Each new school year offers a blank canvas for achievements, but does not guarantee success.

Typical resolutions include ?this year I will get that 4.0 or ?I am going to be more involved,? however, dedication to these ambitions weakens as the year progresses. The problem does not require a fresh start, but a new attitude.

Suppose this year?s aspiration is to earn an A in English. One obvious option is more preparation and commitment to every assignment and test. Although the plan of action is identified, limited motivation lies at the core of the problem.

Students mainly focus on academic resolutions and bypass new club and athletic prospects. In some cases, disinterest or laziness results in the lack of participation, while a large percentage dismisses opportunities due to low self-esteem.

For example, a student desires to join the football team, but tells himself ?I can?t do that.? His exiguity of talent does not deem him incapable. He possesses the ability to run, throw and catch a ball, but hides behind fears of failure and humiliation.

Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

According to Lombardi’s website, his professional coaching record stood at 105-35-6, unmarred by a losing season, in 1970. The NFL named him their acclaimed “1960s Man of the Decade.”

He coached men to succeed to the furthest of their abilities. He brought them pride and victory, and his legacy of perseverance, hard work and dedication has made him one of the most admired and well respected coaches in history.

The same year Lombardi was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed in his honor. Considered the NFL’s most prestigious award, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is still coveted by every player and coach in the league.

Lombardi transformed mediocre teams, by neglecting fear of other’s opinions and remained dedicated to his personal coaching techniques.

Decisions to experience and stay committed reflect a “leap of faith.” Although it could potentially result in temporary humiliation, the imagination often exaggerates these irrational fears. When students face a fork in the road, will they choose familiarity or a step into the unknown?

Aspirations can turn into reality if students are willing to change attitudes. Regret is the only risk.