Merih Christmas!

This was a great year work-wise. Thanks to my mentors I was able to trade up the career ladder. The fact that it happened in the middle of a recession is truly awesome and I feel extremely blessed.

Family matters worked out well too. Only last night I was at the in-laws. My sister, Tammy, got her Christmas wish to meet Rihanna come true. She got a photo with her and it was uploaded to the official fan site, RihannaDaily.

That said it is always great to know that Rihanna is always home for the holidays; putting Family First.

I must also pause here to honour the memory of the Late David Thompson, former Prime Minister of this great nation, Barbados. If we were all to make that our guiding philosophy - Family First - the world would be a wonderful place.

As the year closes the reflection is sobering as I think about the Campus Trends robbery/ arson/ murder, the passage of Tropical Storm Tomas and the destruction in its wake, the budget and the increase in Value Added Tax and the overall contraction of our economy. However, we still have much to be thankful for when we look at St. Lucia and Haiti. My heart goes out to them.

So here are my three New Year's Resolutions:

1. To have faith in my ability to make all of my dreams come true. Doubt is something we all wrestle with but Michael Losier's Law of Attraction is showing me how I can allow my desires into my life. I highly recommend his book to anyone with high self-doubt.

2. To blog more! I really am a social media junkie at heart but this recessionista is not upgrading her malfunctioning 8520 untilthe coast is reasonably clear! I will blog as often as my malfunctioning track pad will allow! (And add this my list of dreams in bullet No. 1!)

3. To relax more! It is really hard to balance being a mother, have a career, pursue a master's degree and being a devoted partner all at the same time. Work seems to get most of the attention! Starting January 1 (and not today as I am heading into the office shortly) I commit to a better work-life balance that includes exercise, meditation and eating right!

A lot to chew? Well I will pace myself. I hope I have inspired someone to get started on their resolutions. And if you are feeling like a jumpstart is in order my ladies can always invest in a red lace-front wig; guys should try Losier's book!

Merih Christmas and a Prosperous New Year everybody!

The One Management Truth

"The manager's role is to clear away the obstacles to doing the job so that people can be as productive as possible. It is a role of service and support for the people who do the work, for the truth is that managers don't do the work. Managers facilitate work and get it done through others. Indeed, none of the productive work of any organization is done above the supervisory level. Under those circumstances, it is silly to have workers serving the needs of managers. It clearly must be the other way around."

Roger D'Aprix, Communicating for Productivity, 1982.