48 days to the work (life) you love...

Day 2 of 'power week' - of me spending time on my own during the day, hard at work.
Working from home with me as my own boss for generation of future income. haha.

I've been quite good I think in setting myself a schedule and working towards it. The excel gantt chart (how can the world function without excel!) and the little bits of paper that I use every day for the few things I am to achieve every day, at 6pm today, I have ticked all but one (and also fit in a few more). Freedom to have a siesta, not bound to the desk, by other people's schedules...Bliss!

I bought Dan Miller's book '48 days to the Work you love' at IAH at the end of my visit in January, and was thinking that the 48 days would pass quickly and disciplined enough for me to land something that I love by the end of it. Of course training for the London Marathon, as well as cancelled trips due to the tsunami, and many visitors, got in the way. Finally I have signed up to the community and have done an intense session (not recommended) to bring everything up to Day 10. I know I might not find my ideal job in another 38 days time, but hope that by then I would have a pretty good idea.

I borrow a picture from Dan Miller's Blog to start to pull together a little bit of my own brand statement (something for later on in the week) - this picture illustrates how lots of people define and let others define themselves, eg I work for [insert name of major bank]

Ironically, currently I'm quite proud of my 'job' - Lady of Leisure , LOL :P

Goodbye Spring (Gardens), and into a Proper Summer..

Time goes by so quickly, before I knew it - I had run out of time to write up a proper update before I was due to take the flight to Houston and had landed in Lafayette in Louisiana after a 4-hour drive east, watching the sunrise.
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I did spend a lot of my last week at work catching up with people, and a few had asked 'did you have a choice?' 'what made you take the leap?' after all, it has almost been 3 years since I have started my life at Spring gardens. A place to nuture, and I have had lots of opportunities, and now, Spring has turned into Summer - it is time to move on.
Glad to made some good friends and hope to keep in touch with a lot of you.
and some do say 'you'll be back here sooner than you know it!'
Hmmm, never say never, but I'll say not under the current setup, as I've learnt my lesson...

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The weather had stayed warm in the early part of the week when I was still in the UK, my schedule had been full to the brim with various catchups, home entertaining, accupuncture appointments (ouch!) and a good chance to walk around Richmond and Windsor, lovely Thameside towns, as well as of course, Staines. The highlight was probably the twilight cycle with hubby around the river, to Chertsey and back. The speed of the bike (compared to Boris's London variety) and being able to enjoy long and warm days in the English summer has been really nice. One of my wishes earlier on in the year was to get acquainted with my bike more and more over the summer, I wonder whether this will still happen?

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Meanwhile, its very warm here in Lafayette - the sun is shining and wearing anything longer than knee length is suffocating. Walks to the end of the strip mall (of course there seems like theres no end) - even if 15 minutes away - is a struggle. Good to have finally sought refuge on my first day at Barnes and Noble, a home away from home, with free wifi internet, and myriads of books to keep my mind well fed...flipping through the Royal Wedding special edition of People magazine, and wondering why people here like to read books about the Irish...I've now ordered a few books to get started on my grand Project Summer to launch next week.

It's a nice and relaxed start to my sabbatical by choice, to be close to the ones that I love, and to spring clean in summer a few things in life, for when the weather gets cooler again....

For now, I'm looking forward to jumping into the pool! :)