Consistency and repetition equal results. Being consistent is just about the only thing that will actually produce sustainable results. Meaning, very rarely will a one-time action allow for a long term goals. Improving incrementally and applying the trial and error idea go hand in hand {read more}
Today’s topic is more simple than most but the most important! THANK YOU. Thank you to those who are reading and following along. A special thank you to those who have texted, shown support and shared your own stories! And, I can’t forget those I’ve {read more}
As much as sometimes we’d like to just read a book and automatically ‘know’, it typically takes some amount of trail and error. Trial and error comes with time and experience. Small failures become lessons learned. Improvements made in small increments typically stick longer than making huge changes. The idea of experiencing, improving, experiencing, improving is something most understand. Especially if you’ve done anything from ‘couch to 5k training’ or running a marathon (shout out to my mom!). Even though, most of us understand the concept we could be using it more often in everyday life.
One thing that made my specific college unique was the ability to gain actual experience in the field. After a first full traditional ‘year’, my college had each student switch from real life work back to school on a 3 or 6 month increment. This not only allowed us to gain extremely important experience, but it gave us the opportunity to ‘turn around’ and swap study topics.
If you didn’t go to a university or college which operated in this manner, perhaps you learned a version of the scientific method in grade school. To summarize:
With enough experience with the same topic, your experiments might get more involved as you learn different things based on your tests. If we were to apply this generally to every aspect to our lives, think about how much we would uncover!
The ability to experience something in small increments, either by observation or actually by doing it helps every following instance of that activity.
With the right attitude, a bit of focus and truly being in the moment so many insights can be gained. Either by how your physical or emotional self reacts to the situation. Or simply by seeing how the ‘thing’ interacts with its own environment.
The next time you want to learn something, or have a problem, try out the scientific method in your daily life. See what you learn about yourself and the situation. Break your topic into small pieces.
Take it one step at a time and allow yourself to be aware of the trail and error. Allow yourself to free-flow think, ask questions of the situation and journal your thoughts! I’d love to hear how it goes!
As the first three months of the year come to a close, it is a good time to reflect on daily habits. And determine if they are pointing you in the right direction toward your goals. Or if they are ever so slightly off track {read more}
WHAT DAY IS IT? Whoa! Today is NOT a Monday ;-p. Why are we posting on Sunday?! Two reasons:(1) This post is about meal prepping for the upcoming week and I want ya’ll to be able to participate (if you so choose).(2) I’d like to know {read more}
We can probably almost all agree that, the past year has been difficult for SO many different reasons. One of the most commons reasons I heard expressed was the feeling of uncertainty. No one knew what was around the corner or when we could start back on the forward moving train!
For most of the year, there were twists and turns no one saw coming, which we just could not have been prepared for. After a brainstorm, the only two knowns we mostly all had in common across the globe were: eating and sleeping.
With all of the unknowns, I decided to ensure I was prepared for what I DID know was coming.
For example, with a stay at home order and working from home: the new arrangement quickly proved the need for increased cooking and decrease in my laundry. After briefly using a service like Home Chef, each week after I do my own meal plan and grocery shopping. Some weeks I want something easy to cook and some weeks I want to try something completely new.
Sleep hours are probably one of the easiest things for me to slowly chip away at to either stay up later, get up earlier or just do anything but go to sleep. Alas, as we all are aware, resting our bodies and shutting down, somehow is the second most important ‘fuel’. Ensuring that I was getting my 7-8 hours of sleep a night quickly became an important priority. Training myself to get to bed by 10pm to wake up at 6am wasn’t easy. But it had to be done. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, do what you can to start scheduling it in and being better about going to bed on time!
Most importantly, over my life I have learned to build in margin to my schedule. I stopped over-committing and started ensuring there was wiggle room before and after activities, enough time in case there was traffic (especially in Philly). This margin allows me to go through life ‘slower’. It makes it so when walking Bianca, I can ‘stop and smell the roses.’
I’ve always been the type of person to keep my gas tank full, even though I don’t really go too far. And, I am also the type of person to have some cash in different denominations for any tipping needs. I also always have stamps with me and at home. Go ahead and laugh if you want… but once this allowed for a super sweet moment in an airport.
