SWOT Analysis: the O and T part

After a longer hiatus than intended, I now present the second half of my SWOT Analysis.

Opportunities:
What are the [business] personal goals you are currently working towards?

Goal: As I have said, I am trying to find satisfaction in my work life. Or perhaps, more accurately, the right amount of satisfaction in my work life.*$ I'm trying to determine if I should return to a 'regular' job, or go full-force into a 'creative' job.

How could I improve myself?

Aerials: Take more teach trainings to improve my skills as an instructor. I'm hoping to take a teacher training course this summer, which will build on the previous two I've taken. I could also look into flexibility workshops (so I can give students safe advice on stretching), or possibly yoga workshops (to improve my knowledge of body mechanics).

I would also like to be a better aerialist in general. Watching my daughter take classes in gymnastics and swimming (even though classes at this age level [3.5 years] are very basic) I miss having semi-regular instruction. I need someone to give me reminders about what my toes are doing (especially the left ones), or whether or not my legs are straight.

Writing: I really ought to get involved in some kind of writing group if I'm going to get back at it. I can't operate in silo. As much as I like to work alone, I need feedback and I need editing. I also need to learn how to better market my self-published books.

Librarian/Research Positions: If I want to get back into librarianship, I probably need to take a course or two. Some topics that occur to me as useful or potentially interesting are: database management, information literacy, some kind of course on reference librarianship, or maybe something on social media use. If I decided to take the research route, my current job is probably doing a decent job at giving me recent, updated skills.

Other: I feel like workshops or courses in a variety of computer-related skills such as social media use, and software like Adobe, or some other graphics-type program couldn't hurt. I can make a passable (if barely) flyer or fact sheet, or book cover, in Microsoft Publisher, but it's a laborious process. I think I would enjoy actually knowing how to use such a program and having some basic knowledge of this would probably make me more appealing in the work force.

As I take it, the Opportunities part is mostly about how I would like to improve myself to make myself better at whatever job/career path I choose. In an ideal world, I would do all the things listed above, be a better aerialist, aerial instructor, writer, and creator of media. Interestingly, being a better librarian or researcher didn't immediately fit into that previously sentence (and not because I think I'm amazing in these areas).

* I'm hoping to do a post in the near future about about the complex feelings and thoughts I have to confront when I'm on (or even thinking about) my day job.
$ Having written this sentence, I wonder if I also need to work on re-framing what I consider to be work satisfaction. Food for thought. Chomp, chomp.

Threats:
What obstacles do you face?

Me.

I could end it there, but that's not very thorough.

I am unable to commit to any one decision, meaning I'm trying to juggle too many things. I'm trying to do aerials (training, stretching, learning new things, teaching), write, work a day job (which could be up to 21 hours a week), help manage my household, and be the primary care giver to my daughter. Trying to balance all these things means I'm not giving as much as I could, or should, to any one thing. Further, it means I'm not particularly good at any of these things.

Other questions to consider in this category, don't translate quite so well to my personal exploration, since they're looking at the strengths of Competitors, and what's going on in the Industry/Economy. At least I don't think the translate, or maybe I'm simply getting tired of SWOT Analysis and don't want to think about these questions anymore. Perhaps the questions of competitors and industry/economy will make more sense once I'd decided what path I want to pursue.

Overall, I think I am my biggest threat. I'm so concerned about making the wrong choice that it leads me to make no choice. And by not making a choice, trying to make do by juggling multiple options, is leaving me tired and stressed, and at least moderately unhappy.

Where does this leave me? I think another post is yet required to finish this analysis. I've put down a lot of thoughts and I need to think about this further.

Ciao,

Andrea

A selfie from this weekend (May 26th), prior to a 'rare' public performance at the Hohner Porch Party.

I'm worried about Canada

Can we chat for a minute?

I love being Canadian. I love our country, the history, the social programs, the people, the geography, everything, but I'm starting to worry.

Throughout much of my youth Canada was consistently ranked as one of the best countries to live in, now according to the UN, we're not even in the top 10: UN Report. Points have been made that it's not so much that the quality of life in Canada is declining, rather it's that other countries are improving faster, but doesn't that amount to the same thing? Should we be aiming to improve as fast as everyone?

But there's much more to worry about and I don't even know where to start. The environment? The inability of scientists to speak out? The Government's control over Crown corporations? The Government's tactics on handling crime? The true cost of fighter jets and fighting terror? Where do I stop?

The Government says it has an action plan against climate change (Canadian Government Climate Change Website), then why is Canada continually awarded with titles like Fossil of the Year award (Climate Network Website), attempt to close research facilities like the Experimental Lakes Area (Experimental Lakes Area Website), pull out of the Kyoto Accord (David Suzuki Organization Website), and leave individual provinces to seek their own methods of combating carbon emissions, never mind the continuation of the tar sands (there are too many links focusing on the harmful affects of the tar sands to list here, however I will link to a Nature of Things documentary on the topic: The Nature of Things).

Those are just a few of the things I'm aware off, and I'm not a news/environment buff.

