Positive Kids

Jon Gordon has authored some great books on being positive and creating positive change in your life and in the life of others. These include, The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, and The Shark and the Goldfish, among others.

He recently wrote about 5 tips for developing positive kids. They include:

1. Ask your children for their success of the day;
2. Have a bedtime ritual, such as a prayer or conversation to give them strength to overcome challenges;
3. No complaining unless it is to the source and they have one or two solutions to the issue;
4. Teach them that their response to an event leads to an outcome, so choose an optimistic response (Gordon calls it the E + P = O rule)
5. Teach them to be thankful every day - it keeps them from stressing too much.

It's a quick read, so I encourage you to click the link above, check it out and check out other bits of wisdom on Jon's website, www.jongordon.com

Giving Thanks 2009

Yes, the Thanksgiving weekend is over and the busy time to Christmas is upon us. I wanted to take time to write a short post on giving thanks for all we have. The reason I do this after Thanksgiving is to try to make it a daily routine. Having an "attitude of gratitude" enables us to see the world in a positive way and opens the door for more positive things to come into our life.

I am thankful for all of the things I have in my life, including the challenges, as they are there to help me learn. I am thankful for the time I get to spend with my family; there are many others spending time away from family this holiday season. I am thankful for having the time off to celebrate Thanksgiving; there are many who had to work. I am thankful I live in a country that allows me to write this without fear and I am thankful for my health, employment, all the people who are in my life, and for life itself.

Community Input - Oct 09

I wanted to post a few notes about the discussion at our most recent Community Advisory Team meeting held last week. If you are interested in attending in the future and have not contacted me, please let me know and I will add you to the list for the next meeting.

One of the items that we discussed was communication. In particular, were there any things we as a school could do better to increase the communication between parents & community and the school. One of the things that did come up was getting a parent notification system, something the district has been researching recently. It does look like this will become a reality, which will allow the school to notify all parents in closure situations; remind parents and students of upcoming meetings or events; and provide the ability to ask parents for information in the form of short survey type questions. In order to get the message out of community input, the school will make more of an effort to invite parents and community members in person. This should help.

Another area that was discussed was the school calendar. Currently PCSD#2 has late starts on the first Wednesday of the month, except January. During this time, staff works on professional development to improve learning for our children. The school calendar is restricted by the number of days and hours required by state education laws and rules. A suggestion was made to provide opportunities for children to be at school on those late starts and the district is looking at ways to accomplish that.

Technology and testing got some airplay during the meeting and it seemed the thought was that neither should hinder learning. As districts are being required to be more accountable, more testing is being administered to provide data necessary to make decisions. Much of it is state mandated or necessary to meet state requirements. We will continue to look at ways to pare down anything that isn't needed to help our students improve, learn, and succeed.

As technology becomes more prevalent in our world; even more so in our students' worlds, we have to continue to find ways to ensure its safe and ethical use. Technology is driving many changes in education and will continue to do so in the future.

Speaking of the future, I did ask the question, "What will education look like in the future?" I did get some answers, but I'll save that for another post. In the mean time, think about your own answers to this question. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Processing vs. Doing

You may have noticed that the last couple of posts have been a bit more action-oriented that many of the posts on this blog. In the past, many may have been more philosophical in nature. Part of the reason for becoming more action-oriented is due to a conversation my wife and I were having last week about taking action versus doing too much thinking. In addition, a couple days ago, I read an e-newsletter from Steve Pavlina, a noted personal growth writer, about creating abundance in our lives.

In the newsletter, Pavlina mentioned that two things help us create abundance, creating value and delivering that value. One of the quotes I really resonated with was that we should make sure "our talk doesn't become a substitute for action." To create and deliver value, we must take some sort of action daily, whether that is individually or collectively. What small thing can you do today that provides value to someone else? Continually asking yourself that question and committing to looking for the answer and then acting on that answer will lead us to get better and better at value-creation and delivery. This will help create the path that will take us toward our goals.

What action will you take today that will deliver value to someone? Think about it and then act on it.

