Welcoming the New Year and targeting new goals.

Josephine 'Josie' Guico Villanueva served as President of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Guam Chapter for the 2022-2023 program year. This article is adapted from her President's Message, published in AGA's Guahan Gaseta.

Traditionally, for most of us, we have this New Year’s Resolutions checklist or goals that we have planned out to tackle for the year. Do you have one? Whether it be in your personal life, work, or family there should be some specific targets. As the saying goes, what gets measured gets improved just like our financial numbers and accounting processes.

THE THROWBACK:

My profile “selfie” photo on this message was taken early last year at the Onward Mangilao Golf Course as I attempted to refine my golf game on the course out in the golf driving range. I still recall having to trade off my bonus paycheck in 2016 to buy golf club sets in the belief that golf as a sport is a good skill to have in your back pocket. My golf coach once said I need to practice more in the field, but I said I do it for leisure when I feel like doing it not to compete. But why golf? For those that are familiar with the game, it is the sport, which is a good analogy of life, no age limit and when you are out on the golf course it is like a mini vacation away from the busyness and noise of life. Looking back, I used to see my late uncle who goes almost twice a week for a golf trip and when I ask what’s on this game is that most of his business deals and good networks happen on the golf course. Then, I worked overseas, and it so happened my manager was also an avid fan of golf which justify that there is one day in the workweek he always went missing and I later found out that it is his golf day. He challenges me at that time to learn the game so I will have a better appreciation of it, and I will know the reason why.

To get a good score and get the ball with the least stroke to the hole, there are many parts of the golf course you need to consider. The five major parts are the Tee, Fairway, Green, Rough, and Hazards and for an 18-hole, you will hear and identify as Par-3, Par-4, or Par-5 which is the measure of the length and yards of your target and which also means the number of strikes a good player makes. So for Par-3, you should complete it in 3 strikes or better completed under par and you are considered a good or average player. The tee box is where you aim to have a clean shot. There is a multiple tee box as your starting point which signifies the skill level of the golfer. From the tee box, you will wish to land your ball at the fairway since this is where you can easily bring your ball to the greens. In a perfect scenario, green is where the hole is, and the grass is cut short and well-manicured. You will use your potter here and you will have to master reading its condition to come up with a masterful way to roll the ball to the hole.

Just like in life, there is an area in the golf course where it is rough, and you would want to avoid landing your ball. This makes golf more challenging to play and always demands control of ball flights and landings. Hazards are another area you want to avoid and there are two types of hazards namely the bunkers - there are holes in the ground filled with sand spread around the fairway and the putting green. Another area is the water which is any form of water formation and in most cases the pond in the middle of the golf course or the ocean in between the tee box and the green.

Knowing what golf clubs, you will use at a given point and dependent on your experience and skills, will improve your game. Whether it be in our personal, work, or family, there are many different possibilities that we can land ourselves on but knowing what tools to use and how to deal with the different scenarios make all the difference.

If you want to know more about golf as a beginner, here is where you can find more information that is easy to read https://www.cdsgolfclub.com/.

IN THE NOW:

I was reading the latest Winter Edition of the Journal of Government Financial Management and came across Ms. Ann M. Ebbers, AGA CEO article on “AGA Members Know Good Work Goes on in Government”. In her article, she highlights that another election cycle is behind us just like here in Guam and the good part is the people still run for office in hopes of making an impact in government, and people remain willing to serve in what are not easy jobs.” It is her hope just like many of us that the new officials from the November elections will take time to listen to experienced government professionals like us who are all working hard to make programs work for citizens so that they can receive the services and benefits promised. As a lot of good work goes on in government and in our broad AGA community, great strides are being made.”

Speaking of great strides, an article from Pacific Daily News on January 20, 2023, states that a $30.653 million contract has been awarded to replace the government of Guam’s aging financial management information system with a new one, based on a copy of the agreement that became effective upon Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero’s Dec. 30, 2022, signature. As the Director of the Department of Administration, Mr. Ed Birn had said, “the new system, will make GovGuam’s financial reporting “faster and more accessible and, most importantly, make the work of those who use it more fulfilling, and the replacement of the current legacy system is certainly due and needed. For more details on the article, please visit the link https://www.guampdn.com/news/30-6m- contract-awarded-for-new-govguam- financial-system/article_15be2266-97b8- 11ed-b074-5746c55b65b5.html. This is definitely good news for the accountants working in the government. The transition for sure will have its challenges and growing pains but it will be efficient, sustainable, and rewarding in the end.

Guam Professional Development Conference this February 8 – 10 committee is busy ironing out the final details of the event and I hope to see you there. AGA Guam Chapter nominations for the President-Elect and Secretary are also open and a call for Chapter Executive Committee volunteers is still on. I hope you find the time to sign-up. The Spring Semester scholarship for UOG and GCC students has also opened for applicants. Another great piece of news for those that want to take their career to the next level, the CGFM Application fee is $23.00 to celebrate the year 2023. As this is for a limited time, hurry and apply.

TAKE AWAYS:

Going back to golf as a sport, there are many lessons we can co-relate in life and learn from just like any other sport such as chess game.

Don’t you know that golfers are challenged for their honesty and ethics? In most cases, you keep a tab of your scores/strikes count and self-attest those numbers as you submit the tally to the golf staff at the end of your game. Can you be an ethical golfer, doing the right thing even though no one is watching? Will you be the kind of golfer complaining about the golf course condition, getting angry, and throwing your golf balls at the lake when you are having a bad game?

There are many pieces of advice that I have received from just learning the game. Two of my favorites were:

1. Practicing not only for your long game but also for your short game and you need to master both aspects of the game. • In life, you can’t just focus on what you look forward to in the future but rather tackle what is in front of you. As the saying goes,” Life gets complicated when we start focusing on a final destination instead of enjoying the journey.”-Feven Negga

2. Know your distance, control your speed, and sustain your energy to the finish line. • Golfing can take 4 hours or more for a beginner and without applying techniques and using the right tools it can be tiring. This is also so true in life and in addition to that you have to take some calculated risks and pick your battles.

I have once witnessed an “Ace” or what is known as Hole-In-One in which a golfer gets it to the hole in a single stroke. It is a very rare chance, but through experience, practice, and familiarity with the terrain and wind direction, everything can be possible. Just like in life, nothing can be an instant success, there are many uncertainties, but I believe if we thread our steps and actions lightly and learn from our mistakes and shortcomings, we can have a smoother journey.

As we planned out our specific targets for the year 2023, may we play our game well, learn to pause, and have some time to have “tea time” with the people that we value the most and not just “tee- time”.

07 - 2023 January Newsletter.pdf

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