In October I knew I had gone too far into debt with my credit cards. I had the classic signs; carrying a balance, struggling to pay off the debt, and struggling to not reach for my card at every possible opportunity.
I was addicted to credit. And I had to quit it before it decided to quit me.
My plan was to keep my cards out of reach and out of sight. So I started by sealing every credit card I own in an envelope. I kept it in my purse for 1 week. ..Just in case I needed them..
After that, the envelope went into the freezer (after a failed attempt to give it to someone-who threw it in a cupboard, like that'll stop me!), where it has been ever since. I took a giant leap of faith and made the first big step in my life to financial freedom.
I would love to tell you how much the debt was, but I will just say it was about 4 months worth of not caring how much or what I put on my cards. The hardest part was figuring out how I was going to pay off the debt, while still being able to eat and put gas in my car. My game plan was to cut off all excess spending-no mall, no pedis, no extracurricular 'activities' with friends-not until this debt was paid. I gave myself until the end of December; 3 months. I would use all of my 'extra' income from my side jobs to pay for food and gas and then every other penny I earned would go towards this irresponsible debt I had accumulated
I won't lie-I was scared. I had come to rely on having the money available when I needed it. All of a sudden I had to plan on when I could spend the little money I would have to make sure I managed it correctly. It was difficult at first. The first time I went grocery shopping I start shaking when I took out $100 cash and just 'gave it away'. I went home and started crying, thinking I was poor and would never feel the comfort of cash flow ever again. Once I recovered, I realized that it wasn't that bad. I had my first success; buying groceries for under $100! Usually I didn't care if I put a few extra things in my cart, but now I had a goal to ALWAYS be under $100 when I buy groceries and since then I've succeeded every time (without going more often!).
My next challenge was that first craving to spend. Those who love their plastic know what I'm talking about; going to the mall, getting an iced coffee and buying anything that you love! It took me until the end of November for it to get really bad. I mean, really, really bad. I was afraid to go into any store by myself because I thought I would buy excessive amounts of things I didn't need. The urge was strong! And I made smart decisions to avoid spending-I started reading to take my mind off things, I would go to the gym, or just stay home and bake (it was that time of year too!). I brought a 'chaperone' to the grocery store or anywhere else I went. And he knew that I was not allowed to buy things I didn't need-he made me stick to it! Looking back, I'm proud that I was able to avoid spending all my cash on crap I didn't want or need. But I also realized that it sucks when I can't just do what I think feels so right and normal..But it was only for a few months, and then I could have a 'mall budget'.
When I was alone and very tempted, I reminded myself of my goal. I reminded myself that I won't be starved of shopping forever, just until I corrected my finances and learned to manage my money better. For someone who was never taught the essential money management skills needed, this was going to be a learning experience.
In November I started reading a book called Young, Fabulous & Broke by Suze Orman. I will tell you right now that you need to read this book. 'Nuff said.
The book helped me to stay focused on my goal, and to look beyond this goal to reach others that I had in mind. Ditching my credit cards was the first step, this book helped me to decide what, when and where the others would fall into place. ..I would go further into detail, but this is an entirely separate post.
Another trick I used to manage the money I did have for expenses was the envelope system. I labeled an envelope for each expense; groceries, gas, going out. When I put cash in, or took cash out, I wrote it down. That way once I put my budgeted amount in, I could use any extra money for the going out envelope. Once all of that money was gone, I was done spending for the month. It is a system I will use in the future-it works and it helps me visualize my money leaving my pocket and going into someone else's.
Even though my balance is paid off, I still have frozen credit cards. I don't know if I'll ever unfreeze them, but I do know that if I do, I will have rules for me to follow with them. A few that I know I'll enforce are; don't carry my card on me all the time, have limits on what I can use the card for (no mall trips) and make sure that I can pay for everything I put on my plastic.
It seems like October was forever ago, but now when I check my account balances online, I smile because I know that a few months ago, I was dreading the numbers I saw, and now I can't wait to see my numbers grow in a [positive] way.
I rewarded myself for reaching my goal by spending ONLY money given to me for Christmas at the mall. I found I had a hard time spending all of it. :)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Back and Ready to Write
Ok-6 months is a long time to take an unexpected hiatus from my blog. I would say I have excuses, like being too busy, getting distracted, or having something better to do..But honestly, I think I just decided one week I didn't want to write anything and left it at that.
So what happened all summer and fall while I was away?? I went to Chicago, I did 4 months of personal training and now I'm rockin' healthy (I mean...hot?), I discovered I love being a part of planning weddings, I changed my viewpoint on credit cards, saving vs. spending and got my money on track, I started two more very part-time jobs, I hosted Thanksgiving at my house and most recently, I have been sick on and off all fall. When I wasn't sick, I was exhausted. ...Needless to say I've been busy!
