System Agency: 10,000 Steps and a More Perfect Union

In April of 2024, I chose a goal: 10,000 steps a day.

In 2025, for the first time in maybe ever, I averaged 10,000 steps a day. It required energy, effort, and a daily choice of whether I met that goal or not. The result? I have lowered my weight, improved my mobility, and I feel great.

This journey reminded me of my favorite quote:

"If who we are is based on the choices we made, then we cannot change who we are. But with each new choice we are given a chance to decide who we will become."

As a Systems Engineer, I think about this as "System Agency." We are not just products of the system; we have the agency to change its output.

As we enter 2026, that is my wish for all of us. I wish that America, Arizona, and Phoenix exercise that agency to make the choices necessary to form a more perfect union.

Happy New Year. Let's decide who we will become.