Status Update - 1.13.13

Life slowly returned to normal this week following Fuzz’s departure the week before. Traditional routines reemerged and I found myself gaining a bit of traction in discovering what's next on the professional front. Thanks to a handful of great conversations about potential new ventures and life advice, my outlook for the year remains positive.

On a more personal level, I’m making progress in achieving some of my goals for this year. A few noteworthy ones include being physically active frequently, building my own Website and reading regularly. I'm very excited to be learning HTML and looking forward to hitting publish on my site next month. I also purchased a few sessions at a boxing/muay thai gym in Belltown that I'm eager to try.

The year is off to a good start so far. And as a former sprinter, I’m well aware of the importance of a good start. Out of the gate, it’s time to make things happen! Hello 2013, you're looking great.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user bacherfamily]

2013 Goals

Admittedly, I am a bit behind in posting these but wanted to share my major goals for 2013. There are two reasons for doing so. First, I’ve found from experience that it’s easy to forget goals when they don’t take physical shape. Secondly, I’m striving to generate more original content in 2013 and this is a step in the right direction. I’m in the process of determining a good home for all of my posts but for now I’m going to make use of Facebook notes.

Below are my major goals for the year:

• Master four new cocktails
• Be physically active three times a week
• Save $10,000 for a major life event
• Blog once a week
• Create a personal Website
• Make more time for family and friends
• Read a new book once a month
• Be timely and organized
• Attend two networking/educational events a month
• Visit a major U.S. city outside of the Pacific Northwest

Smooth Sailing

Life is full of varying degrees of chaos. From simple day-to-day problems like commuting, to more complex challenges such as paying down a massive amount of debt or figuring out how to say goodbye to a loved one. Problems arise from the shadows often to steal the spotlight and collect all of our available attention. While these moment are important and can be life changing, they are brief.

Reflecting back on my own life over the past year, I can recall a few storms or two that arose out of nowhere. Now being in a moment of relative calm, I can easily recall the events surrounding the storm but recognize it as only a fleeting memory. After all, things turned out for the best in the long run. When Fuzz left, I bunkered down and became more independent, meetings new friends and acquiring new skills. When I was laid off, I used my available resources to visit Kuala Lumpur for a vacation and networked to find a new job when I returned.

Storms as I’ve learned come as quickly as they leave. While it doesn’t feel this way during, hindsight reveals it was more of a fire drill than a catastrophe. Life is full of unexpected events. Embracing the chaos when it comes to your door and cherishing the calm before and after is the best way to live. After all, life is too short to constantly be hunkering down for the next big one.

Unexpected Storms

After a year full of momentum and growth, I find myself frozen. The cogs of my life that once clicked to the sound of progress have seized up after being exposed to the harsh elements of reality. Like any good machine, it functions perfectly in ideal conditions but unexpected variables throw it off course effortlessly. It simply wasn’t prepared for an unexpected layoff.

Now in my third round of unemployment, I find myself with a similar predicament, “find a job!” Initially upon graduating from the University of Washington in 2009, I thought that this dilemma would be a rare challenge, not a yearly struggle. Unfortunately, I’m slowly learning that instability is the new norm. Luckily having coped with the storm of unemployment twice before, I’m well versed in the tools and techniques required to survive. Thanks to a combination of savings, unemployment insurance, food stamps, good friends, and loving family members, I have been able to find a small bit of stability. But what’s next?

I use to think that the words, “To Be Continued…” were reserved for Saturday morning cartoons and didn’t have any bearing on real life. Paused now in thought about the future, I find this idea laughable. Uncertainty is a part of the human condition. Days aren’t promised, success isn’t guaranteed and misfortune can often lie just around the corner prepared to ruin an otherwise perfect day.

As much as I want to pause indefinitely and linger about the what-ifs and the past, the world marches on, forcing me to note the past but not dwell. The search for the next great opportunity starts now! Time waits for no one after all. Mission in mind, I gather my tools and prepare for another extensive hunt. Determined, I’m eager to get my wheels clicking once again and discover what’s next.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user Joe Skinner Photography]