This dread of Mondays everyone has is somewhat baffling to me. It isn’t like people don’t know its coming. Every seven days (which in perspective is not that long of a time) a Monday comes around. It is a work day just like Tuesday or Thursday. Do we dislike Mondays for the simple reason that we had the previous day off? And what does that say about us?

At this point in my life I don’t mind Mondays. Maybe it’s because no matter what day of the week it is I still have to get up around the same time because my daughter wakes me up, so weekends do not hold any special “extra sleep” promise for me. But maybe it’s because I like my job and don’t mind going to work. Perhaps if more people had jobs they enjoy Mondays would be able to leave behind it’s gloomy connotation.

Do you hate Mondays? If so, how do you feel about your job? What do you think makes Mondays difficult? Help me understand…

On my last two visits to Quizno’s I noticed they have changed the way they wrap their sandwiches for carry-out. Normally this kind of thing wouldn’t garner a second thought from me, but the new way they are wrapping their sandwiches is somewhat annoying to me. So I looked into it and discovered Quizno’s is trying to “be green.”

I happen to be something of a sandwich lover. Turkey sandwiches to be specific. So you will regularly see me at Subway, Togo’s, or as in the case today, Quizno’s. And since I eat said sandwiches at my desk I like to have something to open up and use as a sort of placemat. The new wrapping is contains “significant amounts” of post-consumer materials and supposedly uses less paper. Post consumer materials is good, it’s the way they designed the “less paper” I find issue with.

With this new wrapping I now have to carefully tear open the cute little sleeve the sandwiches come in to have a flat and somewhat larger place to put the sandwich down between bites. (I don’t like to work for my food.) And once the paper is flat it isn’t all that much smaller than the old school style Quizno’s used to have. Add in the glue, which I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure is not environmentally friendly, and I’m not sure this isn’t more than a marketing gimmick; Quizno’s attempt to capitalize on a recent trend toward being “earth-friendly.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about helping the environment. I recycle as much as possible and get e-bills from those I can so I don’t waste paper. But when your efforts as a service company (the service of offering convenient food) to go green impede the very service you are offering, that’s where you need to take a second look.

Okay, maybe I’m just being picky. I like my sandwiches and I want to enjoy them without hassle. Is that too much to ask? This may may make me rethink Quizno’s the next time I want a turkey sandwich. What do you think? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Then I began thinking about a conversation I had earlier that day with my new boss. She and I had agreed that we liked to jump in and tackle an assignment and get it done sooner rather than later. I realized that I had not always been like that. I used to thrive under the pressure of a deadline (still do), but now I prefer to just get the work done and out of the way. What changed? I believe it was becoming a mother that changed me.

Now I realize the power of NOW. I must jump at opportunities when they present themselves. If my daughter wants to get dressed I had better go do it right that second because she may not want to in 5 or even 2 minutes and then I’d have a fight on my hands. And don’t even get me started on potty training and jumping up at a moment’s notice. I also no longer complain about tasks that are unappealing, but instead I realize they must be done and just do them, again, right away so as to get them out of the way.

I have developed a much greater sense of patience too. Putting my daughter to bed can take a very long time some nights. My will power and self restraint has improved greatly too. Watching my daughter feed herself and not take the spoon away because I could do it better and much faster takes Titan like will power and self control.

And without even knowing it, because they have become second nature, I am using these skills in all aspects of my life. Am I a better employee now than I was 3 or 4 years ago?

Assuredly, Yes.

Is it due to additional years of experience or because I am a mother now? I’m not completely sure. But I do know that even if it is due to work experience, motherhood has sped the learning curve.

Don’t we all feel just a little better when we realize we are not alone in thinking this or that, feeling something, or in our odd little habits we think no one else does? We are the same as many other people in many different ways. But when it comes to putting ourselves into groups why do we always insist we are unique from others? We aren’t. We are all alike in one way or another. It’s like we say, “Sure there are other working mothers (or insert your own group), but I’m different than ALL of them because…” and finish the sentence with some pitiful excuse as to why you are unique. But chances are there are at least a dozen (probably a couple hundred dozen) women who feel the exact same way you do and would finish the sentence the same exact way.

And that is exactly what allows marketers the ability to advertise to the general public. Because we are general, in one way or another. If we were as unique as we think we are, sometimes marketing wouldn’t work. Each message would have to be tailored to one person. But advertising and marketing do work because we are all motivated by very similar things, and react in very similar ways.

So the next time you think “No one could possibly know how I feel,” think again. Or “I’ll bet I’m the only person on the planet who washes my socks like this,” wrong! Chances are there are hundreds, if not thousands who are just like you. And thanks to the internet we can all find each other through odd little websites and forums.

Normally this would be a good thing. But since as previously mentioned I do like my job, I am inclined to stay at work longer. It goes like this, “5 o’clock already? Well, just one more thing and then I’ll go home.” And one more thing turns into 3 and then its 5:30, the time I’m supposed to be home.
It comes back to the whole work/home balance and where one’s priorities are.

