My Mobile Office

As much as I like where I live and have space set up to do homework or other projects, sometimes I need a change of scenery. Lately I have been working on an assignment that, if I am not careful, will put me to sleep after an hour or I am distracted around the same amount of time. Do you have this happen to you, too?

Since the importance of the project was far greater than my lack of interest, I decided I needed to change locations. For extra motivation, and because the weather was awesome, I chose the lakeshore. My “office” for at least a couple of hours a day two days in a row, was outside, at a coffee shop, on a big porch. I had a headset to listen to music and I also interacted with people around me every once in awhile. Here is what it looked like close-up and from a distance:

By going away from home and enjoying the weather while still having some interactions, I was able to focus longer on the assigned task. Since I had other homework to do, the next part was going down towards the beach (and, more importantly, the lighthouse), to read. Take a look at office #2:

and the view at or near the lighthouse:

Why should they have all the fun?

The hardest part about going was having to leave. I really didn’t want to. It was probably even more difficult the second day even though a storm came in. I didn’t want to drive the hour and could have easily returned to the cafe for awhile.

It was worth the drive and the reward and I would do it again. One of my friends has asked to go with me the next time and another loved my office choice.

Do you have a similar story or place of choice?

Thanks!

Riding the Wave

Last year I went to Boston for the first time, and visited the Atlantic Ocean shortly after a hurricane went up the East Coast. I was staying with the friend I was visiting. In the particular area all it did was rain and the wind increased. We had purposely waited to go to the beach for a better chance of viewing waves. My friend’s true choice would’ve been to go the night before when the wind was greater and therefore the waves were much higher.

My friend talked about wanting to go surfing and I’m sure she did shortly after I left, whether or not at this particular beach. It was definitely pretty, and every time the waves came in my feet were soaked in the water, even several feet back from the shoreline. It was warm enough outside that it felt really good…

Just like the waves in the ocean, life can be calm or stormy, too. Surfers enjoy it stormier because they have a chance for more exciting rides. I don’t know enough about surfing to comment more directly. What I am trying to do is balance better. I want to be able to keep the momentum going, even though it may slow down some, between rides.

I tend to always want to keep things moving even when I am sitting still. The stillness gives me a chance to reflect or think of more ideas. The rest of the time, I want to be doing. When I do things, it creates a positive energy (usually). To keep it going, though, I look for feedback or other responses. Sometimes this is challenging because everyone has a busy life. It doesn’t revolve around me. How can I really expect that? I see it as a “checking in” system. Depending on how people are involved, it is a good idea to see what they are up to every once in awhile, with the time frame determined by how they fit in your life. For example, if a group of friends I normally see just about weekly all of a sudden weren’t around for a couple of weeks with no apparent reason, or didn’t check to see why I wasn’t around, that would be out of the ordinary as we are always checking in on our “peeps.” Some I talk to close to daily. Some are emails in-between and phone calls or visiting every month or two or longer. Each level has a purpose. Do you feel good after seeing or talking to someone you haven’t in awhile? I do. It usually is a mutual benefit. It also helps because it keeps the motion going and lets you ride the wave a little bit longer.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Up in the air so blue?

When I was in 5th grade, an assignment was to memorize and recite a poem. Three decades or so later, I can still recite most of the one I chose by Robert Louis Stevenson from “A Child’s Garden of Versus.”

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside – 

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown –
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

 

One reason I like it so much is because I go to the park every once in awhile just to swing. Sometimes I happen to be at a park for someone else’s choice, and I see it, and want to go on it:                 

I’ll probably always be one of the “big kids” on the swing. The thing is, I know I am not alone. When I decided to go tonight, I texted a friend who talks of it, too, and lives almost across the street from the park. She couldn’t go this time. That’s what the choice was – just for this time.

The picture above is from a party that was located at a park. Yes, I was on a swing that day. Several others also took turns. The only reason some of us didn’t swing more was because there were many of us and only two swings were available.

Recently, one of my friends posted a short clip starring her 2.5 year old daughter while she was learning how to swing. She would put her legs forward and back as she stated “back” and “forward.”

One of my favorite discoveries was when I stopped for a few minutes by a park area and heard a kid ask his mom for “Underdog” pushes. I remember those from when I was 5 or 6 years old. I even commented to the mom that it was awesome they still existed. In case you don’t know or can’t quite remember, an Underdog push is going underneath to be able to push really hard, and walk through. They get the person swinging started faster, and it is named after a cartoon superhero.