B-E P-R-E-P-A-R-E-D
Remember that cheer that was something like ‘be aggressive, b-e a-g-g-r-e-s-s-i-v-e, be aggressive!’? (Yes that was a squirrel moment.) Anyway…
Always more on the prepared side, I often hear, ‘thanks mom’ with a playful smile from friends (for those that don’t know me, I’m not a mom yet). Mostly proud of this, I am usually up for something spur of the moment. (Remember my post that said something like… ready if you are?)
In fact, I will argue that the more prepared a person is, the more likely they are ready for anything! I know I am.
Growing up, my dad would often carry extra snacks and extra layers just in case. This carried over to my adult life by ensuring where ever I go, I have a change of clothes, snacks of all kinds, water or the like for hydration, sunblock and the list goes on and on. My dad also made sure I always had rope in my car… quite a few people ask about this when getting in. I’ve had the same unused rope in my car since I was 18 (haha!). One day I probably will need it.
Great, so how do I apply this now?
First, if you have a car, get a big rope. I don’t know why… just do it. Second, think of all the knowns in your life right now. We might not know when we can take a vacation out of the country, which would require a whole different set of preparation. But, we typically do know what, say, the next week might look like.
Scheduling
At this point, you will have a really good perspective on the week. And when you might need more energy or more down time
Having my weekly schedule in front of me allows me to see about how much food I’ll need and how much time I’ll have to prepare it.
After completing your scheduling, we will now move on to the needs of the week. Meaning, how much and what types of meals, are there travel needs or extra paper for the printer needs?
If you find yourself doing something you have never done before, and therefore cannot easily determine the ‘need’. Research what others have done, find someone that is similar to you in disposition and use their example. (Maybe it is your first job interview over Zoom, or maybe you are skiing for the first time.) Having the internet and YouTube especially is truly a luxury for these moments!
Something I highly recommend, but is surely completely optional, is creating a daily intention. One of my last posts discusses creating an intention before every activity in your day. Instead, this is a daily intention, one that is meant to give the day a ‘vibe’.
For example, on days that I know will be particularly rigorous with meetings, I write, “BE PRESENT.” This simple reminder allows me to go from meeting to meeting without dragging the baggage of one meeting into another.
On days where I might be spending more time than normal outside or doing a physical activity, I will write, “HYDRATE.” Other days might be more spiritual in nature, for example my Wednesday’s are usually considered, “MIRACLE WATCH.” days. Some days, I simple right ‘YAY’. This reminds me something fun is going to happen and also keeps my inner hype girl ready to go.
This simple exercise can help you to remember your ‘why’, stay positive and feel more centered. Finally! DECLARE, “I’VE GOT THIS!” and sleep well knowing you are READY for the week ahead!
Last thoughts
The inner calm and outer confidence being prepared brings to my life I something I desire everyone to feel. The sense of peace I have on Sunday’s going into Monday’s is a treasure. The preparation allows for the best use of time, but most important to me, it improves the way my energy feels moving from day to day.
The preparation technique described here is just one way I show up for myself and others in my life. My self-trust has grown immensely, and I am much more reliable now that I practice preparedness. It allows me to be more presentable and more attentive.
In short, being prepared allows me to be my best self.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY! There are many women in my life that are absolutely outstanding. Amazing mothers, great professionals, wise educators, content creators, determined students and brave authors. No matter their ‘title’ in life, they are all influencers in one way or another. With a {read more}
Feel it. For just a few seconds, pause. Take a deep breathe. Think about the last time you savored a moment. The last time you completed something or maybe the last time you gave yourself time to relax. The last time you felt content or {read more}
My happy place used to be inside an airplane, in the air, above the clouds. I did my best thinking on the plane, my best sleeping on the plane, my best reading on the plane. I once woke up the passenger next to me laughing at a movie on a plane. It truly was my happy place.
In a way, I suppose it was, what some may call, ‘me’ time. It was the place I could put my phone into airplane mode, and hyper-focus on a topic of my choice. Even working on an airplane was more enjoyable for me.
Over the years I had my travel routine down to somewhat of a science. Staying hydrated, the do’s and don’ts of eating and drinking, when to sleep and when to stay awake. It all comes with time and experience. And knowing when to adjust and adapt specifically to your own needs.
Yes, I flew enough to see disgruntled passengers, down-right rude passengers, sometimes smelly ones. But I also witnessed amazing compassion, people helping people and sweet connections. I especially loved when I was working out enough to be able to lift other people’s baggage into the overhead with confidence.
