There are many things you can achieve in the year ahead, but the most important is to be the best person you can be New Year's is such a fun time - parties, holidays, lots of food and a time to hang out with friends. But have you thought about what you want to achieve in 2007? What type of person do you want to be? How do you want to be different from last year? The aim is to learn to value yourself more. Self-esteem does not mean bragging about how great you are. It's not about thinking you're perfect - because nobody is. It's not even about how many friends you have. Self-esteem is a term that simply means how much you value yourself. When people say 'she has high self-esteem', it means that the person places high value on who they are as an individual. People with high self-esteem generally feel good about themselves and are excited about life. Having high self-esteem is the most important value to develop, because it's inside you and no one can take it away from you. Beauty fades and your body changes, grades can go up or down, but your self-esteem can always remain high. Before reading on, take a few minutes to think about yourself. Do you highly value yourself or would you say you place low value on yourself? Write down some thoughts. The first step in developing self-esteem is to stop comparing yourself to other people. There are several billion people on Earth, millions in Hong Kong, but there has never been - nor will there ever be - another you. Even if you are a twin, you are still unique. Your body is your own, no matter what shape, size or colour it is. You have different gifts and talents, and an individual purpose for your life that no one else has the right DNA to fulfil. Your assignment for 2007 is to look at the areas in your life where you compare yourself to others - your brains, your body, your talents, and so on. Write them down. Then write a statement about how you will stop comparing yourself to others and how you can start appreciating yourself for your uniqueness. When you stop comparing yourself to other people, you can really start to value yourself and have more confidence in being yourself. Jaime Simpson is a life coach for teenagers and parents