So here we are the day before Christmas Eve and I'm at work. And it's slow; slow = boring. But at the end of the day I get to go for my monthly massage, go to the gym, buy groceries for Christmas and wait while inches of snow falls from the sky while I'm cozied up in my house!
I think since this is more of a 'Hey, welcome back' post I'm going to celebrate it with a 'what I've learned' for the Year's End. If you don't care to listen to how wise I've become this year, then you can leave now. Thanks for stopping by! :)
First, reflecting on an entire year is a total chore! Think back to last January, do you know anything you learned last January? I'm sure you learned something, but do you remember that it was in January? Did you use it at all throughout the year? Probably not, so most of this will probably occur this summer or fall.. But I'll do my best!
So this year I went to Savannah with my Mom. We had so much fun! Throughout the rest of the year I had a lot of personal bonding moments with her, this mostly stemmed from the difficult year she had; her husband had 3 surgeries, one including a massive heart attack. But at Thanksgiving I realized that even though my Mom may not be perfect and send me gift packages and have great fashion style, she's still my Mom and we are so much alike. For the first time in my life, I'm happy that my mom and I are close and have so many of the same personality traits and qualities about us. I can't wait for the next Mother Daughter Trip!
At the beginning of this year I was very organized-One of the things I did was start tracking my student loans. Every quarter I calculated out how much principal vs. interest I paid and I figured out how long it will take me to pay off my loans. The $52,000 debt I started with at the beginning of the year is now under $48,500. Because of the increases in payments I made, and a little help from finaid.org, I will have all of my students loans paid off in about 6.5 years. That will be a total of 8 years to pay off a massive amount of debt that I HATE having to pay each month. For those of you who have less than this in debt to pay-consider yourselves lucky and pay as much as you can each month!
Speaking of Money, right around the time I ditched my blog I also started to carry a balance on my credit card...I KNOW!! It's awful! By October I had decided to take away all of my credit cards. After a failed attempt to have my boyfriend hide them from me (he put them in the cupboard...right in front of me), I decided to freeze them. Now, I can proudly say that after 3 months of being dead broke, and only having 2 withdrawal breakdowns, I have my debt paid off. I also have a wonderfully growing savings account for my new car because of my new sense of financial responsibility. As far as ever getting rights to those cards back....maabye when I travel, and they go right back in the freezer!
One of my biggest accomplishments for me this year is repairing and building my relationship with my sister. We don't get along because I disagree with so many decisions she made in the last 5 years. Because of that, and her great ability to be so stubborn, we were not even conversing for about 10 months-We didn't decide not to talk to each other, it was just we both knew it wouldn't end well if we did... But in July I discovered she had set a wedding date, to take place in Oregon, and I had a sudden fear that she might not want me there...Luckily, my fear was just paranoia, but it also showed me that my actions would have been responsible for it, had that happened. So conversing commenced and now we hold happy conversations, after her attempting to plan her wedding on her own, she took my offer of help to be her wedding planner and VOILA! Not only am I invited to the wedding, but without me there couldn't be a (fabulous) wedding! I sent tons of gifts and goodies to her family for Christmas and I can't wait to get out there next summer and give her a giant hug! I can be difficult when I disagree on something, but I'm glad that I will always have my sisters to put up with it! :)
I spent a third of my year with a personal trainer. The reason: my pants weren't fitting and I was seeing a small, but noticeable, tiny muffin top....uck! So instead of torturing myself by starvation, or thinking that I'm perfect the way I am, I enlisted for someone else to tell me what I need to do to keep my body healthy, happy and clean. It wasn't a complete torture fest, but I learned alot about muscle and its uncanny ability to burn calories and fat..and while I saw a large reduction in the waist over the 4 month period, I did not see much of a reduction in my hips and thighs...I was born with them and they are wonderful and it just takes the best pants to make others feel that way as well. :) Not to mention I lost 25% of what body fat I had and love how my clothes fit me, gained 6 pounds and no longer weigh myself. EVER. Exercise and Diet is the only way to lose weight (inches)and to feel great. I learned to accept the way my body chooses to be-when its slim and healthy.
So I have more jobs now..I'm babysitting for two families-this job I did for the extra money, it is still for the extra money. The other job is being a Speech Coach for a local high school Speech Team. I was in Discussion when I was in school and did very well. I miss it still and decided if I can find someone to hire me than I would do it. So far it has been a lot of fun! I mostly decided to take on these jobs, obviously for extra money, but also because I discovered there aren't alot of students that want to take private music lessons this year. I'm sure its more of a cost-saving measure, but it put a hamper on my budget so I had to accommodate to that. Side jobs are a great way to make some extra money!
This fall I also auditioned for a community band-of course, I am waay out of shape and didn't get into the band, but I did get on the sub-list....hopefully next year I can try again. I did notice that my right arm is still responding negatively to my clarinet. It's just more patience and work to be done before I'm 'healed'..
Merry Christmas Everyone!
