Strategic Serendipity

I've heard before that you can change the kind of day you're having through the power of positive thinking.  Today, I experienced another side of the old adage.  At work, an amazingly positive person made my day just a little brighter.  I noticed that I laughed more throughout the day and hopefully brought a little laughter to others.  What can you do today to start a chain reaction of positive thoughts?

Sorry for missing yesterday, I couldn't get my internet to work.  I am back online today though! For the past couple of days, I have been thinking.  How much do you know about the people you work with everyday.  So much conflict at work arises from jealously, she gets more face time with the big boss, he gets better work.  I think if we knew more about the challenges that our co-workers face in their everyday lives, or how hard they work behind the scenes that we never see, we would be much less jealous.  Too often people face personal crisis and challenge alone.  Too often, the truly hard workers do it silently.  Too often, we only see a fraction of what is going on with our coworkers, yet we make judgments based on that very small piece of the puzzle.  Before you covet another's place in the world, take a closer look at what you think they have.  Once you see the bigger picture, you may find that your world is not so bad and you may get a...

Do you ever notice no matter how rough your week or how long your day is, when Friday close of business comes, you have a new energy.  Is it a sense of accomplishment for what you've accomplished (making it through the week) or is it looking forward to two days off?  I think that it is probably a little of both.  That is how I feel today.  With the crazy weather we had here, I worked from home a lot this week, but I worked about 50% more than I would have if I had gone into the office.  So with the work week behind me and an evening with friends, a day of volunteering, and a day off in front of me, I left work Friday full of energy and happiness.  If we could bottle that feeling, we would be millionaires.  Until that time, happy Friday.

I love when people are able to match their personal values to their work.  It is easy to look at a list of values and say they are all very important to you, it is much harder to pick your top five.  Then look at the top five and look at the way you spend the hours in your week.  Do you allocate time to the most important things or are you waiting for that illusive "someday" to be able to devote your time to what you love.  If your current job doesn't fit 100% within your core values look around you - what can you do within your job to feed your values.  Aligning your daily tasks with your values is a halfway step that can often bring you more satisfaction in your job and often leads to innovate ideas and improvements. Pick one thing that is important to you and find a way to increase the time you spend on it next week.  How does it make you feel?  Can you permanently incorporate the change?

As I watch American Idol, I am constantly amazed at some of the people who try out.  Personally, I would never have the courage to do it and I know I cannot carry a tune in a bucket.  (In Randy's words, "Sing in your car only...with the windows up.)  So I watch those clips, you know the ones I am talking about, and I cringe.  I actually hurt inside for the people on TV.  But here's the thing, maybe they're not the best in their field, but they have passion for what they do.  Honestly, if you told me today that I could be either the best in my field or have passion in what I do, I think I might choose passion.  I think that level of commitment to something is truly admirable. What aspect of life are you most passionate about.  Do you let people know or do you keep it for yourself?

So, last night, I lost my cell phone, I worked at an alternate site today, didn't have my regular (way too many) diet cokes, tripped very ungracefully on the sidewalk at lunch in front of my coworkers, was late to a dinner with a friend, went to a meeting only to find out that my lack of phone made me miss that it was changed to a conference call, and had my cab driver take the really long way home.  It was just one of those days. And I would do it all over again if I had to.  Here is why... I was just a little off kilter all day, which made me uneasy, which made me THINK first and speak/act later, which made me notice some things I might not have noticed before, and because of the "detours" I got to see and chat with people I would have missed otherwise.  Don't get me wrong, I don't feel the need to have "those days" every day, but today did have a silver lining and I am grateful for it.  Next time you have one of those days, sit back and approach s...

As I sit here watching my dog play with a $2 stuffed pig a friend bought for him almost two years ago, I realize that so often we spend money on things we think are important (like all the other stuffed animals we have bought him to try to replace the pig when it got torn) or as a reward or present (for a birthday or holiday).  In reality, the best $2 expenditure was one no one really saw coming and time spent washing it or sewing tears are much better than buying something new.  No matter what new toy he gets, when it comes time to go to bed, all he wants is the pig.  When I wash it, he sits in front of the washing machine until it is done.  As leaders, how often do we try to give people something (like a new title, new project, or new incentive) that means absolutely nothing to them?  It is important to really get to know the people you are working with, find out what is important to them, and learn to adjust when, at some point, you realize, all they really w...

