After the tragic events of 9/11, I wondered why it sometimes takes a horrible tragedy for people to unite and work together. I wanted a day to remind us to become our better selves. I presented my idea to then Congressman Felix Grucci, who brought it to members of Congress. On December 18, 2001, National Motivation & Inspiration Day was made official, to be celebrated on January 2.

In conjunction with National Motivation & Inspiration Day, I created the American Motivation Awards, honoring motivational, inspirational, and patriotic leaders in America, and published Who Are You?—a book introducing a significant addition to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

On National Motivation & Inspiration Day, I ask people—in particular, young adults—to take the time to write down their goals for that year, so that each year builds upon the previous ones and they can keep a record of their achievements. There’s even a “Simple Goals App from Motivate America” (the name of my company). This day is about creating new behaviors that will last a lifetime and helping them achieve their goals.

My parents came to this country from Ireland with four children and had four more after arriving. They lived the immigrant story of upward mobility, of America as the land of promise, a place where you can do anything.

For me, following in the footsteps of my heroes in the motivational leadership industry—Dr. Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy, Chris Widener, David Bach, and others—is a dream come true. I have read and learned from these leaders for years. All of them will tell you that nothing can be achieved without a goal—and that’s what National Motivation & Inspiration Day is all about. It’s about helping people to try to live an inspired life and to establish realistic, achievable goals every single year and then work diligently toward achieving those goals.

I’m honored to be the only motivational leadership speaker in America to have had a day of recognition passed by the United States Congress. My work has been largely focused on trying to increase the level of achievement among young adults and help them understand that there’s a procedure they can follow toward success. It might not be easy, but it is attainable with perseverance.

This year, I am releasing a new part of my program, Taking Action to Make Things Happen, which focuses on 9 critical aspects of life. I continue to refer to my 21^st-Century Multidimensional Hierarchy of Needs and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you understand what motivates yourself and others, you are on your way to understanding yourself and other people. The Taking Action to Make Things Happen CD set includes “A New Year and a New You,” as well as a workbook and a CD on motivation from Zig Ziglar.

Happy New Year! Make 2014 your best year ever!

For more information, see www.KevinMcCrudden.com, www.MotivateAmerica.us, or www.MotivationandInspirationDay.org.