And what about the Government's control (a.k.a. bullying) tactics? Government scientists aren't allow to speak about their research without permission from the Government, and even when they are granted permission, they're kept to specific talking points outlined by the Government (Muzzled Scientists (CBC); Scientists Writers of Canada Website) and even other countries have noticed: (Muzzled Scientists (BBC)). It's not just scientists that are feeling the pressure, it's librarians too Librarians Silenced (National Post). I wish it stopped there (no, I wish I didn't even have to write this post), but now there are wide-spread concerns over a section of the budget that gives the government control over, among other things, collective bargaining rights over Crown corporations. I've heard a lot of predictions that the CBC will soon become State radio, akin to what is run in Russia (Crown Corporations (The Star); Crown Corporations (CBC)).

Ugh. I'm starting to feel oppressed just writing this...and I've still got at least two more points to cover from what I mentioned above.

I'm a big fan of prevention. Preventative health care, preventative social programs, etc., just preventing negative outcomes in general. Unfortunately, that's not the tactics taken in combating crime in Canada right now. Instead it's more prisons, more penalties, and longer sentences, the Government has in it's words, gotten 'tough on crime' (Summary of Crime Measures (Huffington Post), National Union of Public and General Employees Comment CCPA concerns on cuts to prevention programs). And finally there's the true cost, of many things. How much do those new fighter jets cost? Is that with or without the maintenance and are we even going to see those fighter jets? (Cost of F-35 Fighter Jets (CBC); Cost of F-35 Fighter Jets (CTV); Cost of F-35 Fighter Jets (Globe and Mail)) What about fighting terror? (Missing anti-terrorism funds (Natl Post); Missing anti-terrorism funds (CBC).

Of course I've added new concerns to my list since I began this post, specifically regarding the Senate and in general the Government's lack of transparency and accountability. However, if I delved into those issues this post would never get finished.

You can accuse me of selection bias if you like, posting only links to sites that support my fears, and you very well might be right. However, I'm not a journalist striving for a balanced view, and I'm not acting as a researcher or even a librarian. I'm writing as a worried Canadian. And, as Canadian I apologize if I've offended you, dear reader, or if I've gotten any of the facts wrong.

I think the end point of this discussion, regardless of your opinion is that we should demand better from our country and our Government...I just wish I knew how to more effectively voice my concerns.

Ciao

Character flaws: it's not you, it's totally me, Wrap up

This marks the end of my 'Character flaws' posts for two reasons. First, I was attempting to use this series as a Lenten-like reflection exercise and Lent is nearly over. Second, if I kept coming up with more flaws (and I'm quite confident I could), you, dear reader, might start to wonder if there's anything likable about me. Or, you might worry that I was suffering from an unhealthy degree of self-loathing (which is also possible).

So, what have I learned?

I can be unsociable and taciturn (aka a Darcy-Pants); I'm jealous; I can be quick to anger and I'm grumpy; I'm a scaredy cat; I'm a worrier; and I don't know many things.

I don't think any of these flaws were a surprise, I was aware of many of these long ago. The more important question is, have I managed to do anything about them and well, I'm not sure. I've been trying to be nicer to random people. To at least smile and nod if someone holds the elevator door open for me, and to say 'thanks' if I get my vocal cords warmed up in time. Hey, baby steps, right?

Also, Andrew recently complimented me for saying exactly the right thing, at exactly the right time to give the impression that I wasn't angry over something (which I wasn't). I can't confidently say that this conversational success with the result of diligent study, but maybe it had something to do with being at ease (i.e. not jealous or angry or worried) with the situation?

It's only been a few weeks, and this will definitely be a work of a life time. As I commented in my last post (The death of 1000 paper cuts) no one can be perfect and that's not my aim, but I want to be better than what I am now. Better for my own benefit, better for my husband, better for my friends, and better for any children I might bare in the future.

I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business.

~Michael J. Fox

Ciao

Character flaws: It's not you, it's totally me, Part 5

I'm a worrier.

Big time.

I worry about everything. About being late, about why other people (mainly Andrew) are late, how I'm perceived, how my actions are perceived, where the next phase of our life is going to take us, and once we get there will we like it, etc., etc.

And I know, worrying doesn't accomplish anything, except perhaps to make me more exhausted, but there it is.

So, what am I supposed to do about this? Does my recurrent theme of practicing help here? I suppose on some levels if I practice greater patience, I might worry less about punctuality. Also, if I practice making conversations with people and being friendlier, I might be less apt to worry about how others perceive me. Or I might instead worry about whether or not what I said in my efforts to be conversational came across as stupid or haughty.

It would seem that many of my faults are intertwined with one another. Perhaps this has always painfully obvious to everyone else (not necessarily that only my faults are interrelated, rather that everyone's are), but it's only now becoming apparent to me.

Let me be clear as I'm approaching the end of my Character Flaws posts, I'm not trying to make myself a perfect (LeeLoo Dallas-type) being. I'm only trying to recognize where I have room for improvement. With the possibility of children looming closer on our horizon, I would like to present the best person I can be to them, rather than a grouchy, bitchy woman, who's dissatisfied with her life choices.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”
~Dalai Lama XIV

Ciao