Today, I took the day off, went to a silly movie, and just generally had fun.  And I am glad.  So many of us go and go and go to the point that we wear ourselves ragged.  When you take time to stop and just enjoy life, you remember why you do it.  This coming week will border on crazy with all of the things I have scheduled.  Once again, when it is over, I will vow to limit the things I schedule and hopefully will be good for more than the month I lasted this past attempt.  I constantly struggle with the need to balance working hard and living life.  This week will not be one of my stellar examples of balance, but it will help me recommit to achieving balance. What do you do to have fun?  How do you know when it is time to relax?  Do you have to justify relaxation to yourself?

When you are working on setting goals, do you work on financial, work, home, everything at once?  How do you balance and organize multiple projects simultaneously.  The key is probably organization and time management.  For me, the best way to organize projects is to break things down into manageable pieces (with individual deadlines).  Where I struggle is keeping track of everything I am working on.  I read an article that said to put actual tasks in your calendar on individual days (rather than weeks).  That just didn't work for me.  It may have been a lack of acknowledgement of how long items will take or it may have been a penchant for procrastination.  Either way, it didn't work for me.  My planner calendar shows a week at a time (with Sunday as the last day) so I am going to try to write things on Sundays (I try very hard not to schedule anything on Sundays) so that during the week I can eliminate the tasks without committing to doing s...

So I accomplished one of my two twenty-one day challenges.  I will start another back at the gym, but for now, one of two is a success.  I think my friend had it right, if you do something every day for twenty-one days in a row, you can build a new habit.  Now to incorporate this new knowledge into my everyday life and find a focus for the next twenty-one days of blogs...  Until then, have an amazing Friday night!

Up until today, I've had something to write about every day on this little experiment.  I've actually come to look forward to it.  And now tonight, I am sitting here wracking my brain trying to figure out what to write and am drawing a complete blank.  So I thought to myself, what day am I on, how many more days do I have to go?  Well, I started this little challenge, to write every day for twenty-one days in a row, exactly twenty days ago.  The theory was, that if you did something twenty-one days in a row, it would become habit.  While I may have writers block, the fact that I sat here for half an hour trying to figure out what to write is a good indication that I am well on my way to forming a new habit, and for tonight, that is enough for me.

As a Gen Xer entering the workforce twenty years ago, we were told that we were special because we had "that technology thing" down.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I've tried to keep up.  And I thought I was doing a good job.  Our twentieth high school reunion, after all, was advertised and documented on Facebook.  When I started working with Millennials a few years ago, I realized that the technological edge was definitely with them.  I'm not too proud to learn everything I can from them, but I'm also not conceited enough to think I'll ever come close to matching them.  So you can imagine my utter shock (and serious ego bruising) today when I asked my seventy-year old mother if she knew how to find something specific she had mentioned and she nonchalantly responded "can't you just Google it?"  Okay, now I am very proud that she knows what Google is and how to use it, but if she knows that (and yes she has a Facebook page although s...

So we talked yesterday about those things you are just meant to do and that feeling when you're doing it.  The exact opposite, for me, is working with spreadsheets.  I like putting them together to be able to quickly tell a story, but the repetitive data entry part makes my eyes cross.  The only reason I bring it up, is when you have those things you know you hate to do and that are far outside your preference, remember to balance them with something that is more in your zone.  It will reduce your overall stress and make you look forward to finishing the dreaded task. 

Sometimes we run ourselves ragged trying to fit in or trying to meet new people or trying to do the "right" things to advance.  It can easily get to the point where you don't really know what you want from life.  If you somehow slow down or reflect on what you want you can be shocked at how many years you have been seemingly following someone else's plan.  But then, when you start listening to yourself and following your own path, it may not seem any better and then you really question your place.  And then one day, when you're least expecting it, your're working towards a goal and in the middle you realize you are doing what you are meant to do.  When those times come, relish in it and use it to power your efforts the next time it seems as if no one notices you.

Today I learned that the method my best friend's mom used to save money thirty years ago still works...coupons.  I don't mean buying something you don't want or need because you have a coupon.  I mean clipping coupons and tracking sales at the stores you frequent (for me, Harris Teeter, Target, and CVS) and getting the products you use over and over at the best price possible.  Saving money in ways like this is like getting an untaxed raise!  As a federal employee, I don't get a raise this year or next and my bills have not declared a similar freeze so anything that helps reduce costs is a huge bonus for me. How do you reduce costs when you need to save up for something new?

My 40th birthday is quickly approaching so I was intrigued by this segment on the Today show this morning.  My favorite part?  Barbara Hanna Grufferman, Author of the Best of Everything After 50.  She encouraged women to make time for themselves, to stay current but embrace their age, and to truly enjoy where they are in life.  Interestingly, she mentioned don't repeat the mistakes we've made earlier in life.  Time seems to fly and I often catch myself wishing I could start over.  I like the idea of embracing where I am now and trying to move forward more positively.  Do you have special tricks to help you make peace with your mistakes, forgive yourself, and move forward with confidence?

