I’m grateful to put the last two weeks behind me. It’s been crazy, and I think the posts (or lack thereof) around here have really reflected that.
I’d hoped to have some work done on this website by the end of March. Of course, I’d also hoped to have roughly a quarter of my writing/editing queue finished and to have made a serious dent in my reading list. I’d planned to move JewelryNiche to its new home at my personal blog. I’d planned on having a plan to gracefully step away from CareerNiche because I’m no longer doing anything related to those topics.
It’s funny how things don’t work out the way you planned sometimes.
I did finally manage to get some work done on a project someone sent me at the beginning of March. I’ve read one e-book off my list. JewelryNiche is still sitting here, and I;m feeling guilty for not updating it more frequently, but my life isn’t allowing me the time or patience to sit down and create the pieces I’m sketching out, so I don’t necessarily feel a drive to share more about bead symbolism or design issues. And these past two weeks saw the full force return of my inner coach…the one I haven’t sought out training for because I’m not sure that’s a route I want to go.
I’m still looking to boil this site down to reflect what I’m up to, but with my inability to get a good grasp on my time for more than a couple of days, it’s become very challenging to see what it is I am actually doing.
Maybe this is the cosmic signal that I’m getting ready to shift myself away from what I’m supposed to be doing. Or perhaps I just think too much.
Posted by Rebecca as Personal development at 8:45 AM EDT
1 Comment »
I was digging through an old social networking blog I briefly wrote, and found this old post that I think I should probably re-read and embrace.
I found a great, brief article in my feeds today on how to be successful.
- Be remarkable
- Be visible
- Be sustainable
Okay, I’ve got the first one in droves (if I choose to believe what everybody tells me. Given that I’ve been told that by completely unconnected people who’ve known me for as few as a couple of days or as long as many years, I’m thinking I probably ought to just shut up and listen to them.)
I’m working on number two, and I think it’s actually taking hold slowly. It’s very terrifying, but at the same time it’s exciting. I’m really trying to make myself accessible and approachable, focusing mainly on my online life because I seem to be naturally accessible and approachable offline.
Number three…that’s the tricky one. For starters, he never actually defines what “sustainable” means in this context. How does one make oneself sustainable, and how does that connect to personal success? Even consulting a dictionary to make sure I’m right about what that word means isn’t helping.
Based on this, I’m roughly halfway to being successful. I guess I really should be making sure my ducks are in a row for when I accidentally stumble into success.
Posted by Rebecca as Uncategorized at 7:44 AM EDT
3 Comments »
In a day where everyone is being encouraged to specialize in something, I take great pride in being part of an endangered species. You see, I am a generalist. I’m one of those people who has to know everything at a functional level (minimum) and then be able to blend those diverse skills into a smooth product.
This used to serve me well when I had to develop a workshop or program in only a day or three. Currently, it’s the source of too many headaches as my ability to learn quickly pairs with my generalist tendencies to make me the sole person capable of doing many things at work. As a friend pointed out to me yesterday, it’s my generalist capabilities that made me Teacher of the Year last year.
While many people think a generalist is just someone who was too lazy to pick a specialization (or perhaps afraid of commitment), I know the truth.
The generalist is the one capable of seeing the big picture, of seeing how all the smaller pieces fit together. They often don’t break down task by the normal skill division lines, because they see that certain tasks just group well together, regardless of the fact they call on separate disciplines. The generalist can adapt quickly to new situations because they can shift their skills around to suit the new expectations, or propose fast solutions for problems because they can see it in multiple dimensions.
Being a generalist has generally made me indispensable in many of my volunteer and teaching jobs, and I’m looking for the perfect opportunity to use the natural flexibility of being a generalist to help guide me into the next stage of my professional life (which I hope will see me developing educational programming again. Anybody looking for a quick learner looking to learn the educational media/interactive design scene?)
Posted by Rebecca as Uncategorized, Personal development at 7:57 AM EDT
2 Comments »
I’ve finally accepted that while I love the important aspects of my current job, it’s really not fulfilling my needs. I’ve known this for a while now, but I’m one of those stupidly optimistic people who believes they can change things enough to make them work. Except I am at the boundaries of my job (all of my roles). I have gamed things my way.
When asked what I feel is missing, my answer came without a thought- I have no real opportunities to create. I problem solve on my feet as I work with my students, trying to find the right explanation to help make a concept make sense to them. I created training notes for the two programs I have trained teachers for. I am creating a book that will detail every single process I know.
Beyond that…I’m creating nothing.
While I love teaching and advising, I need to create or I go nuts. I think this, in part, drove some of my jewelry design work (which is nothing more than a series of sketches until I have a better way to visually record and display my pieces). I think it’s also what keeps me working through my writing life (which right now is confined to editing old pieces and polishing them enough to where I feel I could either self-publish them, or don’t feel embarrassed at sharing them on them web.
I am growing. I am changing. I want my web spaces to reflect the directions my life is going. As a result, you may notice that the Niches may be avoided for a while because I am not dealing with that part of my life. You may find Niches absorbed into other Niches as I decide whether it’s a primary or secondary part of my make-up. There’s also a very good chance that a Niche or two might vanish to my personal website as I can no longer make the argument for them being here.
Currently, I’m looking more toward shifting my professional focus, toward freelancing rather than being an entrepreneur until I have a better grasp of who I am. Stay tuned. Feel free to comment on what you are seeing. As always, feel free to continue to make your recommendations and ask questions.
Posted by Rebecca as Site News at 8:01 AM EST
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