Annual Planning - Will Harlow, HT Physio

Thoughts from Will Harlow - HT Physio :

My annual planning approach:

Every year, I keep an entire day in the period between Christmas and New Year completely free of commitments so I can go through a process I call Annual Planning. I lock myself away for the whole day and try to take a 40,000 foot view of the year ahead. I think about what I want to do and who I want to become in all aspects of my life – personal, health, business and relationships. This day gives me some of my biggest breakthroughs.

The key to making this process effective is to ask the right questions. I'm sharing some of my favourites below in case you want to do your own version of Annual Planning and need somewhere to start:

Personal

• What does “success” actually mean for you now (not 10 years ago)?
• What parts of your current identity no longer serve you?
• If 2026 ended and nothing materially changed, what would you regret most?
• If someone wrote your obituary at 90, what do you want the through-line to be?

Health

• What does “elite health for my age” actually mean in measurable terms?
• What activities give me energy vs drain it?
• What behaviours must be protected even in busy periods?

Relationships

• Who deserves more of me in 2026?
• What relationships am I neglecting due to “busyness”?
• What would my wife or husband say I should change?

Future

• What are my 5 personal non-negotiables for 2026?
• What must be true for you to say “this was a successful year”?
• What is on my "Stop Doing" list for 2026?

Let me know if you'll give this a try for 2026.

Best sign so far this year

 On my morning walk, we saw ... 

Free CLE January 2026+

 As we step into a new year of learning and connection, I’m excited to share this month’s lineup of Free CLE Webinars—ready for you to explore, use, and pass along to your networks. Every listing is free to attend, though credit approval varies by jurisdiction. If your state isn’t listed, you may still be able to self-apply depending on YOUR local rules.

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January 2026 Free CLE

January 5: 

* Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Legal Implications of Using AI in Employment Decisions. By LexisNexis.

January 7:

* Win Before You Walk In: Mastering Pre-Trial Tactics - Part 1: How to Settle Your Case Before Filing a Lawsuit. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

January 8:

* Styles: Word’s Most Complicated Feature Explained and Demonstrated. Part 1 of Mastering MS Word: A 3-Part CLE Series by Clio. 

* The 2026 Real Estate and Economic Outlook. By CES.

January 9:

* ICE, ICE… Maybe? A Courthouse Survival Guide for Immigrant Clients. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

January 13:

* New York Settlement Math Made Easy. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

January 14:

* Global Public Health Law: A Transdisciplinary Approach. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

* The Past, Present, and Future of International Justice. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

* Criminal Court Reality Check: A Judge’s Do’s, Don’ts & Don’t-Even-Try-Its. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

January 15:

* Navigating Your Early Years in Corporate Transactions. By Bloomberg.

* Legal Pathways to EMS System Sustainability: 7th Annual Emergency Medical Services and Policy Symposium. By Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

* AI in Action: How to Draft with GenAI. By LexisNexis.

* Automatic Tables of Contents and Tables of Authority in Microsoft Word. Part 2 of Mastering MS Word: A 3-Part CLE Series by Clio. 

* AI and Its Place In Legal Practice. By Attorney Action Club and San Francisco Lawyers' Network.

January 16:

* Diving Deeper into Legal Research Potential: Advanced Online Legal Research Concepts. By LexisNexis.

January 20:

* Appointment of Counsel, Ethics, and Due Process for Parents in CHIPS Cases. By Children's Court Improvement Program of Wisconsin.

* Diving Deeper into Legal Research Potential: Advanced Online Legal Research Concepts. By LexisNexis.

* Appointment of Counsel, Ethics, and Due Process for Parents in CHIPS Cases. By Children's Court Improvement Program of Wisconsin.

* AI as Your Superpower for Legal Work. By Dechert.

January 21:

* Death to Distribution: Navigating Probate One Scenario at a Time. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* Helping Clients Get Out of Timeshares. By Washington County Law Library.

* Minimizing Liability Risks for Trust & Estate Administration. By LEAP.

January 22:

* Artificial Intelligence in Employment: Emerging Laws and Compliance Requirements. By LexisNexis.

* Barriers, Biases, and Breakthroughs: Navigating Obstacles in Mediation. By National Conflict Resolution Center.

