Resolve in the new year to improve yourself

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jason Morrison
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Safety
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  With the dropping of the ball in Times Square comes the end of the year and of the decade. But, with every ending there is a beginning and a chance to start anew. Like many I plan on using this fresh start to make a New Year's resolution!

What should my New Year's resolution be? Should I resolve, like many, to work out more and lose those extra holiday pounds? To learn to play guitar? To waste less time on Facebook? Maybe all of the above? All of these are good ideas. Getting in better shape is always a good idea especially considering the changes in the Air Force fitness program.
The bottom line is that New Year's is an opportunity to do a little self-examination and make a vow to improve myself.

In reality, self improvement should be everyone's goal year round. One of our core values, "Excellence All We Do", actual requires constant self improvement. In today's fast-paced world, you cannot maintain excellence unless you continue to learn and grow. One of the beauties of being in Air Force is that it offers all kinds of opportunities for self-improvement.

If you want to stop smoking, the HAWC offers the Smoking cessation class. If you want to become a model of physical fitness the Fitness Center is there, free of charge. And then there are the numerous educational programs to help pursue your degree, gain a commission, or acquire a new skill. The ways to improve your self are endless and the Air Force is there to help.

And this brings to mind another point: access to these kinds of opportunities is one of the many reasons I enjoy my job. Civilian companies rarely offer these kinds of benefits. Sure, Google may have free laundry and cafeteria food but it just doesn't compare to what the Air Force can offer.

The Air Force takes care of its own like any good family whether you're the head of the family or a black sheep. So, in this New Year, the Year of the Air Force Family, I resolve to remember that family includes not only your blood relations but also your fellow Airmen...and to lose those five extra holiday pounds.