 Where some people go for a run or to workout, I choose going on a swing. What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Time to just breathe…

It’s been slightly more than a week since I was officially unemployed. Last week’s challenge seemed to be to get things started, and, even better, finished. The best was to finish before the world ended. Turns out, I still have time.

One thing I learned during that first week was that I needed to create a schedule. Sure, I had pieces of one, with class and homework and other tasks. Most of it was a to do, though. On Monday, I utilized a weekly calendar block sheet since it has hourly from 7am to 10pm, and started making a plan: which days were class, what other appointments and meetings did I already have set, and what else did I need to do, such as studying, or errands, etc. Plus, I could send emails to request meetings or other activities where I had openings. It was working great. I had a plan, and the specific appointments could be transferred to my planner, plus I could leave out my sheet to have a visual that way. I’m going to find a few more of those sheets and see what plans I can make into the next month! Do you find yourself needing a structure when you aren’t mandated a schedule yet have items to do within a time frame? Is it because you are unemployed? Retired? On vacation? Stay at home parent?

Another reminder I had at a meeting I attended was to breathe. Just breathe. Deep breaths, too. In through the nose, and out through the mouth. In order to be able to try it, the speaker gave us a chance to practice. In…out….in…out….in…out…yawn! It was great to have the reminder. I’ve learned about deep breathing before and will do it for awhile until I get out of the habit. Eventually that reminder comes again. As I create my new schedule, though, I can write it in one of the blocks to “breathe.” It may seem funny to have to do that. Why NOT do it, though? Try it with me as you read this: deep breath in through the nose, out through the mouth…in…out…in…out…great job! You also just destressed, at least a little bit.

What else do you get out of the habit of doing that is good for you?

Thanks.

Sometimes there are shoes in the boxes

The idea to reorganize, purge (and even “downsize”) started awhile ago and I finally have had a chance to really work on the purging part. Do you find that you used old shoe boxes to store letters or cards or other items you wanted to keep? I definitely did, and would laugh when I found shoes in the boxes instead.

On Saturday morning I took three boxes that normally hold 10 reams of paper each to a shredding event. A local bank was hosting a shredding company’s truck, allowing anyone to come through and have items taken care of in bulk for free. What an awesome idea! I actually like to shred when it is a few things at a time. To take care of what I wanted to do would require lots of work beyond just the sorting. In this case, I could watch on a viewer and see the bin being lifted and the items dumped into the machine. It was pretty cool and I am going to make sure I am ready for the next time.

The next task was to go through cards and letters. This started because of the purging as much as the idea that some holiday cards had pictures or included letters, and I want to make a scrapbook of them. It still required going through all the boxes I could find, and sorting more than reading. I managed to consolidate most of it, and will probably find more to go through when I decide to again. What I found most interesting were the notes written in some of the cards. Those who I missed as I was reading were the ones I’ll not ever be able to talk to again. What I didn’t remember was how many times my dad sent me a “thinking of you” note. He’s the one I miss most.

Going through these boxes also made me think about communications. Even since email has been available (and yes, I am big on email), I used to write many more letters – handwritten or typed on a computer. My current professor has kindly pointed out that we have more ways to communicate now and that doesn’t mean we communicate better. I agree especially because I find it more frustrating even when multiple methods are used. It might be faster to text than email, or more convenient to email than call. What many of the letters and notes said, though, was to call or visit soon. I believe that is the best connection of all.

My final step before repeating anything will be to rearrange. Now that I have more shelf space available, I can reorganize and have things in certain spots. I am excited to have made this much progress in a short amount of time. It is refreshing, and I cannot wait to connect with people to personally tell them.

What are you or have you done towards organizing or purging and has it been recently? Is it ongoing?

Thanks.

The Curveball

The last few weeks have included some of the longest days in awhile. It probably began before this, and definitely by the beginning of May, I was covering for my own position and the other person in the same position who was on vacation. She was gone for two weeks and it was the only time, ever, that I have been authorized for overtime. Funny thing is, the company only ever wanted one person in the position. What happened? After working my behind off for two weeks, she returned from vacation, and by the end of the day I found out it was my last day.

Yes, it is crude and rude and maybe even mean. I could not be happier! During the last week I had meetings with professors about being a grad assistant. The chance to do that meant being in school during the summer. Now I am officially a full-time student and, I believe, on a better path.

