I have a question for you at the end of this email. But first, I want to share something with you—an observation that I believe will change my life.

 

THE OBSERVATION

 

A Better Resolution?

As we transitioned into 2025, many of us have set New Year's resolutions.
Overwhelmingly, resolutions tend to focus on self-improvement: "I want to start doing X," "I want to learn Y," "I want to accomplish Z." 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this. But recently, I stumbled upon a type of resolution that’s not only more rewarding but surprisingly waaayyy more fun. Let me explain…

 

Learning to Ski

I’ve been blessed with two sons (ages 10, 14) that I love more than words can express. Just a few days before Christmas my boys told me they wanted to learn how to ski. Internally, I was doing back flips with this incredible news. On the outside, however, I had to keep my cool lest they view Dad’s over-enthusiasm as a signal that skiing might not be that fun after all. 

A few days later, we were standing atop a beginner slope at our local ski hill. We had been here before…on this very slope. But let me tell you, the outcome of those earlier trips didn’t exactly align with my grand and selfish vision.

My dream was that my boys would fall in love with skiing—leading us to magical, snow-filled family vacations in mountain villages. Those prior skiing experiences, however, failed to ignite the slightest skiing interest in our boys. So, this time, as I began the familiar lesson—pizza, french fries, Superman (if you know, you know)—I couldn’t help but hope this would be the moment to ignite a ski-filled future.

A Fresh Perspective
To my delight, this time was, indeed, different. The boys were actually enjoying it. And as I shared the ski lift with them, something interesting hit me: They were having fun, but I was having the time of my life.

It had been over 30 years since I first learned to ski. But, I still vividly recall the unique mix of fear and excitement as I pointed my skis downhill for the first time. I recognized that amalgamation of emotion on my boys' faces that day. This time, I saw their eyes light up as they began to grasp a new skill. I got to witness nerves melt away into confidence. 

For the whole day I was wearing a comically large grin across my face as I watched my two sons overcome fear and doubt and begin to grasp something new. I watched with extreme joy as they failed and enthusiastically got back up to try again. 

 

So. Much. Fun.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been skiing four times, and I’m still having the time of my life. But why I wondered? What’s making this so ridiculously enjoyable?

 

It certainly wasn’t the skiing. Yes, I love to ski, but I wasn’t getting to do any real skiing on these bunny slopes in Kentucky. The obvious answer would be that I was spending time with two of my favorite people. That’s true, but the source of my profound joy? It wasn’t that.

 

What I discovered is that I was having so much fun chiefly because I was being blessed with an opportunity to coach, guide, and mentor through a new life experience and a new skill. I found myself equally excited thinking about the ripples this experience would create in their futures. I wonder who they will share this skill with someday—their friends, their future spouses, maybe even their kids. I think about the memories they'll carry forward because they learned something new—something I had the privilege of sharing with them.

 

Echoes in Eternity
In the movie Gladiator, Maximus is giving a speech to his army as they prepare for battle. In an attempt to motivate his troops, Maximus famously says “what we do in life, echoes in eternity.” 

While teaching someone to ski might not “echo in eternity,” it can echo for generations. That’s why it’s been so incredibly fun. It’s not the skill itself, it’s about sharing it with someone else.

 

Self-improvement goals are great. But my recent experience opened my eyes to something more meaningful: other-improvement goals. The privilege of sharing your wisdom, your skills, your knowledge, your talents with someone else.

 

So, moving forward, I’m going to set an "other-improvement" goal every year. And, I’d be willing to bet it’ll be the most rewarding part of my resolutions.

This leads me to my question (or perhaps a challenge) for you…

What wisdom, skill, knowledge, or talent do you want to share with someone else this year? Who do you want to share it with? And, what future ripples might that create?

If you’ve made it this far, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this. Let me know if there’s anything we can do for you.

 

It’s Who I Am,

Edward Wimmer
Co-Founder @ ROAD iD
roadid.com