I've been wanting for a very long time to start a blog. My life has taken some loops and turns, and I started a personal blog when I moved to Japan (first as a student and then again on the JET Program). It was a good way to keep in touch with family and friends from afar while not having to check in with each person individually.
With a path that few would call direct, which you can read about briefly here, I've finally settled on what I really think is my calling, and should have known all along. Let's start with a fun(ny) story about me...
When I was a child, most little kids were playing house or with toys, playing video games or doing sports... Well, I wasn't big on any of those activities and instead opted to spend time alone when possible, journaling, writing pretend articles, drawing, and playing "desk." Yes, I called it "desk." What would I do? I would take worksheets home from school and pretend that they were real-world work assignments that I had to get done. I would arrange my desk over and over again so it was perfectly organized, with all of the tools in the right place as well as all of the papers neatly stacked and decorations placed just so.
In school I looked forward to using all of the new supplies, starting fresh in new notebooks, organizing binders and folders, and keeping everything tidy in my locker and working on my assignments at my roll-top desk after school.
Despite personal computers and cell phones becoming popular, I was still hand-writing letters to friends (even if they lived just down the street), and developed a somewhat unhealthy interest in planners and notebooks, creating efficient systems, and reading books about business and self-improvement.
I was regularly referred to as "organized," and complimented for being able to get things done - regardless of the task or the obstacles. I sometimes (ok - maybe often) get teased for how much I enjoy lists and notebooks, planning out what I hope to accomplish and keeping it all down in the various notebooks I carry around.
Having spent time working in various types of organizations, I knew that it was time to give consulting a try. In addition to my organizational quirks, I kept hassling my friends and colleagues to tell me what their dreams were, and insisted on helping them create action plans and deadlines in order to accomplish these dreams, which we had now successfully turned into goals. My joy was found in making connections, and checking in with these individuals to see what kind of progress they made and how I might be able to help them through any barriers. Eventually, I knew that it was time to leave a reliable and dependable full-time position in order to follow this passion.
After diving in and helping clients work through what their goals were in order to reach the next level, the tools that we used and the foundation that they needed to lay kept coming back to the fundamentals of goal setting, planning, time management, and organization. Unfortunately it took me so many years between my "desk" days and now to realize that this was simply what I was here to do!
So next time you're at a crossroads and are thinking about what you really feel passionate about, something you could really spend all day doing and not believe it's a job... go back to those memories from childhood. Did you have an equivalent of "desk" that might lead you in the right direction?
I'd love to hear about your inspirations or goals. Please write them in the comments section below, or reach out to me using the contact form. Although I was hesitant to start this blog, now that I'm here I couldn't be more excited for all of the fun goodies that I have to share. Stay tuned and we'll have fun organizing together! (Or... I'll have fun and help you through it.)
Warmly,