More Action

If you read through the previous post, you will notice it was written by Ken Griffith. I would like to thank Ken for guest blogging and hope that you got to read the article and pass it on to anyone you know who might have young children. I truly believe we can drastically reduce the number of students coming to school behind their peers by this simple process.

Along the same lines, I found an on-line article by educational psychologist Michele Borba that offered parents some more ways to help their kids be successful in school. I'll summarize briefly and if you want to read the whole thing, click here.

1. Make sure your kids are getting enough sleep (about 1/3 are not and missing sleep impairs thinking.)

2. Encourage your child's efforts (not his or her intelligence.)

3. Respect his or her learning style.

4. Pay attention to peers (they do have an effect on study and work habits.)

5. Make family meals a must (studies show this helps grades and good choices.)

6. De-stress the home.

7. Tailor expectations to your child's abilities.

As Borba writes in the article, "none of these tips require you to take out a second mortgage or get a second job. What they do require is your time, attention, and engagement." Practicing even one or two will certainly give your child a head start on school.

Language Dancing

After 35 years in education, I read a book entitled, Disrupting Class, by Christensen, Horn and Johnson. I am sure my Jr. High school teachers thought I had the book memorized over 40 years ago but that discussion is for another time.

Having worked in K-12 districts most of my career, I have had the opportunity to see the whole picture. That is, I have been able to watch kids go from Kindergarten to college. I have watched then grow, develop and learn throughout their time in school. I also have had the opportunity to visit with college students about their school experiences.

Disrupting Class, while written to discuss education in the future, had some interesting research around babies. I knew I needed to share it with the community and I have finally put those words on paper. It should appear in the Gazette one of these days.

I hope every young parent gets the opportunity to read it and respond.

Here it is, Language Dancing.
Language Dancing

“Goochie Goochie Goo,” “Goochie Goochie Goo,”

If you have a baby or are going to have a baby, know someone who has a baby or will be having a baby, this article is for you. The number of strollers I see traveling the sidewalks of Guernsey indicates this is important to many folks. Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, this is for you.

“By some estimates, 98% of education spending occurs after the basic intellectual capacities of children have been mostly determined.”

“…a significant portion of a person’s intellectual capacity is determined in his or her first 36 months.”

That research alone should get this article cut out and hanging on refrigerators all over town. But let me tell you the story, and you decide.

Everybody is researching education these days. You can’t open a newspaper, magazine or book without someone quoting statistics about what education is doing or not doing. The studies that led to the statements above come from a significant sampling of parents and their children in their homes for the first two and a half years of the children’s lives. Based on that research, it was determined that parents speak an average of 1500 words per hour to their infant children. That’s the average. Talkative parents average 2100 words, taking the bottom numbers down around 600 words.

This comes out to the difference between hearing 48 million words and 13 million words.

But, the story gets better. “Interestingly, the most powerful of these words, in terms of subsequent cognitive achievements, seemed to be those spoken in the first year of life---when there was no visible evidence that the child could understand what the parents were saying.”

I have always known that reading to your child before they enter school or pre-school is very important to their success and self esteem, but this research got my attention.

So, what is this “extra talk,” or “language dancing,” that is so important? It is face-to-face, adult, sophisticated, chatty language. It is talking to the child as if they were listening, comprehending and fully responding to the comments. It can occur anytime, in a shopping cart, folding laundry, changing a diaper or simply cuddling and talking. It takes the form of commenting on what the child is doing, what the parent is doing and planning, thinking aloud and just chatting.

It is not, “business talk,” like, “Finish your food,” or Hold out your hands,” or “Get in the car.” It is also not “background noise.” If your child is lying in front of the TV listening to a purple dragon, it is having an insignificant impact on their intellect.

Here is what is happening when” language dancing” is taking place. Our brains have about a bazillion neurons or brain cells. These guys spend their days and nights sending messages back and forth, like teenagers text messaging. Each neuron has an axon, or filament that hangs out sending signals and dendrites, which are like “baseball mitts,” catching signals. Little electrical signals cause all of this pitching and catching. When this “practice” goes on between neurons, just like with baseball players, they get better and more efficient at pitching and catching.

