Last year I chose a theme for the upcoming year for the first time in my life.
It was unintentional at first, I was contemplating trying to graduate with my associate's degree by the end of the year (2013) and I asked my trusty facebook friends if I should go big? The response was 'go big or go home' and deep down I knew I agreed. So I went big and signed up for as many classes as I was allowed to take.
Whenever I felt I had too much piled on top of me I'd just silently remind myself that I was going big and it would be worth it. I even used hash tags on twitter. #GoingBigIn2013 #PriceOfGoingBigIn2013
I managed to maintain a 4.0, and 6 months into the year I felt that going big in 2013 was pretty successful. I saw my graduation on the horizon.
Without realizing it though I had limited my notion of going big to my school work.......the purpose for going to school is generally to be able to work the job of your choosing.
Half way through 2013, that job fell into my lap (well at least nearby). And I had a decision to make.....do I go for it and abandon my ever so close finish line of graduation? Or do I stay the course since I had already made up my mind that I would get my associates degree and then start job searching again.
So I went big.
And again it paid off, and now I'm doing a job in a feild I actually want to pursue. Not just a job, but a career.
I'm not going to say that everything that happened this year was a direct result of my declarative theme for the year, but I certainly think having a focus for my energy made a significant impact.
Going big required a lot of sacrifices (like sleep, housework), which I felt was worth it in order to quickly acheieve a substantial goal. However my situation is different going into 2014.
Many signs in my life in the past few months have pointed to the fact that I need to find balance. Both inner and outer. I've always been pretty good at going for something with reckless abdandon, but I've struggled with maintaining once I get there.
So that will be my theme going into this next year. Balance. Accomplishments are great but I want to concentrate on enjoying my life whlie also working hard. I have many years ahead of me in which I need to keep working, going to school and enjoy my daughters while they are still growing.
In true irony that only life could throw at me, I will likely be through with all of my studies when my girls are through with being at home. I feel like this keeps coming up for me because it is a lesson I need to learn. I intend to get to it in 2014.
So I've went big, now I'm going to try to bring more balance into my life.
Cheers!
Onward.....
Posted in on 6:09 PM by Jessi
Never ignore what your intuition is saying to you. Just when I thought I had imagined the feeling of spring bringing something new......something new found it's way to me.
So I was right, in a far different way than I would've thought. I figured the change would come through Jason somehow. The change came through me, and as a planner I wasn't expecting that because well I had laid out my plans through the rest of the year, doing as much school work as possible lol. Seems like life enjoys changing my well laid out plans, but not much happens until I make plans either so I guess I need to remember to stay flexible.
Late spring/early summer I learned of a job opening and felt it was something I should try for, and again my intuition was correct as I am now gainfully employed as a reporter for the local newspaper.
I searched for a job for about 4 months and with zero feedback I decided to do something else and take advantage of a scholarship program through a local community college. At first I just took a couple classes and tried to keep looking for a job. Then I started doing the math on credits and decided to dive in head first and take as many classes as possible and gave up the job search.
To my pleasant surprise I didn't lose my knack for academics and made the president's list. Life changed with so much homework to be done, I got a lot less sleep, and did a lot less housework lol.
Then this job fell into my lap and life is taking another upside down turn. And this isn't just a job.....it's the first (paid) step in a career path that I've been carefully contemplating for a very long time. Now that I'm a reporter I'm still a little astonished that I'm being paid to write. I'm not making a ton of money, but it's still more than I've ever made before.
To make it even more unbelievable I work with an office of really supportive and nice people. I generally spend much of my time feeling like this is a great job, and feeling like I'm not quite up to par lol.
Then there is the dance of working mom. Though in truth I haven't been a real stay at home mom in a few years. I was volunteering full time and then going to school more than full time so juggling a family and other work isn't new to me. However before, everything I did was optional. If I really didn't want to go and do something I didn't have to. If my kids were sick I could prioritize accordingly. This job does have a great amount of flexibility to it which just adds to a long list of things I love about it but it's still a job. Showing up isn't really optional if I want to keep it and if I want to cultivate a career.