So what happened all summer and fall while I was away?? I went to Chicago, I did 4 months of personal training and now I'm rockin' healthy (I mean...hot?), I discovered I love being a part of planning weddings, I changed my viewpoint on credit cards, saving vs. spending and got my money on track, I started two more very part-time jobs, I hosted Thanksgiving at my house and most recently, I have been sick on and off all fall. When I wasn't sick, I was exhausted. ...Needless to say I've been busy!
So here we are the day before Christmas Eve and I'm at work. And it's slow; slow = boring. But at the end of the day I get to go for my monthly massage, go to the gym, buy groceries for Christmas and wait while inches of snow falls from the sky while I'm cozied up in my house!
I think since this is more of a 'Hey, welcome back' post I'm going to celebrate it with a 'what I've learned' for the Year's End. If you don't care to listen to how wise I've become this year, then you can leave now. Thanks for stopping by! :)
First, reflecting on an entire year is a total chore! Think back to last January, do you know anything you learned last January? I'm sure you learned something, but do you remember that it was in January? Did you use it at all throughout the year? Probably not, so most of this will probably occur this summer or fall.. But I'll do my best!
So this year I went to Savannah with my Mom. We had so much fun! Throughout the rest of the year I had a lot of personal bonding moments with her, this mostly stemmed from the difficult year she had; her husband had 3 surgeries, one including a massive heart attack. But at Thanksgiving I realized that even though my Mom may not be perfect and send me gift packages and have great fashion style, she's still my Mom and we are so much alike. For the first time in my life, I'm happy that my mom and I are close and have so many of the same personality traits and qualities about us. I can't wait for the next Mother Daughter Trip!
At the beginning of this year I was very organized-One of the things I did was start tracking my student loans. Every quarter I calculated out how much principal vs. interest I paid and I figured out how long it will take me to pay off my loans. The $52,000 debt I started with at the beginning of the year is now under $48,500. Because of the increases in payments I made, and a little help from finaid.org, I will have all of my students loans paid off in about 6.5 years. That will be a total of 8 years to pay off a massive amount of debt that I HATE having to pay each month. For those of you who have less than this in debt to pay-consider yourselves lucky and pay as much as you can each month!
Speaking of Money, right around the time I ditched my blog I also started to carry a balance on my credit card...I KNOW!! It's awful! By October I had decided to take away all of my credit cards. After a failed attempt to have my boyfriend hide them from me (he put them in the cupboard...right in front of me), I decided to freeze them. Now, I can proudly say that after 3 months of being dead broke, and only having 2 withdrawal breakdowns, I have my debt paid off. I also have a wonderfully growing savings account for my new car because of my new sense of financial responsibility. As far as ever getting rights to those cards back....maabye when I travel, and they go right back in the freezer!
One of my biggest accomplishments for me this year is repairing and building my relationship with my sister. We don't get along because I disagree with so many decisions she made in the last 5 years. Because of that, and her great ability to be so stubborn, we were not even conversing for about 10 months-We didn't decide not to talk to each other, it was just we both knew it wouldn't end well if we did... But in July I discovered she had set a wedding date, to take place in Oregon, and I had a sudden fear that she might not want me there...Luckily, my fear was just paranoia, but it also showed me that my actions would have been responsible for it, had that happened. So conversing commenced and now we hold happy conversations, after her attempting to plan her wedding on her own, she took my offer of help to be her wedding planner and VOILA! Not only am I invited to the wedding, but without me there couldn't be a (fabulous) wedding! I sent tons of gifts and goodies to her family for Christmas and I can't wait to get out there next summer and give her a giant hug! I can be difficult when I disagree on something, but I'm glad that I will always have my sisters to put up with it! :)
I spent a third of my year with a personal trainer. The reason: my pants weren't fitting and I was seeing a small, but noticeable, tiny muffin top....uck! So instead of torturing myself by starvation, or thinking that I'm perfect the way I am, I enlisted for someone else to tell me what I need to do to keep my body healthy, happy and clean. It wasn't a complete torture fest, but I learned alot about muscle and its uncanny ability to burn calories and fat..and while I saw a large reduction in the waist over the 4 month period, I did not see much of a reduction in my hips and thighs...I was born with them and they are wonderful and it just takes the best pants to make others feel that way as well. :) Not to mention I lost 25% of what body fat I had and love how my clothes fit me, gained 6 pounds and no longer weigh myself. EVER. Exercise and Diet is the only way to lose weight (inches)and to feel great. I learned to accept the way my body chooses to be-when its slim and healthy.
So I have more jobs now..I'm babysitting for two families-this job I did for the extra money, it is still for the extra money. The other job is being a Speech Coach for a local high school Speech Team. I was in Discussion when I was in school and did very well. I miss it still and decided if I can find someone to hire me than I would do it. So far it has been a lot of fun! I mostly decided to take on these jobs, obviously for extra money, but also because I discovered there aren't alot of students that want to take private music lessons this year. I'm sure its more of a cost-saving measure, but it put a hamper on my budget so I had to accommodate to that. Side jobs are a great way to make some extra money!
