BD Lays the Groundwork

[bdwilson]

I've been considering sitting this one out, since I've washed out of the last, what, three challenges? Anyway, I think I'll try this anyway, if only to add a bit of structure.

This month is mostly about adjusting and preparing for things I'll have to deal with in the new year. I'd like to go into it with everything I need in place.

 

Prepare for The Search

I need to look for a new job in 2020. This month I want everything in place to hit the ground running with that.

• Touch base with the Career Transition Service. (Waiting on a callback, but I want to check in if it goes for a week without hearing.)
• Get LinkedIn updated. I have basics in there, but it's time to clean it up and prepare to use it.
• Create a new resume. I haven't needed one in, oh, 15 years, so I don't even know if I have a copy of the old one. Might as well start over.

 

Create a Daily Structure

While I'm looking for a day job, I want to write full time. This means creating a work schedule and sticking to it without extra pressure.

• Plan a daily schedule.
• List all current projects.
• Prioritize all projects.
• Estimate the time to complete the top three.
• Set myself a deadline for the top three.

 

Organize my Space

I'll be in my home office a lot more now. It's got a bunch of random stuff in it at the moment, both because I was in the middle of clearing out my closet and because I brought home all the stuff from my work office. It's a mess, is what I'm saying.

• Gather everything off of the storage surfaces.
• Get rid of anything that can be gotten rid of.
• Find a place for everything else.
• Look up where the Eco Centre is and plan a trip.

 

Hopefully, I can get all that done, so I don't have to carry any of it forward to 2020. I will make checking in here part of the schedule I'm creating, but it might take me a bit to get into a more regular habit.

[Waanie]

Good to see you again . It seems like we're goal-buddies of sorts this challenge, with the not having a job and still wanting to fill the time usefully. Are you going to include some exercise or nice cooking in your daily/weekly schedule as well? Or will you just start slowly to get a structure in place and add in exercise again later?

[bdwilson]

Always good to see you!

 

13 hours ago, Waanie said:

Good to see you again . It seems like we're goal-buddies of sorts this challenge, with the not having a job and still wanting to fill the time usefully. Are you going to include some exercise or nice cooking in your daily/weekly schedule as well? Or will you just start slowly to get a structure in place and add in exercise again later?

 

Yay! It's fun having an unexpected goal-buddy 

 

For now, I'm going to let the exercise and cooking slid a bit. I do plan to work them in, but oddly enough, I might have a better chance of that if I don't make it a specific goal. I've had a lot of take-out recently, so I think fatigue there will help with cooking again, and I'm trying to get in a walk now and again to start the exercise back in. If I can get those working, then I'll look at stepping it up.

[Defining]

19 hours ago, bdwilson said:

I've been considering sitting this one out, since I've washed out of the last, what, three challenges? 

Even if you don't 'end' the challenge having accomplished all of your goals, I think it's a great way to track the passage of time! Speaking from personal experience here: it's better to realise 'oops, that was 6 weeks, let's try again', rather than 'wtf just happened to the last 4 months?!?!'.

[bdwilson]

Thank you, that helps! 

[Waanie]

12 hours ago, bdwilson said:

For now, I'm going to let the exercise and cooking slid a bit. I do plan to work them in, but oddly enough, I might have a better chance of that if I don't make it a specific goal. I've had a lot of take-out recently, so I think fatigue there will help with cooking again, and I'm trying to get in a walk now and again to start the exercise back in. If I can get those working, then I'll look at stepping it up. 

Good plan . I always very quickly from take-out fatigue, and then often quickly realise that cooking myself is often less effort than ordering in (provided I have ingredients at home). This might be different for different people though, as I have much more experience with cooking than with ordering in .

 

11 hours ago, Defining said:

Even if you don't 'end' the challenge having accomplished all of your goals, I think it's a great way to track the passage of time! Speaking from personal experience here: it's better to realise 'oops, that was 6 weeks, let's try again', rather than 'wtf just happened to the last 4 months?!?!'.

Fully agree with this one! I've been there as well, just like so many others.

[bdwilson]

12 hours ago, Waanie said:

This might be different for different people though, as I have much more experience with cooking than with ordering in .

 

Heh! My experience is the opposite way around  I really need to change that, though.

 

I get to make an update!

• Touch base with the Career Transition Service.

Confirmation came through and I've registered myself for the orientation. Now I'm just going to follow this through, and sign up for ALL THE WEBINARS! That should help with getting me back on a consistent schedule, though. I think I've got a full week of ones that start at 9 am.

 

[Waanie]

11 hours ago, bdwilson said:

Confirmation came through and I've registered myself for the orientation. Now I'm just going to follow this through, and sign up for ALL THE WEBINARS! That should help with getting me back on a consistent schedule, though. I think I've got a full week of ones that start at 9 am.

Nice! Is it the type of "course" where you find out what you like and what your abilities are, or is it more in-depth workshops on specific topics? It sounds fun either way though.

[bdwilson]

On 12/11/2019 at 5:06 AM, Waanie said:

Nice! Is it the type of "course" where you find out what you like and what your abilities are, or is it more in-depth workshops on specific topics? It sounds fun either way though.

 

I think there's some on figuring out what you want to do, but there's a lot on prepping for the job search, like getting your LinkedIn and resume up to date and such, so those are the ones I'm focusing on at the moment. I've only had the chance to go to a few so far, but I think they're going to be useful!

[bdwilson]

Okay, checking-in still something I'm not great at, but now I've finished one of my daily structure items, that should hopefully change:

• Plan a daily schedule.

Also finished a few of the search preparations:

• Get LinkedIn updated. 
• Create a new resume. 

I'll still be working to tweak those, but I've got a decent starting point now, rather than nothing.

[Maggie-Miau]

Heyoo, BD! Sending you some cheering-on and also some "ooh, nice" about your goals! they look great Congratulations on those crossed-off items!

[Defining]

1 hour ago, bdwilson said:

Okay, checking-in still something I'm not great at, but now I've finished one of my daily structure items, that should hopefully change:

• Plan a daily schedule.

Also finished a few of the search preparations:

• Get LinkedIn updated. 
• Create a new resume. 

I'll still be working to tweak those, but I've got a decent starting point now, rather than nothing.

 

That's awesome progress - keep on keeping on!

[bdwilson]

Thank you very much 😃

 

And I disappeared again. Ah well. I think I'm just going to play these as they come and make sure I'm at least here at the start and the end 😋

 

Anyway, got about half of my items done in December. Unfinished ones are project estimation and cleaning:

• Estimate the time to complete the top three.
• Set myself a deadline for the top three.

• Gather everything off of the storage surfaces.
• Get rid of anything that can be gotten rid of.
• Find a place for everything else.
• Look up where the Eco Centre is and plan a trip.

This does not surprise me in the slightest. Right. On to the new year!