While sitting here planning for the future, at least I like to believe that everything is possible given the right short-, mediumand long-term plans, and creative management of them.
As my once-blank sheet of paper quickly fills with my wish list, I wonder how similar - or different - it would look if members of my staff team were completing the exercise.
What about parents, or indeed the children? I have tried that one before and received requests for swimming pools and elephants in the garden!
Staff meetings are a naturally good medium for gathering ideas and opinions, but you need to take things further than lists reminiscent of correspondence to Father Christmas - how are we going to achieve these ideals? What needs to change in our practice? In our thinking?
This is a fantastic time to publicly recognise and celebrate everything achieved over the previous year. Until you start going round the group reminding each other of all that you have accomplished, big and small, you can lose sight of just how far you have come and what can be realised given the limitations that are a reality to us all.
I ended December issuing a review of our year's main achievements to the parents and inviting them through an open-ended questionnaire to comment and make suggestions. But this dry method of communication is never enough.
As for the children, the views of the less vocal ones can be captured by taking Teddy to all their favourite places, by photography or recording how often areas are accessed.
And don't forget to regularly update your SEF. As a working document, this can help you see where you are and where you need to be heading, enriched with your achievements and activities showing involvement with parents, children and staff.
Whatever the year has in store for you, January provides the perfect time to just take pause - think back, think on, and aim for the stars.
