In an age where grown-ups give their word and then either forget altogether ore simply don’t follow through because they think they aren’t expected to, it can be hard to convince my students that they need to honor their agreements. When you actually
strive to become a man or woman of your word, regardless of your age, interesting things happen. People start looking to you as a go-to person because you’ll suddenly have this reputation for being the person who can get it done. You might even find yourself with more important duties because you’ll find yourself labeled “responsible”. (Some of my students swear that’s the kiss of death, but then whine that their parents don’t trust them…)

Keeping your word makes people want to work with you because they view you as special. You bring something others don’t: the gift of being reliable. This is actually a very good thing.

Even if you aren’t able to keep your word, if you are up front about it, then it keeps your reputation intact, and people actually respect you more for your candor. Don’t make excuses. Just follow some great advice: own up to it, apologize, take care of it, and more value.

Everything you do, every decision you make reflects on you. Make sure the reflection is showing the person you are.

Posted by Rebecca as Responsibility at 7:52 AM EDT

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I’ve been reflecting on my competencies, trying to figure out what picture they paint of me how to organize myself to best show them off. I’m still pretty much at a loss.

However, there’s hope. I saw a librarian’s “hire me” post, and realized that is a great format for covering a wide variety of skills.

In a conversational, yet still professional, tone, this page presents the librarian’s needs in light of what someone might be looking for. The best part, though, is the call to action. The last section is stated with such confidence without sounding off-putting.
This would even be a great start for anyone just trying to organize their marketable skills for the purposes of either creating something similar or starting a cover letter.  It could be used to cover soft skills that might not show up in your resume, or special talents that you can’t figure out how to fold into your resume. It can highlight special talents that are hiding in your resume that you want to be sure people see.

The post is a well-written advertisement for the librarian, and an inspiration to the rest of us to create something that sells our skills without making us feel like we’re selling ourselves out.

Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers at 7:42 AM EDT

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I love creative repurposing of tools, and scripting certainly qualifies for that. It allows you to think ahead without locking you in when faced by an unexpected turn of events (a fairly common occurrence around here).

It’s almost like looking at your day like a big chess games, and probably a great way to program yourself to do necessary tasks automatically. I can see this being a great tool for people who have a hard time getting into or out of their day. All they have to do is follow the script, and it pulls them in or out.

I think it would also be a great tool for kids. A script would give them a structure that was capable of bending with changing demands on the day. It would teach them to build a routine, but that it’s also okay to break that routine sometimes if something doesn’t go as planned.

Posted by Rebecca as Organizing at 8:13 AM EDT

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Over the weekend, I read repeatedly from a wide variety of sources that if doing something puts you in the zone, then that is your passion. If you’re trying to find your passion, then I think that’s a good place to start, but I think falling into that mindset fully is akin to falling for the belief that you should always pursue what you do well.

For example, I sometimes work with a student who is a very gifted athlete. He’s pushed to at least pass his classes so he can stay eligible to play his sport. One night, he and I got to talking and I asked him what he saw himself doing in a few years. His answer nearly killed me: “Not wrestling.” He did it because he was good at it, but not because he felt a driving inner need to do it.

I design jewelry, and when I get going, I achieve that “zone” state. Will I ever make jewelry beyond a hobbyist state? Perhaps. Is it what I’m passionate about? No, it just draws strongly on one of my favorite unquantifiable skills.

If you find yourself doing a task that often puts you in “the zone”, reflect on it. Is it the activity itself that gets you there? Is there something in the course of doing that activity that puts you in the zone? Reflecting on the doing of the activity will help you determine whether or not the activity is actually your passion, and help you move one step closer to finding your path.

Posted by Rebecca as self-analysis at 7:32 AM EDT

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