For Christmas 2011, my brother Martin gave me a Team Canada hockey jersey autographed by the entire 2004 World Champion Canadian team. We don’t officially exchange Christmas gifts, just when we see something just right. This one was perfect. That Christmas I had already been really sick for a year and half, desperately trying to get well. That jersey became my symbol of hope.

For almost a decade my brother and I have been spending the Christmas and New Year season following Team Canada at the World Juniors. Each year getting together to watch Canada go for Gold – most years they achieved that goal, but not always with ease. Many times our hope becoming reality as Team Canada came back from behind. Like in 2010 when Jordan Eberle scored to tie the Russians with 5.4 seconds left in the Semi-final game. In 2011/2012 Canada scored 4 unanswered third period goals only to lose 6 to 5. In the dying seconds of the game, Canada, never giving up hope, hit the post. Sometimes you get a miracle, sometimes you hit the post.

It’s the start of 2013. Once again Team Canada aims for Gold at the World Juniors. My symbol of hope hangs on the wall by the tree. I know this year in my life I may at times fall short and hit the post but I’ll always hope for miracles.

Happy New Year!

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.  We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."  ~ Aristotle

I remember shortly after graduating from high school attending a presentation by a motivational speaker of sorts, Stephen R. Covey.  After about the 3rd geometrical shape that was to transform me into a highly effective person . . . my brain was going to explode.

Setting and achieving goals does not need to be complicated.  Nor does it require a Doctorate in upside down shapes.  As we prepare to set a new year of goals, here are a few goal setting tips:

1. Choose a task that perhaps you are already doing but not often or efficient enough.  Make the goal to increase the frequency and | or efficiency of the task.

2. Choose something important to you.  Don’t choose a goal because everyone else has set that particular goal, it needs to be important to you otherwise it could be difficult to be motivated to put forth the effort.

3. Don’t forget to stretch.  Stretching is as important to goal setting as it is to a pre-game warm up.  If it doesn’t stretch you, you’re wimping out -- pick another goal.

4. Write your goal down where you’ll see it regularly.

5. Track your progress.  A goal isn’t a goal unless it can be measured.  Review and track your milestones along the way.

Cheers.