1/3/2016

     Baby with a sore throat + Dan working= Colin's room not painted. Well, that can go on the longer goals list. I was able to get some things accomplished last night though. I will share them with you now.

     This is the planner I found at TJ Maxx. Thank you Kelly for the suggestion. It was much less than it would have been at Target or Office Max. As I looked through the planners I was sad that none of them really jumped out at me. I backed away to look on the lower shelves and this one was shoved underneath the rack. It was in perfect condition and is exactly what I was looking for. I would like to add that the stationary/office supply section at TJ Maxx is dangerous. As I also came home with these things.

     I make lists and rejoice in checking things off of them. Even something as simple as a grocery list. I look down, pull a pink pen out of my purse, and "yep, I got the milk" mark it off. Also it isn't good enough to put a check mark next to it. No! I have to draw several lines or a squiggle or a X. It has to be taken off the list fully. You are probably wondering if the Word program line through the things I accomplish is good enough. It isn't. The next thing I got is a decoration for my office. I feel it is classy and inspirational and since I haven't chosen what my office theme is, or don't even know if I have an office, for now it is something small to make a space mine. I do better when my space is personalized. The next two things are for lunch. I have been using the same lunch box for 8 years and it was gross. The new lunch box is itself a cooling agent eliminating the freezer bar that is usually in with my lunch making things wet. The freezer gel is in the lunchbox and it is currently getting ready in the freezer right now. No more wet food for me. The bowl is your standard microwavable bowl but it has owls on it! Owls are great. While I am thinking about it, Dan showed me a video you need to see.

     I had never seen an owl and a cockatoo interacting. It went well for about a minute. That is longer than I expected. Back to business.

10 days: Professional:

1.       Pass the State Insurance Exams.

2.       Find the perfect first day outfit.

3.       Find and purchase the perfect planner.

4.       Find and purchase the perfect desk calendar.

5.       Find and purchase new pens.

6.       Wash Car.

7.       Clean out car.

10 days: Personal:

1.       Find out why my check engine light is on.

2.       Put stickers on my car.

3.       Get eyebrows done.

4.       Get a haircut.

5.       Figure out how to fix my hair in a way that makes me look classy.

6.       Continue to breastfeed my son.

     Here is my progress on the goals list I shared with you a few days ago. I will be going tonight when Dan gets home and getting pens. I also need to find a box that doesn't look like it has been hauled to and back from twenty different jobs to take my things in. Before before I go to bed I will pick out my first outfit to decrease the chances of wigging out in the morning. I do wig. Dan can usually get me calmed down but I can cause quite a scene. I will also tackle my eyebrows myself. So, Planner- Check, OH, I put my stickers on my car! Putting the stickers on my car was my reward for passing the state insurance exams.

 
     It isn't much but I have been without a dinosaur for about a year now and I have felt naked. It adds a little bit of me to the car. When I hit some of the larger goals I have a moth, another inspirational sticker, and a butterfly to add. I have decided that it is best that I stop rewarding myself with food. After all I am not a dog. Unfortunately food is comforting to me and will always be tempting.

     Rewards is a good topic to elaborate on. Tell me readers, what do you do to reward yourself? I have started investing in little things, like the stickers you see above, to reward myself for a job well done. I have decided that little battles won are still wins and should be celebrated. (I need to stop using wins as a reason to eat pie.) Life is too short to stop celebrating. Like my new sticker says, "Do more of what makes you happy." Thank you for reminding me sticker, I will.