This fall I also auditioned for a community band-of course, I am waay out of shape and didn't get into the band, but I did get on the sub-list....hopefully next year I can try again. I did notice that my right arm is still responding negatively to my clarinet. It's just more patience and work to be done before I'm 'healed'..
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Donating a Pint of O Positive
In college I donated blood a couple of times. Although, I tried about 4 times total. But I kept getting declined; my iron levels weren't up to their standards. So this time around, I was going to make sure my iron levels were top notch.
Most of you aren't aware of this, but last year I decided to attempt being a vegetarian. This worked and I enjoyed it, until I moved in with my meat-eating, picky-eater boyfriend. Since then I don't eat a lot of beef, but I'll enjoy chicken and every once in a while, venison.
In lieu of this diet, I decided the best way to boost my iron is to eat beef. And lots of it! I made hamburgers for dinner the night before I donated. And then the next morning I ate another hamburger a few hours before my appointment. Needless to say, my blood was a very dark red when they pricked my finger. And later on, my tummy was a little upset about all the beef-next time I'll stick to broccoli. :)
The last time I was able to donate blood everything went perfect, I hardly even bruised. I gave my blood, ate my cookie and went to class...Where I then became dizzy and had to leave and lay down for a while. That was about 4 years ago.
This day, was a little different. I never watch the needle go in, its bad enough being able to feel it! And shortly after I stopped flowing. The attendant was turning the needle to try and get it to flow again. All I could think about what that my vein collapsed and afterwards I would have a badly bruised painful arm. I was not enjoying myself at this point.
After a minute or so, the attendant fixed the needle-my vein had temporarily flattened! Once the blood started flowing again I thought my arm was going to collapse from the fast rush of blood into the bag. From then on everything went according to plan. Afterwards, I took my time to eat a few cookies and some chex mix then went on my way back to work. (mostly) Pain free and I didn't have to do anything but sit there for 12 minutes. :)
Donating blood doesn't take a very long time-the whole process lasted just under an hour for me-yet, only 5% of people donate in this country. 5%! 37% of Americans are eligible to donate, yet a majority of us don't.
Do you know if you're eligible? It's very easy to find out-if you haven't left the country, don't use drugs, haven't gotten a new tattoo in 12 months and don't have AIDS your pretty much eligible (some health conditions may prohibit you from donating).
Get out and DONATE today!! It's easy, you get free food afterward and it is a great way to give back to your community! So bring a friend and give it a try! Your local area has a donation center-just google it!
I know in 56 days I will be returning to donate another pint. :)
Most of you aren't aware of this, but last year I decided to attempt being a vegetarian. This worked and I enjoyed it, until I moved in with my meat-eating, picky-eater boyfriend. Since then I don't eat a lot of beef, but I'll enjoy chicken and every once in a while, venison.
In lieu of this diet, I decided the best way to boost my iron is to eat beef. And lots of it! I made hamburgers for dinner the night before I donated. And then the next morning I ate another hamburger a few hours before my appointment. Needless to say, my blood was a very dark red when they pricked my finger. And later on, my tummy was a little upset about all the beef-next time I'll stick to broccoli. :)
The last time I was able to donate blood everything went perfect, I hardly even bruised. I gave my blood, ate my cookie and went to class...Where I then became dizzy and had to leave and lay down for a while. That was about 4 years ago.
This day, was a little different. I never watch the needle go in, its bad enough being able to feel it! And shortly after I stopped flowing. The attendant was turning the needle to try and get it to flow again. All I could think about what that my vein collapsed and afterwards I would have a badly bruised painful arm. I was not enjoying myself at this point.
After a minute or so, the attendant fixed the needle-my vein had temporarily flattened! Once the blood started flowing again I thought my arm was going to collapse from the fast rush of blood into the bag. From then on everything went according to plan. Afterwards, I took my time to eat a few cookies and some chex mix then went on my way back to work. (mostly) Pain free and I didn't have to do anything but sit there for 12 minutes. :)
Donating blood doesn't take a very long time-the whole process lasted just under an hour for me-yet, only 5% of people donate in this country. 5%! 37% of Americans are eligible to donate, yet a majority of us don't.
Do you know if you're eligible? It's very easy to find out-if you haven't left the country, don't use drugs, haven't gotten a new tattoo in 12 months and don't have AIDS your pretty much eligible (some health conditions may prohibit you from donating).
Get out and DONATE today!! It's easy, you get free food afterward and it is a great way to give back to your community! So bring a friend and give it a try! Your local area has a donation center-just google it!
I know in 56 days I will be returning to donate another pint. :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
My Special K Challenge
Today I'm starting the Special K Challenge.
