Well here we are. Another month (and…erm…an extra week) gone by. Time to face the music. ::winces::
Last month’s goals:
Getting It Done
December 17, 2009 By 5 Comments
[Photo via]
I’ve been feeling a little anxious lately. I commute into an office three days a week now, leaving a lot less time for my other projects. I have a major magazine piece I’ve been meaning to tie up for months (this is what happens when my deadline gets extended). I’ve been struggling with a project outline for another client, stressing out about getting it wrong. And Christmas has sort of snuck up on me. There are still gifts to be bought, other gifts to be wrapped, cookies to be baked, and cards to be sent. All within the next week. Not only that, but I’m already feeling burnt out, and I have major problems with procrastination.
Yesterday, I talked to my mentor coach about procrastination, motivation, and low energy levels. I told her how I tend to put off large projects, intimidated by their scope, telling myself that there’s still time, yet feeling heart palpitations every time I think about the fact that they’re unfinished. Then, once I finally tackle the project (in the eleventh hour, of course), I’m blown away by how easy it is, wondering over how I had been worrying all this time about nothing. (Miraculously, using this tactic has never caused me to miss a deadline.) I tell her how I wish I could get things done early, instead of causing myself undue stress over an extended period of time. I tell her about my low energy levels. My exhaustion. My CFS. We brainstorm.
Overworked, Underpaid, and Pretty Darn Happy
December 16, 2009 By 3 Comments
Last night, my career coaching teleclass centered around the discovery and pursuit of life purpose and authentic vocation. We discussed what it might feel like to be working within one’s authentic vocation, in a career that was in line with one’s life purpose. People threw out words like “flow” and “essence.” They described the experience of working for hours without even feeling the time slip away. They talked about being exhausted…in a good way. And it made me realize that, despite how overwhelmed I’ve been feeling lately, I’m also exhausted…in a good way. Which leads me to believe that I’m on the right path.
December Monthly Goal Meetup
December 2, 2009 By 4 Comments
I am sitting in bed with my laptop right now, desperately fighting the urge to take a nap, as I have an essay revision due today. The perfect time for our monthly goal meetup? Maybe it’ll get me in the writing mood. [Read more...]
Let’s Talk Turkey: 16 Things I’m Thankful for This Year
November 25, 2009 By 13 Comments
I know that posts like this one –during this week — are trite, but I feel as if I have a lot to be thankful for. The past year was a rough one, beginning when the New York Sun folded. It was my main source of income and, in the months following, my income shrank more and more, leaving me feeling as if I was spinning my wheels, despite the new markets I was breaking into.
In the past couple months, however, it’s as if the stars have suddenly aligned for both me and my husband. Now, the possibilities of both a fulfilling career and the ability to start a family and buy a house in the next year don’t seem so ludicrous. So am I feeling a bit overcome with thanks? Yes. So indulge me.
November Monthly Goal Meetup
October 30, 2009 By 7 Comments
I learned one important thing from last month’s goal meetup. Namely, that goals are constantly changing. Which is not to excuse my dismal performance, but I just wanted to warn you…
What I Learned About Running a Business from Tabatha Coffey
October 26, 2009 By 3 Comments
I channel-surfed my way to Tabatha’s Salon Takeover during today’s lunch break. I had never seen it before and, honestly, had never felt compelled to. What did I care about the trials and tribulations of hair salons across the country?
Silly me. I was quickly sucked into a three-hour marathon (I know) and, aside from constantly wondering where she got that fierce black jacket she’s always wearing, I realized: Tabatha Coffey has a lot to teach me about running a business.
October Monthly Goal Meet-Up
September 30, 2009 By 14 Comments
In the weeks since Brazen Careerist launched their new and improved site, I’ve discovered anew how fabulous it can be to have a dedicated network of bloggers all gathered in one place. Several posts of mine have been featured on the site, bringing greater traffic to my blog. I’ve been learning about new blogs, and meeting new bloggers. And then there are the groups.
Which brings us to this post. Rebecca Thorman of Modite recently created the Monthly Goal Meet-Up Group, in which members post about the next month’s goals on their blogs, and then look back at how they did the month before. After the post goes live, they then head on over to the group page and post a link back to their blog. It’s a way to be held accountable, and also a means of keeping on track with your own self-expectations.
So here it is. My first monthly meet-up post:
Getting It All Done: Your Master To-Do List
September 22, 2009 By 5 Comments
[Photo via]
For the entire month of August, I worked 14-hour days: I blogged, did essay rewrites, researched and interviewed up a storm for several story assignments, and proofread direct mail copy.
The only thing missing was the self-marketing, which is why — as I finish up a ton of projects — I have nothing new on the horizon (nothing concrete, anyway).
No matter how much talent you have, you won’t succeed without a business-side sensibility. So. How can I get it all done? After the jump, the way my days should run: [Read more...]
My Support System
July 31, 2009 By 6 Comments
I did not make life easy for my parents.
During my toddler years, they worried over my introversion. During my junior high/high school years, they worried over my fiery temper. During my college years, they worried throughout the course of an abusive relationship I couldn’t bring myself to leave, and then worried some more when I fell into a deep depression and dropped out of college. (I eventually went back to [a different] school and earned my degree.) Post-college, they passed me onto a possibly masochistic husband with a sigh of relief, but still couldn’t help but worry over all my ups, downs, and interminable plateaus.
Throughout the duration, they’ve (for some wild reason) continued to support me in everything I do.
