“How You Doin’, Resolutions?” March Style

Normally, my “check in on resolutions” post comes the first post of every month.  But last week, I chose to write about my experiences with risk-taking because it was happening at that time.  How would one more week hurt my review of my professional resolutions?  Not too much.

My website design, so far. Gotta keep up with resolution #2!

For those of you just tuning in now, first of all hello!  Second of all, this post serves as a reminder of my professional resolutions for 2010 (click here to read from December) and how I can continue to achieve these goals.  As of February, it was so far, so good. Let’s see how March is measuring up:

1. Budget: It’s ok.  I still have two savings accounts, each with a portion of my monthly income going into each.  I decided that one will be saved for traveling since it’s becoming a passion of mine.  The other is earmarked for the future.  Other than that, seems to be going well.  I don’t eat out too much.  Don’t shop as much.  Go out once in a while.  And another student loan just went into repayment this month- horray (*please note sarcasm here. Thanks*).
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: I’m really wishing that I didn’t sell back my college book for Dreamweaver now.  Tutorial books are so expensive!  Then I realized that Adobe has tutorial videos on their website for free, which is a lot nicer than $25.  So I think I might invest in a book about CSS and use the tutorials on Adobe’s website.  I have to start building a website for myself and as soon as I have a free weekend, I will do so.
3. Consistently Update This Blog: So far, so good.  I’ve kept this blog updated once a week while managing a Posterous blog about fashion, which is updated 5-7 times a week.  That one is easier to update.  Less pressure, mostly just pictures and a few sentences.  These posts require a bit more thought.
4. Travel: Just made it up to NYC in February.  I should be heading back to NYC this weekend coming up as well.  It’s just so close, how can I stay away for too long?  I’m saving all of my money for Paris on April 1 :) I’m also planning another trip back to Baltimore, a visit to DC, and a weekend getaway to Atlanta where my best friend lives.  All in the works, though.  Nothing concrete yet.
5. Continuing to Freelance: My freelance gig from the beginning of these posts still isn’t finished yet, so this resolution is going well so far.  I also might have another project with a company I used to work for.  Hopefully I’ll be able to build a website for my business (and this blog) soon, which will also be part of freelancing.

So that’s where we are in 2010!  I think I’m doing well so far.  There is clearly room for improvement, but I think writing out these posts is a great way to keep me on track with my goals.

How are your resolutions coming along?  Where are you doing well?  What can you improve on as we start a new month?

“JUST DO IT ALREADY!” My Experiences with Leaps of Faith

Sometimes the only way is jumping. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.

Gavin DeGraw’s got the right attitude.

Once in a while, I like to take you out of the world of social media and give you a glimpse into the world of Christa.  So far this year, the first post of the month has been regarding my professional resolutions and how they’re doing so far, but I figured that could wait until next time.

This quote hangs out on my work computer to remind me how good leaps of faith are.

Leaps of faith are tricky things. Well, to me they are at least.

I didn’t really take a lot of risks in my life.  They’re something I shied away from for a number of reasons, mainly because I can’t get over the nerves to actually take the leap, let alone see how it plays out, whether it’s how I want it to or not.  I know that’s silly but that’s just how it’s been since I can remember.

Things changed now that I graduated from college.  I’m trying to take more risks in how I present myself, how I think about my relationships, and how I get what I want.  Why is this relevant now, you may ask?  It’s simple.

For a week or two, I had been going back and forth about something that could potentially change my [personal] life- in a good way- but the nerves of getting there were absolutely terrifying me.  I weighed out pros and cons and discussed with a select few of my closest best friends.  It took a while but I eventually realized, “what do I have to lose?” Also, my sister [who is studying abroad in Paris] gave me the biggest push over the phone yesterday by yelling at me and telling me to do it so she didn’t have to hear about it anymore.  That really helped.  But I knew she was right.  I just needed someone to tell me in a way that would get under my skin (and I am very thankful to my little sis for doing that ;] ).

After that phone conversation, I just made the call that I knew in my heart I had to make all along.  While I’m still waiting to see how this specific situation plays out, at least I know that I made the first step to change my life somehow.  If it doesn’t work out the way I want it to, I know that I am a better person for doing this and making every effort to do so.  I’m sure I would look back and wonder “what if” if I didn’t, and that has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.  At least I think so anyway.

The same thing can apply in your professional life.  If you want to have a different and out-of-the-box resume, go for it.  Want to take a new approach to something old? Talk to your boss about it.  These are the years we, as young professionals, are to find ourselves.  How can we do that if we don’t take risks and learn from mistakes, if that’s the case?  If you don’t, you’ll be left with that feeling in the pit of your stomach, knowing that you didn’t do what’s right for you.  While I’ve never taken any of these risks in my professional life yet, I know that lessons from my personal life will be just enough push to help me do so.

