Coffee Talk Tuesday #57

Grab your cup! It’s a holiday week, I’m away from the office, and it’s time for Coffee Talk Tuesday. Or, Wednesday.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m back from my whirlwind Chicago to Outer Banks trip! I spent a few days in Chicago for a professional conference, and then the husband and I spent our long July 4 holiday weekend in the Outer Banks!

We had such a great trip to OBX – it was Johnny’s first time there. We explored all of the towns from Duck to Hatteras, visited the Wright Brothers Memorial, enjoyed many sunrises and sunsets, saw The Lost Colony show (which was a special 80th anniversary show and the audience was FILLED with previous cast members, super awesome), AND the highlight for Johnny was his birthday gift – jetpack/flyboard lessons! We were the only two people signed up for our time with OBX Jetpack, which meant that we got some extra flying time. Johnny even went twice. He was AMAZING at it, doing fun turns and going really, really high.

We always leave a fun trip like this feeling energized and in planning mode for our next adventure. I like having another trip planned before our current trip ends!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m re-reading one of my favorite books, Tribes, by Seth Godin. He’s one of my favorite minds and always challenges me to think critically and differently. Reading a book full of his nuggets of wisdom is the best. I love re-reading books, especially with several years in between reading sessions, because I’m in a different place, have new perspective, and might be more ready to hear some of the lessons and ideas. It’s definitely true this read through, because I find myself vigorously nodding and wanting to rush to take notes.

A few takeaways this time around – the idea of waiting around for someone to tell you what to do, and the statement “I’m doing what you told me to do,” that change isn’t made by asking permission (I’ve definitely pushed the envelope on this one several times in my career), changing things and creating a future that doesn’t exist requires bravery and often causes criticism (again, sort of my daily life at work), past performance is no guarantee of future success (ahhhhh!), and the BIG idea that you can claim the future that you DESERVE by merely refusing to walk down the same path as everyone else just because everyone else is already doing it (winner! winner! winner!).

When I read Seth’s work, I often feel like he is talking directly to me. I subscribe to his daily nuggets of wisdom, and find helpful tidbits to bring to my everyday life. I think it mostly speaks to my work at Washington College, but I’ve found ways that it relates to my work as a fitness instructor and just in everyday life, too.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I shared some of these concepts with a few of my colleagues on my recent work trip, and we had the BEST discussion as a result. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to have a solid conversation that didn’t involve day-to-day work needs with colleagues. I get very caught up in day-to-day operations that I don’t make time to share ideas and concepts with my colleagues, and I definitely need to do this more. It energizes me and gives greater purpose to the work that I do.

The last year has been strange with several bosses in and out, a new job that I created myself (and the negativity that can surround it with people who don’t understand it), and other big administrative changes at the College as a whole. It’s also caused frustration because no one is running the show, which Seth actually talks about a lot, too. So, it’s basically a lot of rushed energy followed by periods of uncertainty. I like to plan and to be in control of my time, and it takes a ton of energy to accomplish this while everything around is chaotic. But! I know I have the ability to control ME and MY tasks, and as a result, I think I’m less frustrated and less in panic mode than most of my colleagues.

That’s certainly a lot for a Wednesday that is meant for a Tuesday but feels like a Monday. I will say that I’m super grateful for the College closed/days off! I prefer going away when the College is completely closed. I’m one of those obsessively-checks-email-on-vacation kinda people and it’s nice not to worry about it when you know everyone else is out of the office, too. Bliss!

I hope you have a great (and short) week!