There is an old joke that goes, “How do you make God laugh? Make plans.” I think it is important to remember this as we make our New Years resolutions. Five years ago, I was the director of technology for a very successful financial institution. Year 2000 was a big concern. I did not expect the massive disruption that some people feared, but I did need to go into the office on New Years day to make sure everything was working properly. With the exception of one report we got from a counter party with the date, January 1, 19100, everything seemed to be working fine.

New Years Day 2000. I was putting my life back together after a painful divorce. I had met a new woman, who I would end up proposing to and marrying in the year 2000. Her mother just died a few months earlier and the grief was still quite strong, but everything looked upbeat. We were putting our lives back together and I was making lots of money.