What it is: I replace two of my meals with the special k bars and cereal and add two snacks, special k brand, into my day. I eat my third meal as normal. I do this for 2 weeks. fruits and vegetables are ok to eat as additional snacks.
What it should accomplish: I should lose 6 lbs. and be able to jump start myself into healthier eating.
Ok, so I'm not a junk-food fanatic or anything like that..I'm more like a cheese, bread and overly processed food fanatic, lately.. I decided to do this challenge to get my discipline in order and get back on track.
keep in mind this is not a long-term weight loss solution and will require a change in diet and exercise after the challenge to prevent gaining the lost weight.
Before starting this diet I did a little googling to see what others said about it. Apparently, people were always hungry on this diet (too few calories?) and only lost an average of 4 lbs.
So while searching the grocery store for the products, I decided I was going to further personalize my challenge.
My Special K Challenge: Although the actual challenge provides a list of their specific brand to eat, when I looked at the nutrition labels I wasn't very excited.
-the 'snack protein bars' only had 1 gram of protein and not a lot of fiber.
This would explain why people were always hungry during the challenge. I opted to exchange the snack bars for other bars that had higher protein and fiber. In turn these also have less sugar and unnecessary filler in them.
-The 'meal bars' have a high amount of sugar.
I decided this was acceptable because it was sugar, and not high fructose corn syrup (don't believe the commercials!).
-I bought a lot of fruits and vegetables.
This will give me fiber and other nutrients I need in order to keep my body functioning at a high level while not feeling like I'm starving.
-I bought a multi-vitamin.
Although I should take this every day, I decided to start now, I'm concerned that the bars don't have the nutrients I need. Nutrients and fluids are what keeps our bodies alive, in addition to (not just) carbs and protein.
My Goals: As far as weight loss, I'm hoping to lose about 3 lbs. I'm going to continue to be as active as I normally would be and I'm not going to allow myself to starve (hence the fruits and vegetables). After the challenge I want to be able to have more discipline in choosing foods that are good for me as opposed to foods my brain craves.
I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
What it is: I replace two of my meals with the special k bars and cereal and add two snacks, special k brand, into my day. I eat my third meal as normal. I do this for 2 weeks. fruits and vegetables are ok to eat as additional snacks.
What it should accomplish: I should lose 6 lbs. and be able to jump start myself into healthier eating.
Ok, so I'm not a junk-food fanatic or anything like that..I'm more like a cheese, bread and overly processed food fanatic, lately.. I decided to do this challenge to get my discipline in order and get back on track.
keep in mind this is not a long-term weight loss solution and will require a change in diet and exercise after the challenge to prevent gaining the lost weight.
Before starting this diet I did a little googling to see what others said about it. Apparently, people were always hungry on this diet (too few calories?) and only lost an average of 4 lbs.
So while searching the grocery store for the products, I decided I was going to further personalize my challenge.
My Special K Challenge: Although the actual challenge provides a list of their specific brand to eat, when I looked at the nutrition labels I wasn't very excited.
-the 'snack protein bars' only had 1 gram of protein and not a lot of fiber.
This would explain why people were always hungry during the challenge. I opted to exchange the snack bars for other bars that had higher protein and fiber. In turn these also have less sugar and unnecessary filler in them.
-The 'meal bars' have a high amount of sugar.
I decided this was acceptable because it was sugar, and not high fructose corn syrup (don't believe the commercials!).
-I bought a lot of fruits and vegetables.
This will give me fiber and other nutrients I need in order to keep my body functioning at a high level while not feeling like I'm starving.
-I bought a multi-vitamin.
Although I should take this every day, I decided to start now, I'm concerned that the bars don't have the nutrients I need. Nutrients and fluids are what keeps our bodies alive, in addition to (not just) carbs and protein.
My Goals: As far as weight loss, I'm hoping to lose about 3 lbs. I'm going to continue to be as active as I normally would be and I'm not going to allow myself to starve (hence the fruits and vegetables). After the challenge I want to be able to have more discipline in choosing foods that are good for me as opposed to foods my brain craves.
I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
When is Enough Really Enough?
I keep telling myself, "Stop planning, stop thinking you don't have enough to do..."
But I can't help it. I'm whelmed on most days and yesterday I was overwhelmed. Just driving home without feeling the walls around me crash down was difficult. Every red light I had to wait at was torture. I just wanted to crawl into bed and relinquish my control over the my little, busy world.
And then I remembered that I've felt this before. During college. During that time in my life, I experienced several moments where life was just a little too much for me.
So here I am again, spread just a little too thin and ready to make a change in this progression towards collapse.
I realized it a little over a week ago, no matter what is going on with my life I always think I can make room for something else to do.