This hasn’t been as easy as it may sound, though. In a couple of weeks I’ll realize a loss of income. I’ve already lost the daily contact with some of my friends at work, especially one of them. Possibly the toughest has been the lack of a regular schedule. I’ve been getting up almost as early as I was before, just to keep it going and get things done in the morning. The only schedule I have had has been for the days I go to class. A couple of times I’ve had specific appointments or meetings. I don’t truly feel like it is a vacation or a break because there are still too many items to do, yet I find it challenging to be motivated. I am doing these tasks, slower than I might. Each day is a little bit better, which makes me feel good. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. Most changes are for good reasons. I’ve had many in the last few years. Going through these changes or processes may not be the greatest. In the end, however, it leads to a better life. Those left behind have it worse because they are covering the same work that more people used to do. I was one of many in the “downsizing.” Today I am smiling big

What are your thoughts? Have you been a part of something similar? How have you handled it?

Thanks.

What I learned from my grandparents

Living in the midwest means that in May the temperature can spike to 80 degrees or dip to 40 degrees all in the same week (or even day). While my furnace is still on with the thermostat turned down during the spikes, it made me think about one grandmother, and then all of the ones I knew.

During my pre-teen years, my paternal grandmother still lived in a house. It was a ranch with a basement and no air condition. I slept over there many times as a kid. As I was opening the windows where I live now, I thought that all I needed were a few boxed or oscilating fans, and it would be just like my grandmother’s. In this particular case she wasn’t opening windows instead of the a/c since she didn’t have a/c. However, this lead to further thoughts about all of my grandparents, which were my mom’s parents.

All of my grandparents grew up during the depression years in the United States. It started a trend for their family which carried downward. The words “frugal” and “thrifty” are great descriptors. My paternal grandmother, for example, always looked for items on sale, especially clothes. In her senior age, it was more the sale than the necessity, as the closets full of paper towels, toilet paper and unworn clothes (tags hanging) showed. Before that point, though, she was good at shopping for others and enjoyed the hunt of the bargain. Looking at the type of recession this country is in right now, her actions remind me that it is possible to find the bargains if you know where and when to shop, and that conserving can be a good thing.

Where my grandparents were concerned about wealth and the cost of living, I would venture to say that my friends and I are also more environmentally conscious. It does save money, for sure, when clothes are hung instead of heated dry. Simultaneously, it helps contribute to a better environment. A better example might be the grocery sale items. My grandmother might have been one to hunt for a sale on soda pop because people would come over to drink it. Many of us were perfectly content with free tap water (which she never could understand), a much healthier choice.

The other part to frugal can turn into “cheap” for the quality. My maternal grandmother (possibly my grandfather, too. I don’t remember) would go on trips and bring back a gift. The thought was there. The gift was usually cheap (in price) and potentially useless (clothes the wrong size, etc). Maybe it was just her taste. I am not really sure. She definitely had money to spend and would still be conservative.

I do plan on running the a/c when it is consistently warm, and I have a space heater to help with the next winter. Also, most of the light bulbs have been changed and the main showerhead has, too, to help conserve. I have many electronics plugged into power strips and turn off the strips when I can. Plus, I lower the thermostat whenever I remember (so far, no programmable one installed even though I want to). I am getting my bicycle fixed so I can ride instead of drive to save energy and money. Plus I am on a city bus line. What about you?

Did/do you have grandparents or parents who grew up in the depression era? Or maybe you grew up during that time. As the recession continues, do you find yourself falling back on some of the same patterns? What are examples?

Chasing Tales

I find myself thinking about this often and I would like to know your experience.

These days, it seems like to get information in order to do a job, it takes more work than the actual job itself. I am really not sure why. One of the best departments I worked in, although not perfect, did great with teamwork. Everyone knew what their assigned daily tasks were, and which ones were a priority. If someone with an immediate need required help, as a department we would stop what we were working on and help the higher priority. Our tracked efficiencies had high marks. Even with communication, if someone was leaving for the day or even for lunch, we would communicate what might be requested. It was all simple.

Another example of working as a team was as a bank teller. The most important task was to help anyone in line (or on the phone) as fast and accurately as possible. One branch I worked at only had two teller windows which could make a line start pretty fast. We had one more machine as an extra and when there was a third person available, that person would take non-cash items (s/he was away from the customer when counting). Sometimes a customer just wanted transaction history, which a sales person or manager could do. Sometimes we even had a floor manager to help direct the customers to those points or at least let them know they would be next as soon as possible. Again, it wasn’t perfect. On the busiest of times, though, we rocked!

Fast forward to today and it is all about shutting doors, blaming others, hiding or forgetting to share information, and sometimes just plain old being overwhelmed. As I discuss it more, I find that maybe this is more typical than I think. The way I would logically have certain tasks or processes run backfires because I end up chasing information instead of being given it. By the time I figure it out I should have already completed it. I am not only doing more, it is taking me longer because efficiencies and teamwork are on the low end.

