Learning Curve

I just embarked on a new adventure this week, a new job working for KNPR radio as their online content coordinator -- whew what a title!

The people are nice enough, the hours, benefits, pay, etc etc are all well and good. It's just that suddenly walking into a totally new situation with new people and new tasks is like being beamed onto another planet where up is down and down is up. It is enough to make the smartest person suddenly stupid.

It's not just learning the job that is the challenge (like starting with what am I supposed to do, exactly?) since there is no one around who did what I did before or if there was someone, he isn't there now to show me. Dealing with the people is a challenge. Again, everyone is nice; however, trying to time the questions, making sure I am asking enough questions and asking them in the right way is the challenge.

Of course even the most basic tasks require a brain transplant. The programs I am used to using are slightly different (it has been so long since I have set any preferences) enough that a task as simple as training my email box to remove junk email so I don't have a slew of penis ads staring me in the face on my work computer every morning has been daunting.

Add to that sheer memorization involved of suddenly having to know who does what even though we have only met each other once (so what if they knew I was coming for three weeks).

So back to school I have gone. It is a good thing. I would rather feel younger than older. They say work keeps a person young. Whoever they are aren't kidding when they say that.

Actually the experience has been motivating so far. I want to learn new programming languages and perhaps a new field (I have always been interested in journalism/writing since HS newspaper days). So here we go. Be careful of what you ask or wish for.

On the health and fitness front... I am channelling this "back to school" feeling into "back to basics" behaviors. So far I have used my brand spanking new WW mug everyday (I wander the halls carrying that thing) and brought my healthy lunch in my WW insulated cooler. I stocked my desk with healthy snacks and eat them only when I feel a physical need, believe it or not. Amazing how that whole snacking thing changes when you are busy and feeling "under the gun" or "stressed to impress." I also plan on bringing my walking sneaks as I work on the community college campus near a residential area so I see a great opportunity to gain some AP's. Other positive steps have been to go for a short run before work.

So there, you see. I don't have relive the old stressed-out no time for me days of my workaholic youth. I have learned something. And what I learned is that this new return into corporate work-dom will offer a new opportunity to put into practice what I learned!

Signs

Just in case I needed a sign to tell me what to do about the recent job opportunity/job offering, sometimes life just hits you over the head, grabs you by the shoulders and shouts, "Wake up!"

It seems like the stresses of the soon to be former schedule have been building up to boiling point just in time. I can take these signs as failures or merely as confirmation that I am doing the right thing by taking the new position (yes I got it!).

Yesterday I was severely dressed down over paperwork and mileage. Nevermind I had members (friends, thank you skinnyguy!) telling me after my meetings this week (no matter how well the topic flopped, talk about hearing crickets chirping) that they have shopped around forever and are happy to have found a leader they click with. Nevermind I have members, strangers merely 30 minutes before, hugging me after the meeting and apologizing for having to miss a couple weeks. See this is the problem of being a nice person. People dare to tell you all the stupid stuff because they think you can take it.

Sure I had good excuses last week for half my tallies not reaching the office in time (a tight schedule T-Th not leaving any time for paperwork, late Labor Day mail, a lost deposit -- see tight schedule that left me no room to think). In any case I did not apologize or make excuses. I just said, "Thank you. I will be better." In the back of my mind you know what I was thinking (I will be MORE than better -- I will give you almost no paperwork since that is what you asked for, thank you very much. Is that the kind of thanks I get for all the schlepping and the crazy scheduling I agreed to?). I was also thinking thank goodness I am leaving this mess! This company has such an antiquated way of dealing with paperwork. It's one thing when you are doing this part-time and the paperwork is manageable. It is another thing when you are crazy enough to take it on "full" time and have to dot all i's and cross all t's, meanwhile keeping track of the deposits -- too much! I just want to help people lose weight, thank you very much!

So this happens just before I go into the director's office to give her the "news." I was so nervous but I did it. She is happy for me. I made the right choice. In fact there is another staff member who is retiring from her "day" job and wants to do this full-time now. They needed meetings to give her and here I am giving some up -- perfect! Another sign.

Of course signs that encouraged me in the direction of strongly pursuing a career change included: the recent breakdown of my car's AC in the heat of summer which will cost $1000 to fix (read, by new car now); pesky student loans; promised "in the mail" freelance payments that only seem to arrive at a snail's pace; normally low summer meeting attendance's effect on my paycheck; dying to have my Sunday's back for running, travel, family, social activities (most of my friends/family socialize that day, ie bridal showers, birthdays, etc.); killing myself to find subs to cover meetings on days I have said activities; said crazy schedule's effect on my eating habits and exercise schedule... I could go on.

The culminating effect of it all has given me a big headache and a case of anxiety I didn't realize I had until I started relieving myself of some of these duties.

So those are the signs. Next time I will talk about the how I used these signs to create my Winning Outcome!

PS -- The last two days I ran 4 miles each morning. The legs are tired, but on the comeback trail.