A friend of mine, a college marketing professor, amazes me with his ability to conversationally lay out his year in a way that gives him a clear picture of his future, recapping all the things he will plan for and look forward to. He’ll say, “In January I will attend a conference in Switzerland. In March I will go with my brother to visit my mum in India, and we will help her to sell some property. In May the next edition of my marketing textbook will be released, and I will travel to a few cities to meet with professors. When I go, I will take my daughter, who will be on break from college, to have some great father-daughter time and visit grad schools.” The picture he paints and plans for often involves travel, but it also includes personal and family highlights. I think sharing his plans with his friends in this way helps him to process what’s important in his life. I am a planner by nature, a card-carrying member of Life Planning Network, yet with this new year I’m thinking...