* NYS Court of Appeals 2025 Round Up. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* M&A Year In Review: Utilizing Research Tools To Identify Trends in the Deal Market. By LexisNexis.

* Microsoft Word Document Automation Tools. Part 3 of Mastering MS Word: A 3-Part CLE Series by Clio.

* Don’t Click That! Cybersecurity for Legal Professionals.By Smokeball.

January 23:

* Eleventh Annual Media & Entertainment Law Symposium. By Fordham Media & Entertainment Law Society.

January 26: 

* Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Legal Implications of Using AI in Employment Decisions. By LexisNexis.

January 27:

* Spending Programs and the New Roberts Court. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

* When Fees Become Friction: Strategies for When Legal Bills Become Contentious. By Perrin.

* Moneyball for Civil Litigation. By LexisNexis.

* Minnesota's Recent Trust & Estate Law Updates. By Minnesota State Law Library.

* GR 33 Disability Accommodations in Court. By Washington State Bar Association.

January 28:

* Homestead Exemption: Automatic Homestead vs. Declared Homestead. By Alameda County Law Library.

January 29:

* Looking Ahead to 2026 - Accelerating Genomics in Personal Injury Cases. By Perrin.

* Trends to Watch in Environmental Law. By LexisNexis.

* Terminating a Construction Project Before Completion: Do’s, Don’ts, Claims & Litigation. By Pete Fowler Construction Services.

* Patenting of Software and AI-based inventions before the European Patent Office (EPO). By WSBA.

February 2026 Free CLE

February 4:

* DAMITT 2025 Year in Review. By Dechert.

February 5:

* 2026 CPLR Update. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* Avoiding a Mayday: Mediating Complex Aviation Conflicts. By National Conflict Resolution Center.

* Early Case Assessment. By LexisNexis.

* Power Prompting: Mastering Prompting Techniques for Legal Professionals. By LexisNexis.

* The Quality of a Pre-Approval is About to Get Worse in 2026. Why?. By CES.

February 10:

* Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Webinar. By Children's Court Improvement Program of Wisconsin.

February 11:

* Updates from the Statewide Access to Justice Report on Minnesota Consumer Debt Litigation. By Minnesota State Law Library.

February 12:

* A Handy Primer on Drafting and Updating Employee Handbooks. By LexisNexis.

February 13:

* Succession and Severance: Ethical Transitions for Lawyers (without the HBO drama). By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

February 17:

* Litigation Analytics for General Counsel & Corporate Legal. By LexisNexis.

February 18:

* Win Before You Walk In: Mastering Pre-Trial Tactics - Part 2: How to Frame Your Complaint to Your Advantage. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

February 19:

* From the War-Room to the Bench: Navigating AI in the New Legal Frontier. By Clifford Law Offices.

* AI in Action: How to Draft with GenAI. By LexisNexis.

* HIPAA - Understanding Enforcement, Penalties & Research Strategies. By LexisNexis.

February 24:

* Seat at the Table: Building Fairer Juries Through Inclusion. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

February 25:

* AI & the Record: Balancing Artificial Intelligence Innovations, Best Practices, and Ethics in Legal Proceedings. By Veritext.

* Learn How to Ethically Bill Your Clients and Avoid Fee Disputes. By Attorney Protective.

February 26:

* Navigating Ethical Waters in Modern Legal Practice: The Use of Open Web and Generative AI for Legal Research. By LexisNexis.

* Research & Drafting Techniques For Corporate Law. By LexisNexis.

* Onsite Investigation of Construction Defect Claims. By Pete Fowler Construction Services.

February 27:

* Justice is Gray, Ethics is Black & White. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

March 2026 Free CLE

March 4:

* Win Before You Walk In: Mastering Pre-Trial Tactics - Part 3: Successful Discovery Techniques and The Importance of a Good Deposition. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

March 5:

* Emily Dies in Paris: The Art of Ancillary Probate in New York. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* Power Prompting: Mastering Prompting Techniques for Legal Professionals. By LexisNexis.

* Trends to Watch in Energy Law. By LexisNexis.

* Core Law 2026. By CES.

March 10:

* Analytics & Ethics for Civil Litigation. By LexisNexis.

