Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! The year 2012 is finally here, and instead of cowering under my bed for the next twelve months wondering if the world will ever see 2013, I have vowed to make this upcoming year my best ever. New Year's is the real world equivalent to baseball's Opening Day - we're offered a clean slate, a fresh start - today, we're all in first place, and the upcoming season will only be what we make of it.

Now historically around this time, I would sit down with a notepad and pen and bang out my list of resolutions. They usually looked something like this:

- Hit .400
- Smash 30 homers
- Drive in 80 runs
- Play error-free baseball
- Make my Big League debut; Hit for the cycle; Pitch a perfect game; Break Joe Dimaggio's hit streak record; Be the first active player inducted into the Hall of Fame

Yeah, sometimes I got carried away. But I had taken the idea of a New Year's Resolution and turned it into a list of idealized, unrealistic goals. Sure, I would have loved to accomplish these feats, but for the most part, they were all out of my control.

Resolutions ought to be a list of attainable achievements, ones that ultimately serve as stepping stones to your overall objective. Sure, "Get in Shape" is a New Year's staple - but without a plan, you're just one of the 7 billion people on this planet claiming this is the year they shed some pounds. Turn that vague goal into "Exercise three times a week." Attainable, measurable, and geared toward your ultimate goal of getting fit - that's the recipe.

Success on the baseball field should be approached in the same manner. Everybody wants to hit .400 with 30 homers - who wouldn't? - but how you approach that goal is the difference between success stories and dreamers. What are you going to do to put yourself in a position where that goal becomes more attainable? That's where the resolution comes in. 

So this New Year's, set your goals - plot out what you want to accomplish over the course of the upcoming year - dream big. But don't forget about the hard work that goes into those potential accomplishments. In 2012, do more than just daydream about "how great it'd be if..." - go out and do it. But remember, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."

For instance, this year Chet Steadman and I are going to finish writing our screenplay, for which I will win an Oscar and be carried off the stage on the shoulders of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron like Rudy.

See, resolutions are simple - keeping it realistic is key. So, what's your resolution?