“Another fresh new year is here… Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give!” ~ William Arthur Ward

With 2016 only days away, I keep thinking about all that has happened over this past year. I keep thinking about what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. I keep thinking about the good things that have happened and the things that have happened that haven’t been so great. I keep thinking about where I had originally thought that I would be at this point and how it’s so different from where I am. But I’ve also been thinking about the things to come. I keep thinking about where Plan A is going in terms of growth and development (so many exciting things are happening!).  I keep thinking about my own personal life and the goals that I hope to achieve in the New Year. There are so many things to think about!

I have grown in so many ways since the beginning of this year. I think what I’m most happy with is my own personal and professional growth. I started this year off as a student at Cambrian College with no plans, no idea of what was going to happen when I graduated and no employment ideas other than a part-time job serving on weekends. I have since graduated from College, obtained a full time job that I love (and I was able to keep my serving job, because I love that too!), and I have goals – goals were never something that I had set for myself before! I have learned how to communicate effectively within a team setting to get my point across, I have learned how to work with a team to reach a common goal and, most importantly, I have grown in my role and have had the opportunity to utilize the skills and knowledge that I spent three years in a classroom obtaining.

With this year being one of the best years of my life, it has also been one of the most difficult. This year I lost someone very dear to my heart, someone I loved very much and never really had the chance to get to know. Someone I can’t really imagine life without, but I now have to. They touched my life in a way that no one else has. They helped put things into perspective for me and made me realize the importance of being thankful for everything that I have and for everyone that I still have with me. It made me realize the importance of my role at Plan A: to assist in providing everyone with the absolute best health care possible. Although it has been the most difficult, it has also been the most impactful – in a way that I can now describe as good.

2016 is going to be a crazy year! The thought of it already being 2016 is crazy enough to think about! I’m excited for the house hunting that will soon be taking place in the Spring with my boyfriend. I’m excited for the new contracts and conversations coming down the pipeline at Plan A. I’m excited to expand Plan A further into the North-Eastern communities and have others join in our vision and plan to be the change in the long-term care sector. There are so many things to be excited about!

All I have to say is, “Bring it on 2016! I’m ready for you!”