Hello Beautiful Readers! Wow, it’s hard to believe that the year is almost over. We are now in October which means that Fall is really here! Fall is probably my favorite season. I feel like fall is the perfect time to gradually wind down and give yourself the time to fully reflect and set your intentions for the new year. My last monthly recap was back in July. Curious what I’ve been up to in August and September? Keep reading.
Work Update: Being Challenged
Work has honestly been occupying my mind the MOST these past two months. Back in June, I got staffed on a pretty big project that had a really specific deadline. It was by far one of the hardest project that I’ve ever worked on which brought up a lot of mixed emotions. On the one hand, I love being challenged. I love solving hard problems and I find that I feel the most fulfilled and happy about my job. On the other hand, it brought up a lot of insecurities. There were so many things that I didn’t quite fully understand within the project as well as so many moving parts. There were moments where I felt like I wouldn’t be able to rise to the occasion of getting the work done which made me feel discouraged and a little bit defeated. However, I am pleased to report that myself and the team were able to get the project done and it got a lot of really good feedback!
Working on this project taught me a lot about myself. I realized that I am truly a perfectionist and sometimes that gives me some form of imposter syndrome that is unnecessary. At no point during the time that I was doubting myself did my teammates doubt me. They were always supportive and they were encouraging and were pleased with the results that I was producing every step of the way. Did I get some things wrong? Yes. Was I able to correct them and come with a better solution? Also, yes. Secondly, this project showed me that I can do hard things! Just because a project is hard or more advanced, doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do it. I will rise to the occasion. After completing this project, I’m carrying with me the confidence that while other challenging projects come up, I will rise to the occasion. I’m very grateful for where I’m at in my software engineering career and I am actually excited to keep growing within my career.
Business Update: More LinkedIn Learning Courses coming soon!
These past couple months I’ve gotten two proposals completed and approved for two new LinkedIn Learning courses! It feels good to be back working with the LinkedIn Learning team again. One thing that I’m really trying to work on getting better at is working ahead/on schedule when it comes to getting the courses scripted. While the content does get done and the recording ends up really successful, I know that I can be more prepared. My goal for myself is that by the time I’m flying to California to record all my scripts and slides are done. LinkedIn Learning courses is something that I do and I need to make sure that I am putting my best foot forward in ensuring a good process for myself and the LinkedIn Learning team.
One of the things that I haven’t been doing the best at is creating content. While I do have a good excuse (work), if I am being completely honest with myself, it really boils down to poor time management. Content creation is something that I truly do enjoy and I don’t think I give myself the time and space to truly enjoy it. I’m really going to be focusing this month on creating and being consistent so that I can work towards my aspirations when it comes to content creation. I’m really going to make sure I hold myself to this and I’m hoping that putting this in my blog, I will.
Personal Update: Taking a Seasonal Reset
While work has been super busy, my personal life was really busy as well! During August and September I saw Ciara, Missy Elliot, Asake, and Usher in Concert! If you know me, you know I love a good concert! I also attended a friend’s birthday party in Maryland which was Great Gatsby themed. I also played a lot of tennis outside this summer which has been great in helping me improve in the sport. While I’m grateful to have such a full life, I would be lying if I didn’t say that sometimes I get really exhausted. As the summer has come to an end, I’ve found myself enjoying the time that I get now to just stay in, watch TV and relax.
The last week of September I took some personal time off from my day job to just be at home. It was so restorative and definitely what I needed to really finish the remainder of the year strong. While I would love to say that I spent the entire time doing nothing, that’s most definitely not how I operate. However, one thing I told myself I wanted to do that week is to move through the week with ease. I didn’t want to set any alarms, I just wanted to move through each day on my own time in the way that I wanted to. I did a lot of hot yoga, tried new restaurants, and took care of some admin things that had been on my to-do list for a very long time. That week off helped me really get clear on what my intentions are for the remainder of the year. I have a feeling that this last quarter of the year is going to be the most transformative and I cannot wait to see how it goes.
Closing
On October 1st I started my own version of 75 Hard to really transform my mindset both physically and emotionally. While I love finding new ways to challenge myself, I have a feeling that this challenge is going to be my hardest one yet. If you’re looking to get started being intentional with your goals and habits, I invite you to grab my Goals and Habits Notion Template so you can start planning and tracking yours now!
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