Month: May 2016

On the job front…

I recently accepted a promotion at my job. I’ve only been there for about 6 months, but an opportunity arose and despite not being sure about it, I decided to go for it. Worst case scenario they say no and I  try again next time. I was legitimately okay with whatever the outcome. But they offered it to me, and I accepted, and yesterday I started my whirlwind two-week training before I’m sent off on my own.  I’m definitely still nervous about it, but I think I’ll be good at it too, so I’m going with it.

This has just made me ponder what I really want to do career-wise though. I miss non-profit work, but I know myself. When I was full boar into that it was a point when I didn’t want children, because I have no off switch if I’m dedicated to the organization and I knew in my heart I would not be able to juggle the two. Since meeting my husband I’ve decided that I do want a family, so I believe that is not the appropriate route for the time being.

Here’s what I do know: (1) When we have kids I want to be with them as much as possible during the early years especially, so the more flexible the job/schedule the happier I will be. (2) While possible for us to survive on one income, in order for us to have the kind of lifestyle we want I will need to have an income of some sort. (3) I know that I like working, and I want to work even if it is in a less formal setting.

What I’m doing right now is working…for now. But I’m still looking forward and trying to figure out my next steps and what the best path forward is. I’m staying open and exploring my options and ideas and working on action plans. I think the direction I’m headed is toward personal training (I already have a certification that I have not done much of anything with) and health coaching, but I’m having trouble finding a nutrition certification that jives with my personal approach and philosophy. So I’ll continue my research and see what comes of it.

Going home/Coming home

My husband and I went to visit my family and best friend this weekend. I needed that more than I realized at the time. I don’t think I stopped smiling on Saturday. We went to the zoo with my parents, and it was great. I haven’t been to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in ages and it’s really a great zoo. It was a tad on the rainy side, though, and the animals were not as active as we’d hoped, but it was fun. We laughed a lot and joked with my parents, and I needed that happy time. I needed to be with them and my husband. We then spent the evening with my best friend and her husband. We were married at their house so it has lots of happy memories for us. Had a great meal, great drinks, and eventually my husband and my best friend passed out and I got to spend some time chatting with her husband (like we did back in the old days). After a good (if slightly broken) sleep, my husband went for a run while the three of us went on a nice long walk, we got breakfast from our favorite place, then we headed back to PA. The weekend was lovely, and I needed the time away with family and friends far more than I had realized going in. I needed the break in routine, the change of pace and scenery.

That said, going away for the weekend is always a little tough. Coming back to reality, without the usual weekend preparation time is difficult. I usually go into the next week a little frazzled and trying to play catch up. This is no different, though we did manage to do most of the grocery shopping, and some of the laundry which helps tremendously. I still feel behind the 8-ball. There were things I forgot about while I was gone that I’m now scrambling to take care of. My already tight schedule is going through the vise as I run additional errands and try to get just a little more done in the day. There’s always some kind of trade off, and I guess the point is that this time it is really worth it. Despite the pressures of not being where I want to be to start the week, I’m relaxed from the restorative time with family and friends. And ultimately, I know that the things that need to happen will. Either way, the week is starting whether I like it or not.

Ready, set, GO!

What do I need to learn?

Friday check-in: this morning-writing thing is working for me. The post-work workouts work great when I have something concrete scheduled. So some tweaking is still needed there. I’m totally off my routine this weekend as I spending it with my parents, husband, and friends for a much needed escape.

Listened to another great podcast the other day–School of Greatness with Lewis Howes–as he was interviewing Stacey London (of What Not to Wear fame) and it was interesting and thought provoking as always. One comment in particular has really resonated with me–

“We teach what we need to learn.”