I keep thinking that I am capable of going to work 45 hours a week, babysitting every other weekend, cleaning my house (regularly), practicing my clarinet, going to the gym 4 times a week, getting enough sleep, socializing with friends (who stay up late!), update my blog and then finding time for myself...much less time for my significant other and I to get 'personal'. This has left me exhausted! Since last week I've decided to start going to the gym in the morning to meet my 'goal'. I'm over tired from getting up that early. I also decided to cut back on caffeine, this whole week I've been a crabby mess. And the really unfortunate part, is that I haven't socialized; I've become a hermit and I think its effecting my socializing skills.
I know there are people that are okay with this kind of 'stress' and constantly having something to do. I honestly do thrive on it, when it isn't too much, but this! This is too much.
It's time to take back the control in my life, I can't allow myself to keep overwhelming my schedule just because I can.
But where do I begin? Honestly, any activities that provide income need to stay. Exercise and socializing need to stay. I need to keep my house clean...Give up my blog?? It doesn't really consume that much time, and I usually post on the fly. I never put a decent amount of research into anything I post(I'm just that smart??). I haven't even managed to find decent time for my clarinet....or my significant other..
oh, woe is me. Maybe it was the caffeine withdrawal and exhaustion. Maybe I'm not really that busy, more like I'm unable to relax when I can.
We'll see how I manage. Right now Saturday is completely open, I think I'll make a start by keeping it that way.
But I can't help it. I'm whelmed on most days and yesterday I was overwhelmed. Just driving home without feeling the walls around me crash down was difficult. Every red light I had to wait at was torture. I just wanted to crawl into bed and relinquish my control over the my little, busy world.
And then I remembered that I've felt this before. During college. During that time in my life, I experienced several moments where life was just a little too much for me.
So here I am again, spread just a little too thin and ready to make a change in this progression towards collapse.
I realized it a little over a week ago, no matter what is going on with my life I always think I can make room for something else to do.
I keep thinking that I am capable of going to work 45 hours a week, babysitting every other weekend, cleaning my house (regularly), practicing my clarinet, going to the gym 4 times a week, getting enough sleep, socializing with friends (who stay up late!), update my blog and then finding time for myself...much less time for my significant other and I to get 'personal'. This has left me exhausted! Since last week I've decided to start going to the gym in the morning to meet my 'goal'. I'm over tired from getting up that early. I also decided to cut back on caffeine, this whole week I've been a crabby mess. And the really unfortunate part, is that I haven't socialized; I've become a hermit and I think its effecting my socializing skills.
I know there are people that are okay with this kind of 'stress' and constantly having something to do. I honestly do thrive on it, when it isn't too much, but this! This is too much.
It's time to take back the control in my life, I can't allow myself to keep overwhelming my schedule just because I can.
But where do I begin? Honestly, any activities that provide income need to stay. Exercise and socializing need to stay. I need to keep my house clean...Give up my blog?? It doesn't really consume that much time, and I usually post on the fly. I never put a decent amount of research into anything I post(I'm just that smart??). I haven't even managed to find decent time for my clarinet....or my significant other..
oh, woe is me. Maybe it was the caffeine withdrawal and exhaustion. Maybe I'm not really that busy, more like I'm unable to relax when I can.
We'll see how I manage. Right now Saturday is completely open, I think I'll make a start by keeping it that way.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Job Hopping isn't Always Good
I am 22 years old, two years out of college and almost arriving at my 2 year at my current job. As I read about how unique and original my generation is, I find it disconcerting. We are supposed to be unique and original, yet we are all following similar paths to one another. Maybe its time to not follow the 'trend'...
Gen-Y started a trend. They started to job hop about every 18 months. Then Everyone who enjoys Gen-Y said, "This is different." "This is the new norm."
I beg to differ. I haven't job hopped, and although I have thought about it and sent out a few applications here and there, I'm still at my current job. And I honestly plan to be here for a while. Maybe you should consider staying put yourself. Let me explain why:
1. Staying at your first job for a substantial length in time can give you experience, and portray on your resume that you do want to find a company that you can see a future in.
One of the reasons the company hired me and I 'hired' the company was because they wanted someone that can grow with the company and I wanted a company that can give me the hours, pay and benefits that I wanted. More recently, I discovered that my resume can continue to grow and provide substantial experience if I stay at the company.
2. Job-hopping does not provide stability.
In our twenties, no one can be sure they know exactly what they want in a career. This is why job-hopping may be good for you. Job-hopping may allow you to 'gain experience' in several different areas, but it doesn't necessarily provide stability like some may say. For example; you left a company that was growing, but wasn't quite big enough to give you the opportunities you needed, so you left. You went to a company that was able to provide what you needed, but given the economy they were suffering. Suffering to the point of needing to lay off some of their 'extra' employees. Being the newbie, that most likely means you. Now you don't have a job, or stability.
3. Investing in a company makes the company want to invest in you.
Staying with a company for more than 2-4 years shows the company that you are invested in them. You work hard their the companies success, which in turn provides you success. With this hard work and returned success, you get reward. Staying with the company provides you the opportunity to ask for the raise, or the promotion. Or even to ask the company if they can meet your career goals, if they want to invest in you, they will do everything in their power to meet those goals. Though you have worked for everything you've gained, you also didn't have to send out applications and go through the interview process to get to where you want to be.
