Every year, since I was 10 years old, I have sat down on New Year’s Day to write up my goals for the coming year. It was a joyful ritual in our house, where my parents would sit with the four of us (my two older brothers, younger sister and myself) to discuss what each of us intended to achieve. Better grades? Set up a dog-walking service? Learn to swim? We each had a list. We also discussed our last year’s resolutions (in a playful “toast n’ roast” kind-of-way), but what took center stage were our plans for the year ahead. What kind of goals did I have as a 10-year-old child? I remember wanting to learn how to sew, make the spelling bee finals at school (which I did) and take up skiing. By the time I was 15 I had made myself a floor-length Cossack coat (all the rage at the time!), I could ski the expert slopes and I knew I wanted to be a journalist. To this day, I credit my determination to those yearly goal-setting sessions with my family, a tradition I have carried on with my own son, who is now 17 years old. What I have tried to teach him is that setting goals is the best way to keep yourself on course, especially when you have a goal as big as wanting to play in the NBA. What did his list look like when he was 10 years old? To attend as many Laker games as possible, improve his shooting and become a ball boy. While he never became a ball boy, my son has significantly improved his game, having played on the St. Monica High School varsity team since he was a freshman. He is now a senior. Will he get recruited to play college basketball? It’s at the top of his list for 2004. If he does, great. If not, he could decide to study sports management which could still land him in the NBA-as a coach, TV commentator or perhaps one day owning his own team. He has already come to understand that his goals evolve and change as he grows, not only in height. He’s currently 6’4″. How many of us vow (every year!!) to exercise more, spend more quality time with our family or work harder? At least one of your goals should captivate you, whatever your age. Want to design tennis gear, learn Spanish, go to India or write a book? How about having breakfast with someone you admire and picking their brain? How about arranging the same kind of opportunity for your child? One of the best things I ever did was to get my son a tutor, a philosophy major I hired when my son was at Canyon Elementary school, who ended up teaching him not only math but how to surf, dribble and play the guitar. Their friendship and mutual admiration grew out of their weekly sessions together and has lasted, well, for years now. In 2004 I have only two modest goals: to get up earlier to work out and to master my new digital camera (finally going digital was my goal last year). What about you? What “gift” have you promised yourself in the new year?
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