself. As a result, when it comes time to look back on a year, I rarely feel as if I’ve managed to accomplish much of what I ambitiously hoped to get done. But I’ve found if I can at least consistently keep my focus on my most important projects and goals, and devote my best efforts to achieving them while keeping less important distractions from getting in the way, I can feel pretty good about what I’ve done. 2015 fits that description for me: I did about the best I could manage to, amid many competing priorities, while relentlessly striving to do better. In short, I’m largely happy with where I invested my time and energy, even as I continue to seek ways to produce more of the results I’m after.

“The Way Out” marked a significant pivot in my thinking, and has become a series I revisit when in need of perspective. I mean to make it a priority to continue that work and line of thinking into 2016.

I also mean to make 2016 the year The No Fear Pioneer springs back to life with a substantial number of new episodes. I’ve been enthusiastically jotting down notes about ideas I want to get to, and am really looking forward to developing them into new installments.

Lastly, my intent going into 2016 is to approach things with a sense of gratitude. It’s too easy to dwell on all that’s worrisome or going badly today, and in the course of doing so to overlook the precious gift that reveals it by comparison: to have known something better. I mean for my attitude to be one of gratitude, animated by love of the beauty and goodness I have seen, and am thankful to have witnessed and experienced — traces of the past that give me reason to be confident a better future is possible. We still have the recipe. A suitable time, place, and people are all that’s needed for it to work its wonders again.