Goodbye 2010 and hello 2011

To some Jan. 1 represents just another day.

I’m not one of those people and try as you might to convince me otherwise, New Year’s Day represents a marker.

It’s a chance to say goodbye to the trials and pain caused by last year, an opportunity to remember the great moments and provides the occasion to plan for the future.

It was a busy year around the world. In January there was the earthquake in Haiti, Vancouver hosted the Olympics in February and in the spring there were concerns when ash from a volcano in Iceland shut down European airports. This past year will also be remembered for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, G20 protests in Toronto, the World Cup in South Africa, flooding in Pakistan and the dramatic Chilean miners rescue.

Like everyone, my year had ups and downs also — 2010 had me saying goodbye to several good friends and co-workers that left Prince Albert for new opportunities. I was able to travel to Southern Sudan and return to Uganda, a place I consider a second home.

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I experienced the excitement of a new job, which led to launching this website.

There were a few moments of sadness too, among which was losing my grandfather in July.

With these moments behind me and lessons learned from recent setbacks, I am getting ready for the year ahead.

The beginning of a new year means new goals to be realized, habits to break and desires to fulfill.

While I know that it takes more than a day to make a permanent change to life, it is a good time to reflect.

Like Bridget Jones, from Bridget Jones’s Diary, and many women around the world, I vow to lose weight, drink less and date only men that are good for me.

Also, like with many other women, most of those will be out the window by half-way through the month.

Far more realistically I plan to make 2011about learning. I promise to use fewer ellipses in texts and while using Twitter … and will try to not pick up my BlackBerry every time the light flashes, it buzzes or beeps.

I will work on taking time out every day for me, at least five minutes, to read a book or laugh.

The new year will provide a marker to begin bettering myself.

As one friend of mine posted on Facebook, he “wants you to be who and what you want to be this year.”

I have the same wish for all those looking for a marker in their lives.

No one can know what the future holds, although there are people who predict that the world will end in 2012, so the resolutions won’t matter anyway, but we can all hope for something good.

So Happy New Year and may this year bring you what you need and want.

ahill@panow.com