Mr. Utley is going to keep it light today folks. I wanted to share the details of my day today as a small lesson. The day is filled with a series of many small tasks. Keeping busy yes, but more importantly, setting and accomplishing small goals is a way to build confidence. And building confidence by way of accomplishing small goals is a way to set yourself up to accomplish bigger goals. And, of course, the very big goal of this sabbatical is to find employment for myself that will be rewarding for the rest of my days here on this big rock we call Earth. So, without further ado, here is a brief overview of my day (because I wouldn't want any of you to think I just sat around on the couch all day!)
1. Wake up, make some coffee in the Keurig. Best invention ever by the way. Also it was the inaugural cup in the nice new Vail ski mug I bought out in Colorado last week. It's one of those nice big mugs thats makes a morning cup of coffee a treat. It was so good I made another cup...
2. In lieu of the gym I start the day by watching last night's episode of Top Chef on DVR. My body is a little sore from the day of travel and gym yesterday. Top Chef is a great program that showcases some fine chefs and some fine cooking. It was the finale in New Orleans. Speaking of which, Mardi Gras starts soon. Get your beads ready.
3. Put some laundry in. After a week in Vail, the ski gear is smelling quite dank. And I can't have dank clothes for this weekend's trip up to the White Mountains. Completing a load of laundry builds super confidence.
4. Digging through some things yesterday, I found a nice amount of gift certificates to Best Buy. Score! New CD's are essential because they contribute to the "Soundtrack of My Life", and on this journey, a great soundtrack is a must. The CD's I purchased are:
Huey Lewis & the News, Greatest Hits-such a fun upbeat album. Brings back memories of Michael J Fox hoverboarding around town in the 80's. What a stud.
The Police: Live-after hearing some girl on American Idol butcher Sting last night, I got a craving for the real thing. Live Police=Party Time
The Best of Dire Straits & Marc Knopfler-I heard the song Romeo & Juliet on Sirius the other day and vowed to pick this up. Marc Knopfler and his distinct voice remind me of my days in St. Croix, a great island close to my heart. Let's hope this Allen Stanford mess doesn't affect people like the Bernie Madoff debacle. Stanford owns a lot of property on the island, and was about to open a huge financial center, bringing many jobs...
Finally, Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, 50th anniversary Legacy Edition- this album is widely considered one of the most influential of all time. If it's good enough for Obama, it's good enough for me.
5. Pick up some important documents at parents house and deliver to a friend of the family. Always good to help out the parents. A hungry Pit Bull once said, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."
6. Grocery shop for the weekend getaway up North. Should be fun weekend filled with great skiing and great times with friends. Good laughs with friends are an essential part of life. Try it some time.
7. Blog- This thing is picking up speed. Thank you all for reading!
8. Massage-as I was digging through "things" yesterday, I came across a gift certificate for an hour massage. In the spirit of the month 1 clearing of the head, this fits like a glove. Very centering.
9. Pick up skis from the shop for a tune- after skiing powder for a week in Vail, a sharpen, wax and stone grind is a must to head back to the icy slopes of the East. Use connects to get this done, free of charge. As I learned from freshman year at Bentley, "If it's free, it's for me!"
10. Take my grandmother out to dinner- this is something that we all should do more, spend time with our elders. It can be rewarding in many ways, for all parties involved.
11. Have a couple friends over to watch Survivor. This has been a weekly routine for years. A routine get together with friends is a simple way of keeping in touch, spreading cheer, catching up on each others' lives. And if you put together a "Survivor Pool" as we do every season, even better. A little wager never hurt anybody. Well, it did, but anything in moderation right?
12. Pack for this weekend's getaway-a trip away, whether it be for a day, weekend, week or 6 weeks is a tremendous way to relieve stress. I always return from a vacation feeling rejuvinated, energized and ready to grab the bull by the horns.
As you can see today is/was filled with many errands, tasks, call them what you will. But as, a wise man once told me, "Baby steps. It's all about baby steps." As mentioned above, set small goals for yourself, complete them, and you will begin to feel as if you're accomplishing something. And when you begin to accomplish small things, bigger things will follow. Which is what I'm going for here. Something big. Oh yeah.
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that 'wise man' you speak of didn't happen to be named richard dreyfuss did it?
ReplyDeleteand don't forget to wash more of that dank laundry next week for your big trip to the city of wind!
Become an NBA ref. It has travel, sports and it's a seasonal job so you explore the world with more free time. It's that or welcome to the real world where everyone hates their job and is miserable........
ReplyDeleteWelcome to On Sabbatical BG!
ReplyDeleteAnd Ted, I was thinking more Richard Cawthorne than Richard Dreyfuss. But A for effort.
what's great about this season of survivor was last tribal council. coach and erinn get into it the entire time, the over-religious mormon laughs and who gets voted out? that's right the black man!!! you may be on a self driven sabbatical but this just reminds me of when your brethern blackballed my sweet black ass so many years ago. where does that wager come in on your little "survivor pool" mr. utley? where? -blackballed96
ReplyDeleteSamuel we don't discriminate around these parts. And by the way, I have Sidney, prob the hottest girl on the show, as my pick in the Survivor Pool. And welcome to On Sabbatical...
ReplyDelete