Now: January 2018

This was my public declaration of priorities for January 2018. Here’s my current one: Now.

Ted Eytan inspired me to create this page and he, in turn, was inspired by Derek Sivers.

Work:

My #1 priority right now is to change the world so that everyone understands – and knows how to access – peer health advice and the power we can draw from communities. Here’s a video to explain what I mean:

I’m working with organizations that share a piece of this mission: Cambia Health Solutions, Hope for Henry, Atlas of Caregiving, and HopeLab. I’m exploring other ways to expand this portfolio of work as I recenter and reset for 2018.

Personal:

My dad, George Fox, passed away from melanoma in December. I am just now starting to understand the impact of Dad’s legacy, including the very difficult last six months, on my extended family and on my own life. I will probably share some of the lessons learned on my blog, so stay tuned.

Current reading list: 

• Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, by Tracy Kidder (learning more about Haiti and how one person can change the trajectory of a community)
• Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy — Until You’re 80 and Beyond, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, MD (has an embarrassingly hot pink cover but it is packed with excellent, evidence-based advice such as the recommendation of aerobic exercise six days a week. Key quote: “You do have to age but you don’t have to rot.”)
• Warren Buffet’s letters to shareholders (inspiration for my own look back at 2017’s wins and losses. I created not only a financial review but an impact review for myself, which I shared in a blog post.)
• “We Studied 100 Mentor-Mentee Matches: Here’s What Makes Mentorship Work” by First Round (I am part of a peer mentor group and I love to help community colleagues. This is the best advice I’ve seen about how to structure a useful relationship with or as an advisor, whether long- or short-term.)
• “The four elements of entrepreneurship” by Seth Godin (and really, everything he posts to his blog)

I captured this “Don’t Stop Believing” image while visiting the campus of Wesleyan University last spring for my 25th reunion.

Past Now pages: December 2017; November 2017; September 2017.