The western New Year catches us unawares, and we stumble into it, with little thought around how we will make those grand resolutions work. The Chinese new year is different – it’s planned for and recognised as a significant time of change. There’s lots we can learn from it, and the Year of the Snake, to fuel our own change plans.

Recognition shouldn’t be dependent on the recipient doing something ‘special’ – it should be the gift of the giver as a way of boosting mood, motivation and connection. Don’t wait for the signal to say something.