5 Resolutions For Your Second Act: How to set your sights on the big picture at New Year's

To make meaningful New Year’s resolutions that you’ll really keep, set long-range resolutions for your second act. This way, you can help reach the goals that matter to you in the context of your entire future, not just a single year.

Bruce Rosenstein, in an article on Next Avenue, suggests five long-range resolutions for your second act, based on the wisdom of Peter Drucker. I have included key elements; you may wish to read the entire article. 

1. I resolve to embrace uncertainty rather than avoid it.

Don’t assume that tomorrow will be like today. It could be, but the future is unknown. And while uncertainty can be unsettling, remember this: we’re all in the same boat.

To embrace uncertainty and support your second act, form a book club or discussion group dedicated to learning about the future. Explore advances and trends in business, technology, education, culture and work. You could also look at role models — people you know or ones in the public eye who seem adept at navigating uncertainty.

2. I resolve to seek opportunities in changing conditions.

We may not like change, but it’s natural, necessary, and something to celebrate. . . .To do that, you need to see change as an opportunity, not a threat. . . . You should actively search for new possibilities inside and outside your field.

One suggestion: Interact with people in diverse groups and start reading unfamiliar newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.  

3. I resolve to stop and reflect on my second act.

Every year, Drucker carved out time to engage in deep, focused introspection. He’d reflect on how the past year had gone compared with his expectations and the adjustments he needed to make going forward.

As you reflect on your second act, maximize your efforts by employing practices such as journaling and mindfulness. You can also adopt what’s known as a “beginner’s mind.” In his classic book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki (founder of the San Francisco Zen Center) wrote: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”

4. I resolve to remove and improve.

Your second act will unfold in part due to what you stop doing. Drucker recommended something called systematic abandonment —intentionally dropping activities and relationships that are no longer productive or useful. He suggested combining this with kaizen: steady and incremental improvement of what remains.

A good starting point for this resolution is to make a list of what and who you can live without and then gradually shed them from your life. Then, use your newfound time to help create a winning second act.

5. I resolve to make friends with risk.

Drucker believed that it was risky to sit back and let the future happen to you. Accept the idea that almost everything carries some element of risk, and you can create a space for risk in your life. 

Your second act may involve weighing the risks in going back to (and paying for) school, learning new technologies or creating an entrepreneurial venture. At some point, though, you’ll simply need to take that first step. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.”