For me, my priorities are whatever I happen to be doing at the moment. While I’m at work I want to be and stay at work, but when I go home, all I want to do is be with my daughter and be a good mom. Am I a bad parent for enjoying my work? I provide a great lifestyle for my family by working, but I’m positive my daughter wouldn’t know the difference if we lived in a smaller house or she wore second-hand clothes. I feel like a good mother by giving her these things. And if I get a sense of fulfillment from it too then it’s a double bonus.

So I have decided to eat lunch at 11:45 instead. This started because once I skimped on dinner the night before and only had carbs for breakfast so I was feeling the headache and lightheadedness that tell me it’s time to eat really early. I caved and ate lunch around 11:40. It made it seem like I had oodles of time in the afternoon and I was ready to go home right around 5. It’s all head games anyway right?

I am so excited about this job. So far every aspect seems perfectly suited to me. I truly believe that the self-discovery I did earlier in the year helped me in finding a job that is such a great fit.

If you have the time, even if you are employed, I highly recommend it.

And now that I am employed, will my blogging slow down? At this rate I don’t think I could possibly post less without  stopping altogether, and that is not going to happen.

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But mostly I am focusing on remembering what I do have, not what I don’t.  I have an amazing daughter who grows smarter everyday, a beautiful home, a loving husband, parents close by, fuzzy cats, plenty of food to eat, and a soft bed to sleep in. And more and more I am thankful that I have had this time off to be with my daughter, play with her, and watch her grow. I am happy that I have learned more about myself and am better prepared to interview for my dream job.

In my opinion it is important to find the positive side of a situation if possible. It will cause less stress and make you happier. And enjoying life is a great goal, don’t you think? What makes you happy?

 After all, having a positive attitude goes a long way, right?

Things are beginning to look up. I’ve had several good “bites” and eventually one of them will have to turn into something. The key is to find something I’m good at, and I will enjoy. I’ve had jobs I enjoyed but they were not a good fit, and I’ve had jobs that were good fits but I did not enjoy. So how do I ensure I get both in my next job?

I believe the key is through self-discovery. I have been doing a series exercises to learn more about myself and what is important to me. I can’t say I’ve learned anything that I didn’t know before, but I was able to frame my self-knowledge in a new way, look at my traits and skills through a new window.

This entailed narrowing down what my top interest are, which, when forced to choose, came as a surprise. Plus, actually writing down my ideal working conditions and types of people I enjoy working with. I think the most challenging part was narrowing down my values to the top three. If you want to do these exercises pick up a copy of What Color is Your Parachute by Dick Bolles.  The 2010 edition is particularly useful.

And on a completely different front, I know that given an entire year, I’m pretty sure I can get my daughter potty trained. So those are my two goals, find a job and get my daughter out of pull ups.

Don’t get me wrong, I plan on sticking it out and seeing if I can work my way up. I learn fast and if I apply myself I am sure I can make it. But I plan on sticking it out at only one of the two. Coordinating work schedules for both and trying to fit in a job search and interviews has been less than ideal. How do I choose between the two retail jobs I’m trying on for size? Which fits better comes down to working environment, people, and benefits.

One of the jobs has a lot better employee resources, like a formal training process, direct deposit, and benefits for part-time associates. However, this job also has a much more stressful work environment. I know each job has certain requirements, but I feel much more pressure to meet each standard perfectly at this job. And the dress code is very strict. The store manager at this job is very dedicated, and I admire her work ethic, however she is a little over the top for me.

The other job is much more laid back with less pressure. They have a dress code, but it has a lot more options. The cash register is much easier to understand as well. While I didn’t get training that was as formal and in depth as the other job, I still feel well-equipped. I definitely feel more a part of the team at this job despite only working there a few weeks. I think what makes this job the one I want to keep is really the manager. She has high expectations just like the manager at the other job, but she doesn’t make you feel like you will be a failure if you don’t meet them right away.

I have learned that as the leader goes, so goes the team. I firmly believe it as I have seen it played out over and over again in my career. I worked for a small business that was barely scrapping by because the leadership from one of the owners was not up to par. I have seen entire teams turn around and become successful when a new manager was put into place, and unfortunately I have seen the opposite too. So I have come to the decision that I will be staying at The Children’s Place and that is in great part because of the management team there.

I applied to several stores. The ones which I thought would be most promising didn’t work out. Isn’t that the way with a lot of things! I really wanted an Assistant Manager job at one children’s clothing at which I shopped quite often. They didn’t ever call me back. I did get offered jobs at three different stores. I ended up taking two of them. Neither one was an assistant manager job though. I still have hopes that I will be able to learn enough to get promoted quickly.

Applying and being interviewed at these places has been a learning experience in itself. When I was hired for my one and only past retail job I was interviewed alone. This time, since I was applying during the holidays, I was interviewed with others in a group. It was very interesting to me to see the diverse group of candidates. Some of those in my group who I thought would not get hired did! And I discovered I was not as prepared as I thought I would be.

Will I be able to stick it out? Will I get promoted? Will this turn out to be a giant mistake? We shall see…