One of my 2026 resolutions is to enjoy the outdoors no matter the weather. My daughter is my accountability partner, and so I was proud to tell her about cross-country skiing last Sunday. The picture above is from that adventure. (Thanks for the company, George and Wendy, and shout out to Alrid, who clarified that Friluftsliv [life in free air] applies in all seasons, though I find this idea most challenging to follow in the cold season.)

My other resolutions have not fared as well — my new daily strength and core routine has seen some starts and stops, and my 1 p.m. deadline for cutting off caffeine was sometimes foiled by a late afternoon cup of coffee.

But I think this is ok, because I have come to think of resolutions less as must-dos and more as accumulated efforts at self-improvement. There is no wiggle room with absolutes: If you miss, you get discouraged and just stop. But as of the 23rd of January, I have logged 18 days of doing my new routine. I call that a win.

And I think there is a lesson here about persistence over the long term and grace for oneself in the short term. So, with time left in January — and with the rest of the year yawning before us — maybe this approach will help you revisit your own resolutions. Certainly, you can join mine. With the forecasted snow, I am sure there will be many more cross-country skiing opportunities. Maybe I will see you out on the trails.

Here's the latest from around the Beat:

With my transition into the role of President, we are launching a national search for provost. I am very grateful to Bill Farquhar for stepping in and serving on an interim basis until an appointment is made. More information, including the search committee roster, is on the provost search page.

We are also launching a national search for the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration. I am very grateful to Carol Kissal, who joined UD to serve in this role in an interim capacity. You can learn more, including the search committee roster, on the EVP search page.

Please bookmark these search pages, as they will be updated as the searches get underway with timelines, position profiles and other information. Both searches will be assisted by the nationally recognized search firm WittKieffer, whose team got to know UD very well during the presidential assessment process last fall, and as such have a jumpstart in understanding our strengths and needs.

A big CHEER to our Spirit squads. The Spirit Showcase that served as a dress rehearsal for the national championships had the Carpenter Center rocking. UD performed so well in national competition, with the small co-ed gameday squad coming in 5th place, the all-girl cheer team in 5th place, hip-hop dance team in 6th, and the all-girl partner stunt team bringing home a bronze (Woohoo: Demi, Tamara, Jordan, and Rylee).

Finally, a reminder that your thoughts are welcome on the themes that will be incorporated into our strategic planning process: inquire with impact, create with connections, innovate with intention, grow with purpose, welcome with promise, educate with outcomes, work with trust, belong with joy, and stand with pride. I am grateful to those who have already sent in so many thoughtful responses and want to encourage any additional thoughts as we think about how these themes define who we are, how we work and what we do.

Yours in UD,