Goodbye 2010

We will be celebrating a new year tomorrow. I bid goodbye to 2010 with a sense of fulfilment. Its been a wonderful and colourful year. Within the year I completed my term as the President of The Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (ISM) achieving all my set targets, climbed Mt Kinabalu overcoming my fear of heights, received my well-deserved PhD doctorate after 4 years of hard work (accompanied by blood, sweat and tears) and by January 2011 had served my duty as chair of QS Accreditation Council and Board member of the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia.

It is customary that when the new year approaches we would make resolutions to become a better person or to kick that bad habits - start exercising, lose weight, do more charity work, spend more time with family, take up that hobby, learn another language, not to procrastinate, buy that chopard watch, quit smoking etc, etc . The new year gives us the opportunity to start afresh and embark on what we have been thinking of doing but waiting for that right time to do. And the right time is almost always a new year, a new beginning.

As for me since the beginning of the new millenium I have made a resolution not to wait for the new year to make new resolutions to better myself. At anytime, once I've made up my mind I would go for it and "Just do it" with the determination and passion that would sustain me until completion. And along the way I "don't stop believing" that I would succeed. Of course there were failures and in between the heartbreak, distress, depression and sadness I hang on to the words that "this will pass" to heal myself.  However I do have to admit that there are still some things that I have been procrastinating until today i.e. to start that exercise regime, to start on my book, to clear the clutter at home and office, to take up Mandarin class and to go to that karaoke singing session. I always end up with some reasons or other for not doing those things. And I hated and felt embarassed with myself as those reasons are, but mere excuses.

My wishlist for 2011 - My top 3 are wishing that Malaysians stop smoking, stop littering, and stop child abuse. Other wishes include for Malaysians to have pride in themselves, increased racial harmony, stop the politicking and concentrate in making Malaysia a better nation with everybody having a quality life.