She heard that from a Tai Chi teacher at a time in her life when she needed to hear it. How powerful is that? Its not the superficial stuff, we’re not talking the facts and figures, but the deeper stuff. In her case it was teaching self-esteem, self-confidence, and the deeper things that come along with showing people a different side of themselves by styling them differently. But it’s true for all of us. It’s been rattling around my head for the past few days as I’ve tried to come up with what it is that I’m teaching that I need to learn, and honestly I’m not sure yet. The thought will be rattling around with my until I come to some kind of conclusion, and I’m sure when I do figure something out it will be time to reconsider. Whatever comes of it, I’ll keep you posted.

Revamping my routine

We’re all creatures of habit, but I seem to be especially so. I like structure and routine. I like planning and checking things off the list. I’m an early riser, not sure if that’s by nature from years of not having a choice as a kid, but at any rate I get up far earlier than most would deem normal or necessary. I also go to bed far earlier than most would find normal. But that’s my life and I like it. Though lately I’ve been feeling stuck in my routine and like it’s just not serving me.

I’m big into listening to podcasts on my commutes, I find them more stimulating than music and far more appealing than talk radio because I control the subject matter. One of my regular podcasts is the 5 AM Miracle podcast with Jeff Sanders. It’s all about productivity and geared toward getting the most out of your day by getting up early and hitting the ground running. He talks a lot about routines and your ‘ideal’ morning. Although frequently I’m not into the actual advice given, the spirit of the show is motivating to me. And this week in particular he was discussing 7 things to do before 7 AM. The big one for him is to exercise in the morning, and that resonated with me.

I’m an early riser, but I don’t always use my morning time well. I’m not an early morning exerciser. I’m just not. I wish I could be, but when I’ve tried I don’t get a good workout because I am literally just going through the motions. And while I can get up and go when the situation calls for it, I much prefer a more gradual wake up–I like my coffee and kitty snuggles. Still, I want to use my time well, I want to be productive and go into my day feeling accomplished. So I’ve realized morning is a good time for me to write, to get focused on the day and what I really want before I head to what pays the bills. I can do that with a cup of coffee on one side and a cat on the other.

That said, I’m also an avid exerciser. I love fitness. But even my habits in that realm have slipped. When I was single and my time was purely my own I had a regular routine that I was very diligent about. Flash forward to new marriage with a husband to work around, new day job, new home in a different area (with a substantial commute), and I’ve struggled to create a new routine–in part because I’ve tried unsuccessfully to make it happen in the morning. I take a kettlebell class twice a week after work and most of the time that seems to be an ideal time for me to work out, I have energy, I can get out frustration from the day, and I feel good when I’m done. While many will say the best time to work out is in the morning, and I hear their points, I’m a firm believer that the best time to work out is when you will do it (and the best workout is the one you will do). Doing beats not doing. So for now, post-work workouts will be the plan.

I’m working to accomplish two goals–to write more and to work out more consistently–by flipping my schedule and being intentional. I’m hoping that making my goals and plans public will also encourage consistency by keeping me accountable. Let’s see how this works, shall we?

Hello again…

It’s been awhile since I blogged. What started as my running blog fell apart a bit when running started to fall apart for me. I’ve struggled with IT band issues for the past couple of years which has put a huge damper on my running. Then I met the love of my life, and got married, and changed jobs, and tried new things. Along the way I’ve noticed a couple of things…(1) this whole idea of ‘running with it’ was never just about the literal running, its about running with what life throws at you, so shying away because I haven’t been running as much in the literal sense was silly, and (2) I’ve missed blogging and putting it out there and connecting with people. So I’m starting fresh with a new website, and a new outlook. This will still be about running, yes, but also about the other ‘stuff’ of life. Running, kettlebell, food, married life, planning (I’m obsessed with my Erin Condren Life Planner), balance, and whatever else comes my way. I’m looking forward to sharing my life hacks, tips, tricks, mistakes, trials, flat out failures, etc. and figuring it out.

Currently the Race Schedule page is up. I’ll be working on moving Archives over (when I can figure out how to do it). Until then old posts can still be found at emmerunswithit.tumblr.com.