I have never been one for new year’s resolutions. In fact, from a personal point of view, I often find the month of January a bit drab, as we all come down from the dizzying highs of Christmas and the whole build-up to our festive season.
From a Council perspective, January is a critical month for draft budgets and making sure we continue to operate on a sound financial footing, despite the enormous pressure being felt right across the public sector. This year’s budget will be one of the most important that we have tabled in recent years, in terms of securing the future sustainability of our Council and our independent county. I will have more to share with you on this very soon.
Despite a tendency to avoid personal resolutions in January, I do take the opportunity to reassess my values, to reflect on the year past and to look forward to the future. Years ago, when teaching in a particularly challenging inner-city primary school, with an OFSTED inspection announced, I received a very sound piece of advice: “You cannot control what your pupils choose to do on the spur of the moment. What you can control is how you respond – this is what you will be judged on.” This was sound advice, which, despite some decidedly erratic behaviour by some of my pupils during the assessment period, helped me to earn ‘outstanding’ for those lessons.
It is our values that guide our responses, motivates our behaviour. There will always be curve balls. There are always going to be challenges. There will always be moments when life feels oppressive. What can never be taken away is our values and that is an active choice for all of us.
For 2023, I very much want to reaffirm the values as laid out in Rutland County Council’s refreshed Corporate Strategy, which will see us through to 2027:
- To be energetic and positive, proud and dedicated to our County
- To learn, develop, seek out opportunities and embrace new ideas.
- To trust and respect each other, engage with and listen to our communities.
- To be the best we can be, striving for excellence and taking responsibility for having a positive impact
These are the values that will continue to guide and shape the decision that we take in our Council Chamber this coming year. No doubt you have values of your own, which you bring to bear at work or in you daily life. Whether or not you’ve committed yourself to a new year’s resolution, perhaps now is a good time to reflect on your values and how they might help you to achieve what you want to accomplish in 2023.
I wish us all a healthy, joyous and prosperous new year. I also wish us all strength, fortitude and resilience to manage any challenges that may present themselves as the year progresses.
Lucy Stephenson
Leader of Rutland County Council