“Having overcome a serious problem does not one make toless worthwhile as a person: Someone who has asthma is not of less worth than one with the hiccups -- nor an alcoholic than one who strives to overcome his/her fear of public speaking. Clearly identify goals ‘Second is to identify clearly the positive goal one desires to ac- , ‘ pa: eet complish. This is quite different than identifying a negative goal. “To run a mile a day and eat only until one is comfortable is Ps week's 7 es yt el Bt much et mot ba a a ht 9 ee. fo ee Biss. fd Beit was; a T p, ee New ALY WSC alumnus Dr. John C. Turpin, 5 = a eat i Year’s positive approach is the key to keeping Resolutions,’’ said 5 iy ‘a class of 1967, who is co-author of a new book entitled A Positive Approach to Personal Growth. He thinks many people have a very negative (yet sincere) ap- proach to New Why do some people achieve in great strides, while others seem to eit hs a ae Be eos tn ie pee ee oT oad Ta : ae ay te e p> i CRs 7%eke 7 ae a ce .ee a is * ese ian : eo =m2 Resolutions as well as many other goals in life, which alone is sufficient to insure failure. Wat » 4 ¥, A:% i} ah Year’s =f ; 5 aA ie 1< av ‘ ot ft py ue at fat * ieee af 4 make little or no improvement, even though great energy and effort are exerted? Turpin says the answer is “not so much the amount of effort that is exerted toward goal setting and self-improvement as it is the ap- proach taken. “The difference seems to be whether one has a negative or a positive approach to the problems different than the goal to stop being lazy or to stop gaining weight. One is positive, the other negative.”’ — Suggestion three is to relax and not try too hard. He thinks one needs to sit back and have a faith in themselves and faith that the approach will work. Four -- “Set up a positive plan through brainstorming.” Five -- “Forget the brainstormed list for a day or more.’ Six -- ‘“Develop and implement a specific positive plan.”’ “Now,” he says, “‘your plan is much easier to achieve than a calculated, and often negative, approach to New Year’s Resolutions.” (His book is available in most bookstores but can also be ordered through the mail: Turpin & Associates, 7661 Inland Drive, Olmsted Falls, OH 44138, for $7.95, which includes tax and shipping to alumni.) “The irony of this finding is that it appears too much effort -- or ‘trying too hard’ can often be ao k| r. Jean T. Kunz, professor and head of the department family studies of child at WSC, and has accom- plished many goals in her dual role as mother and educator, but cautions that goals sometimes become more than the purpose can be so important for the goal. “I think you goal oriented that you box yourself in and become too rigid,’ she explained. ‘‘Like adhering to rituals -- they become so important we forget why we are doing them really stand for.”’ and what they Widowed before age 29, her goals always had to be prioritized, with the children at the top. “I knew they wouldn’t be home too long, and that when they went off to college I could devote my life to of some time to ponder,” she s adding that she feels thinking f goal through is the most importa part. when one is in reality turning the lug wrench in the wrong direction. couraged. “The world is beautiful and th needs to be time to enjoy sunset and the quietness of a sn “The harder one tries, the worse the problem becomes; “‘yet, he said, success the by pre- sent approach taken to goal setting and problem solving, and identify a more positive approach.” suggests the following method: He Self esteem is essential ‘First, one needs to realize that he/she is worthwhile as a person, no matter what it is he/she desire to overcome. Personal worth does not come from our achievement level or failures, but is rather something that is naturally ours as aS touch with the world. ‘You can schedule your tine full that there isn’t time to li 8B little and savor the beauties. “There needs to be a littletimp © to smell the daisies.” 7 my shoulders and accomplish what T haven’t.” It is gratifying to her to see the vast array of professions available to women now. ‘“‘When I went to college for my bachelor degree there were only two things I could be,’ she said, ‘“‘a school teacher or a nurse.”’ “Young people now have choices that I didn’t have. They can set their goals even higher, and women should. We have not made the strides that we should have made.” very year bety the beginnin December and January 1, I} aside a certain amount. of tim Goals change “My goals are changing now as I contemplate retirement. I want to go back to school, but this time take different things than I have taken before -- art, weaving,” she said thoughtfully. oe capped hill -- things that put you | whether it was my children or a young faculty member. It is exciting to see young people stand on ee. 3 head, but ly” I down,” ee os8 confided. “‘And I don’t put mysip 2 on time lines because so off fi something will happen to get met Se track and I don’t like to be ¢ “e continued, ‘‘so high on my goal list was the desire to be a facilitator — approach is as useless as exerting more and more effort to loosen the tight lug nut on the wheel of a car Fb 8 “T prioritize in my seldom write things “People have always been more important to me than things,” she counter - productive. Extreme amounts of effort toward a negative human beings. Page 2 stagiiqec People more important than things 4 measure still in the pondering “Long-term goals ‘have to grow 0 something else,’’ she said. Don‘ try too hard... “‘how hard”’ we are trying. “One needs to evaluate She continued that these goiliithin were little and challenges of life. we sometimes iH very carefully review that which have accomplished over the p year. . . and decide what I plan accomplish over the next year.” WSC President Rodney H. Br very firmly believes in New Ye Resolutions, call them by although he dog that He name. been ‘‘isolating’’ himself to revi