At first I was going to go back to school after working a few years for Students Today Leaders Forever. Then I found a new opportunity at Ecolab, and decided to jump in there. It seemed a little silly to choose learning or contributing through work when I figured out how to do both at once (and get paid verses accruing more debt!) In addition, I wasn't sure what I wanted to get a masters degree in - HR, Leadership, MBA - or where I wanted to get it - London, Minnesota, North Carolina. Also, I hate standardized tests and I don't want to study for one. Graduate degrees make sense and work for a lot of people, I'm just not entirely sure I'm one of them yet.
With the amount I currently travel for work, I don't have capacity to participate in an in-person program. This made it easy to push off the studying, testing, and application process. I know there is value in advanced degrees, and eventually someone may tell me that I need another degree to be qualified for something... but I work for a CEO that has a bachelors in English AND I know a lot of incredible people who are students of life that learn and contribute to the world without a fancy piece of paper saying they can.
So while I remain unsure about my future in graduate school - I will continue to be a student of life, learning from adventure, reading novels like text books, and having an RSS feed to articles of world news, business journals, and blogs of people who dream, challenge norms, and do awesome work, etc.
Adventures for 2014
- Trying new forms of moving and exercising
Still not doing very well. I have a yoga partner lined up for when I start though. I travel less in March - snow shoeing will happen! (Someone hold me to that)
- Cooking for one (beyond pasta and eggs)
Lots of eating out this month...and tupperware lasagna (noodles, sauce, cheese in a tupperware) BUT I did participate in a fantastic West African feast with friends this month, followed by crepes the next morning. I cut up the fruit.
- Practicing self-care
- Drinking more water
- Getting more sleep, kind of. Up to 6-7 hours/night consistently
- Lavender essential oil for calming
- Mixing different friend groups/life circles
- Sharing Global Shaper friends' projects with my work and STLF circles
- Found out my old Res Hall staff from the U now works at Penn State where I recruit!
- Using paid time off
- Pittsburgh. Booked. April 4-7
- Morocco. Booked. April 22-May 5.
- Enjoying performance arts
- Pentatonix...BEST CONCERT EVER (State Theater)
- Mercy Worship Band (Mercy Vineyard Church)
- Achieving airline status
16% of the way there - Morocco is going to get me close to Diamond Status. Excited to be a frequent flyer ... part of the club, seems adult.
- Activating human drives
- 3 comments on looking different, in a happy/positive way.
- Positive response to new initiatives at work - Competence
- Keeping plants alive
- Work plant - alive and well!
- Home plant - a little droopy, and brown.
- Listening to music instead of watching TV
Not great. I blame the Olympics. Pandora did replace TV in the hotel on my trips - except when I'm in the south and need a good laugh. Then I turn on the news and listen about their "severe" weather.
- Thinking critically for fun
- Tuned into WE14 in Davos via Twitter
- Read Global Gender Gap Index Report
- Living values through time allocation
Sad about missing a Global Shapers meeting because of working late, but in general this is going well. I'm intentional about writing, reading, and my "buckets" of time. Directionally correct.
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