Today I observed someone's approach to a problem and noticed their first instinct was to find someone to blame.  From an outside perspective it seemed obvious that the most important thing that was needed was a solution and that nobody really cared who was responsible for the problem.  To make matters worse, the person actually created more of a hassle for everyone involved by acting defensive.  It made me wonder, why did they think it was so important to assign blame and why were they so blind to the very obvious and very simple solutions to the problem?  Some people seem to just instinctively jump into problem solving mode.  Are there times when that is not the best route?   Are there times when even those people are emotionally involved that they miss the opportunity and go for the easy blame?  Are there ways we can practice this skill so in times of stress we instinctively problem solve?

My favorite thing to do while commuting to and from work is to read through twitter posts.  I have the Seesmic app on my blackberry so it remembers where I left off and I can usually go though a few hours worth of posts during each commute.  (Just for clarification, I use public transportation and do not tweet while driving.)  I try to retweet or quote the good things I see (feel free to follow me at @straserendipity if you want to see what I'm seeing).  Yesterday @CindyBillington tweeted "Plan your work and work your plan."  This is going to be my mantra for this year because I am so easily distracted.  I mean seriously.  So this weekend is going to be my planning weekend.  From this point forward with regard to scheduling: I vow to seriously question whether what I am putting on my schedule is part of my plan and to come up with some solid goals for this year.  How do you move your plan forward?  How often do you reevaluate your plan...

I have written and deleted two blogs already tonight.  One was too personal and one had too many open questions that I want to research to be able to provides solutions as well as identifying problems.  That is all well and good but it still leaves me without a blog post.  Everything I've read says that you should write at the same time every day to establish a pattern.  I've been writing at the end of the day, but I think I might want to start writing a little earlier so that I have time to research when a question comes up.  I'll try a new time tomorrow, but until then, feel free to send me your best networking tips and your biggest networking pet peeves. Have a good Thursday if you're reading this then!

I spent today hoping that crazy "Snow Hole" that settled itself over Washington, DC during the last snow storm would be back.  Or, in the alternative, that it would be cold enough to just plain snow instead of sleeting and icing.  Sure, I love to sit inside at my desk and watch the big snowflakes float around.  What I don't love, is trying to get from here to there and back again in the middle of it all.  As I look outside, I see a layer of white that makes me think the "Snow Hole" missed us.  If you are local, or in the path of the snow, drive safe.  Better yet, stay inside where it is nice and warm. 

I remember my mother constantly telling me that she wanted me to learn from her mistakes.  As a kid, I naturally assumed that meant she didn't want me to have as much fun as she had when she was young.  We rarely hear managers or co-workers say, don't make the same mistake I did.  I wonder why that is?  It certainly isn't because we never make mistakes at work.  Is it because we don't want people to know the mistakes we made?  I don't know about your workplace, but I'm betting that people know more than they let on.  There is even a leadership ideal out there that we need to allow our subordinates to fail forward.  But if we never use our own mistakes as teaching tools, are we really giving our subordinates the freedom to fail or are we just setting them up for failure.  I learned today, that sometimes the only thing you can say to another person is I know how you feel and my only advice, unsolicited as it is, is don't do what I did because i...

Seriously, one of my favorite shows on TV right now is Undercover Boss.  Tonight's episode featured the President of Uni First going undercover in various plants across the country to work on the floor.  I delivered on what I've come to expect from all the episodes: it let's the boss see and hear things he/she never would on an official visit, it exposes those under-appreciated yet very hard working employees and gives them a very public thank you, and it provides amazing leadership lessons.  Tonight's lesson was actually pointed out on two of the stops: the best made designs/plans/processes can be approved by asking the people who will be doing it everyday.  In one case, the employee had already worked with a maintenance crew to incorporate her design ideas and it was saving the company an estimated 30-60 minutes a day.  In the second, the President decided to send a crew down to work with the employee who pointed out the flaws.  If you aren't watching thi...

Today we spent a pleasant and relaxing day cleaning, cooking, and watching tv.  As a joke I stopped it on Dogs 101 because our dog gets so excited when it was on.  Of course, I didn't then have the heart to switch the channel on him.  Now we have an adorable, 6 year-old dog who was born on my boyfriend's farm.  We know that our dog's father was a rather large chihuahua and his mother was an Australian Shepard.  We make lots of jokes about his parentage, but usually just call him a mixed breed.  In DC, you sometimes need to say that with an apologetic tone as there are many pure breeds in the area.  Today's Dogs 101 was on designer breeds, the new IT dogs like labradoodles, puggles, chiweenies to name a few.  Each designer breed starts from mixing a pure breed parent of each type.  Wait, isn't that a mixed breed????  After much laughter around our house, we have decided to proudly announce our dog's breed as Chaussie.  And it just ma...

