Today's blog was written by GlobalScholar's own Jim Kaufman. Perhaps after reading it you will add a new item to your new year's to-do list.

I was reading an article recently about the all time 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions made by people of all ages. And, of course the usual good intentions appeared on that list: losing weight, exercising more, quit smoking, get out of debt, help the poor, spend more time with family, etc. But, I was surprised to see that just as often, people say that they resolve to “go back to school” in the New Year. And, that set me to thinking, why would individuals say that?

What is it about education that would make it so much a part of people’s aspirations for becoming a better person – regardless of their age?

I decided that whatever the reasons are, I would take heart from this fact.  Perhaps deep down we all know that we need to learn more, that our knowledge no matter who we are could be better. Or, perhaps we just want to learn about things that interest us. Maybe we even want to change the very destiny of our lives.

Whatever the motive, this simple insight suggests that we human beings know that we are not trapped or condemned by our ignorance or our failures. We can always “go back to school” in whatever form and move forward with a renewed sense of hope that we can go in a different direction or discover new ideas.

Then, I remembered one famous dramatic line from Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” when Scrooge sees that two orphaned children are clinging to the Ghost of Christmas Present and the ghost says:

“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.”

So, then, not only do we long to know more things and to change or enhance our lives, we have the pronouncement that to fail to educate ourselves and others could result in our very demise. Perhaps, “going back to school” really isn’t all that different in gravity than losing weight or exercising regularly. Perhaps, we do truly understand that life-long education is a necessity – as vital as any other thing to which we can commit ourselves in the coming year.

The good news is that the author of the article on the Top 10 Resolutions added this most hopeful after thought:

“… you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep.”

And, so, I don’t know about you, but I am going to make and keep the resolution to “go back to school” in some fashion or other this coming year. What are you going to study?

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