“Extra talk,” or “language dancing,” in the first three years of life, with a focus in the first 12 months pushes the efficiency of the brain’s ability to pitch and catch up about 3.7 times, give or take a catch or two. Simply put, the child has been “wired” to think in more sophisticated ways, and the payoff later in life is immense.

I know, I know, you are thinking, “Griffith has finally gone around the bend.” That may have happened a long time ago, but it has nothing to do with the importance of this research and language dancing. As a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, I meet with 24 other administrators from across the nation four times a year. Part of our work involves professional development and homework. Can you believe it? Someone gives me homework?

Anyway, one book they assigned me was, Disrupting Class, by Christensen, Horn and Johnson. The book’s major premise is that education has to think beyond brick and mortar to where we might be in 10 or 20 years. It speaks to disrupting how we do things now to get to how we might do things in the future. I was able to spend a morning with Michael Horn, one of the authors, discussing the book and their findings. A large part of the conversation centered on the ability of kids to think in ways they will need to in the future and nested in that conversation was the language dancing and preparing children for the rigor of education and life in their future.

Since that day, I have been pondering how to share that thinking and my thinking on the subject to my world.

I just did, and I apologize to the authors if I stumbled on some of their words. I think I had more, “business talk,” than, “language dancing,” when I was an infant.

Stewardship

“Democracy is both demanding and inspiring … (it) is about who we are as individuals and how we live together as families, friends, neighbors, and citizens.”

The above quote comes from a page on the Institute for Educational Inquiry website. As I looked for information on stewardship, I came across this and thought it was a good lead in to describing the responsibilities we have as educators.

Stewardship is one of the four core principles of the Agenda for Education in a Democracy. It can be defined as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. As communities, we are responsible for the education of our students. Too often, segments of that community either neglect their responsibility or point the finger at other constituents as the reason our children are not finding success. Stewardship is realizing we are all given certain gifts and with those gifts certain responsibilities. A commitment to excellence and toward stewardship from all involved is the key to providing our students an excellent education and a head start on a successful life.

Community Advisory

The timing of this post fits well with my return from the 10th annual NNER Conference in Bellevue, WA. The National Network for Educational Renewal is focused on improving the quality of education P-12 and providing our students a foundation in building and sustaining a democratic society.

I will post more soon on some of the highlights and principles of the NNER, but for now want to announce a community advisory meeting scheduled for Monday night, October 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the PCSD2 board room. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss education in the district and gather input from the community. As part of our continued effort at providing an excellent education to our students, it is important to have all the voices in the community heard.

Be Proactive

Each Sunday, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald has a column on relationships by a therapist from the area. This past weekend, the column was about being proactive in the latter part of the year to make sure the end of the year was the best part.

Now, you may be wondering why I would write a post on relationships, therapy or the like. As I read, I realized that much of what was written can certainly pertain to anything we do, whether in our relationships with family and each other, our health and welfare, or our business and work.

From the article, and according to Viktor Frankl, a Nazi concentration camp survivor, "proactive people take responsibility for their own life," and focus on the things they can change. This includes our own attitude toward a situation, viewing it in a more positive light or looking for the positive that might be gained. An example of this given was the Apollo 13 crisis. One man lamented the oncoming disaster while another saw it as a chance for NASA to have its "finest hour." Of course, we know the outcome was a successful landing and a wealth of knowledge gained from the experience.

This pertains to PCSD#2 in the fact that we are all responsible for creating the change we want to see in our district. By being proactive and seeing the opportunities that surround us, we can move forward to a better future. Although the pace of change can sometimes seem slow, I assure you that we are moving forward. I liken it to gaining momentum in moving an object. The first few steps are slow and laborious, maybe even difficult at times; it always takes more energy to get started. However, as the object gains momentum, the change is more noticeable and the distance covered becomes greater. After a certain time, we look back and are amazed at how far we have traveled.

As the author of the column stated, "the brightest futures remain reserved for those who are proactive. Those who will not longer make excuses for mediocrity." It's time to be proactive and move toward a bright future.