I cannot remember very many times I took advantage of the optional aspect of volunteering or school lol but it was nice knowing that option was there. No matter how hard I try to be a 'modern woman' deep down I still feel the kids are MY responsibility in the end. Though the more I let go of that the more my terrific husband steps in, and he does it with no complaints. So it's clearly an issue I have, not one that's being imposed on me.
Two weeks into my job and I'm tired, feel like I'm struggling to tread water, but I'm also learning a ton. I feel like I'm getting the nuts and bolts down, but I'll feel better when I'm working on the more advanced aspects of the job. Baby steps right?
So I was right, in a far different way than I would've thought. I figured the change would come through Jason somehow. The change came through me, and as a planner I wasn't expecting that because well I had laid out my plans through the rest of the year, doing as much school work as possible lol. Seems like life enjoys changing my well laid out plans, but not much happens until I make plans either so I guess I need to remember to stay flexible.
Late spring/early summer I learned of a job opening and felt it was something I should try for, and again my intuition was correct as I am now gainfully employed as a reporter for the local newspaper.
I searched for a job for about 4 months and with zero feedback I decided to do something else and take advantage of a scholarship program through a local community college. At first I just took a couple classes and tried to keep looking for a job. Then I started doing the math on credits and decided to dive in head first and take as many classes as possible and gave up the job search.
To my pleasant surprise I didn't lose my knack for academics and made the president's list. Life changed with so much homework to be done, I got a lot less sleep, and did a lot less housework lol.
Then this job fell into my lap and life is taking another upside down turn. And this isn't just a job.....it's the first (paid) step in a career path that I've been carefully contemplating for a very long time. Now that I'm a reporter I'm still a little astonished that I'm being paid to write. I'm not making a ton of money, but it's still more than I've ever made before.
To make it even more unbelievable I work with an office of really supportive and nice people. I generally spend much of my time feeling like this is a great job, and feeling like I'm not quite up to par lol.
Then there is the dance of working mom. Though in truth I haven't been a real stay at home mom in a few years. I was volunteering full time and then going to school more than full time so juggling a family and other work isn't new to me. However before, everything I did was optional. If I really didn't want to go and do something I didn't have to. If my kids were sick I could prioritize accordingly. This job does have a great amount of flexibility to it which just adds to a long list of things I love about it but it's still a job. Showing up isn't really optional if I want to keep it and if I want to cultivate a career.
I cannot remember very many times I took advantage of the optional aspect of volunteering or school lol but it was nice knowing that option was there. No matter how hard I try to be a 'modern woman' deep down I still feel the kids are MY responsibility in the end. Though the more I let go of that the more my terrific husband steps in, and he does it with no complaints. So it's clearly an issue I have, not one that's being imposed on me.
Two weeks into my job and I'm tired, feel like I'm struggling to tread water, but I'm also learning a ton. I feel like I'm getting the nuts and bolts down, but I'll feel better when I'm working on the more advanced aspects of the job. Baby steps right?
Something New.....
Posted in on 9:43 PM by Jessi
Spring.
It seems my big life changes happen in the spring. It was in the spring that I first moved out on my own. And it was in the spring when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. It was in the spring my husband left to sign up for the Army, and it was in the spring that we found out we were moving overseas.
Spring always feels like possibilities to me. I love the fall, but spring is my favorite. It just seems to hint at what could be. It reminds me that there is more potential to be harnessed.
And so this is how I'm feeling this spring as it is just barely getting started. Life is about to change. I'm not really sure exactly how yet, but I feel it coming.
Welcome spring.
It seems my big life changes happen in the spring. It was in the spring that I first moved out on my own. And it was in the spring when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. It was in the spring my husband left to sign up for the Army, and it was in the spring that we found out we were moving overseas.
Spring always feels like possibilities to me. I love the fall, but spring is my favorite. It just seems to hint at what could be. It reminds me that there is more potential to be harnessed.
And so this is how I'm feeling this spring as it is just barely getting started. Life is about to change. I'm not really sure exactly how yet, but I feel it coming.
Welcome spring.
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