Today I learned that some days, you just have to do your best.  I believe that if I have good intentions, even if I don't see immediate results, good will come from it.  I thought that if I put myself on the right path, and believed in it enough, and deserved it enough, things would turnaround and I would see it.  When faced with a stumbling block, I wondered, is this my old luck showing its face?  Is this something that if I work harder can be overcome?  Or is this a detour that will shape the next path I take?  I don't know.  What I do know, is that I am trying my hardest to improve myself, to learn more, and to make the things I touch better.  If it turns out that at the end of this year, nothing has changed in my life, I will be able to say that I did my best and I am proud of the efforts I made, I will consider the year a success.  I hope you all had a productive week and plan to take time for yourself this weekend.  Let me know w...

I tried guided meditation in a group for the first time today and I am very intrigued.  It is something I have been interested in for over two years now but reading a book really didn't help me and I couldn't figure out how to record myself saying things that would help me.  So I asked a friend if I could go to a half-hour session with her and she graciously invited me.  I loved the process and if there was any day I needed it, it was today.  I was able to follow for a while but I will admit to starting to lose focus about six minutes before the session ended.  (I know it was about six minutes because the only way I could keep my mind from wandering too far was to start counting and I made it to 360.)  Overall, I think that is a pretty good start for a first timer.  I am looking forward to going back next week and to downloading something off of iTunes to use in the meantime.  I'm not sure if that officially counts as what I learned today (since I...

Today I learned that I tend to take no as an answer and give up.  I also learned the value of not doing so.  When encountered with "no" my friend encouraged me to ask "what do I have to do to move this to a yes?" and keep searching for options until you do.  While the end result may not be exactly what you started with, you are able to move ideas into actions and that is more valuable in the long run. I noticed today that it was really hard to keep up with the gym/workout portion of my challenge, ironically, the blogging part was really easy.  Earlier today, in a fit of energy and cockiness, I informed my boyfriend that I was going to do 4 miles on the treadmill today.  Now my minimum each day has been 2.5 and the most I've done has been 3.5.  Since I'm walking, this usually takes at least 45 minutes to complete.  Seriously, what was I thinking?  So I went to the gym and twenty minutes into my workout I decided that if I could make it to 2.5 mil...

As I saw people for the first time in 2011 I noticed how excited everyone is for a new year.  If last year was good, you are hoping for more of the same.  If last year was bad, you are happy to put it behind you and start over.  As I thought about that, it occurred to me that every day we have the chance to start over.  You can choose to continue what worked well the day before and change what didn't. 

What did I learn today?  Today was you are not the boss of me day on Dr. Phil and he theorized that people are overly controlling are usually doing so when internally they are spinning out of control.  It was like a light going on and yes I am willing to admit when I am most controlling on the outside, I am most unsettled on the inside.  So not a huge revelation, but sometimes just identifying the problem can help a lot. 

Day 2 - What I learned today... There's an old saying, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.  Anyone who's walked through the gates at Walt Disney World knows they know what that little extra is.  I'm currently reading Lee Cockerell's book Creating Magic.  Lee is a former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort.  Lee led a team of over 40,000 cast members who daily made dreams come true.  The first story he tells in the book is about the summer of 2004 when three major hurricanes hit the park in just over a month.  Yes, they had to shut down during the storm.  I'm as big of a Disney nut as you'll find and even I wouldn't go out in 105 mile an hour winds.  What amazed me in the story, was how everyone worked together to secure the park for the coming storm.  (You should know that when I read this I picture Snow White and the Dwarves in full costume nailing plywood over the w...

A dear friend, Phyllis Serbes of Many Creative Gifts ,was telling me last week that it only takes 21 days to put a new habit in place.  I don't know about you, but 21 days sounds a lot less intimidating than committing to do something for the whole year.  I've decided to take her up on the challenge and today is as good as any to start. I hope you'll join me - what do you want to change! I have two things I'm starting today.  I know, don't overwhelm by trying to start too many things at once, but I think (hope) I can manage two.  The first is blogging, that is right 21 posts in 21 days.  Each day I will share with you day something I've learned.  I believe that learning is a lifelong activity and there are opportunities every day if you just open your eyes, so I'll prove it to you.  Secondly, I'm going to the gym.  Seriously, I am one of those people that cannot lose weight by simply dieting.  The only time in my life I have been able to ...