New Year's Resolutions
By Joan E. Thompson

What would you like to change in 2006? Depending on how long your list is, it may help to understand there are only seven aspects of our life we can change.

Check out how many of them will need changing to fulfill each of your resolutions. The seven are: knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes, values, beliefs, situations or conditions.

Perhaps you want to learn another language or a new computer program. In order to gain the knowledge of that new subject, first you will need to perform some new behavior.

You will need to find out where and who offers training in your selected subject, enroll and attend training sessions and then practice, practice, practice! With enough good practice sessions, you will soon recognize improvement and changes in your skill level.

As soon as you begin using your new skills on the job or in a new activity, you will have changed the situation in which you perform, both for you and for all you share your new skill with.

Applying the elements of change as a volunteer can be especially useful. Consider how many changes may be necessary to help a child learn to enjoy reading. As a volunteer (practice) reading partner, you work to bring engaging and enjoyable reading activities to each session.

The more your student enjoys the practice sessions, the closer he or she gets toward the goal of enjoying to read. The new behavior of practicing together reinforces the lessons the teacher gives your student (new knowledge) and contributes to building the child’s reading skills.

While you are volunteering, ask yourself, “What am I changing by performing this task?”

Yours may be one among many tasks required to deliver a needed service, or it may be the only one needed, such as balancing someone on unsteady legs who otherwise might fall.

Ask yourself too, how many things need changing to accomplish your New Year’s resolution. Sort them out. What must be changed before something else can? Then go about them one-by-one.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

About The Author
Joan Thompson is the Executive Director for Mayflower RSVP, Inc., a non-profit organization mobilizing Volunteer Service Activities in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. She has directed RSVP’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program for nearly 30 years, working with 200 public/private, health, human service, and educational organizations to provide meaningful volunteer service opportunities for members in the RSVP program. She is a trainer in Volunteer Systems Management for local and national organizations and a member of AVA, the International Association for Volunteer Administration. She may be contacted at RSVP’s Plymouth County headquarters, (508) 746-7787 or MayflowerRSVP@Verizon.net.