I think I can, I think I can

As per usual the life of a young gal in pursuit of her dreams is a cycle of joy and frustration that ebbs and flows. To those who say - "It's just a job," I say, we just don't have a goal of usefulness or perseverance in common. I, as a human, vow to pursue excellence in my professional/personal life. I don't believe these to be all that separate. Personal fulfilment from your career should never be too much to ask.

Young Profs out there,...if you're listening, the pursuit of personal fulfillment/gainful employment is not an easy one. It is hard, real hard. Many tears have been cried and beers been drank over the angst many of us feel in our professional lives. Where is the success we were promised as kiddies? Am I not as special as my mom told me?? You many be feeling, "Haven't I done everything right?" Well maybe you have, or maybe your career is not a straight line. It doesn't matter. Stop thinking about the barriers and look for opportunities, however small. Small wins are what get you through the day. Some advice. For me and for you.

1. Seek inspiration. Read, learn, and talk about your challenges. You are not alone!

2. Have goals outside of your professional life. Learn a new language, climb a mountain, eat more wings in 5 minutes than anyone in the tri-state area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Bowl

3. Do what your passionate about. If you can do this at work - you're lucky. If not, see if there are ways to incorporate what you love into your work. Otherwise, if you love writing, find a newsletter to contribute to. Start blogging! If you love marketing, do some work pro bono for a local non-profit or free-lance. If you're into nature, go for a walk in the park with a friend. Do what you love. Do it now.

4. Remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and never give up! We will be useful, we will contribute our talents and skills to this world and we will be a catalyst for change, transforming business as usual.

Of all the things in life you can't control, like how big your forehead is, family, your height (I'm still 4'11"), you can absolutely control many things. I have the choice of my profession. I can chose to pursue my professional goals and hope that "the world makes way for the man who knows where he is going (Emerson)." I have a choice as to how I spend my time, with whom, doing what, and for what purpose. I can choose my words. My thoughts. My actions. My life!! :)

Learning

Of the things I enjoy the most about social networking, one is certainly the ability it gives you to learn about cool stuff. Or sometimes stuff that isn't really all that cool. When I'm "wasting" my employer's valuable time on Facebook, I'm actually educating myself about all of life's offerings. I'm building my personal brand too, because let's face it, I have a personal brand so I might as well take part in building it. So Facebook, linkedin, twitter, they lead us not only to each other but to music, art, books and ideas that are shared, discussed and discovered at an astounding rate of about a zillion things shared every second. (This is approximate.) These are tools that can provide needed and appreciated sources of connection and inspiration for human beings. We are just human after all.

So while I am checking out pictures of my 3-month old nephew in Florida, I'm also, equally as important, checking out new ideas from the brightest minds in business. Being inspired, growing, and nurturing the bravery within that keeps us all both empowered and useful.

Today's discovery....http://www.tompeters.com/

Planning for the park

Last night I participated in a sort of strategic planning session for the merger of the city department of recreation and Fairmount Park. Lots of good input from the folks present, who were incredibly engaged volunteers from park groups around the city. This new entity will be serving a complex and diverse mix of constituents as demonstrated in the variety of interests and ideas in the discussions. Suggestions were given for mission/vision/goals as well as improving the overall enjoyment of the park and recreations facilities. Here are my thoughts on the proposed mission, vision, goals statement....

Mission: The combined Department is the steward of Philadelphia's Park Lands and Recreation infrastructure and advocates for children, youth, families, and their communities.

First of all don't call your organization "the combined department," give it a real name, it deserves one. Also, a mission statement should state what you exist to do and why. And um, what are you advocating for?? For children? For what - recess and naptime? Be more specific. Take a hint from your vision and be specific.

Vision: Through policy, programs and practices connect the parks and recreation department to environmental, social, cultural and economic health of the city and region.

Vision should be your 30,000 foot Big Hairy Audacious Goal of what you hope to accomplish in the world. Something like...

Using Fairmount Park and the Rec Dep't as a framework for uplifting communities and enhancing the quality of life for the city and region.

Goals:

• Attract visitors and residents, support a positive business climate, and improve the quality of life for all citizens.
• Support the development of sustainable communities and help maintain stable neighborhoods.
• Help keep kids safe, active and healthy, connecting them to their communities and to parks, recreation and the natural world.

These are again way too vague and need to be more specific in telling the public how you are going to accomplish the mission of using the park/rec facilities to contribute to the quality of life for residents. Goals should state; we will__________in order to____________. Direct, measurable, meaningful.

• We abide by the highest standards for the park's environmental and natural resources, in order to protect and ensure it be available for future generations.


• We use policy, programs, and activities and use the park as a framework in order to promote healthy lifestyles in children and adults


• We exist to serve the citizens, volunteers, and communities that enjoy the park/rec facilities, acting as their representatives, and embrace the needs and voice of the park/rec user, in order to ensure the park continues to serve their interests and needs.

Some other suggestions:

Having recycling and wireless in the park.
More visibility and communication from the new combined parks/rec department
Have a blog! Embrace the voice of your residents and the people who are most connected to the park/rec facilities.

Listening

Someone mentioned recently that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Well I am learning to stop talking so much and to do more listening. Putting more arrows going out and less coming in. Less attachment, less self. Thank you buddhism!