TED Tuesday: To Win or To Succeed

If given the option to either win or succeed, which would you choose?

If you're anything like me, your first reaction is to say 'win'. I'm a competitor at heart and if you have a game to play, I'm going to do anything I can to come out on top.

Pause: Career Chat ahead!

Even with all of the good things it seems like are happening at work, I'm non-stop behind and feel like I'm failing at every turn. Staying up late, 14 hours in the office yesterday, giving my everything just hasn't been cutting it - but seriously, by what standards?

The feeling of 'failure' comes from the high expectations placed upon me and just not enough time, not enough support and sometimes not enough energy to do a great job like I'm used to doing.

Jumping over hurdles that high isn't always possible. Unless you're this guy:

John Wooden defines Success as "Peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable."

Yes.

What I'm missing from my current state of being is having that peace of mind and self-satisfaction for all of the work I'm doing. As many of my co-workers know, I often strut around the office because I'm so smitten with everything our team does day in and day out for the business. Lately it's been a different Jessi - one who shows defeat on her face, doesn't walk as tall as she should and isn't satisfied with her efforts as her standards for herself are too high along with the expectations of others.

I'm not trying to be better than anyone else, I'm trying to be better than I've ever been before.

Healthy approach, but I think where I can help myself is by appreciating my own work, patting myself on the back, and measuring myself against who I was the day prior, not what every external source expects me to be.

And with that take advice from everyone around me to be vocal about what help I need, where I need it, and how to better set everyone up for success. Sometimes you need people who are looking in to tell you to pause and reset - and I'm ready to listen.

I re-played 30 seconds from this video over and over again to get this entire quotation and I think it's perfect.

"You should never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be. That's under your control.  And if you get too engrossed and involved and concerned in regard to the things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control."

Just like I learned long ago through my time spend on the diamond - control the controllables and the rest will fall into place.

[ted id=498]

Back to Life - Back to Reality

Well hello! You may have noticed that in blog-land it looked like I had a 4-day weekend.

The only reason you got Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday content was that I wrote those on my iPad on the red eye flight across the border. Which, if you've never written on an iPad on a plane, it's the most creative writing and distraction-free flow you'll ever experience.

No, last week I was quite too busy going hard at both ends - working to the bone at the office and making a serious effort to be social and build relationships. Some say I'm a natural but it took everything I had to agree to go out with the boys rather than slave away at the laptop - and I think I liked that side of myself.

So - yes, this trip I had way more fun. #sorrynotsorry

Fun also means that I failed so hard on Paleo all week with the restaurants and the nights out and the quick food trips at lunch time. It was the same hotel as you may remember from my big rant and there was still no good way to keep my groceries from going bad.

Time for your favorite part, right? iPhone dump!

1. The CN Tower on the first night walking home from dinner.

2. BEER IN A BAG + a shot. Can I be any more classy?

3. View of the lake from my hotel window.

4. Gringa - should have just had a pitcher #AmIRight?

5. K Cup Coffee all day every day at the office.

6. Fresh blueberries for a walk to explore

When I made it home Friday night I only had 5 hours 'off' from work (10pm - 3am) and then had to get back to it on Saturday morning, Dan and Holly made sure to treat me like a queen.

Weary and overworked, it was nice to have no worries except to Persist through C.R.A.P and do it all over again tomorrow.

Back home now with great snuggles and good clean paleo - I'm a happy girl.

What did you do this weekend?

Linking up for some weekend shenanigans!

Five Things

Do you know why I adore Brooke?

1. Our friendship basically started over Pinterest-stalking each other
2. She's hilarious and one of the most down to earth people I know
3. Girl always tags me!

(Okay so there's many more reasons but that would be a post in itself)

Last week Brooke accepted her tag in the 5 Things post and she decided to sent it my way.

She promised this post was going to be easy so I'm going to give it a shot (from 30,000 feet) en route to Toronto for the week.

5 Things I'm Passionate About

Running

I've considered myself a runner since my Junior year in high school, but really kicked it up a notch the first year out of college when I no longer had a routine workout schedule. Since December of 2009 I've had a goal of running 100 (or more) miles per month and I've happily met and exceeded this goal. Running allows me to think, process, be accountable and push toward a fitness-happy goal.

Health

My health is very important to me and above all its important that those around me are healthy as well. As I think about the adult and mother I want to be, I have a fit, energetic, happy, relaxed and easy-going woman in mind.

Laughter

Laughing is my absolute favorite thing to do in this world. Dan captured me with his wit and sense of humor, I associate with hilarious individuals and have a deep appreciation for people who can make any situation laughable.

Being in Love

I'm so in love with my Daniel that it would be hard to not list him as something I'm passionate about. He makes my tail wag like a puppy.

Education

I have always been a sponge for new information. I soak it up. Three degrees in college and I'm still hungry for knowledge. I think that the more we know, the better informed we are to live our lives happily and courageously. While I don't know if I plan to continue down the road of higher education, I'm always game for getting better at my photography, understanding human psychology and getting to the bottom of the things that inspire me.

5 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

Get Married
Raise children with good hearts and good values
2 week (at least) international vacation with Dan (get your passport!)
See the Northern Lights
Retire young

5 Reads I Love

Blogs on Blogs on Blogs

I'm a serial blog addict. Once upon a time I unfollowed a ton of blogs to close my world, but over time I'm back up to (maybe 50) that I read on a daily basis and love it all. This counts as reading, yeah?

Hand Written Letters

I love mail that comes in the actual mail. My dear friend Tanna is great at sending me hand written letters and I'm thrilled every time I open the envelope to an adorable card and an update on how her beautiful family is doing. I need to pay this forward more often.

TED Talks

Ok I know this isn't reading, but its some of the most intellectual content I digest. Yes, I'd still love it in print format. What I love about the talks is that every person is an expert in their field and the topics are always fascinating, have information I didn't know before and almost always an idea that has never entered my brain.

Chelsea Handler

To get my giggle on I turn to my kindle on iPad for any silly excerpt from Chelsea. If you have a good sense of humor you know that anything from her is gold.

Guilty as Charged

Yes, I've read all 7 Harry Potter books, all 3 Hunger Games books and 2.5 of the Fifty Shades trilogy (not exactly sure why I never finished). I also have been known to geek out over Excel handbooks, leadership strategy books an supply chain efficiency cases. Go ahead make fun, I'm judging me too.

5 Places I Want to Travel (and haven't been to!)

Cancun
Brazil
New Zealand
South Africa
Canary Islands

5 Movies I'll Never Get Tired Of

Shawshank Redemption
Step Brothers
The Lion King
Forrest Gump
Sandlot

5 Tags!

I know it says to tag somebody, so I'm going to throw it to the following girls that I hope will read this post and join the party.

Rachel @ Tossing the Script
Tami @ Friday Morning Buzz
Anna @ A Dash of Quirky
Lauren @ Method to my Madness
Macey @ Macey Perseveres

Easy post I promise!