After all, you don’t want to live your life wondering what could have been.  That’s no way to live.

How have leaps of faith affected your life?  Do you regret taking those leaps?

How You Doin’, Resolutions?

So, today is February 1st. Today marks one month into the new year, my health insurance from work finally kicking in (!!!) and 2 months until I take a little trip.  In honor of this day, I decided to evaluate the first 31 days of the year to see how I’m living up to my professional resolutions I hope to achieve this year.

1. Budget: Ok, this one I’ve slacked on a bit.  But I haven’t been frivolously spending money I don’t have.  I have a few commitments that were financially straining, like being in a wedding, and aside from those purchases I was pretty good.  I generally don’t spend a lot of money going out with friends, or shopping, or anything else a 20-something girl might do.  Also, I do have money taken out of every pay check and put into two separate savings accounts just in case I need it.
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: Constantly think about it, but haven’t made any moves as of today. I hope to get out and buy a book about Dreamweaver CS4 this week.
3. 

   Image credit to my sister :)

   Consistently  update this blog: Since the new year, I’ve been updating my posts once a week.  As for upgrading the account, haven’t gotten there yet.  The wedding took up a lot of my spare time (in helping my friend get everything together), but now that it’s over, I will have more time to work on the blog…and relearn Dreamweaver…

4. Travel: I’ve been most successful in keeping this resolution.  In January, I traveled to New York City; West Point, NY; and Baltimore, MD.  And I will continue traveling as the year progresses!  Shortly after the new year started, I booked a trip to visit my sister in Paris leaving April 1. Additionally, a trip to Atlanta is in the works to visit my newly wed friend, who’s living in the area with her husband until the summertime.
5. Continue to freelance: Considering a freelance job I started in November isn’t finished yet, I’d say I’m keeping up with this one very well.  This specific project should be finished by March, though.  I also got another call about a small gig that I need to discuss this week

Writing this out tells me where I am as of February 1, what I’m doing well and where I can improve.  It’s great to see it and this post will serve as a constant reminder of what I want to achieve this year.

How are your resolutions coming along?  Where are you doing well?  What can you improve on as we start a new month?

“These Two Lanes Will Take Us Anywhere”- Themes from The Boss in Your Career

Image from Last.fm

Not-so-little-secret: I love Bruce Springsteen.

John Stewart introduced Bruce Springsteen when he received his Kennedy Center Honors in December 2009 and said, “I believe that Bruce Springsteen is an unprecedented combination of lyrical eloquence, musical mastery and sheer unbridled, unadulterated joy.  Exuberance in the act of telling stories so familiar, stories that have never been told so well or so uniquely.”

That sums up Bruce’s music making in two simple sentences.

I’ve been a fan of Bruce Springsteen since before I can remember.  Since seeing him live for the second time this past October, I started appreciating his music for more than its amazing music and simple, yet powerful lyrics.  The beauty in his songwriting is the fact that anyone can relate to the story he tells.  The songs tell stories of everyday people.  So I thought, How can I relate these themes to myself as a professional? In no particular order, I chose five songs and this is what I came up with (lyrics from brucespringsteen.net):

[DISCLAIMER- in no way am I demeaning the powerful songwriting and story telling of Bruce Springsteen.  Just a fun post to kick off the new year (: ]

“Oh oh come take my hand/We’re riding out tonight to case the promised land…It’s a town full of losers/And I’m pulling out of here to win.” -Thunder Road (from Born to Run, 1975)
The first song on one of the best albums of all time (in my opinion), Thunder Road describes the freedom and romance of the open road, which could also be the freedom in your career.  The “road,” or specialization, you choose in your field will take you wherever you want to go, which is something important to remember.  Where is the Promised Land?  Wherever you feel comfortable and where you can make a difference in your field of work.  Never settle until you get to the Promised Land.

“I work five days a week girl/Loading crates down on the dock/I take my hard earned money/And meet my girl down on the block/And Monday when the foreman calls time/I’ve already got Friday on my mind.” -Out in the Street (from The River, 1980)
This one is a little more obvious.  In the song, Bruce works hard so he plays hard.  This goes for professionals as well.  If you work hard all week, you should what you want and take your girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other/friends out for the night for a good time.  It’s a great reward for being dedicated to your job, and you deserve it.

