Most things that you think are important aren't

I can't help but think that 2013 is going to be my annus horribilis year. After all, it is the year of the snake for the Chinese and surely that can't be a great omen. Not that I am one; I’m a pig. It would possibly be a lot worse if I was a rat.

I know that I work hard. In fact,the bench mark is possibly set at its highest level right at this very moment as I sit here typing on the flight home from Hong Kong. It is two o'clock on Sunday morning in NZ,the team on board have made several references to the office (this is the seat that I’m seated in), I have papers scattered and the laptop screen up as I type this blog.

Too many of the people and the animals that I care about do not enjoy good health given their advancing years, and I suspect this will be the year that I am forced to say goodbye... in many cases I am even questioning my ability to cope.

Death and bereavement and caring for an aged member of the family has also been an interesting development in my workforce. As I watch the leave applications flood in from those that suddenly need to care for older or unwell parents, a new reality for us as an employer appears. They are often attached to those in fundamental positions and frequently with no set duration, time of return or an instant departure from their role. Never before have I seen so many of these absences...

I know that they, as I’m sure I will, have nothing more on their mind than getting their loved ones through this time with dignity and a big part of that will be investing time to strengthen their bonds before they depart this world should this be the destination at this time.

 

For someone like myself, work is and has always for the last twenty years been all consuming. Given that I love what I do, it’s possibly not been such a problem for me,yet I know it has for those closest to me. Ideas that spawn in the middle of a holiday break can become a focus all too quickly,even with the best of intent they are hard to park. We tend to conquer the problem, yes, it is a problem to those around me,by allocating a set discussion time but for me it can be hard to think of anything else.

I know this will be the year that I'm forced to slow down, want to slow down and forced to smell the roses and I will start to prioritize what is really important. No it’s not work; work will always be there as long as my systems and processes remain robust. It’s the people and animals around me that will be important this year - my environment outside work.

 

So let the year of the snake begin and already it has started to unfold with difficulty.I can only hope that as they always say… out of every bad situation, good will come. Yes, I know… most things that you think are important AREN'T.