fox@fury
2002 Resolutions
Friday, Dec 28, 2001
So I've expressed in the past how I feel about resolutions, but I've got a few ready for 2002 anyhow:
  1. Use people's names. I don't use peoples names when I talk to them. I have a latent fear of accidentally getting the name wrong, and thereby invalidating whatever respect that person thinks I have for them. I'm bad with names. Good with people and who-knows-who and who-does-what, but the actual nombre descriptors often don't get recorded well in my head, so much that even wehn talking to people who I've known for years and *of course* know who they are, the habit remains, and I don't use their name when I talk to them. The worst and most common example is the passing-in-the-hall: "Hey Kevin." "Hi." I never trust my fifth-of-a-second name recall and the risk of embarassment doesn't make it worth it.

    So, flash cards for linking faces and names, and take the risk of making a mistake.

  2. Learn how to say goodbye. When I say goodbye to someone, after lunch, at the end of an evening, maybe even a phone conversation, I can't let go. I close it up with this weird need to know when I'll see or talk to the person again. Dirk Gently says every time he leaves someone's company he assumes they're dead, and when he sees them it's a time of surprise and rejoicing. I'm not that bad, but I've got to learn that out of sight doesn't mean out of mind, or out of existence. Maybe it's my frightfully short attention span; If I don't make a little link for the next contact, I might just forget and never talk to them again. Anyhow, once again, small insecurity blossomed into lifelong habit that it's high time I break. I mean, it's silly when, out of habit, you end phone calls with a Southwest Airlines operator or person from the phone company with "'k, I'll talk to you later. Bye!" High time, definitely.

I'm sure I'll think of a few more of these things. Less overt than losing 20 pounds, but even more unshackling.

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aboutme

Hi, I'm Kevin Fox.
I've been blogging at Fury.com since 1998.
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