With the year behind me I sit and reflect on what has been an amazing year. How can it not be amazing when one discovers her passion? I have learned from several lessons that have been dealt to me through my choices, and the choices of others. I have decided to recap those lessons here.
1. Procrastination does not pay most of the time.
In just completing and submitting a video to the Ford Focus Global Drive, the deadline for video submissions was set for 11:59 p.m. December 31, 2010. I managed to get the video in by December 30, and thought that there would be plenty of time to have the video viewed and liked by our supporters, but alas voting ended at 11:59 p.m. on December 31 as well. I feel as though I have been punched in the stomach. I worked really hard on it for the previous week, spent many late nights (the toils of having a full time day job), with a few times of utter elation, utter despair, some tears of frustration for progress lost, only to have Ford say "That's it folks. Voting is now done." Granted, it is only a small part of the selection process, but sheesh, they could have extended it longer. I have known about it for a month, but since I was not inspired, and was busy with the holiday season, I procrastinated it until the last minute. Not a good idea. I let my charity down, and I know this. Bottom line, procrastination is usually a bad idea, and I now have to live with the consequences. The video was good though, so feel free to check it out here.
2. Things do not happen overnight
As the year started out, things felt as though they were happening over night, first the trip then the move to Austin felt like it was happening overnight, but as the year progressed I learned in both my day job and the work with FoCo, that things don't just magically happen. It takes time and sometimes a village to accomplish that. That especially became evident in the Chase Community Giving Facebook contest. Even though I came in late on that one, it all came down to the last minute, and those of us who were working towards just maintain our rankings in the top 200. For our fearless leader, sleep deprivation became a way of life, but she was able to rally a village and I think even a couple of neighboring ones as well to accomplish that goal, but that was an entire month long process. Definitely not overnight. Through that she taught me patience is a virtue, but sometimes we need to put that virtue aside for the greater good. After all it was twenty grand on the line, sometimes one just needs to be pushy.
3. The importance of the social side of social networking
Again the Chase Community Giving brought that to a major forefront in my life. Had I not maintained the social side of my social network, with the chats and the like, I don't think that I would have gotten the response I did from my group of friends. Some of whom I already knew in person, jumped right in and helped me out, but mostly it took me personally asking them through the personal chat to illicit some sort of action. Had I not maintained those relationships prior to the contest, how rude of me to expect an action on their part. Lesson here, no matter if you have met them through strictly internet or in person, do not neglect this aspect or your mission will fall on deaf ears.
4. Discovering your passion is an amazing thing
It has only taken the last 37 years of my life to discover it, but finding one's passion is an amazing feeling. I had just resolved to float through life doing what interests me at the time. In my professional life I worked in industries that I thought would be fun and they have been, but to find my passion fuels a whole different fire from within. It is amazing how one can refocus on goals and what becomes important. Like finishing my education for one. In realizing that nonprofit work is what I want to do, I also realized that without my degree, my choices are very limited. Plus, it is another long time goal I have had in place since as long as I can remember, but to have the drive to complete it has not been with me until now. I am thinking that a business degree is a good thing since I seem to have the head for it, but computer tech also interests me as well, so I might as well minor in that. I just want to pursue my passion plain and simple. I love the visual arts, and I love how that comes into play with nonprofit work since we are such a visually stimulated society and I love working towards the greater good, improving someone else's life, leaves me with such a sense of satisfaction.
5. Having one day a week set aside to be "unplugged" is a good thing
In this day and age when technology and the internet surround us in every aspect of our lives, be it at work, home, via our smart phones or ipads, it is important to "unplug." I have set aside one day per week, Sunday, as my unplugged day. Even though I sit and write this on a Sunday (do as I say, not as I do), I can always tell the difference in myself when I do take that time. We all need to give our brains a rest so speak, so on my unplugged day I read and knit, and what ever else strikes my fancy that day, just to rest my brain. Sometimes it is just a mindless movie that I can become lost in, but it is amazing how much I can actually accomplish on those days. If you have family it is a great time to focus strictly on them. So going forward with 2011, I normally don't make New Year's resolutions, but I can make an exception in this one case, I resolve to take one day per week and just give it a rest. Starting next week of course.
I was going to end with just this five, but one other lesson just occurred to me so I will include a sixth.
6. No matter where you live, a turtleneck shirt is always useful
I thought in moving to South Central Texas, wow still sounds weird but I digress, that I would no longer need my cold weather clothes so I donated them to charity before I moved, but the one item I wish would have kept is my turtlenecks. Contrary to popular belief it does get cold here in Austin, and what I wouldn't give for a couple of my old turtlenecks to keep me warm. They were colorful and warm, and looked great on me, and would have been very useful in many circumstances. Now I know I could go buy some but that is not the point. I already owned them, and I should have held on to at least a couple of them. Hind sight is 20/20. Lesson here, you can always use a good turtleneck.
May all my friends, colleagues and fellow man find all the prosperity, joy and happiness they deserve in 2011. I know this is going to be one great year, I can just feel it.
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