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    In the movie Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes across a Cheshire cat and asks the cat which road she should take. The cat responds, “Well, that depends on where you're trying to get to.” Alice replies, “I don't know.” The cat responds, “Then any road will do.”

    You see, knowing where you're going increases your chances dramatically of getting there, and there is no better way of “GETTING THERE” than setting your goals for the upcoming year. Think of your goals as destinations and the action steps as your GPS guiding and directing you. If you are like many other people, for years you have resisted the need to set goals and even laughed at the thought that setting goals and，even more importantly, committing them to writing have positive effects on your life. However, a closer look might convince you that setting goals is a sensible thing to do.

    In 1979, a class of Harvard MBA students was asked: Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made an action plan to accomplish them? The following will astonish you. Only 3 percent of the class had written goals and a plan in place, 13% just had goals, and an amazing 84% had no specific goals at all.

    Ten years later the numbers of the class were interviewed once again and the following results will no doubt give the reason for our setting goals. The findings were that the 13% who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84% who had no goals at all. And the 3 percent who had clear, written goals with a plan to achieve them were achieving ten times as much as the entire 97% combined.

    Goal setting will increase your chances of arriving successfully at your destination. Remember, always set SMART goals. Goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound!

    Getting less sleep has become a bad habit for most American kids. According to a new survey(调查) by the National Sleep Foundation, 51% of kids aged 10 to 18 go to bed at 10 pm or later on school nights, even though they have to get up early. Last year the Foundation reported that nearly 60% of 7- to 12-year-olds said they felt tired during the day, and 15% said they had fallen asleep at school.

    How much sleep you need depends a lot on your age. Babies need a lot of rest: most of them sleep about 18 hours a day! Adults need about eight hours. For most school-age children, ten hours is ideal(理想的). But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10- to 12-year-olds get only seven or eight hours. And guess what almost half of the surveyed kids said they do before bedtime? Watch TV.

    “More children are going to bed with TVs on, and there are more opportunities(机会) to stay awake, with more homework, the Internet and the phone,” says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a sleep researcher at Brown University Medical School. She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep. Other experts say part of the problem is chemical. Changing levels of body chemicals called hormones not only make teenagers' bodies develop adult characteristics, but also make it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 pm.

    Because sleepiness is such a problem for teenagers, some school districts have decided to start high school classes later than they used to. Three years ago, schools in Edina, Minnesota, changed the start time from 7:25 am to 8:30 am. Students, parents and teachers are pleased with the results.

    L.S. Lowry Exhibition

    Some 30 oil paintings and artworks on paper by British artist, L.S. Lowry (1887-1976), are on display at the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts. It's the first-ever solo exhibition of the artist's work outside the UK. Lowry is one of Britain's most famous artists, and was a close observer of his country's social life in the era of industrialization and modernization. His works mainly depict (描绘) ordinary people on streets, in factories, parks and football fields. It has been said that the depiction of modern life by Lowry's works was permeated (洋溢) with an atmosphere of sadness and loneliness, but also with respect and a sense of humor.

    Date: November 15 to December 16, 9 am to 7 pm (closed on Mondays)

    Venue: Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts

    Address: 15 Huju Road North, Gulou District, Nanjing

    Admission: Free

    Call 025-8349-8693 for details

    Golden Songs of Teresa Teng Concert

    Teresa Teng (1953-1995) was an influential Chinese pop singer from Taiwan who was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. Her voice and songs are instantly recognizable throughout the whole of Asia and in areas with large Asian populations. Chen Yajuan, a Japanese-Chinese female singer, will perform Teng's classic songs, including Moon Represents My Heart and When Will You Come Back Again?

    Date: December 20, 7:30 pm

    Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center

    Address: 425 Dingxiang Road

    Tickets: 80 yuan to 580 yuan

    Call 021-6132-6586 for details

    The 20^th Anniversary of Riverdance

    This year welcomes the 20th anniversary of Riverdance, which is being marked with a world tour. This 20th anniversary version will have a new stage setting, and when it tours in China it will add some local elements like taking traditional Chinese folk songs, Love Song of Kangding and My Motherland, as accompaniments.

    Date: January 13 to 18, 7:30 pm

    Venue: Shanghai Culture Square

    Address: 597 Fuxing Road Middle

    Tickets: 80 yuan to 800 yuan

    Call 021-6472-9000 for details

A Different Kind of Spring Break

    For many American university students, the week-long spring break holiday means an endless part on a sunny beach in Florida or Mexico. In Panama City Beach, Florida, a city with a permanent population of approximately 36,000, more than half a million university students arrive during the month of March to play and party, making it the number one spring break destination in the United States.

    A week-long drinking binge is not for everyone, however, and a growing number of American university students have found a way to make spring break matter. For them, joining or leading a group of volunteers to travel locally or internationally and work to address problems such as poverty, homelessness, or environmental damage makes spring break a unique learning experience that university students can feel good at.

    During one spring break week, students at James Madison University in Virginia participated in 15 "alternative spring break" trips to nearby states, three others to more distant parts of the United States, and five international trips. One group of JMU students traveled to Bogalusa, Louisiana, to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Another group traveled to Mississippi to organize creative activities for children living in a homeless shelter. One group of students did go to Florida, but not to lie on the sand. They performed exhausting physical labor such as maintaining roving invasive plant species that threaten the native Florida ecosystem.

    Students who participate in alternative spring break projects find them very rewarding. While most university students have to get their degrees before they can start helping people, student volunteers are able to help people now. On the other hand, the accommodations are far from glamorous. Students often sleep on the floor of a school or church, or spend the week camping in tents. But students only pay around $250 for meals and transportation, which is much less than some of their peers spend to travel to more traditional spring break hot spot.

    From Antigua to Zanzibar, these spots promise an incredible trip for 2019.

    Antigua, Guatemala

    "Antigua is worth every penny, but that doesn't mean you'll have to empty your wallet," says Hudson. There are plenty of budget-conscious activities. It won't cost you a coin to visit Santo Domingo del Cerro, an outdoor sculpture park. Wanting something sweet? Head to ChocoMuseo. Admission is free and so are the samples!

    Odessa, Ukraine

    Odessa is having a bit of a tourism boom nationwide-not that we're surprised, given its sandy beaches and pastel-colored buildings-but it's still fairly under the order for international audiences. You can also count on this port city for affordable fun. Tickets to the Odessa Opera House start at a mere $ 2!

    Bogotá, Colombia

    "Travelers on budget will find Colombia's vast capital, far more of a bargain and every bit as fascinating," says Hudson. "It's free to visit Museo de Oro and on Sundays many of the big roads are closed to accommodate food carts, street entertainers, and pedestrians."

    Zanzibar

    Zanzibar attracts vacationers with its white sand beaches, greenish-blue tides, colorful coral reefs, and oceanfront seaside. Of course, wandering in historic Stone Town is pretty appealing too. Either way, you needn't spend a penny in this amazing place. It's also worth noting that Jozani Forest is the only place in the world you can see endangered red colobus monkeys.