“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

-Bill Vaughan

The New Year is a time for looking back and looking forward. 2021 is upon us, which means new beginnings for some and the utmost attempts for self-betterment. The end of year celebrations almost always come with the need to plan for the future and the future does not fit in the containers of the past.

Luke Rhinehart once said, “You are the sole creator of your experience.” It’s a great quote, and it’s one that I’ve really come to embrace over the last few years. As the new year has dawned, I hope that you’ll take a few moments to visualize where you hope to be, both personally and professionally. It’s going to be an interesting ride for all of us. This special edition has a few selected upcoming events to help you along.

I encourage all of us to use this New Year to commit to being mindful of others because you never know who you might inspire and what you might learn about the world around you or yourself. Help make 2021 better for someone by paying their dues. Be a Super Hero.

The editorial team of Achieving Excellence also has a resolution it intends to keep: we promise to continue to collect engaging news, images and photos related to Toastmasters in Southern Africa and to keep you, our dear readers, informed about stories, events and celebrations in Toastmasters Southern Africa and in Toastmasters communities elsewhere.

We hope you will continue to enjoy the content we provide. On behalf of the whole Editorial Team, we wish you, your families and friends the very best for 2021.

Keep masked up, sanitising and keeping your distance.

-Martha