Grateful to be here in Malta allowing myself some time out for rest, renewal and to plan for the year(s) ahead.

Rest of Blog For how many people will get the chance to take some time out to step back and ask themselves what true success and happiness will mean for them over the coming year(s) in their life and work. If you never define your vision of success and happiness, for the year(s) ahead then nothing is going to change and whatever is most urgent will always get done first.

If you only do what is urgent at any given time, your life will not go forward in the way that you would have hoped. Living like this will not give you a successful, happy, fulfilling and productive year(s) ahead. If the most important things are not prioritised and done first, there is a real danger that everything will be treated as equal.

So, this time for me is all about separating the urgent from the important and making sure over the next 12 months to work on getting the important done.

Like setting out on any journey, it is vital to know where you are headed, even if you don’t know how you are going to get there.

It is important to start with the end in mind, but there is a need to guard against the end being a dead end. There is always the chance of this happening and that is why I am here, giving myself some time for rest, renewal and allowing for the planning of the year ahead.

With a vision now being set out for the year ahead, there will be a great chance to go into 2018 with a clear sense of direction with greater focus and clarity.

To now have the power of a written plan for the year ahead against which every decision concerning the most effective use of my time and energy can be effectively measured against.

As I sit here writing up my plan there is also the need to look at what I want to eliminate from my life, what it is I want to add to it and what I want to leave unchanged over the coming 12 months.

To keep what is good, remove what is bad and add what will make the year ahead one of true and real success and happiness for me.

Really do hope that regardless of where you are in your life at this time, you get to give yourself some space and time out to see where it is you want to bring your life and work over the coming year and years ahead.

Take good care and a very Happy Christmas to you.