     Wednesday night of last week I was thinking about Zero bars. Then I remembered how much my mother likes them. A light bulb came on and I resolved to take her one the following day after work. Thursday morning I called my grandmother, I do that a lot because I love her and she is awesome, and told her the plan. She said that it was a good idea and then said that she hadn't had a Zero bar in a long time. Light bulb! After work I turned in all of my things because it was my last day there and off I went to find a Zero bar. For those of you that have tried to find Zero bars you know what I am talking about. Most places do not carry them. I thought and thought and was able to find a place that sold them on the first try. (On Cue) I was on a time crunch because our new years night was already full of activities. The plan was to rush over to Gmas house, give her the candy bar, rush over to mom's work give her the other candy bar, and get back on I35 and head home. I am sitting at the stop light before gmas house and my phone rings. It is mom and she is only a mile from me because she got off early. I thought it was a great coincidence and I was able to meet both of them at once. This long rambling story has a point. That stupid candy bar probably made their day. It really wasn't the candy bar but the thought I put into the gesture. Sometimes you gotta hunt down rare candy to remind the people in your life how much you love them.

     I will consider that a segue into the next part. I have summarized what I hope to accomplish in the next year:

1 year: I will still be working with Kenneth James learning the ropes at State Farm. I will make myself an integral part of the daily workings of his office. He will value and respect me. I will have attended at least one conference and have networked with the other people in the agent aspire program. I will have made $45000.00+ in a year with his office which gives me a fairly comfortable living situation in which I don’t have to rely on family to support me. I will have taken steps to attaining my securities license, if I don’t already have it, which will raise my earning potential. I will be running in two 5Ks to benefit charities. I will volunteer at least 100 hours of my time to charitable organizations, schools, and community beautification projects. I will decorate my office the way I want complete with Walter and a few other quirky things because Kenneth understands and accepts me. I will above all else maintain a healthy home environment where I am home each and every night to tuck my children in. I will spend less money, spend less time watching TV, and more time enjoying life. I will make exercise a normal and exciting part of my life. I will make time for my friends and host more parties. Customer service will be and continue to be my primary goal. I will offer it to each and every customer no matter if they choose to use us or not because people and interactions are imperative to develop.

     I am not sure if you are familiar with SMART goal setting so I will review.

Goals that follow this simple structure are more likely to be attained. In 2006 I was asked to write down goals for 5 years in a class. I did. The professor asked that I be as specific as possible. For me that isn't hard. Some of my notes in the scheduling program at the dental offices have been laughably detailed. So I did as she said. I found that piece of paper 6 years later and, I am NOT joking, every single thing on there had happened. I was promoted, had my own office, I was managing, I was making a livable wage, I was eating healthy. I was amazed. So, it works. You should try it.

     Here are some of my longer term goals:

Two Months: Professional:

1.       Hit my first sales goal.

2.       Show up to work on time every day and leave on time.

3.       Dress professionally each day.

4.       Learn how to use the online quoting and sales tools well.

5.       Learn about the manager position and assume the role.

6.       Get to know my co-workers.

Two Months: Personal:

1.       Lose 10 pounds.

2.       Put makeup on each day.

3.       Fix hair 4 out of 5 days each week.

4.       Finish Colin’s Room (Complete with curtains)

5.       Put the fish tank on the new stand.

6.       Put away maternity dress pants for good.

7.       Continue to breastfeed my son.

I feel these are doable. I am going to go ahead and put some of my old goals on the new list.

Two Months: Professional:

1.       Hit my first sales goal.

2.       Show up to work on time every day and leave on time.

3.       Dress professionally each day.

4.       Learn how to use the online quoting and sales tools well.

5.       Learn about the manager position and assume the role.

6.       Get to know my co-workers.

Two Months: Personal:

1.       Lose 10 pounds.

2.       Put makeup on each day.

3.       Fix hair 4 out of 5 days each week.

4.       Finish Colin’s Room (Complete with curtains)

5.       Put the fish tank on the new stand.

6.       Put away maternity dress pants for good.

7.       Continue to breastfeed my son.

8.       Wash and clean out car.

9.       Find out why my check engine light is on.

10.   Get a haircut/ eyebrows done.

 There. That looks good. That was a long one. My next post will be about Walter and Gregory and I will need some feedback. Have a great week! Encouragement about tomorrow will be much appreciated. Thank you.