Here’s to his 80th New Year’s Eve: Happy Birthday Dad!

First Night on the Common: Who is Going?

Growing up, we had a tradition that my grandmother bestowed upon our family.  Every New Year’s Eve, we’d each take our turns rubbing a couple of old silver dollars that she had.  She said that doing so would bring us luck and money in the new year.  I told her that I rubbed them so much that they disappeared, and now we are actually short a couple of bucks. And with the earth’s latest rotation around the sun, we are just a few days away from 2024.  I am finding it pretty hard to believe that it has already been 24 years since the big Y2K fake news scare – when we thought that all of the power would go out, our bank accounts would be drained and that there’d be a worldwide hysteria and famine. 

That’s in the past.  And the past – well, it is not as often as we would have preferred.  But it is the past that helps us make the big decisions that we must make today.  That’s not philosophical, either.  It’s the truth.  Most of us will make resolutions that are deeply connected to who or what we want to be – and most likely rooted in some nonsensical decisions we made in the year prior.   If you want to get in better shape, you likely know you could do better in that realm.  Quitting a bad habit – well, that is because we know we have bad habits. 

There is no better time to think about things from the growth mindset perspective than that of New Year’s Eve.  That flip of the calendar means a lot at the end of December, doesn’t it? As we approach the end of the year, thoughts naturally turn to new beginnings and the age-old tradition of New Year's resolutions. It's a time for reflection and setting goals, not just for adults but for kids as well. Integrating the concept of New Year's resolutions into convos with our kids can be a transformative experience, teaching valuable lessons about goal setting, self-improvement, and the power of intention – a great book by Wayne Dyer, btw.

Making New Year's resolutions is more than just a cultural ritual. It's a practical exercise in self-reflection and goal-setting—crucial skills for personal development. I’d like my son to learn to set and work toward goals as a fundamental part of his life. I think it teaches him to think about the future, understand the value of hard work, and appreciate the satisfaction of achieving what he set out to do.

A friend of mine recently showed me a dream board.  This is a bulletin board, canvas, or wall space on which you put pictures, words, quotes, and even certain items that remind you of where you want to be, who you want to be, or things (tangible or not) that you seek to have in your life.  It is just a visual representation and a constant reminder to help us stay focused on what we deem to be important. 

Coming soon.

If we can get our kids to set and pursue goals, they're not just preparing for a new year but developing life skills. This approach to education emphasizes the growth mindset, teaching children that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. I am gearing up for this New Year with great excitement.  And I hope my dad is too.  Today is his birthday, and he will be celebrating his 80th New Year’s Eve in just a couple of days. 

Happy Birthday, Dad.