May All Your Joys Be True Joys and All Your Pain, Champagne!

The year is closing. We've done our best and earned the right to stop thinking about anything that shows up on Excel. Some of the best days of the year are still ahead of us, so I'll be short.

You've been great and generous patrons of the Compensation Cafe -- that's how I feel. Here's to you, ever curious, deeply dedicated readers. And here's to the year that you've worked hard to make successful . . .

Here's to the day you made a big mistake in a report, and found out you could fix it before anyone noticed.

Here's to the C-Suite meeting where you were asked a question you weren't prepared for -- and you pulled it off!

Here's to the nights and weekends that you worked to keep your department/project/data analysis up to date. Imagine how 2015 would shape up if you hadn't pulled that off?

Here's to those hours and hours of commuting you're putting in to keep the bills paid. How about finding something fresh and diverting for 2015? Rumor has it the podcast,"Serial," is not to be missed.

Analysts and Generalists: Here's to every time you wished you had gotten an attaboy. Resolve in 2015 to be your own best fan -- and then share your pride with your boss.

Managers and Directors: Here's to every time you gave an attaboy. (Now, resolve to pay as close attention to your employees as you do to deadlines in 2015.)

You get the picture! Time to have some fun with your memories of 2014 -- at last.

Here's my fun.

Here's to Ann Bares, Dan Walter and me, who turned hours and years of consulting, speaking, meeting, discussing and writing into a book we're proud to share. In it is a piece of advice that could serve as a 2015 resolution, if you're so inclined:

Say this aloud. "We won't design a plan that we can't or won't bother to implement with a reasonable budget."

Again, here's to you, what you've achieved in 2014 and how you'll succeed in 2015, dear readers, because it's clear you believe:

"The future is not ours to know, and it may never be -- so let us live and give our best and give it lavishly."

Margaret O'Hanlon, CCP has written for Compensation Cafe since its founding in 2009. In her spare time, she is founder and Principal of re:Think Consulting. Margaret brings deep expertise in communications, compensation and career development to the dialog at the Café. Before founding re:Think Consulting, Margaret was a Principal with Towers Watson. Margaret collaborated with Ann Bares and Dan Walter to bring  the popular ebook, Everything You Do (in Compensation) Is Communication, into the world. Filled with innovative ideas, practical tips and experienced advice, it's a quick read and a valuable resource for building your influence as a compensation strategist. You can download the book at www.everythingiscommunication.com.