Be unreasonable

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - G.B. Shaw

I found this quote interesting as we continue to read about and discuss the 21st century skills that are necessary for our students to have post-graduation success. As the debate to determine what is best for our students continues, the concept of change becomes a central point. Change can happen so quickly in the business world, yet quite slowly in education. Too often, it seems, we tend to adapt ourselves to the world instead of trying to change the world. The status quo has worked for us and now we are being asked to step outside our comfort zone and change what we have been doing. Uncomfortable as it can be, it is necessary if progress is to be made.

Rethinking Education

Here is a link to an article by Sam Chaltain that discusses a need for change in education today. I was particularly interested in the following: "Before that can happen, however, we need to start having a different conversation. We need to restore the focus of public education reform to its rightful place - on learning, and on the core conditions that best support it." His point was that learning is more than regurgitating information on basic skills. Higher-order thinking skills need to be learned to be successful in today's world.

Back to School 09

This article ran in the Guernsey Gazette Back to School issue last week.

As I thought about the theme for this year, “A journey through the lands of learning,” I tried to come up with something that reflected that. Other than a taste for classic rock music (Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing”), I was struggling to find something to write on. Then it struck me to talk about journeys in general, so I looked up some quotes to get started.

Author Ursula LeGuin is quoted as saying, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” And tennis great Arthur Ashe echoed that sentiment when he said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” So often, we focus on the end result that we forget to enjoy and learn from the journey itself. So much learning is experiential and the days between the beginning and the end (of a journey, reaching for a goal, a school year) provide much time and opportunity for learning.

Journeys and learning adventures certainly have some things in common. For one, they both begin somewhere. Journeys begin with a destination or a determination to go on one. For example, we may decide to take a trip to New York and then figure out how to get there. Or, we may just decide to “go” and let fate lead us on a journey. As we progress in helping our students find success, we begin the journey by looking at the data in our possession. Whether this is test scores from last year, grades, surveys, etc., we have a starting point to begin the process of improvement.

Another item in common is the use of tools to get to where we are going. In an actual physical journey, we might use our feet, a car, a plane or some other mode of transportation. Those on a metaphysical journey might use their mind and meditation tools. On the learning journey, teachers use a variety of strategies and resources to help students become independent learners. Students too, have tools to help them learn better, including knowledge of their strengths and learning styles. Just as there are multiple ways to get most places, there are many ways to help students learn. The key is trying different tools until one is found that works.

And finally, all journeys have an end. However, the end is really only the beginning of another journey. Learning is the same thing; it never really ends. A professor of mine once told us that we were “either green and growing or ripe and rotting,” referring to the continuous process of life-long learning. Our learning community must work together to help our students realize that the world they will enter upon graduation is one that will require continuous learning. As futurist Alvin Toffler stated, “The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” We cannot stress enough the importance of “learning how to learn.” Let’s all enjoy the journey.

Positive Psychology

Want to see students/children have more success? Martin Seligman's research has shown that "teaching resilience, positive emotion, and a sense of purpose in school can protect children against depression, increase their life satisfaction and improve their learning power." You can read more about Seligman and Positive Psychology at the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Optimism for Life

I've been reading quite a bit lately about positive thinking and optimism and came across this blog post on how optimism leads to better health and a longer life. It was very interesting that optimism had such an effect on a person's well-being. I've always thought that optimistic people felt better and were happier and wondered why everyone wasn't an optimist.

I will tie the answer to that query to another book I've read, Jon Gordon's "The Energy Bus." One of the rules Gordon writes about that has an impact on a person's energy and success is rule number one - You are the driver of your bus. Too many persons play the blame game when things are not going well or the way they wanted, but the rule is basically saying that you are the only person responsible for your life and how it turns out.

Another book I've read this past year is called "The Blue Zones." It describes various pockets around the world where a larger than normal percentage of persons live to be over 100 years old. Although each area ate differently - mostly unprocessed, however - each group was "extremely positive," according to Dan Buettner, the author of the book. Wrote Buettner, "Especially considering that these populations ate such different foods, the case for optimism as the greatest common denominator in health and longevity is enhanced.

