As the year comes to a close, I think it’s natural to want to take some time to pause and reflect on where we are now in relation to where we were last year – and of course, where we want to be in the future.

I like to think about all the positive things that happened in the past year – and find a way to show gratitude to those who contributed to those memories. The holidays is a natural time to reach out to people – say, your co-workers, your team, your manager, your clients and your family & friends - and say thank you for their contributions to your year.

And while presents are always appreciated, I think the most important part of showing appreciation is simply saying ‘thank you’. I never cease to be amazed by the power of those two little words. In the ‘busy-ness’ of our lives these days, and in particular in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to skip over the common niceties of please and thank you. However, I have to say, I still think manners go a long way. I think everyone likes to feel appreciated – and more importantly, they want to know that their efforts in some way matter. Imagine how powerful it would be if every member of your team felt that their efforts throughout the year were not just noticed, but really appreciated. How might that increase employee engagement in the following year? That’s really the essence of employee engagement, isn’t it? And it all begins with two simple little words…you just have to say ‘thank you’.

Reflection on the past year may also mean that we come to terms with some things that happened that we wish we could do-over with different results. While it's probably not healthy to dwell on the negative, I have personally found that this is where the biggest learning opportunities usually hang out. It’s not about beating yourself up about things that went wrong, it’s about learning from those experiences so if the opportunity were to rise again, we would not make the same mistake twice.

And finally, it’s a time to think about where we want to be this time next year. I know a lot of people think new year’s resolutions are silly, because so many of them are broken so quickly. I think that misses the point. The point is not so much the actual resolution as it is about the process of taking the time to think about what you want to accomplish and then setting out some goals to help you get there. You can always modify the goals as the year progresses – it’s the fact that you have a longer term focus that is important.

So, in the hustle and bustle of the holiday, I encourage all of us to take a few minutes, appreciate those people in our lives that contributed to the positive experiences we had this past year, reflect on those things that went sideways and understand what you will need to do differently in the future and set some goals for the next twelve months, with an eye for modifying them as the year progresses and things change.

And to all of those who have read my blog this past year, let me say thank you. It's been a huge step out of my comfort zone to have started blogging - and your words of encouragement have most definitely been appreciated.

Happy Holidays and here’s to a prosperous 2017.