Help Wanted-aka Zeke’s Goals Revisited

After my fairly bold post last week, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on this job problem and how I’m dealing with it. So we’re clear, it’s not like I just threatened to quit. The truth is, opportunity-wise at least, I have a fairly sweet arrangement with my existing job. But will getting additional help really help? Yes and no. Sometimes in life, if you can solve one problem, others can become a lot more manageable.

So, now that I’ve completed Goal #1, I think I need to add another goal to the list to be the new number one for this year, and it’s a goal I believe I may achieve more easily if I take advantage of social commitment (hence this post):

Goal #1. Master the art of managing my time so that work time is work time, and play time is play time.

It’s not that I totally suck at time management, and I’ve certainly made various efforts over the years, but planning one’s time is a lot like exercising. You always feel better when you do it well (often the benefits to overall health-both mental and physical-are tremendous), but doing it (at least initially) kind of sucks. And keeping at it...isn’t always that easy.

Not that I want my whole life planned out. Far from it. But when it comes to certain aspects of my life…aka work…I think I would be a lot happier if I planned my time better.

I think a big challenge I’ve had is that I’ve been too much of a perfectionist with this issue, and when I fail, I get discouraged and more or less give up for a while. It's also true that my job is challenging in that it demands planning, but I also have to be ready to respond in an emergency, which I guess is all the more reason to plan when I can. I don’t need to always accomplish what I had in mind…I just need to plan well enough so that the person driving my life is ME. So that I’m in the habit of saying yes to the things that really matter (friends, family, well deserved recreation…you know…the good stuff in life)… and NO to the things that don’t.

Diez años

Well, this week is kind of an unusual milestone in my life. It is now ten years since I graduated from college, and as of Wednesday it will be 10 years that I’ve been working as a safety geek.

Can’t help but ask the question…have my endeavors over the past 10 years really been worthwhile?

I think my answer is both yes and no. Career wise…I’ve progressed as well as I ever expected. I’ve learned so much about “the real world” and a lot about me as well. I’ve found I’m capable of a lot more than I imagined. The shy kid who was scared to death to run a cash register at Arby’s now directly manages 4 people and indirectly manages about 200. I have a job that is much more challenging…and at least some of the time…even more fulfilling than expected. And the fact is…sorry if this is a bit boastful…I’m really good at what I do.

I’m also pretty happy with where I’m at financially. I have the American dream…a beautiful home…two vehicles in the garage…a stable income and money in the bank…with my only significant debt…a fairly reasonable mortgage.

Not bad. But far from perfect. It took me a LONG time to get here…and I made some really dumb moves along the way. The biggest one…I chose to learn the hard way that just because you CAN afford a certain lifestyle…doesn’t mean you really WANT to. Let’s face it, getting myself stuck in a condo in Tooele with two rather sizeable car payments. Not smart. And then, after I get the cars paid off to have the condo association turn around and bar any new rentals…when I was finally ready to move. Uggh!

I also think I need to face the fact that I’ve been a bit too focused on my career…and it’s basically backfired on me. The more you prove you can do…the more they ask of you. Well, it’s not just that. As I’ve gotten better at what I do I now recognize so many different things I “should” do…that before…never really hit the radar. The fact is, this past month…has been one of the most challenging of the past decade. Work-wise at least.

Fortunately, there are solutions. The fact is…I really am at a spot in my life where I can say…this job thing…it’s going to be win-win…or it’s no deal. There are greener pastures…and if necessary…I can and will graze elsewhere. I’m very grateful I didn’t overspend on my home. Kind of cool…as I’ve reached this new spot in my life (thank God I’m no longer trapped in Tooele) both myself and my boss have come to recognize that old Zekers really is overworked…and that can only be tolerated for so long. I got authorization this past week to hire (contract out) whatever additional help I need. I’m a little nervous about hiring strangers who may show me I don’t know quite as much as I think I do…and having even more people to supervise…but I think I’m up to the challenge…

I hope I am:)

me gusto much tambien

For some reason, I absolutely loved reading this story:)

¡Me gusta mucho la primavera!

It’s definitely true. Every bit as much as I hate cold weather…I LOVE SPRING!

I realize this warm weather the past few days may be a bit of an aberration…but it was definitely worth enjoying, and I am ever so glad I had the day off work today.

I’m also really getting to like this new T-town. The river is awesome. A three-city bike tour on Saturday afternoon (okay, Murray and West Jordan aren’t really all that far), and then roller-blading today. It was fun!