We can make ourselves happy or sad, angry or contented. It is not the outside circumstances that determine how we react, it is our perception of the world and our decision to feel a certain way. Optimism is a choice, and based on the article and the book, a great choice if we want to live longer and healthier.

value-added

A recent article in Education Week reviewed a study of “value-added” teacher measures. As more discussion takes place about poor achievement in the United States, conversations about how to measure teacher performance and the role it plays in achievement are leading to an increase in the use of value-added modeling. The study’s author, Jesse Rothstein, analyzed three different models and found wide variation that raised questions about the measures. It will be interesting to see where this leads as the national discussion to raise achievement and teacher quality widens.

Creating Mistakes

I came across this advice from John Wooden today in an e-zine article from Early to Rise. Wooden said, "If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything."

I found that quite interesting as I think many people, myself included at times, hesitate to step outside their comfort zone for fear of making a mistake. But it is precisely the possibility of erring when we do step outside that zone that helps us grow in whatever it is we're doing.

One of the reasons mistakes are looked upon so unfavorably is the reaction of others. The author of article, Matt Furey, wrote "So many people do everything they can to avoid making mistakes - yet mistakes are the corrective feedback we need to help us reach our goals. Better to take action and correct mistakes while you're in motion than to sit idle trying to figure out how not to make a wrong move."

I once read of someone who said there are no mistakes, only learning experiences. If we choose to learn from the experience, it can be a powerful way to grow. If we lament the fact we made a mistake, we will find ways to "stay close to the vest" instead of venturing into the unknown.

Teddy Roosevelt once said,

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

What is success?

As we finished up our Assessment, Accountability, and Student Learning class last week, we were asked to mention one or two things that we would take away from the class. The one thing that struck me the most was during the data analysis section of the class. Dr. Stock talked about asking the question, "What is success?" and after determining the answer to that, keeping the answer in front of everyone in the organization. 

Sometimes the simplest statements/questions can be the most profound. While this may be an easy question to ask, it can, depending on the audience, be most difficult to answer as a consensus. And getting as close to consensus as possible is important to produce the laser-like focus needed to be truly successful.  Often forgotten in organizations is the second part of the equation above - keeping the answer visible to all. Developing a systematic approach to communicating this answer to everyone will help drive the organization toward success.

Accountability and Assessment class

As I return from the long absence from posting, I thought I would put a short post on about accountability. However, since I'm trying to multi-task (listen and write) at the same time and don't do either one exceptionally well, I better get back to listening. I will make a commitment to post information much more regularly.

On another thought, the district is looking to update the website. Any thoughts, changes, or ideas you might have, please let me know. We're looking to make it more interactive and update much more often.

Cutting College costs

I read an AASA Daily News article this morning that described a program at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY which allowed students to graduate in three years. Of course, the program isn't for everyone - students must take 18 credits per semester as well as a four-credit interim term in January. Summers are free, however for internships or jobs. Other institutions have developed programs as well, but the interest has not been great. Maybe some of that has to do with the discipline and focus necessary to carry that load for the entire time.

Here's a story of a person who felt 3 years would be too long and got a bachelor's degree in 3 semesters. Now that's focus.

The Writing Principal

Here's a link to the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington where Guernsey-Sunrise principal Ken Griffith writes about writing. Of course, if you read this later, the site may be updated, so here is another link directly to the article. 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

As I watched a History Channel show last night about Martin Luther King, Jr., I was impressed by his tireless persistence to make the world a better place. Not only was he the "moral leader" of the civil rights movement, but he reached out across races to dig down to the greater issue of poverty. Much has been accomplished in the 40+ years since his death; however, there is still a great deal of work to do. Racism (and other ugly siblings like sexism, religious and ethnic bigotry or other intolerances) may not be as blatantly obvious as it was 40 and 50 years ago, but it still certainly exists in the hearts of too many people. King preached non-violence in a time of violent reactions to peaceful protests, yet violence today is still a way of life around the world. Poverty continues to plague not only the world, but the cities and rural areas of our country. If we are to continue to grow and prosper, we all must continue to work toward acceptance of differences and finding peaceable solutions to our problems. 

