I’ve been in my current position for 12 months. A year flies by quickly when you’re not watching. Days and months blend together, seasons come and go, and then you look back and realize how quickly it’s all gone. In the beginning, time seemed to be standing still. Almost everything was new and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to do it. The basics were there, but the specifics had never been seen. I tackled a budget for the first time ever. I learned what my predecessor had done before me. I figured out what worked best for me within my boundaries. I learned that for some things there were no boundaries. I organized a major grand opening event. I handled some difficult situations. I dealt with uncomfortable things. I made some tough decisions. I made changes that improved everyone’s daily lives. I created new expectations.
I’ve learned a lot in the last year. Most of all, I’ve learned that a year can pass by quickly. It’s easy to lose items to the task list, only to have them buried deeper and deeper. As another year begins, I’m armed with enough knowledge to keep digging away at that list. There’s still a lot more to learn and even more to improve upon, but I’ve got the supplies to get the job done. Just like most things in life, knowing that time is against me is half the battle. Knowing that we are all overworked helps me better align projects so we can ensure the right things get done. At the end of the day, we can only do so much. As long as we are giving it our best shot, we’ll come out better in the end. A career is a place to grow. It’s a thing to improve upon. It’s not a stagnant place, but an ever-changing world.
In the coming year, I have a lot of goals and aspirations. I have personal goals, manager goals, department goals, and career goals. With one year behind me, I’ve learned what it takes to whittle away at all of those goals. I’ve learned what it takes to improve all of those areas for the better of the company. I love where my career has gone. Even more so, I love enjoying what I do every day. Some days may hold a few hiccups, but the hiccups never stick around for too long. There may be painful days filled with frustrations, but something good always comes out of the bad. I look forward to another amazing year doing what I love best!
[…] One Year! […]