What is YOUR goal for 2013?

I hate new year resolutions*. I think I associate resolutions with doing something well for a year, then giving up. Last year, I resolved to just better myself. I didn’t have one particular goal in mind, but for whatever reason, I felt I should have a resolution. It turns out that by bettering myself, I meant not letting the 40 lbs that I’ve lost since college creep back and just being a little more patient. This year, I’m going to take that a step further and try to lose another 10-20 lbs. I’m also going to focus on my brain. Which, when typed out like that, sounds kind of silly. What I mean is, my sister and I are going to read a book per week this year. I’ve already read a book and am on my second, plus I’ve been trying to ween myself off of TV (except The Real Housewives of Anything because I love that show and no, I won’t let you take that from me).

The idea is her brainchild; I can’t think of a time when I’ve talked to her and she hasn’t been reading a book. She’s always been like that though. I mean, she read all of The Babysitter’s Club books: sometimes finishing one in just a day! I thought that was a really big deal at the time.

Anyway... those are my goals for the year: get a bit more fit and read a book/week. I guess I’m all about resolutions, if a person is willing to stick with their goals and advance said goals into the coming years. Yes, quitting smoking is a fantastic goal, but isn’t it somewhat meaningless if you’re just going to light up on January 1, 2014?

*For the record, I also dislike resolution "THIS IS MY YEAR" posts, but I'm hoping it will force me to keep up with writing and with my goals.

Happy Meals & Happy Employees

Last week, I went to the NIU PRSSA Al Walker Lecture. Steve Levigne, Vice President of U.S. Strategy and Insights for McDonald’s* (I hadn’t heard of them either) and fellow NIU alum gave a presentation on McD’s social media strategy. He gave several case studies (I love a good case study) and gave a great overview on where their strategy has been and where it is going.

And as much as I love case studies and as much as I wanted a shamrock shake the entire time he was talking, one thing he said really stuck with me in the question and answer portion.

A PRSSA member had an interview the following morning for a social media internship. She asked him what McD’s looked for in its tweeps: the team managing the McD Twitter account. Besides a background in social media (obviously), one of the major traits was positivity. Social media is definitely a place to keep your spirits up, as a poor attitude can be reflected in what you (a company, or even just one person) post. Fans (and friends) don’t log onto Facebook or Twitter to hear snarky** or negative comments.

Taking this a step further, I think every employer looks for positivity in the interviewees. The economy isn’t at its best (when can we stop saying that?), and companies are looking to hire people who will have high morale and smiles on their faces at the end of the day. I’ve learned a lot in my three years out of school. This list includes: always make a fresh pot of coffee if you take the last cup and those in the workforce are wearing more hats than they’d initially anticipated. I am one of those people, which is something you’ll never hear me complain about because I hate being bored. And though work can be tough and even overwhelming at times (at any job, for anyone), I’ve been reminding myself how lucky I am to have a job and to have health insurance and to show off my big, white, never-braced (you’re welcome, mom) smile.

If I were to give one piece of advice to someone going into an interview to get that job and to get that health insurance, it would be to smile and show the employer that you have the will and the confidence to better yourself and the organization.

*Disclaimer: I hardly ever call McDonald’s by its full name, but have adoringly nicknamed it “McD’s.” I realize that this is hardly an original nickname. However, being a fellow “Mc,” I feel I can call the chain pretty much whatever I want.

**Unless said snarky comment is absolutely hilarious. But that takes perfect execution, otherwise the comment is mean and awkward. For all parties involved.

I Did It: Bucktown 5K

You guys, it’s my favorite season - FALL. I love fall for many reasons: all things pumpkin (...spice lattes, … pie, … carving), the turning of the leaves, Halloween, hoodies and yoga pants, tailgating, and most importantly, RACING SEASON. Yes, people run year-round, but my favorite time to run is in the fall. It’s cool enough where I can log 5+ miles before I break a sweat, but warm enough where I don’t feel like my fingers or nose are going to freeze off. Plus, there’s the whole ice thing.

This is by far our best race photo yet. I especially love it because the girls look like my body guard.

 

This weekend, as my kick-off to racing season, I ran the Bucktown 5K with my friends Becca and Stacie. I was a virgin to this race, but Becca and Stacie had told me that it was fantastic - mostly because of the goodie bag. This year, the bag included a Chicago themed half-zip fleece. I also received a coupon to Club Lucky, a traditional Italian restaurant with delicioso signature martinis.

 

The Bucktown 5K also has a Taste of Bucktown following the race, where you can use your food tickets to get treats from neighborhood eateries. This year’s Taste featured*:

• Olivia’s: Runners refresh—apples, oranges and bananas.
• Starfruit: Smoothies and kefir.
• Choppers: Hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, and pizza puffs
• West Town Bakery: Delicious cake balls.

 The course is overall flat and very manageable. In fact, I ran my new 5K personal record. I will definitely be doing the race again next year.

*list copied from the Bucktown 5K website

Monday Motivator: Tech + Fit

I cannot say that Mashable's list of The 35 Fittest People in Tech surprised me. After all, it takes the same drive and focus to achieve your mental and physical goals. Just as you're not going to become the co-founder of Foursquare simply by dreaming, you will not lose those last ten pounds by sitting on your arse. The people on the list work at tech monsters including Google, Facebook and Microsoft, so I have to ask: what's your excuse again?


Now, go out there and GET IT!

Monday Motivator: BIRTHDAY EDITION

I've never been big on New Years' Eve. I feel the expectations and hype are too high and the resulting night is typically a letdown. In fact, my most eventful NYE in recent memory was with my sister's friends in St. Louis, where many of the pictures looked like this:

So where am I going with this? And why am I talking about NYE in August? Because today is my birthday - my personal New Year. Included with the hype of the new year is the expectation to make XXXX year the "best year yet." I'm never quite recovered from my post-spending/gifting/gifted/food hangover (Christmas) enough to make a list of things I want to change about myself in the upcoming year. But birthdays - birthdays are the best time to evaluate my life and see where/who I want to be in a year.

24 was a great year. I took charge of my physical health and am starting 25 in the best physical condition I've been in ever, really. It was also the year that I started exploring new continuing education opportunities (I took an online grant writing class and have signed up for an HTML class this September) and took an interest in reading (Find me on Goodreads). It was also the first year I felt that I well-managed seeing my friends post-college. These were all things I had struggled with (and from what I can tell, most people do) when transitioning from college to the "real world."

But, being a total cliché here, I think 25 will be even better. Using the things I did at 24 to better myself, I intend to position myself as a better athlete, employee, student, and most importantly, friend. To give you abridged version, I will be writing more, learning new skills (computer and otherwise), and spending more time with my friends and family. Updates on how that goes to come next year - for now, just let me celebrate my first day of being mid-twenties (ACK).

Monday Motivator

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." - Albert Ellis

It has taken me a long time to learn this, as I'd like to think it does with everyone. If you are not happy with the way your life is going, do something about it. Choose a new career path, start working out, volunteer for a local charity. I do realize there are people in this world with challenges they have no control over. But if the challenges in your life are ultimately by choice - change it. You have the power to better yourself and your life.

Happy Saturday to the 4x100 Team!

Seriously, how fantastic is our 4x100m team? And setting a new record? Well done, ladies; you deserve to have a great Saturday.

Image via