Lesson #15 - Goals

Growing up I always hated when teachers made you write out your goals. I have always been a I-just-have-to-wait-and-see-what-happens kind of person. Not necessarily crazy spontaneous, but I was just never sure I could really pick out my “destiny”.

Okay, but goals are good - right? I have always been better with creating short-term goals because those seemed a bit more tangible. More practical. Like pass this exam or find shoes to match the dress I am wearing this weekend. Those goals I can usually achieve and am happy with. It’s the long-term goals that get me. Really, should I want to be a lawyer, doctor, or teacher? Or be married and have five children by the time I am 32? No I don’t want to be a lawyer, doctor, or teacher. Really I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I “grow up”. And while getting married and having kids would be nice, you just can’t always plan that timing. Besides, at this point it’s a little late for five kids by the time I am 32. Well, unless I have quintuplets.

Ouch.

With all that said, I have decided to narrow down some life goals for me. One short-term and one long-term goal. Just to please the masses*. (*the masses being potential employers and past teachers)

Short-term goal: get a job
Long-term goal: win an Oscar

I would say both of those are very doable. I figure I am making some good headway on the short term goal and I have a little bit of time to achieve the long-term goal. Both very possible and both still maintain my I-just-have-to-wait-and-see-what-happens goal making personality. I am sure the Academy would agree.

Lesson #14 - A Full Time Job

Where has all my time gone? I have been in Texas for a little over a month now and it has flown by. I think I am on the computer just about 8+ hours a day doing lots of research, writing, and arithmetic (okay not really arithmetic.) It’s like a full time job! If only I was getting paid for all this work…

Between applying for jobs, I have started a couple new ventures. First I’ve been doing a little volunteering with my mom’s friend/colleague in developing a new website, database, and potentially a communications schedule. It’s for a non-profit here in Austin called Hope Street (formerly Christian Women’s Job Corp) and it’s been fun. They are pretty much on the ground floor but in a great position to take off. I love applying some of the things I have learned along the way to help them develop an online presence and hopefully grow their classes, volunteers, and donor base. It’s always challenging to figure out ways to help them succeed without a lot of capital. Well challenging, but usually very rewarding. Now if only it had a cash reward that went directly in my pocket…

My other venture is starting a food blog of sorts. My mom and I decided that we needed to make a diet change. A “switch” is actually what we are calling it. Remember my New Year’s resolution of losing 15 pounds? Well I would say I am getting on track for achieving that goal. Check out our new blog and read our tweets as we try to incorporate more superfoods into our diet and leave behind the processed empire that reigns over the grocery aisles. Let’s just say my old roommate, Erika, would be proud.

These three things - job hunting, volunteering, and writing - have really taken over my time recently. But I have mostly enjoyed it (well, minus the job hunting.) Now I am just hoping it will all pay off…

Lesson #13 - The Olympics

So I finally made it to Austin. I’m sure you have figured that out already. It’s been an interesting change, but I think I am starting to get used to it. Well I am speaking for myself anyway. My boyfriend hasn’t even been here a week and I have a feeling he isn’t even feeling close to settled.

I still have yet to find a job here in Austin. It’s hard because I feel like I have been looking forever and still have no results. And it is true I have been looking for quite sometime, but the reality is I just barely started my search in Austin. So I shouldn’t get frustrated too quickly.

We’ve been watching our fair share of the Olympics lately. Those athletes are really inspiring me. Maybe that is why people love the Olympics so much. I watch them and think how much discipline they had to have to bring them to where they were. I’m thinking that if I put as much discipline into looking for a job or eating healthy as they train for their sport then I for sure will be able to score that job and look hot in a swimsuit.

Lesson #6 - Third Time’s A Charm

You would think by now I would get the hint. But I had to go and apply once more to Whole Foods. And then turn around and get denied almost immediately. Three times! At least they were all at different stores and all different positions. Wait, that means I just got denied three times by three different people. Oh the pain.

Job hunting really gets old after a while. I have been consistently looking for a job here in Portland since April. Let’s do the math – that is 6 months of searching. A half of a year! My goodness, by now you would think I’d be doing something a little more exciting than saying, "Thank you for calling. This is Shannon. How can I help you?" every four and a half minutes.

I seriously never want to look at a job search engine ever again. It’s getting depressing. The listed positions should have a disclaimer that says, "oh and by the way Shannon, there is no possible chance that you will get this job, so don’t even waste your time applying." That would be helpful because then I wouldn’t waste my time. I really hate wasting my time.

I hate wasting time so much that sometimes in interviews when I realize there is no possible chance I am going to get the job I just want to stop and say, "you know this really isn’t going to work out, you and I both know I am not a good fit for this position so lets stop wasting our time, goodbye." But I don’t because I know I shouldn’t. But really I don’t know why I shouldn’t because I know I am not going to get the job. I guess I always hope for that chance. Well that and I’m desperate.

And that brings me to today. Waking up at 2:45 am so I can listen to people from all over the country talk about their petty problems. I guess somebody has to do it.

Desperation, it’s an ugly thing.