Teamwork. When it exists, everyone has the same end goal or is willing to support one. It is not all about how it would help them it is about how it helps the goal and what each person is able to do to contribute to this goal. In the first example, we would stop AS A DEPARTMENT to assist with a high priority item. What is so tough about doing any of this? Why is there more defensive being used than offensive? Please, add your comment below. I would like to know that I am not the only one who is frustrated and stressed.(thank goodness for blogging!)

Worth the sweat

Returning to school as a graduate student has been one of my goals for awhile. It was something I started several years ago and because of life circumstances had to stop. The point was not to forget and to continue at a later date, if only on a trial basis. The timing finally seemed right and I took advantage of the opportunity last fall. I am not bringing this up to talk about experience as a grad student. Rather, it is the inspiration I have discovered as a result of being  a student.

Around 15 years ago I wanted to pursue more schooling and decided on a second undergrad degree. This was the first time I had returned to school towards any degree. What I remember most is what I did during the month off between summer and fall. I always had an idea for a website and wanted to create it in html. I didn’t have to. Editors were available that made it easy to add content with text and pictures. Being in school had inspired me to buy a couple of books about learning html, practice with the examples and then apply what I wanted for my site. I had so much fun and kept up the website regularly and would like to continue a part 2 of it when I have more content. The point is, it wasn’t because of a class I was taking just that I was taking classes and that along with the challenge inspired me.

Now, at school again and in-between Spring and Fall semester, I find myself in that same mode. I cannot even define the reason or say that when I originally started grad school it felt the same. The inspiration this time started with this blog site. When I do not write it is more because of no energy or time as opposed to a topic. Feedback is encouraging, too.

The story continues as I decide on the direction of my education. I am currently in the MBA program and have always considered (and rejected) a masters in communications which was my undergrad. I rejected it primarily because the only outcome I saw was to teach, and that was not my goal. Recently I have been thinking about communications as a second masters because I believe it would go along well with business. Tonight I had the honor of attending the first in a lecture series at the School of Communication which happened to be the “last lecture” of the speaker who is retiring. (He even referenced Randy Pausch and push-ups). His topic was mostly about the research and teachings he has done on leadership. Leadership, a common discussion in business, and not the expected definitions.

Following the lecture was a retirement event, concluding with food and drinks. Since a college student is always up for free food (and this was good food), I stayed. When looking for a seat I ended up at a table with two grad students celebrating graduation this weekend. They told me about their studies and what was next (both are heading for PhD’s). More inspiration. One of them even said she had told her sister that business and communication would go well together. Her sister may not have listened. I sure did! Here was affirmation and inspiration and I had only sat with them for a little while. Networking is fun!

It was also nice to see a friend of mine from my undergrad days who works at the university. When I went to say “hi” and we were chatting, we both realized that it had been awhile. The good part is that since we have reconnected, he knows I am in the area and even on campus!

What is inspirational to you? Is it something that is everyday or do you find motivators in something more specific? When inspired, what is it that you do?

How to title and compose emails

I’ve been learning more about emails lately than I have during my entire working life. What I would like to know is if this is true everywhere or if it is specific to those at my company. Please enlighten (or, maybe laugh) with me.

First, emails are sent fast and furious these days. The acceptable quantity seems to depend on the position. Management, for example, is expected to have a higher number AND still get through them. Others, especially if they are not sitting at a computer for most of the shift, may feel that more than 5 in a day is too many. Do you even remember when you may have not received more than 5 emails in a day?

Second, the choice of title is important. In my previous training, it would have been the same as writing a paper as far as the subject line of the email would match the topic in the body. This idea works when sending emails to other corporate areas or even outside of the company. However, it is an entirely different game within my building. For example, the group who does not like it when more than 5 emails are received in a day are more likely to pay attention if the information is in the subject line, when possible.

Third, when it is too much information to fit in a subject line, then the better titling is more like spam. For example, when I was missing particualr paperwork due daily, instead of titling it with “missing xxx” I changed it to “not 100%” with the idea that someone would think “What is not 100%?” or some other question like that and actually open and maybe even read the content. Wow!

Here is a form of communication that has become standard and is supposed to be more helpful. Yet, to get attention sometimes, I have to think of how I would send it as spam even though it is not the intention. Personally, I find it frustrating. What is the point? It could be looked at as a new way to be creative. Is that what the spammers who send to our personal emails think, too?

What is your experience and/or comment?