As the year winds down, it’s time to count our blessings.

In the learning and development field, we can be grateful for…

1.  Our individual strengths and our unique skill stack – and the projects that allow us to contribute those strengths for a good cause.

2.  The collaborations that allow us to accomplish more and better than we could alone.

3.  The researchers in our field who work to explain learning processes, identify proven practices, and establish guidelines – and the translators who make those ideas practical and implementable in new contexts.

4,  Thought leaders who challenge us to step up, and ground-breaking creatives who show us new possibilities.

5.  Generous colleagues who lend a hand, teach us their secrets, share their successes, and make the work engaging and fun.

6.  Clients who bring us their everyday challenges and most vexing problems and who engage us as partners and key contributors, counting on us to have the knowledge and skill to help.

7.  All the ways we are connected… through professional organizations, through conferences, through social media, through enterprise networks, and through communities of practice.

8.  Books, blog posts, podcasts, and videos that communicate new ideas, share stories, inspire us, and make us think.

9.  An abundance of evolving tools – that enhance personal productivity, provide a means to create, enrich communication, and connect us the world’s knowledge.

10.  Outdoor spaces that serve as thinking spots, libraries that offer quiet and resources, and coffee shops that make for great temporary workspaces.

11.  Sparks of inspiration that help us to deliver that “wow factor,” and that niggling curiosity that leads us down exciting new paths.

12.  Opportunities to experience the profound joy that comes from learning, from diving deep into our areas of expertise.

Naming our gratitudes gives them power to work new wonders in our lives. With learning at the heart of our work, we have many contributions to make. Let’s look forward to many new delights and discoveries in 2023.

We should certainly count our blessings,
but we should also make our blessings count.
~ Neal A. Maxwell