Never have I considered travel glamorous, perhaps this is due to my industry and mostly going to industrial parks. However, with work travel, there is limited or zero time to see the sights, even when in more interesting places. Brushing teeth on an airplane (especially when I had Invisalign) is NOT glamorous. Frequent flying comes with a handful of health risks, dealing with delayed flights. And depending on the airports and connections, flying can be a downright pain.
I am also 100% the person that is doing these stretches in my seat. After many long-ish flights over the Atlantic, and once over the Pacific, I’d rather be able to arrive to my destination bright eyed than worry about the looks I get in the plane (haha).
My favorite route was Raleigh to London, the crew knew me from countless out and back trips. This might sound cool but… the mere fact that I was flying out on a Monday, arriving Tuesday morning to go straight to the office and flying back on Wednesday… packing was easy, let’s leave it at that.
At the end of the day, though, we are in fact flying through the sky and the technology to do this is amazing. Flying single-handedly made the world ‘flat’, sped up commerce and allows most of us to see lands we wouldn’t have been able to even get to without it!
The actual experience of being up in the sky, made all the small inconveniences worth it. The view. The beauty. Seeing the moon over the water.
Being literally up in the clouds and remembering how awesome technology is. (I can only imagine how it feels to be an astronaut!)
The change in perspective is one that cannot be easily replicated without truly being up there. Even the pictures on this page cannot come close to eliciting the same *feeling* of being up there in the sky, going 500+ miles per hour. (Yes, that was an awkwardly placed late 90’s Chris Rock reference, accurate nonetheless).
One day in particular it was a full moon AND there was a lightening storm. I handed my phone to another passenger to take a few videos.
Another flight I vividly remember was on the Fourth of July, which is Independence Day here in the states. Seeing fireworks from up in the sky was one of the most beautiful sights.
The picture to the right is over the Delaware River, flying through Philadelphia most likely going back to North Carolina from a work trip. (Philly was my home airport when I started my career. American Airlines, previously US Air, became the airline of choice because of the points I’d accumulated over time.) This particular night was a full moon and it was so clear that evening.
In previous years, if a company made cuts preventing us to spend on travel, we would call it being ‘grounded’. This was typically 6 months at most. Today marks a full year of not being in the so-called friendly skies for me. On March 1, 2020, the day of the trip, we were officially grounded; this time not for budgetary reasons. The morning of, I woke up with optimism. I still hoped to go ‘home’, see London-based colleagues and at least be in the same time zone with the other folks.
Never could I have anticipated this change. (Of course, I could have opted to take a flight during this time (with a mask and 14 day quarantines) but I never had a compelling reason to do so.)
Now, instead, I appreciate the view of the sky from below. To the right is a picture of an airplane from I95 near the Newark, NJ airport. It is my favorite spot along the drive from Connecticut to New Jersey, because the planes fly so close to the highway.
Even though I don’t get to be up in the sky right now, I’ve still been admiring the beauty from below.
Looking back I am overly thankful I was kept stateside. However, as months of stay-at-home orders continued on, my identity had to adapt.
Having become accustomed to making friends with the person in the seat next to me, eating in airports, doing yoga in terminal 3 of ORD, and even having a pair of flight attendant pumps. Being stuck in one literal spot has taken its toll on me.
It felt like mother nature grounded me. As I write this, I consider the fact an entire year has gone by and it sometimes still feels unreal.
For the time being, my passport won’t get stamped, my bright yellow crocs adorn my feet instead of heels and my view consists of a 13″ laptop screen. One desk in my home has become the spot to work, do my taxes (yes you can call me an overachiever…), video chat with friends and journal.
In the abrupt switch from ‘home’ being anywhere (see my last post) to everything happening at home, the 180 sometimes still feels like a strange dream.
The seasons of the last year, in my life, won’t be remembered by the weather. Instead, the last 12 months are now marked by the incremental and often uncomfortable identity shift.
One last thing to add. I am forever thankful my position can be done 100% remotely. 8+ hours a day of video calls isn’t for the faint of heart, but I am safe at home.
I will also say, Bianca has of course enjoyed having me home all the time. When she isn’t sitting in my lap making my job easier by relaxing the mood, she’s sitting on the couch in my home office (shown here) staring at me.
We are both enjoying the start of warmer weather and extra daylight here in North Carolina <3