4. Over time, it will pay off or you will leave.
Although I don't think consistent job-hopping is 'healthy' for your career, I do understand that it has to be done. But I think it is absolutely necessary for a person to do the best they can to find a company worth investing in. If it turns out that two years later, it just doesn't work out-then changing jobs would be worth your time. It is selfish and immoral to think that once a job runs dry on experience and your 'growth' flat lines that its time to move on. Consider the possibility: When you interview for a job, you should have your long-term and short-term career goals in mind. Don't take a job with a company that you know won't be able to provide what you need to accomplish your goals. Not only would it be a waste of time and money for the company, it takes away time you could've used to pursue your goals faster and more efficiently. If gaining experience is your goal, be a contractor. If you want to be promoted to Snr. Manager, you need to stick around long enough to get the reputation you need to be promoted or hired to that position. If you don't want to be promoted, and have experience under your belt, find a company that will pay off.
Now, I could ramble on about work ethic and commitment to a bigger cause than your career in terms of staying with a company, but I do believe that is outdated. I do believe that job-hopping doesn't necessarily mean you have a weak work ethic. It is absurd for anyone to think that we go to work everyday and think, "Today I'm going to serve a greater purpose than crossing off my to-do list and keeping my boss happy." It just doesn't happen.
Recently, I did ask my company if they can meet my career goals. I work in an office that doesn't have ladders to climb or departments to rotate through. Our job openings are few and far between. I know they can't meet my goals unless a certain position opens up, but I was told that they would do everything they could to provide the experience I want. Of course, if it turns out that isn't enough and I can't wait for that job-opening, than leaving will become more of an option.
So, without job-hopping, I have a stable, growing career with a company that agrees with my ethics and morals AND they want to invest in me. By them telling me they would do everything they could to allow me to continue to grow, I know they want to make an investment in me. In return, I will continue to invest my time, energy and work ethic into them.
Gen-Y started a trend. They started to job hop about every 18 months. Then Everyone who enjoys Gen-Y said, "This is different." "This is the new norm."
I beg to differ. I haven't job hopped, and although I have thought about it and sent out a few applications here and there, I'm still at my current job. And I honestly plan to be here for a while. Maybe you should consider staying put yourself. Let me explain why:
1. Staying at your first job for a substantial length in time can give you experience, and portray on your resume that you do want to find a company that you can see a future in.
One of the reasons the company hired me and I 'hired' the company was because they wanted someone that can grow with the company and I wanted a company that can give me the hours, pay and benefits that I wanted. More recently, I discovered that my resume can continue to grow and provide substantial experience if I stay at the company.
2. Job-hopping does not provide stability.
In our twenties, no one can be sure they know exactly what they want in a career. This is why job-hopping may be good for you. Job-hopping may allow you to 'gain experience' in several different areas, but it doesn't necessarily provide stability like some may say. For example; you left a company that was growing, but wasn't quite big enough to give you the opportunities you needed, so you left. You went to a company that was able to provide what you needed, but given the economy they were suffering. Suffering to the point of needing to lay off some of their 'extra' employees. Being the newbie, that most likely means you. Now you don't have a job, or stability.
3. Investing in a company makes the company want to invest in you.
Staying with a company for more than 2-4 years shows the company that you are invested in them. You work hard their the companies success, which in turn provides you success. With this hard work and returned success, you get reward. Staying with the company provides you the opportunity to ask for the raise, or the promotion. Or even to ask the company if they can meet your career goals, if they want to invest in you, they will do everything in their power to meet those goals. Though you have worked for everything you've gained, you also didn't have to send out applications and go through the interview process to get to where you want to be.
4. Over time, it will pay off or you will leave.
Although I don't think consistent job-hopping is 'healthy' for your career, I do understand that it has to be done. But I think it is absolutely necessary for a person to do the best they can to find a company worth investing in. If it turns out that two years later, it just doesn't work out-then changing jobs would be worth your time. It is selfish and immoral to think that once a job runs dry on experience and your 'growth' flat lines that its time to move on. Consider the possibility: When you interview for a job, you should have your long-term and short-term career goals in mind. Don't take a job with a company that you know won't be able to provide what you need to accomplish your goals. Not only would it be a waste of time and money for the company, it takes away time you could've used to pursue your goals faster and more efficiently. If gaining experience is your goal, be a contractor. If you want to be promoted to Snr. Manager, you need to stick around long enough to get the reputation you need to be promoted or hired to that position. If you don't want to be promoted, and have experience under your belt, find a company that will pay off.
