There's Always Someone Worse Off

Here's a fitness tip: You should really stop whatever you are doing, and rest, and take care of yourself if you feel like you are going to cry. Same goes for puking. Just STOP.  Not stop FOREVER...just stop for now.

Whatever physical activity you are TRYING to do, you are not getting enough air to do it. As my amazing yoga teacher says, "back off the intensity, and find your breath."

The training ride I planned for today made my workout buddy overtired, vulnerable, and about 3 miles from the end of my planned ride, weepy.  She called her partner to be picked up and taken home. Ooops. I was quite happy and supportive of her decision to stop.  I was SO grateful that she didn't try to "tough it out."  I have zero interest in dealing with an injured or collapsed team mate. WHEW.

The situation was only hilarious because of all the time I worried over a route that would add mileage and some small hills to make it "hard enough" -  to make it worth her while.  Again with the Oops.

I've been riding my big heavy bike (nicknamed affectionately by my ALC team members "The Tank") to and from yoga class. I've been riding it up and down from the beachfront.  I've been riding a LOT compared to her (apparently). So, even though she she can go twice (if not three times) as fast as me on her road bike with her clip pedals...she's just not as ready for hills.

So today was a reminder that when you take on any new challenge, beware assumptions. I assumed she was more fit and more prepared than me. Not so much. I assumed that because she had been "a cyclist" that she was mentally prepared as well. Now I know what being stretched a little too thin looks like for her.

Damn am I glad she was with me, and let me help her. How unbearable would it have been to be in that physically and emotionally beat-down state all alone? 

I'm also very grateful - as horrible as it sounds - to have the reminder that there's always someone worse off than me. I may have a terrible time keeping off and losing weight; I may have a big, clunker of a bike; I may not be able to get to the top of a big hill without some slow, resting, catch-my-breath time...but I am surprisingly healthy. Fit. And getting fitter as each week goes by.

Because some of you asked about the interview-that-won't-lead-to-an-offer, I thought I would share the crux of the mis-match:

Now that some firms are hiring again, the best way to approach the job market is by asking yourself: "Where do I want to be five to 10 years from now, and how do I get there?" - Paul Bernard
4 Tips for Getting Hired in the Improving Job Market

I always do this exercise prior to job interviews.  Unlike my husband, for example, who has a finely honed development skill that he applies to many different companies, products, types of software, I have a toolbox of different skill-sets that can be applied to a variety of job types. He tells me lovingly it makes me an excellent commodity in the job market. However, it does mean I have to define and manage my career with an eye towards the long term. Mere employ-ability does not a rewarding career make.

If I don't manage my positions carefully, I risk ending up doing work I am good at, but that does not excite me. Because I have experience and skills in many areas, choosing the wrong position means unhappy employers or clients, and more frequent job changes.  Because I am a people-person, I enjoy developing and maintaining relationships for the long term.

As I try to broaden my ability to be "A Consultant," at a minimum that means acquiring clients and providing excellent services.  That would be hard with a long-term, full-time job.  I suspect the two are mutually exclusive for me, since I really like my evenings and weekends. I believe it would be especially hard with a full time job because of the work style and culture.

During the interview I was asked to describe why the position was a good fit for my career path.
Uh-Oh. I had spent about a week, trying to answer this question.  And my answer had a lot of "IFs":

• IF it is only two years...
• IF it is just this one, interesting project...
• IF it allows me to be a part of a specific community...

You see, one reason I jumped at the position was because it was posted as a two-year contract.  A longer contract than I perhaps wanted, but a good, steady position with very interesting work.  So when they asked, I said it was a good match because:

• The work was interesting
• The goals were aligned with my values
• I Love UC (Alumna, after all)
• The contract is two years

I thought it would be seen as a BENEFIT to them, to find someone who really did want exactly what they were offering: A temporary position. BAD ASSUMPTION.
In reality, they clarified, they hope to make the position permanent.

So that is it.  I applied for a position that was explicitly two-years and project based...which is not what they actually want. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, because in all other ways, I am a Lego fit for their criteria (they can just snap me into every aspect of what they need to build) .

Time for some 'Professional Development'

Each day that I am unemployed I plan to:

• Read (at least) 2 professional articles or posts
• Watch (at least) 30 minutes of video at Lynda.com to learn something new OR Attend one live webinar or web class
• Write (at least) one blog post
• Apply to (at least) 2 jobs

The first three bullets on the list above are things I should really have been doing the entire time I was employed.  Like so many people I know, I never made the time for them. Now time is what I have - and only time will tell how badly I have fallen behind in managing my career...and how quickly I can refresh my knowledge and skills sets for the interviews that will land me my next paid challenge.

Because let's face it, career management may be critical, but it isn't always easy.  In high school I knew that job security had gone the way of the dodo bird. Career Management was a skill that was explicitly taught in the mid 90s when I graduated from college. American - or at least Californian - culture had accepted that employer and employee loyalty was dead: 'At Will' was King. And the new King demanded those 40-80 hour work weeks in exchange for the privilege of bending to his will...oh, and a paycheck.

For the moment, I AM KING!
It feels pretty great to have that crown...but my kingdom feels a bit small. Maybe some of my fields and forests are overgrown. Maybe a few castles are in disrepair.

In this stretch of my unemployment, whether long or short, if I want to work on my "extracurricular" projects (feasting, hunting, jousting) I plan to hold myself ransom until my "work" is done. I hope that this will be easy, since I have a pattern and habit of working 8-10 hours a day, breaking for meals, tea, and exercise. It has become a question of re-defining what my daily "work" is and making every task count twice (or maybe 3 times): once for my job search, once for my professional development, and lastly for my personal development.

Do you try to do things everyday that count in all three categories? What do you do and how do you do it?  Watch for daily posts, and I look forward to your feedback!