March 11:

* No, I’m Not the Court Reporter: Seeking Justice Without Bias. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

March 12:

* Bankruptcy Fundamentals. By LexisNexis.

* Cyber Law and Cybersecurity Insurance 101. By LexisNexis.

March 18:

* Groundbreaking Video Technology: From Advanced Web Cams to Detecting Deepfakes. By Veritext.

* How AI Works for Legal Professionals. By Alta Pro.

March 19:

* DJ Wars - Part 2: Spinning the Hits & Misses of Insurance Declaratory Judgment Actions. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* AI in Action: How to Draft with GenAI. By LexisNexis.

* Trends to Watch in Antitrust Law. By LexisNexis.

March 25:

* PJI Backstage Pass: Inside Knowledge to Strengthen Your Case at Every Stage. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

March 26:

* Power Prompting: Mastering Prompting Techniques for Legal Professionals. By LexisNexis.

* Navigating the Minnesota Commitment Appeal Panel: Overview of Practice and Procedures. By Minnesota State Law Library.

* Evaluating Slip, Trip, and Fall Claims. By Pete Fowler Construction Services.

March 31:

* Moneyball for Civil Litigation. By LexisNexis.

April 2026 Free CLE

April 1:

* Win Before You Walk In: Mastering Pre-Trial Tactics - Part 4: Building the Damages. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

April 8:

* AI Prompt Playbook: Sharpening AI Queries for Secure, Strategic and Strong Legal Research. By Veritext.

April 21:

* Litigation Analytics for General Counsel & Corporate Legal. By LexisNexis.

May 2026 Free CLE

May 6:

* Win Before You Walk In: Mastering Pre-Trial Tactics - Part 5: Motion Practice to Move Your Case. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

* Let’s Get Technical: Data Security Ethics for Law Firms. By Veritext.

May 12:

* Analytics & Ethics for Civil Litigation. By LexisNexis.

June 2026 Free CLE

June 2:

* Moneyball for Civil Litigation. By LexisNexis.

June 17:

* Social Media – Discovery, Ethics, Evidence & Sanctions. By Veritext.

June 23:

* Litigation Analytics for General Counsel & Corporate Legal. By LexisNexis.

If you’ve spotted a new program worth highlighting, I’d love to hear about it. The calendar remains a living resource, updated throughout the month at http://4freeCLE.blogspot.com..

Here’s to a year of continued growth, shared knowledge, and expanding access to education.

The Hot Water Tank And Me

The little 4‑gallon hot water tank that served the basement kitchen and 3/4 bath finally gave up. A plumber quoted me $2200 to replace it… for a job that’s basically unplug, unhook, swap, re‑hook. My wallet said “nope,” so DIY it was. This would also give me the change to do some preventative TLC while the tank was out of the way: paint the floor and lay down leftover vinyl.

Ordering a new tank (under $200 delivered!) was the easy part. Twisting the valves off the tank ... not so much. After 15 years, they were welded on by the sheer force of time.

I texted Heather an apology for the delay. She asked if she could try. She’s half my size, but sure, why not? A few minutes later she texts back: “Got them off!” Except… the hoses didn’t fit the new tank, so she put everything back.

I understood none of this. How did she get the valves off, and why didn't they fit the new tank?

It turns out - she had disconnected the hoses from the valves, which was far more logical than me trying to twist the valves themselves off. All I needed were new valves. Ordered two for under $50 from Ferguson, and despite the holiday chaos (including one wrong shipment), everything arrived by Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, Heather had already painted and laid the vinyl like a pro. And she seemed to have zero trouble with any of the hoses. Naturally.

On The Big Day, I shut off and removed the old tank while Heather kept her dog from losing his mind. I got the big hoses on easily, but there was one small hose to the kitchen sink that I just could not get back on. My official excuse was that working blind under a sink amid a maze of pipes is not as easy as in the movies.

After too long wrestling with it, I finally asked, “Heather, can you do this one hose?”

“Sure.”

A few minutes later - done!

I plugged in the tank, she turned the water back on, and slowly it filled. It works - see the green light! And yes, I took a selfie.

A good day for learning new skills - including asking for help - and saving $1750 is never bad! See less