By John Valentik
I’ve been writing for the paper for a few years now. One of the first articles that I shared
was on 1,000 days of gratitude. This was centered on a meditation and gratitude journaling
practice that I took up with an initial goal of 25-50 days. Well, I’m proud to share that 25 turned to 100, then to 1,000, and here we are with a continued streak of over 2,000 days! This article isn’t to gloat, for the most part. It’s to suggest that each of us evaluates what’s important to us and what ‘streaks’ we might want to start as we approach the new year.
As a father of a two and four-year-old, a lot of the importance in my life centers around
my children and my wife. As I evaluate this past year and look to 2026, I have a number of
important items on my list. As an educator and wellness professional, I have a lot of health and fitness goals. I have goals centered around being a patient and present father, as well as an empathetic and compassionate husband. Then there’s career, financial, travel, and
volunteering. It’s important to remember balance when addressing goals in these many areas.
While it can also seem overwhelming, there are some common themes, especially as it pertains to being the kind of father and husband I want to be.
Tying it all together, from 2,000 plus days of gratitude to goals of all sorts, we should aim
for one thing above all else: consistency. Consistency has been the theme around most
success in my life, from fitness goals, to being patient and present with my family, to financial, and even consistently making efforts to schedule and plan out travel.
As we close out 2025, consider the big building blocks of your life and what you truly
value. While you might feel compelled to set a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal), I’d like to
gently suggest creating a few smaller goals to support you on the way to your BHAG. Then
focus on a consistent process to get you towards each goal. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!
John Valentik is an assistant teaching professor at Penn State. As a writer for the local fathering effort and in cooperation with the National Center for Fathering, we aim to provide monthly Action Ideas to stimulate conversation among families. To comment on this article, for more information or to join local conversations, contact John Valentik at jgv5002@psu.edu. To read more, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571382497388