Now, I could ramble on about work ethic and commitment to a bigger cause than your career in terms of staying with a company, but I do believe that is outdated. I do believe that job-hopping doesn't necessarily mean you have a weak work ethic. It is absurd for anyone to think that we go to work everyday and think, "Today I'm going to serve a greater purpose than crossing off my to-do list and keeping my boss happy." It just doesn't happen.
Recently, I did ask my company if they can meet my career goals. I work in an office that doesn't have ladders to climb or departments to rotate through. Our job openings are few and far between. I know they can't meet my goals unless a certain position opens up, but I was told that they would do everything they could to provide the experience I want. Of course, if it turns out that isn't enough and I can't wait for that job-opening, than leaving will become more of an option.
So, without job-hopping, I have a stable, growing career with a company that agrees with my ethics and morals AND they want to invest in me. By them telling me they would do everything they could to allow me to continue to grow, I know they want to make an investment in me. In return, I will continue to invest my time, energy and work ethic into them.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Why the SpongeBob/Burger King Ad is Wrong
I saw this last night while watching South Park, which is not necessarily the best kids show in the world. I couldn't believe what I saw. If you haven't seen it, you must. Here is a link to YouTube, after you're done watching it, come back and finish reading this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5X4TSbGreA
First off, I like SpongeBob SquarePants. I used to watch it with my nephew when both of us were younger. But I wouldn't say it was the best show for kids. It has some fowl ideas in it; like the fact that the starfish is so absolutely dumb it makes me feel fumb watching him. But its ok entertainment.
Burger King, isn't somewhere I would go to get a healthy meal, but I never thought the company would make an advertisement so disgusting that is aimed right to kids. I know, I know, "Parents are so over-protective, why do they have to be so paranoid?" But over-protection and paranoia is not the point here. The point is that these companies are advertising sex appeal, de-humanizing the woman body and are trying to sell kids' meals while doing it. I could just imagine my 10 year-old nephew starting to sing this song after seeing it and then wanting to go get nasty Burger King food while doing it.
Think about it, and watch the commercial again if you need to; the men on the show consist of ugly weirdos looking at butts, a king costume and cartoons. The women are dressed in tight 'sexy' clothes with 'squares' on their rear ends dancing around and shaking their 'thang'. At one point the king measures a woman's square rear end. This isn't appropriate for anyone, let alone kids.
On top of this, if you remember the original video and song, you know it starts out with two girls bashing a girl for having a huge rear end (i.e. self-esteem issues ladies!) and then you hear this rapper talking about how he loves to have sex with women who have big rear ends. And not just a single woman, but ANY women. Now, I'm not religious or very conservative, I have had more than one partner, but advertising that having sex with anyone isn't very positive for kids. And it isn't very positive for little girls to already be thinking about how their bodies look.
This commercial is wrong because it is teaching boys to fantasize about the female body and not appreciate her personality. It teaches girls to be conscientious about their body and can cause self-esteem issues. This commercial is wrong because it teaches kids under the age of twelve that sex is okay, a woman doesn't deserve respect and that nasty, fried food is good for you.
Burger King and SpongeBob SquarePants should be ashamed of their actions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5X4TSbGreA
First off, I like SpongeBob SquarePants. I used to watch it with my nephew when both of us were younger. But I wouldn't say it was the best show for kids. It has some fowl ideas in it; like the fact that the starfish is so absolutely dumb it makes me feel fumb watching him. But its ok entertainment.
Burger King, isn't somewhere I would go to get a healthy meal, but I never thought the company would make an advertisement so disgusting that is aimed right to kids. I know, I know, "Parents are so over-protective, why do they have to be so paranoid?" But over-protection and paranoia is not the point here. The point is that these companies are advertising sex appeal, de-humanizing the woman body and are trying to sell kids' meals while doing it. I could just imagine my 10 year-old nephew starting to sing this song after seeing it and then wanting to go get nasty Burger King food while doing it.
Think about it, and watch the commercial again if you need to; the men on the show consist of ugly weirdos looking at butts, a king costume and cartoons. The women are dressed in tight 'sexy' clothes with 'squares' on their rear ends dancing around and shaking their 'thang'. At one point the king measures a woman's square rear end. This isn't appropriate for anyone, let alone kids.
On top of this, if you remember the original video and song, you know it starts out with two girls bashing a girl for having a huge rear end (i.e. self-esteem issues ladies!) and then you hear this rapper talking about how he loves to have sex with women who have big rear ends. And not just a single woman, but ANY women. Now, I'm not religious or very conservative, I have had more than one partner, but advertising that having sex with anyone isn't very positive for kids. And it isn't very positive for little girls to already be thinking about how their bodies look.
This commercial is wrong because it is teaching boys to fantasize about the female body and not appreciate her personality. It teaches girls to be conscientious about their body and can cause self-esteem issues. This commercial is wrong because it teaches kids under the age of twelve that sex is okay, a woman doesn't deserve respect and that nasty, fried food is good for you.
Burger King and SpongeBob SquarePants should be ashamed of their actions.
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