Being in a new home (for me) has also made this spring special. I admit, buying the lawn mower was a lot more fun than actually using it, and I’m sure it will eventually seem like much more of a chore than an adventure, but is so nice to have “my space” outside. On Saturday morning, after pruning the trees a bit more (I cut down a dead branch almost 5 inches in diameter all by myself) I decided to just lay down on the grass and take it all in. I think I spent about 20 minutes listening to and watching the birds that have chosen to share my home.

Hmmm…I think I may be a little high on this spring thing right now…but ah well.

I guess I’ll end this with some photos…of the flowers…in my yard…the ones I didn’t have to plant at all…

What a week…aka…ready or not here they come!

This week has been a bit unusual in a few different ways. First of all, my ties to Tooele are officially severed. Perhaps another manifestation of my worry problem…but I can’t deny it feels pretty damn good to have the “what if the buyer blows off the contract” concern behind me.

My ties with the west desert are far from severed, however, and even though amazing freeway access and a concomitant minimal bump to my drive time while still being essentially in the middle of everything were…well...HUGE…factors in choosing my new home, I ended up being stuck in traffic the longest of my entire life this past week.

Fortunately, that only meant being parked on the freeway for just over an hour in addition to my normal lengthy commute time (I think anyone from California would state I have no right to complain). It actually was kind of interesting. Wondering if the Saltair fires would reach my car, trying to get some work done from the driver’s seat of old blue…struggling to view the screen on my laptop through the layer of accumulating ash.

When traffic finally did start moving, I saw something I was very glad didn’t happen to me. Let’s face it…I drink lots of caffeinated beverages…and the “do I expose myself in public?” question was fairly pressing on my mind (and on other body parts). No, I didn’t see somebody yanking it out, but I did see a guy who apparently had gotten out to do so and had clearly locked himself out of his vehicle. I bet that highway patrolman trying to pry his door open was pretty tempted to just smash the window as surrounding traffic approached NORMAL freeway speeds.

Maybe these traffic stories aren’t as interesting as I think they are, but to me it did seem ironic to drive past over 5 miles of parked vehicles all on their way home to the place I had been so anxious to leave. What was even more interesting (for me), was seeing almost the same sight the very next day (less than one hour after I found out the condo sale had funded) due to slipping and sliding from the winter storm…while I zipped right on to my new home:)

I’m glad I’m finally taking some time to write. Work has been a bit unusual too and proved to make for one heck of a week…a week that just happens to be the week before our biggest audit of the year. There were plenty of unexpected twists (considering I have no idea who might read this blog that’s about all I can say). Well, I will say this. As much as I love helping people…sometimes it’s draining when you feel you are expected too often to be the hero…and as much as I wish I didn’t feel this way…I’m kind of pissed I have to work an extra long shift on a Saturday through what seems to me to be no fault of my own. I’m freaking tired!

But, fortunately, I know this too shall pass…

Thank-you so much!

I know I said thank-you earlier, but sometimes a repeat is deserved. THANK YOU to all those who helped me with the move!

I will admit, I didn’t fully anticipate how much would be involved in “post-moving.” At least my kitchen stuff is put away. I guess it’s just as well I will be without home internet for a little while longer.

Oh, I do have some more exciting news. I shared with most of my family my disappointment to find out the Great Harvest Bread that was going to be 2 blocks from my house had gone out of business. Well, I discovered last Sunday I was wrong. They didn’t go out of business. They just moved. In exploring my new turf, I found that they are now just about a mile from my house. A little further out than anticipated…but probably also just as well…as I don’t need to be stuffing my face with free bread EVERY day:)

Well…time to get back to work...

Past the point of no return...

Well, I found out yesterday afternoon that I am now a property tax paying citizen of the Great Salt Lake Valley. Man does it take a long time to buy a house. It was about 5 weeks from the time I found the place I wanted to call home before I actually got the opportunity to live there. There is no such thing as a perfect home…but there is this: A VERY COOL HOME! I get the keys today:)

There is something else new I would like to share.

Next week…brace yourselvses…Andrew Lloyd Webber is releasing a new musical. It’s the sequel to...yes…really…the Phantom of the Opera. Andrew seems pretty confident the story line will be good. Admittedly, probably not especially difficult to come up with a better story than the original. Music-wise…I’m not holding my breath. However, I am VERY excited!