Thunderferret

Clearly I have my browser add-on back intact. We really have a lot to be thankful for, don't we? Okay. Moving along. Speaking of resolutions, I also thought it might be a good idea to make one that could actually benefit my day-to-day life in a more palpable way. Now that this is going to be written down I'm going to have to be a lot more careful about abandoning it, because if I go back here and read about this in six months, I'm going to feel kind of bad about letting go. However, because of the nature of my resolution, I shall temper my explanation of it. I've been told I can be negative. I kind of knew that. Sarcastic, negative, hater-ish, whatever. I've heard these terms, and I don't even totally disagree with them, although it's certainly not the whole picture. After getting some clarification from a friend, I decided that I just need to be a little less bitey and sardonic with new people. It was suggested that it was a defense mechanism and not the 'real me.' Fair enough. I'll allow some of that.

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Okay. Editor's note. Nearly a month has elapsed since I started this post. It's been hanging in draft-land. However, I just thought of something else I needed to add to my list of resolutions. It seems kind of silly to wait till the middle of February to post stuff about New Year's resolutions, but it's better than complaining about Valentine's Day, right? Anyway, this next resolution, this next little promise to myself, is the result of having spent this entire week in Chicago doing some professional training that taught me something that goes far beyond what I do in a cubicle every day. So here's my new twofold plan:

Part 1: Don't overestimate own ability so much. This is something I've always tried to be mindful of, but I keep thinking of (recent) times when I thought I knew what I was talking about and actually had no idea.

Part 2: Don't underestimate own ability so much. This was the surprise. I've spent a lot of time thinking about #1 in my lifetime. And as a result I overcompensate. Well. I charge myself to remember that I work hard and I learn fast. Sometimes I do get to be the expert.

Life adjustments, tiny little tweaks like this, they're everywhere in my personal sphere. They make for small improvements, but small as they may be, they are noticeable.