April: The 1:1 Approach

Our summer student staff started in the office this week, so a lot of my time has been dedicated to training. We’ve talked about our office in general, about office culture and expectations, and about their specific programs. We’ve also talked about how we are going to be structuring our office staff meetings, and our 1-on-1 meetings. And it’s a template that I think will work well for this monthly review.

1.  Follow up from last month
   1. Nothing to report- because I gave myself no action items.
2. Program updates
   1. Writing: My goal is always to be writing for at least 15 minutes every day, and it’s a goal I am constantly not achieving. April was no different. However, I did write more in April than in previous months, which I’m counting as a win. Beyond my monthly review, I published one other blog post (LINK), and I have several others currently on-the-go.
   2. Wellness: The KSSC winter season wrapped up in April, but beyond that twice weekly activity, I’m not sure my running shoes understand what exercise is. And my kitchen doesn’t understand what cooking is. My freezer, microwave and couch have been getting lots of use, however.
   3. Continuous Learning: I read a fair bit in April, which I’m happy with. It wasn’t 100% continuous or regular, but that’s partly because I was struggling to get through a book, so didn’t have a ton of motivation to read. I think it can also be attributed to the fact that I haven’t been taking regular lunch breaks, so that hour of my day hasn’t been used for reading. I also completed most of a lynda.com course on project management this month, as our office is heading down the path of incorporating project management strategies into all of our programs and projects. Conveniently, I put ‘watch TV’ under this category, so I can also count ‘watched all of Madam Secretary’ as an achievement!
   4. Contribute to my Community: This category makes me feel like I have been a horrible person over the last month, because I have nothing to report in terms of volunteering. Absolutely nothing. However, I have become more active in my professional community, and am now a member of the editorial committee for Communique, CACUSS’s magazine-like publication.
   5. Start and Grow Projects: This is another area I have not made any progress on, but at the same time, I haven’t forgotten about it, and think about it all the time! Does that count for something?
   6. Build Relationships: I actually think I did the opposite of this in April, and ruined one instead. But happy thoughts, right? I also, conveniently, once again, stuck travel in this section, so have success to report! I was in Boston at the beginning of the month for the World Figure Skating Championships, and IT WAS AMAZING. So amazing. I also had the chance to see Ben while I was there, and we visited both the aquarium and the science museum. PLUS I got to visit Harvard. But I’m most excited about the skating.
3. Discussion items
4. Thinking, Feeling, Behaving
   1. I consistently forget that I have goals that I’m working towards. Not in a broad, overall kind of way, but on the level of specifics. I’m NOT thinking. Like, what did I even choose as my #oneword? (Intention. I went and looked it up.
   2. I consistently feel lazy. And then I consistently feel as though I am wasting my life away (my after-work life, that is).
5. Looking Forward
   1. I will find a regular writing time that works well for me- and that isn’t “crap, I need to write for 15 minutes before I go to sleep.” In terms of content output, I will publish two posts on my blog (beyond this one, because that would just be cheating), and finish the blog post I’m supposed to be writing for #RyersonSA.
   2. I will register for a 5K race sometime in June. If I don’t train, I’ll suffer, and it will be my own fault. Ideally though, this will be motivation to get those sneakers on and head to the gym!
   3. I will take lunch breaks. Always take lunch. And I’ll spend most lunch hours reading.
   4. I will apply for my masters. It’s happening. I’m doing it.
   5. I will make one connection with a volunteer organization. One is all I’m asking for right now. Just one. Easy. Right?
   6. I will engage more actively with Communique. I’ve got a plan, I just have to make it happen (isn’t that always the case?)
   7. I will make progress on my mental health project. At the very least, an outline and an introductory post.

Based on that 1:1, would you keep me around, or would you fire me? Because I know what I’d do…