“There was nothing left to say but I hated him and I hated you when you went away.” -Backstreets (from Born to Run, 1975)
This is probably my favorite song by The Boss.  You may ask, “Why?  It’s heartbreaking and sad!”  True, it is very much so.  Backstreets so full of passion and emotion though, let alone the piano in the beginning gives me chills.  It reminds me of when a client leaves an agency for another after a meaningful relationship.  More specifically, it made me think of the episode of “Mad Men” when Conrad Hilton moves his account away from Don Draper and Sterling Cooper to another agency.  The anguish and failure in Don’s eyes was heartbreaking, much like the lyrics of this song.  This obviously happens a lot in advertising and public relations, as it does in our personal lives as well.

“They say you gotta stay hungry/Hey baby I’m just about starving tonight” - Dancing in the Dark (from Born in the USA, 1984)
One of the reasons (among many) why I love this song because Courteney Cox is in the music video, which I think is awesome.  I feel that Dancing in the Dark is about never settling in your life.  Bruce is clearly restless about something in his life when he wrote this song and he’s trying to do something about it.  So should you as a professional.  Think your job is boring?  Try to find a new one.  Want to change your career path?  Go back to school.  If you’re not 100%  satisfied with your life, the only way you’ll be truly happy is if you make some changes yourself.  No one else can do that for you.

“Come on up for the rising/Come on up, lay your hands in mine” - The Rising (from The Rising, 2002)
The Rising was released in 2002, right after 9/11.  Obvious motifs of this album include community, rising up, and pulling through together.  To me, this song represents an office, department, or team working together on a big project.  Perhaps the project hasn’t been going according to plan, and the team needs some rallying and motivation.  That’s what The Rising is about- when all else seems lost and forgotten, if we come together, we can make anything happen.  While independence is great at times, you need to know how to work as a team and help out others when they need it.  I think that in Communications and Marketing- hell, in life- if you don’t have this quality, you will only go so far in your career.

How did I do? Do the songs I wrote about have different meanings to you?  What other songs would you have liked to see here?

Be A Better Professional in 2010

I don’t normally do New Year’s Resolutions, mainly because I set goals for myself that I know I will never achieve.  Truth be told, that’s not the best feeling when the year ends.

What are your 2010 resolutions?

I put a different spin on the whole resolution idea this year.  Aside from my vow to get so good at Beatles Rockband that I beat my brother AND a smug friend who thinks he can beat me in that game without playing it, I compiled my objectives and goals to grow as a professional and call them my “resolutions” for the new year.  Here are 5 ways I hope to grow and learn as a professional in 2010:

1. Make a monthly budget and stick to it: This is a priority for me, so much so that there is a taped piece of paper with my monthly expenses right next to my computer as I type this.  I feel that if I can’t handle and keep my own personal life organized, how am I going to do so in my professional life?  It’ll also help me save enough money to move out of my house (hopefully by the end of 2010) and save enough money to go graduate school and earn an MBA, both of which will improve my professional life immensely.
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: I took a web design class where I “learned” Adobe Dreamweaver in college.  Learned is in quotation marks because my professor didn’t use the program himself, so therefore, couldn’t teach it effectively.  Now I have Dreamweaver on my computer and plenty of resources in front of me to teach me the ropes.  There is no excuse for not learning it again.
3. Consistently update this blog: I fail at updating this thing on a regular basis.  Every day, I read a plethora of interesting articles with subjects ranging from politics, to fashion, to social media, and everything in between.  I hope to add posts on a consistent basis (basis guidelines have not been determined yet)- and even upgrade the account a little bit- with posts about these things I read and how they affect me (and others) as young, knowledgeable, GenY professionals.
4. Travel: This is both a personal and professional resolution.  I have so many wonderful friends around the country and I would love to explore new places and see them in their new homes.  Traveling allows you to grow as a person, and what I learn and see in new places certainly can help me in my professional life.  My sister will be studying abroad in Paris this spring, which will give me the chance to return to Europe and explore their world of advertising, marketing, and the like, and compare it to ours.  I started doing that in an International Marketing class I took at Loyola College in Maryland in 2008, which set the fire for my interest in International Marketing Communications.  As we begin this year, I already plan on visiting: West Point, NY; St. Louis, MO; Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; Paris, France; Atlanta, GA. And 2010 hasn’t even started yet!
5. Continue to freelance:  Perhaps this is the most important resolution of all.  I think everyone should do a little freelancing on the side (if possible).  Since I graduated from college in May 2009, I’ve had amazing opportunities to improve my graphic design portfolio.  I have continued snatching those opportunities after obtaining a full-time job.  I can’t imagine a better way to get my name out there as a designer, improve my craft, and bring in a little extra cash ;)

What are your goals for 2010?  How do you plan on achieving them?

Happy 2010 everyone!  Here’s to a year full of happiness, success, and gratitude.

(Image from Google Images)