New Year is quite possibly the most positive, forward-looking holiday we celebrate.
We say goodbye to the past and turn our attention to the good that the coming year promises. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions for positive change, such as quitting smoking, losing weight or pursuing a dream career. New Year’s Day brings with it the chance to start fresh. Though the day on which we observe the New Year has changed throughout history, and often differs according to one’s culture, the observance of an annual fresh start is arguably the most ancient and universal of all holidays.
My personal resolutions this year are all around getting fit. I am about to turn 43, still smoke and enjoy red wine rather too much on occasion.
At the end of last year, the rather wonderful Henrietta MacEwan, owner of Miss Jones (http://www.missjonespa.com/) challenged me to join her and a group of PAs to climb Kilimanjaro for charity in July 2012. After much discussion with the family about whether I would die up a mountain and general family hilarity about how I would manage, bearing in mind that running for a bus is currently a challenge, I have decided to go for it!
Several people that are very dear to me have either been affected by or have died of cancer in the last year. It’s a great reminder to live life whilst you have it and use every moment to the maximum. So in July, I shall be trekking up one of the greatest mountains in the world for 10 days, in order to raise money for cancer research. It is something I have always wanted to do – and besides, it will give me a tangible reason to get fit.
Work goals are around putting as much as possible into the administrative community as I can, both in terms of the magazine and supporting services. And we’re off to a good start – I have events galore in the diary already this year, set up all over the world in order to meet and share knowledge with as many of you as possible, have launched #adminchat – a new way for you to get free training from some of the world’s top trainers of administrators every Thursday on Twitter and we are launching a new magazine for VAs in April.
So this New Year, my message to you is to grab life with two hands. Life is too precious to take things for granted. Be thankful you’re still breathing, because someone out there just took their last breath. Don’t wait – go do something you have always wanted to do, because tomorrow it might be too late.
You can get details on all of the above by emailing me at lbrazier@executivesupportmagazine.com. My Just Giving page for Kilimanjaro is at http://www.justgiving.com/Lucy-Brazier2012.
Have a great 2012 – I fully intend to!
Lucy
