I, Bill Murphy Jr., do solemnly swear...

New year, new resolutions. Also, 7 other things...

Happy New Year, everyone! My family and I had a great holiday break, and I hope you did, too. If you made any resolutions, here’s hoping they won’t be too hard to keep.

I’m starting off with one myself this week, right out of the gate: getting all the documents together for my taxes, for once, months before they’re due.

My motivation in 2022, after years of habitual procrastination? It doesn’t have much to do with self-improvement, or even admitting that I’m an adult who has to do adult things.

Instead, it’s mostly due to a smart communications trick that one of my best friends played for/on me—and also, as it happens, the Bible.

Here’s the story. The friend who played the trick is called Griff. We met way back at the end of our freshman year of college, and he’s really been one of my closest confidants ever since.

Also, much to my advantage, he grew up to become an accountant—and a really good one. My accountant, in fact.

One thing I’ve learned in life: Choose your friends based on cha…