Uncertainty

How fitting that the March NaBloPoMo prompt for yesterday would be about uncertainty: How do you feel about uncertainty? Is it exciting or scary?

Earlier today I decided to apply for a different position within my company. After speaking to my manager about the position and doing some research on my own, I decided that I would apply. When applying for any position, I only think of myself as my competition. I don't worry or think about who else might apply. With this current opening, I feel that I have great qualifications that will make me  a very competitive candidate for this position. It wasn't until I submitted the needed form that I began to have doubts.

I work for a large company in the insurance and financial services industry. One of the big pushes at my company is for continuing education to obtain an insurance designation. Although insurance designations are highly regarded in the insurance industry, they aren't so much in the non-insurance world. And, although I work for an insurance company, the positions that I have held are not insurance specific such as a claims adjuster or insurance agent. Hence, why I focused on educational opportunities that would benefit me in any industry.

After submitting my interest in the position, I began to feel uncertain about my qualifications since I don't have an insurance designation. (This position is not insurance specific either) Although I have stood by what I believe in to be important as far as education, I am now wondering how my choice will impact me professionally. Believe me, I know about the checklists that are used to wade through potential candidates. (Yes, I worked in Human Resources once upon a time)

So, how do I feel about uncertainty? Right now it's a good mixture of exciting and scary. Exciting for the opportunities this new position would bring, and scary because it would create a big change in my life. Right now, I am looking at both of those things as positives. Bring it on!

Some of you might know that for the past 18 months I have been pursuing my Master's in Education. Well I'm happy to say that I am finished!

Interesting thing is that I actually completed my last course a month ago. Two days after my last class I was on a plane to Tampa to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk. Once I returned from that walk, four days later I was participating in the Dallas 3 Day Walk. And the day after that walk was finished, I was on a plane for business reasons to Jacksonville, FL and then on to Chicago, IL. Whew! I hope you're getting the idea that my life kept moving once my last course was completed!

Well, yesterday is when it all hit me. As I was going through weeks worth of mail (remember all of the travel), a good friend who lives into another state sent me a congratulations card for completing my degree (when she asked for an updated address a few weeks ago, I never thought about why she asked). I was blown away that she even knew I had completed my degree (maybe I mentioned it on Facebook?) and the kind words that she shared with me.

Also in the stack of packages was my actual diploma. Once I opened the package and looked at my diploma, all of the emotions from the past 18 months came flooding forward: happiness (that I was finally finished!), sadness (for the relationships that suffered during that time), and exhaustion (from the long hours of studying, the late nights, and balancing a demanding career that has lots of travel). But mainly I was proud of myself for achieving something that was important to me and the sacrifices I made along the way to achieve my goal. There were so many times that I just wanted to crawl in my bed and give up. In the end, I'm glad that I didn't.

So, you might be thinking 'What's next?'. Right now I'm just going to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, walk the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon next week with family and friends, and then go to Hawaii at the end of December for some rest and relaxation!

We'll see what 2012 has in store for me...

The Countdown Is On!

Well, ‘the break’ is finally over and the countdown is on…only 9 weeks until I am finished with my master’s degree! (And the crowd goes WILD!!!!)

I’ll be honest, the past 17 months have been pretty busy (and mostly stressful) working on my master’s degree. Possibility it wasn’t the smart idea to pursue this endeavor while working a job in which I travel at a moment’s notice, am away from home for long periods of time, work 12 hour days, and training for multiple 3 Day Breast Cancer Walks. In the beginning, this sounded like a great idea. And now, well, it’s just been exhausting!

I’m ready to have my life back to do things that I enjoy…sleeping in on my day off, watching hours of mindless TV shows recorded on my DVR, doing things with friends (hopefully I will still have a couple when this is all said and done!), and doing absolutely NOTHING if that’s what I want to do.

To be honest, I’m excited about being able to focus on my blog. We all know that it has suffered over the past year. I’m excited about being able to seriously focus on living a healthy lifestyle and lose the weight I’ve always wanted to lose. I’m excited about focusing more on my family and friends. As supportive as they are, I am certain they have felt neglected on more than one occasion.

So even though the countdown is on to finishing my degree, the countdown is really on to the next chapter of my life. And that within itself is pretty exciting to me!

Taking a Break

For the past 15 months I have been working on my master’s degree, and I’ll go on record to say that time has been a very precious commodity during this time period! I used to say ‘People make time for the things that are important to them’. I have learned that I need to modify that statement since it seems that I don’t have enough time for all of the things that are important to me. So, I finally decided to throw in the towel and take a short break from school.

The decision was pretty hard for me….on one hand I am at my breaking point with balancing my career and school, and on the other hand I feel like I am giving up. (I forgot to mention that I only have 3 classes left, which makes me feel like an even bigger loser right now.) Placing all of those things aside, I know that taking a break is the best decision for me right now.

Although this is only Day 3 of the break, it is refreshing to know that after working a 12 hour day that I can go back to my hotel room and watch mindless TV, or catch up with friends, or learn more about my iPad. And I won’t feel guilty that I should be reading an assignment for class or working on one of the many assignments that I have due for the week.

I am looking forward to this break to get my life back (temporarily!) and refocus on all of the things that are important to me. Hopefully I’ll come out on the other end refreshed, reenergized, and motivated to finish my last 3 classes!

Where Has the Time Gone?

Wow, I can hardly believe that my last post was April 1st. Where has the time gone? Where have I been? I'm so glad that you asked...

After returning home from a work assignment in January, I decided that it was time for me to try to get my life in order. Well, at least sit down and come up with a plan for my life. For those who know me well, you already know that my life is a form of organized chaos, I can't sit still, and no one ever knows what I will do next.

In March, I decided to pursue my Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training degree. That's in addition to working a full time job that has the added excitement of never knowing when (or where) I will be called on assignment (or for how long), and training for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk (oh, did I forget to mention that I am walking in TWO 3-Day events this year?).

I quickly found out that there really aren't enough hours in the day! I used to say 'People make time for the things that they really want to do'. Well, I have since retracted that statement. After working a 12+ hour day (6 days a week), studying, and trying to find time to train, there isn't too much time for anything else. I soon realized that work gets in the way, and I really would be happy just being a student and a walker.

So, that is where the time has gone for me. But never fear...I'm back!!!