New Year's Wishes

As we look forward to New Year’s Eve and the dawning of another new year, many of us are probably contemplating our New Year’s resolutions. We will start the year freshly focused on the habits we would like to improve or on learning new skills in order to continually shape ourselves into the men and women we would like to become.

It strikes me once again that our pursuit of excellence in our CHRISTUS facilities and business groups is much the same as keeping a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions are kept not by making one initial decision, but by making many decisions in the days to come.

For instance, I bet that many of us will resolve this year to eat healthier and lose some weight. It is clear, though, that we don’t lose weight just by deciding on Jan. 1 that we will. No, we lose weight by increasing our physical activity every single day and by eating healthier foods at each and every snack and mealtime. It is the small, daily decisions that help us to reach our goals and fulfill our resolutions.

In the same way, it is the choices we make each and every day that help CHRISTUS achieve excellence. It is taking a few extra minutes to ensure a patient truly understands his or her treatment. It is double-checking our work to ensure that we are administering the correct dose or submitting correct facts and figures each and every time. It is taking a moment to speak to a resident or coworker who may need to hear a kind word.

Yes, excellence—just as our New Year’s resolutions—is achieved in small, incremental victories every day, and is therefore within reach for each and every one of us.

Best wishes to you and your families for a peaceful and happy new year. May God continue to bless our ministry.