The reason I'm using that heading is because this is a time in my life when I truly feel like I am "adulting" properly. I'm starting to make smart choices, think about finances in a particular way, and not sweat the small stuff because there are so many BIGGER things to be worried about.
In addition to that, I'm starting to buy less frivolous items, thinking more carefully about the purchases I make and how they affect (or don't affect) my life down the road. This may seem like a silly thing, but I'm starting to understand the "live life more simply" thing.
That's not to say I don't hoard particular things like they will never be available again. LEGOs, some books, video games, crafting patterns, etc. Since some of my favorite means of obtaining these things digitally are now no longer available, I feel like a lost kid in a shopping mall. But thankfully it's allowing me to focus.
Let's start with the basics:
Career Goals/Future
Recently I was working for a translation company in downtown Minneapolis. I was a Project Manager (albeit an unqualified one), and greatly enjoyed my work. It was fulfilling, fun, and I enjoyed the people I worked with.
However, I found myself between a rock and a hard place when I realized the financial trouble the company was in. I had a hard time dealing with the conflicting priorities of satisfying our vendor community and not relaying the particular details to our clients, who were often receiving deliveries late or not as they wanted them because of said vendor issues.
Had it been a simple bump in the road, a single erroneous sidestep in normal business activity, I may have stayed. Instead, it's the tail end of an 8-year sinking ship, with the under-qualified CEO and CFO at the helm, each with rose-colored goggles on. (Goggles because they know they're obviously going to drown...eventually.)
So I'd been looking for a new gig for awhile, and finally was connected to a recruiter who's been in the 'biz for over 30 years. She recommended we sit down and talk about me. My goals, my wants, my dreams, my fears. Get to know me. Then find a job that might suit me.
After talking for a couple hours both over the phone and in person, she determined there might be an opportunity with a local company that is very close to our apartment. Honestly, it would complete the trifecta of working for/with Target (Target, external vendor representative, vendor), and the job sounded great. We discussed more details, I interviewed, and in the end, I got the job. It will be a nice cross between program management (which I did quite a bit of at Target, but not as detailed), tracking details and following up with respective sources (which I did all the time at ShopNBC, and made more efficient by creating new processes/procedures), and satisfying business goals/initiatives (which I started to do, but didn't have any opportunity to finish at Jacobs).
I start next week Tuesday (28th), and I'm super excited. Great benefits, good pay, and a job that I'm excited about and know that I can do with great success, which is most important. It's weird, because I'm now almost 4 years out of school, but I really feel like life could be "beginning" now, for both Chris and I.
So, What Have I Been Doing in the Meantime?
Technically, I've been "available" to Prisma until today, but I've worked in a very limited capacity this week, mainly just answering a few questions and checking in/forwarding e-mails. I've been enjoying myself otherwise, reading and sipping coffee in the morning, playing the Wii until noon, then showering and getting ready for my days. I've re-organized about 50% of our apartment, and cleaned up/simplified a couple rooms as well. I've also put together our final wedding to-do list (36 days!), and organized days/weeks that everything needs to get done, which will be helpful next week, when the craziness starts again.
In general I feel more "centered", but I'm sure a lot of that also has to do with other changes I've begun to make in my life, many related to things that I've been wanting to do, but haven't really acted on until now:
- Food/Grocery Choices: Chris and I have been shopping as frequently as before, but occasionally we'll go to a "nicer" grocery store and pick up our fruits/veggies as well as some more strange items that are hard to find. I've been trying to cut back on soda, so instead I'm drinking La Croix with different sugar-free syrups (I know, I know, I should just use the real sugar stuff and not use as much. Working on it, but I already bought the sugar-free stuff). Also, I've been researching ways I can eat oatmeal (I can't stomach the hot stuff, no idea why, might be a texture thing), and found a good way to eat it: breakfast porridge. Essentially you mix up rolled oats, chia seeds or flax seed meal (some fiber-rich additions), Greek yogurt and a bit of milk, then add your flavors. Mix it all up and let it sit in the fridge overnight (will last 2 days or so in the fridge). My favorite right now is apple cinnamon, though the blueberry maple walnut was also pretty tasty. For some reason the thicker texture in the morning doesn't bother me; just reminds me of Greek yogurt with a ton of crap in it.
- Exercise: I've been wanting to really get into this for years, but just never found the right motivation. I tried the Couch to 5k thing and just found myself with horrible pain in my shins and legs every day, regardless of if I'd run the day before or the week before. So instead, I took a little time off, did some yoga, then came back to running, but at my own pace. I stretch a good 5 - 10 minutes before and after, and then just run however I can for as long as I can, stopping to run-walk in between. After doing this for only a couple of weeks (usually every other day, but occasionally a few days in a row), I can now run better/faster/harder (stronger?) than I ever have before. I just listen to my body. Also a great workout mix (and whisper-singing while I run) seems to help, as I'm likely distracted from the pain of running. Already lost consistently 3 pounds or so, now working on the rest before the wedding. Chris and I have also been biking a bit more, especially to events and happenings around the Cities. We are also trying out a bike ride to my new job (5.6 miles each way, so a nice little ride) tonight, so we'll see how that goes.
- Reading: I've always done this, but never focused so much on the quantity of reading or how quickly I was moving through books. Number isn't necessarily important, but making reading a daily choice (and keeping track of it) is, at least for me. Because of this I signed up for Goodreads, and now can keep better track of how I progress through novels. Also, I'm trying for a goal of reading a new book every 2 weeks for the entire year, and so far I'm doing it. Some take shorter, some take longer. If I'm a week ahead and then fall a week behind, it's no biggie, as long as it all averages out to 2 weeks per, minimum. It also helps give me daily reading goals (30 - 50 pages, etc.) so I can better plan my time as well.
- Video Games: I recently signed up for another website, The Backloggery, to help me keep track of games that I own, have played, and completed. I think with the help of this tracker I'll be able to better plan my time for these games as well. In the meantime, I've been playing Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, and completing each level fully (except for the time trials, which are bullshit and make my palms sweaty. I don't need that kinda stress). I want to continue this with Super Mario Galaxy afterwards, then move onto all the other games I need to play. I'm also being more mindful of the time I spend on games I can't win (WoW and Sims, as well as some casual games) so that I'm focusing on others.
- Cleaning/Laundry: A while ago I set up a cleaning schedule that had 7 basic weekly tasks that had to be completed for the entire apartment to be clean. Some days I do a couple (why not? I already have the vacuum out), so other days I don't have to do any. It's been working really well so far. The only times I miss is when we're super busy with wedding stuff and are out of town for a couple days, since I usually don't plan far enough in advance to get stuff done on time.
Anyway, so with all that, I've been fairly successful in getting myself adequately prepped for adult life. I feel if I can get to a place where I feel comfortable with myself and the way I spend my time, I can conquer anything. Also, it would be good to get some of this stuff in order before 3 major things happen (and soon): Chris and I get married, we buy a house (probably some time next year), and he goes back to grad school (probably online, but maybe up to 2 classes at a time). And then add having kids and doing well at both our jobs, and that's basically the next 20 years of our lives. Crazy to think of things this way.
For now, I think I'm going to enjoy a few more minutes on WoW while I can, then shower/get ready for my Friday. Wedding fun tomorrow (Brian/Jess) and Chris's company picnic on Sunday on Nicollet Island. Should be a fun weekend!
