Well Christmas is over for another year; the goose is cooked and eaten, the money is spent or given away, and the decorations are boxed and packed away until the next time kings, angels, mystery and magic come our way...

This looks like being an even more interesting year than usual with inspections, interventions, reviews, appointments and elections to deal with; and whatever happens, 2010 is going to be another year full of opportunities for those of us who believe we can continue to make a difference, continue to deliver brilliant outcomes and continue to change the world. We must be positive and optimistic about ourselves and about our future. We must enjoy ourselves while we chase success; we must look after each other; we must read good books, enjoy the arts and continue to be inspired. We must continue to learn, and continue to improve and develop our talents, our abilities and our skills. Whatever it is that you are trying to achieve this year, success won't depend on genius, talent or innate ability. It will have a lot to do with luck, being in the right place at the right time and who is on your side supporting you, and even more importantly it will be about persistence, determination and sheer hard work. We must be optimistic and remember these key messages so that we nurture the magic, maintain our creative edge, foster innovation and imagination and strive to keep all our colleagues happy, healthy, safe and successful… whatever it takes.

In case you’ve forgotten the key messages:

• focus and work hard;
• take personal responsibility;
• read lots and learn from everything you do;
• celebrate other people’s achievements and always say thank you;
• share your experiences, your learning and your successes;
• reduce the paper and clean up the clutter;
• always think about how you can make a difference;
• be positive, don’t put up with negative people or dwell on the negatives; and
• never lie about anything important.

And when the going gets tough and the challenges seem impossible:

• look after yourself and your colleagues;
• spend time with positive and optimistic colleagues;
• smile, laugh at life and search for ways to have fun;
• breathe deeply, stretch and exercise regularly;
• get enough sleep and take regular breaks;
• appreciate what you have; and
• celebrate everything that goes well.

2010 will be a year to remember; a year of opportunity and discovery for us all, and we must work hard to make all our dreams turn into reality and all our efforts and hard work turn into great achievements.
Keep the faith!
Chris