The first week of 2012 has been a revelation. For the first time since I can remember, I didn't dread going to back to work in the New Year and the mountain of emails that used to inevitably await me. Not only no dread but I knew I had an exciting and interesting week ahead.
I had to call in to the Haven on Tuesday morning to collect my laptop and papers from our Christmas Trustee Annual Lunch (that I'd left behind as I had a client visiting and we'd gone off for dinner) but it was lovely to see the Christmas Tree still up with all our lovely Stars donated by people on behalf of loved ones. The glow of love never fades or becomes dull when we actively choose to offer and recall that love.
We have a real job to do this year at the Yorkshire Haven. We need to raise £1m to meet our annual running costs and to fulfil our wish list items which simply include providing all our services free of charge to those that need them. From where I'm sitting that isn't a wish list, it's a necessity. Need = Necessity. Where there's a Ruston will, there's normally a Ruston way. Get a strategy straight and execute it. Easy peasy.
My day job is in Education. I think I'm officially the luckiest lawyer alive. I get to work in a sector that is solely for the benefit of children and all those who wish to learn. As that includes me, arriving at my desk in Bradford on Tuesday was a pleasure not a chore. Not many lawyers would say that if you asked them, I guarantee it.
The trainee attached to my practice area is world class. I say that out loud because trainees the country over generally have a miserable time. It's sort of a rite of passage in the lawyering world. You do the photocopying and get grateful. That's how it is. Not in Education. And not where I work.
I have a fellow Partner and lawyer that has been babysitting my practice while I got going. He's a legend in his own field so you can't get fairer than that. His PA is probably the world's lovliest PA and will do anything for him, me or anyone else. Get us.
Then we have a super part-time solicitor that helps us get through our peaks. I think he would like to be retired but there's no chance of that. 2012 is going to be epic in Education with more work than we can do ourselves. It would be easy in the short term high workload peaks not to focus on a long term strategy for my practice. That, however, would be repeating my last school girl error and there's no way I'm doing that. Sustainable and balanced lifestyles require an eye on the big picture while completing the task(s) in hand.
A full day in the office, further refining and populating our battle plan spreadsheet with key data and indicators for the year ahead felt very satisfying indeed. However, one of my books over the holiday has made me decide to apply the same discipline that made me a workaholic in to a lifeaholic. If you operate your life in a disciplined way and make time for all your own essential requirements and fit work around that then you don't wind up burnt out like I did last summer. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But my name is Sarah and I'm a workaholic.
So I decided to start my year off as I intend to finish it - with some quiet time each day. I cannot do that in a work or home environment. The book suggests that you discipline yourself to go to a place that you can. Our building is opposite Bradford Cathedral and it is open all day every day. They have a daily office at 5.30pm too and so at 5.15pm I trotted across for Prayers.
It's years since I used the Book of Common Prayer. At least 20. The Priest was very considerate but as I was the only other person there to take part, it made it essential as I could barely navigate my way around. It's soothing to say words you've forgotten you know by heart.
Bradford Cathedral is an absolutely lovely place. Beautiful but not austere. Welcoming but reverential. Silent but not deafening. Prayerful but gladdening.
Afterwards the celebrant informed me that the Dean has gone on a sabbatical and I'm immediately transported to images of the Holy Land. I really do want to go there sometime soonish. Though not this year. Easter 2013.
This year is a year for commencing, consolidating and celebrating my New Life and I want to work towards that visit of a lifetime as a 'journey' in it's own right so that I can look back at what I achieved to get there though achievement will be measured differently to how I used to measure it. Doing less will be a major achievement for example. Most people who know me will be shocked by this announcement.
The rest of the working week has been spent at the North of England Education Conference at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. It has been the best conference I have ever attended. I'm inspired, enthusiastic and hopeful. The theme and focus has been 'Passion, Potential, Performance'. The speakers have been largely outstanding but at the very least good. The content has been thought provoking and engaging. The delegates friendly, committed and facing a whole sale revolution in Education. The exhibitors interesting, stimulating and kind. At it's centre though was the education of children, young people and lifelong learning and for me, eye widening and reassuring. We have a lot of very talented professionals in both academia and practice that shape our children's and our own lives. I think we are all so busy with life in these difficult economic times that we forget how essential it is as a society that the cornerstone of all our prosperity and wealth (in the widest sense of the word) is anchored well and truly safe.
We are really, really good at Education and Learning. So good, that the world over our teaching and learning professionals are largely valued above all others. We have a major worldwide export to deliver and we should be doing that internationally. That Education Revolution could yet be larger than the Industrial Revolution. If we get it right.
My place as a lawyer is as yet as a novice observer entrant. My historical skill set as a business woman and lawyer are needed as schools move in to the new age because the traditional support mechanisms are being dismantled by the Government. Not only in Education but in Healthcare. There is a lot to do. A huge amount to do actually. Lucky I like challenges.
The Royal Armouries complex is a tremendous place. I'm in awe of the development as a whole. Truly in awe. Someone's vision has really shone through. There are some mistakes in my opinion though. The car park should be free for example. The fact it isn't means people go to the White Rose centre for a day out or Meadowhall or wherever they go shopping. Just not there. A real shame as I have discovered this week. Truly a shame.
The triumph of the conference was the showcasing of Yorkshire talent. Young people sang, played, danced and joined in the entire event. It was inspired. Truly the visionary, planners and executives that made it happen deserve recognition and reward. Yorkshire did us proud.
Wrapping up Friday afternoon, I was able to take a table decoration from the gala dinner to the Haven for our reception. A stunning display prepared by the students of one of our colleges now happily decorating the post Christmas clear up which leaves us all feeling it's a little bit bare.
It is a little bit bare when you clear up and clean out all that was. But it's a time to be fresh and to put in place a new approach. The Yorkshire Haven 2012 needs help to reach its fundraising target. It needs help from everyone in Yorkshire pulling together to make it happen. Perhaps my optimism is inspired by what I have seen and heard this week but I do know this last thought for the week.
We none of us know what we are capable of, as long as we believe anything is possible.
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