I just had a most exciting meeting with my Mentor, Margie. Between my being sick part of this month and the holidays I wasn't sure we would be able to get our meeting done. I'm so glad we squeezed it in.
We met at a
sandwich and coffee shop after work. We shut the place down and they had to kick us out. But not before Margie filled my pockets with coins of mentoring wisdom.
We began, of course, spending some time sharing holiday stories. Which spun off into some reminiscing about childhood. And that rolled into a good bit of blessing counting and appreciation of ingenuity.
Margie talked about the incredible work ethic of her parents and the creativity involved in raising seven children in a small town. I am so impressed with her parents talents and tireless efforts that gave Margie
and her siblings the best traits; ethics, creativity, appreciation for products not mass produced, caring for each other and so much more.
Later we talked about some previous colleagues that each of us had dealt with. These colleagues, for both of us, were great examples of terrible work ethics. I think we've all had to deal with these types of
colleagues at some point in our careers - they complain, they slack off, they infuriate us. Often I have wondered how some of these people kept their jobs! My number one question to these people would be "If you're
so miserable, why would you stay in this job?". I think I know the answer: being miserable is their natural state and they would prefer you to be miserable as well. They have the attitude of "The World Owes Me". I think that is one of the saddest attitudes a person can have. It usually means they will never be happy. And it usually means they have given up on relying on themselves to improve their lots in life.
These are perfect examples of the opposite sides of the same coin. Heads
(Margie's family); happy and fulfilling . Tails (Colleagues with bad attitudes); unhappy and never fulfilled.
We then talked about organizing. From the large (hosting a conference) to
the small (keeping your email up to date). Whether you like to work with an electronic medium or write your list down on paper, you've got to
keep track of your projects and timelines. Margie will be sending
me forms and spreadsheets to help keep me organized for an upcoming conference. Working on this conference will be a new experience for me
and at this point I'm not even sure what I need to keep organized!
Being prepared was another great topic we discussed over our grilled cheese sandwiches. You've got to take the time to think ahead and make sure you have the tools to complete your projects.
This goes for anything, from building a bird house, to taking a CISR test or wrapping holiday presents. Margie, once again, will be sending me helpful information and forms for preparing for my upcoming conference.
These last two ideas are again a perfect example of two sides of a coin. Heads (Organization); Tails (Being Prepared).
Margie has me really revved up. I'm going to use the last days of
2012 spending my new coins of mentoring wisdom. I'm more than motivated to roll up my sleeves and organize my home office and clean out the file cabinets to make room for my new plans. Once I'm done you better look out because 2013 is in my sights, my soon to be organized and prepared sights.