Underwater Hockey?

I tend to receive quite a lot of material in the mail from a variety of sources which sometimes makes for interesting reading. Such was an article in the National Federation of State High School Association's magazine High School Today about the sport of underwater hockey. 

Underwater hockey? 

Yes there actually is a sport that is growing and after doing a little search I found the website for USA Underwater Hockey and read a little more. Interesting how creative individuals come up with such a wide variety of new things to do. 

What's the Benefit?

As I was looking through some notes from the NNER (National Network for Educational Renewal) conference this past summer, I came across a small note on which was written, "Ask the Q: How does/did it benefit me/us?"  I began to think about that a little and it brought me back to many of the professional development activities in which I have participated over the years. I recall many times hearing other participants say they got nothing out of a certain presentation or activity. Maybe it is being overly optimistic, but I have always felt that I could get something worthwhile, however small it may be, out of such activities. 

The note I uncovered reminded me to look at all situations and ask myself how it can benefit me or my organization through gaining new knowledge or skills. To rephrase that question a bit, we might continually ask ourselves, "what positive information, learning or knowledge can I take from this?" whenever we are in a workshop, training, presentation, or any situation for that matter.

Building success

The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual - Vince Lombardi.

I came across this quote and thought since we have a Vince quote on the webpage (as of this writing) I would post another to the blog. Organizations are built of individual entities,such as divisions, departments, etc. Eventually every part of the organization comes down to the personal level. All organizations are made up of individuals and therefore rely on the effort of the individuals to succeed. The greater the contribution of each individual, the greater the achievement of the organization. As individual persons, we should all strive to contribute our greatest talents and effort to achieving success together.

Giving and Service

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. - Einstein

As I read this quote, I thought of the term Service. If we all followed Mr. Einstein's advice (or admonition), the world would be a much better place. It reminds me of the current struggle in the economy, with all the failures in the market, and the reasons behind those failures. It seems to me that service and giving back have taken a back seat to making more money at any cost. This ties in nicely to many of the gratitude pieces I've read over the years. If we continue to give more than we get, we'll actually increase what we get. It certainly seems we would all be better off if this advice was followed.

21st century skills?

If you've read anything about education the past few years, you will certainly have come across a plethora of writing espousing the importance of 21st century skills. Jay Mathews, an education writer for the Washington Post, feels the hype given this topic is overwhelming the truly important changes that need to be made. In his article, Mathews argues that "This is the all-at-once syndrome . . . (saying) changes must be made all at once, or else." Another point he makes is that kids struggling with reading, writing, and math are going to struggle with 21st century skills. Using 21st century methods to teach may make sense, however, the focus should be on making sure all students have those fundamental skills. 

Education and jobs

Another reason to stay in school and get more education:

A newspaper article I read today told of the growing number of bachelor-degreed persons experiencing unemployment (over 3% now.) However, the overall national rate was 6.7% and for those without a high school diploma, the rate was 10.5%. I always tell students (adults, as well) that education opens doors and provides opportunities. In times of economic distress, I would say this is even more true. 

Achieving goals

I ran across some advice from an e-newsletter I get on achieving New Year's goals, and thought I would summarize it. Of course, New Year's seems to be the time for a lot of people to come up with resolutions for the year, but these steps are helpful any time a person sets a goal. Hopefully, these tips can help you not become one of the estimated 90% who do not keep their New Year's resolutions. 

1. Set the right goals - set goals you are enthusiastic about accomplishing. 

2. Set priorities - don't set a ton of goals, one or two big goals is sufficient. If you have more, put them in order, then work on the higher priorities before moving on to others.

3. Focus - don't allow minor tasks or distractions to get in the way of accomplishing your goals. 

4. Put in the time - many goals can be accomplished if you simply put in the time. Plan time to work on your goals.

5. Chunk it - just like the answer to the question, "how do you eat an elephant?" is "one bite at a time," goals can be more easily accomplished if they are chunked into smaller tasks. 

6. No Excuses - work on the important things - those related to your goals. 

Hopefully these tips will help you toward accomplishing the goals you set this New Year as well as throughout the year.