As we turn the calendar to another new year and I prepare to say, write, or type 2022 for at least two more months (you do that too, right?!), I think of my new year’s resolution — being grateful.

I will not get too deep into any personal items, but I am happy to say I have quite a bit to be grateful for in that arena for sure. I know this isn’t the “typical” blog you’d see from us, but I thought it might be fun to roll into 2023 talking about my resolution and to see if any of my thoughts register with you. Here are some of the more professional people and items I am grateful as we kick off 2023:

• I am grateful for great co-workers. Being able to work with and around people you genuinely like and enjoy, let alone respect, should not be taken for granted. Even the ones who drive you a bit crazy. It makes the work even that much more fulfilling and engaging.
• I am grateful when a Zoom or Teams virtual meeting goes off without a hitch.
• I am grateful to work with some fascinating, intelligent, and compelling clients. Understanding what is important to them and helping them succeed is rewarding. Becoming friends with many of them is an added bonus. That emotional buy-in often heightens people’s service.
• I am grateful to work for a company that is generous, forward-thinking, and values their employees, let alone their clients.
• I am grateful when a restaurant or fast-food place does not screw up my order. “I said No. 1 on wheat, flat bread with mustard, not No. 7 on an Italian roll with mayo. C’mon!”
• I am grateful that new and innovative ideas are beginning to become more common and embraced within the risk and insurance universe.
• I am grateful for our IT department for those times I am dealing with those new and innovative ideas.
• I am grateful to be working with clients from various industries and geographies, and those with different approaches. It keeps things interesting and exciting.

I understand everyone’s experience is unique. I also understand in the day of social media and (non)reality TV shows, it can be easy to feel as if the “grass is always greener” elsewhere. However, I believe being grateful permeates throughout how we interact with our co-workers, families, and clients, and therefore, how we are perceived and how we succeed.

These two words will continue to be important to me not just this year as my resolution, but always — being grateful.