Everything old is new again...

Well, first off Happy New Year to everyone. 2007 is officially here (along with many hangovers), and 2006 is officially put to bed.

The new year celebration typically sets off a string of good intentions as people use it as a jumping off point to look ahead to self-improvement endeavors. It also is a good time to look back to the year that was and remember all of the good (and not so good) things that have transpired. In addition, it's poignant to remember all of our friends, family, and other notables that have passed on to whatever (if any) afterlife you believe in.

I tend to look at 2007 as a potential crossroads year in my life. I've let my physical conditioning slip over the past 2 months, and I have to decide if I want to return to being the overweight slug of 4 years ago, or the sleek marathon-trained person of 2005-06 (I'm leaning toward the latter, although the former can be so much more fun!). I also face the imminent departure of one of my colleagues, which will reduce our staffing by 25 percent, and force me to either shrink back into the worker-bee mentality, or take the reins and take on more responsibilities and a subsequent leadership role in my department.

Many new challenges and opportunities away. Make the most of your 2007. Life on this rock is very finite...

s42