If you’re like me, you probably get anxious when someone asks what your New Year’s Resolution is, or maybe you hate the idea of them altogether. At least, that used to me. The idea of picking something to work on each year instead of just doing it at any other time annoyed me. But then a few years ago a short reading gave me this idea and now I look forward to the turn of the calendar each year. So if you struggle to think of something that excites you, this post is for you.

An Impactful 15-Minutes

Every year, I make it a goal to change someone’s life. I know, stick with me on this one. A small way I try to do that in just a short period of time is I think of someone that’s been either highly influential in my life or helped me out in a big way – anything that deserves a strong, meaningful “thank you”, and I write them a letter doing just that. And every year I try to encourage my friends to do the same which is why I’m writing this. I don’t remember where I got the idea but it was just a couple years ago that I read about the significance of demonstrating appreciation to others and what it can mean to that other person. Plus, if they’ve given us something truly invaluable – a critical lesson, a life-changing experience, or helped permanently shape us somehow, the least we can do is take 15 minutes to write a simple letter, right?

As The Writer

In the past, I’ve written one to my godmother who let me live on her couch in Brooklyn for two months while I finished up my job contract at Merrill Lynch a few years ago. This gave me the opportunity to experience life in NYC (which everyone should try), and learn about everything it offers so that as an East Coast-er, I can better speak to the unique cultural bubble that is the Big Apple. While I was there, she also introduced me to a dozen of her business connections to try to help advance my networking circle and career in advertising. Those two months were life-changing, and I wanted her to know it was all because of her. 

I’ve written one to a former boss who was more than that in our time working together and my position at that company helped me understand what I really wanted to do with my career. Last year I (shamefully) never got around to writing one but don’t worry, I’m making up for it with two this year 🙂

The first of which will be going to a former a tennis coach who taught me at camp over the summer. And although this was for just one week out of the year, he was the first to really single out from my peers and challenge me, by doing things like telling the other instructors to go harder on me, or making me run hill sprints while my friends watched. When I asked him why only I had to, he told me it was because if he pushed the others in the same way, they’d get upset and likely quit, but he knew I wouldn’t. Looking back on that “special attention” I received, I know it’s part of the reason I’m able to work as hard as I am in both my business and athletics, and that he shaped my entire identity as an athlete (which is now carrying over into my work as well) which allowed me to achieve the success I did as a tennis player and am still trying to achieve as a triathlete and entrepreneur.

The second letter is probably the hardest I’ll ever write. It’s also going to another former coach – my first swim coach and first of any kind who wasn’t my Dad – who passed away in 2008 before the age of 40. I chose to write to him thanking him for his leadership and for being there for me when I was a shy 7-year-old entering a competitive sport for the first time, and send it to his wife and son (she was pregnant when he passed so he never got to meet him) I want to let them know how important their husband and father was to me and so many other kids he touched. He would’ve been amazed at how many of his former swimmers were at his funeral. I still think about him and how he was the reason I was able to enjoy swimming from a young age and thus a big reason why I’m even involved in triathlon. I miss him and frequently imagine him cheering me on during my races.

As A Recipient

I’m also very lucky to be able to speak from the recipient side as well so let me tell you what it does to that person.

This friend thanked me for helping shape his add to his perspective of the world, always motivating him both directly and indirectly to strive for more, and for being a great friend. It’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever received because it was more than just a demonstration of appreciation, it opened my eyes to a characteristic of mine that I’ve been working on developing, affirmed my efforts in doing this, and showed me that what I do with my life doesn’t just impact me, it can positively affect my friends as well, and now I think about that constantly. Though I don’t think he anticipated it, his letter changed me. So, thank you, Kevin. 

These letters can help you do a number of things – reconnect with someone that was important in your life (if you’ve fallen out of touch with them), remind yourself about a key aspect of who you are, where you’ve come from, or where you’re going, and it just feels good to know that you’re making someone’s day and helping to also start THEIR year off on a great note – something that will be reinforced when you get a reply.

Let me know who you’re writing your letter to! If even just 5 people respond/comment saying that they’re going to write one, I’ll consider this a huge success. Make someone’s year in 15 minutes ♥️