Appreciation and Validation

As the end of year draws near, so starts the busiest part of the year at work. Yesterday about an hour before I was scheduled to leave, I was notified that we landed a big account that I'd been working on and it needed to hit the books for November. So I settled into my cubicle, knowing it'd be a while. 3 hours and 15 minutes past quittin' time, it was completed.

I walked into work this morning, feeling like it hadn't been that long ago when I had left, and sat down at my computer, feeling less than excited to be there. However, my day turned around quickly when I saw I had an email from one of the underwriting managers, thanking me for the work I'd done on this account. "We often get to celebrate over here the success of getting a big account, but the truth is it wouldn't be possible without you and all your efforts." I felt immediate validation.

A couple hours went by and I saw I had an email from another underwriting manager. She, too, thanked me for staying late to get the account issued.

And as if that weren't enough, in the late afternoon I got yet another email. "I understand you played a big part in helping us win this account. Thank you for staying late to get this on the books. I appreciate all the work you did." I didn't recognize the name so I looked her up - turns out, she is the AVP of Sales. Whoa, big time. How cool is it that someone from upper management took time out of her busy schedule to send me, a lowly "rater", a thank-you email?! I was more than impressed.

This probably seems hardly blog-worthy, but in the "rater" world, to say this rarely happens is an understatement. To get 3 emails from different levels of management in the same day on one account speaks volumes to me. I know it seems so simple and it only took them a mere 2 minutes to compose such a note, but it means a lot. Feeling appreciated for what you do can do wonders for your engagement.

I marked today down as a good day at work, worthy of a gold star.

The Thrill

Old Navy vinyl pants circa 2001, paired with an oversized hoodie that's 2 sizes too big + Hy-Vee Chinese take-out + reruns of the Office = how I spent my Monday night.

It's okay to be jealous.

What Made the Difference

What do these 3 three things have in common?

They all contributed to my good day.

As I was rounding the corner to enter cubicle land this morning, I was less than excited. However, upon reaching my desk I found the Glee Christmas album laying next to my keyboard and it immediately put a smile on my face. Can't wait until next weekend to listen to it! (must get through Thanksgiving first) Thanks again Sarah!

I was also excited to get out my iPod this morning because I downloaded the new Girl Talk album last night. It made the first one hour, 11 minutes, and 51 seconds of my day fun, as I, of course, had a little dance party in my cubicle.

And last but certainly not least, this afternoon L called me and said, "You need to come downstairs to your lobby right now." As I approached the stairwell and saw her with Starbucks in her hand, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. It was a great surprise and definitely got me through the afternoon. Thank you L! I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and taking time out of your busy day to deliver me a cup (the holiday cup, no less) of deliciousness!

Office Talk

While looking through pictures of his new baby

Me: "Oh, she is absolutely precious!"
Co-worker: "Thanks, your next!"
Me: "uh, not anytime in the near future"
Co-worker: "Well, don't wait too long"
Me: "Thanks"

Proud Panther

I'll admit that I get more excited for Iowa games than I do for my Alma Mater, but know that UNI will always be near and dear to my heart. They deserve a shout out since they not only won their game Saturday, but the MVFC title too. Go Panthers!

Over the Last Few Days...

Things That Are On My Mind:
*Dentist Appointment - I haven't been to the dentist for a professional cleaning in over *gasp* 2 years. I'm afraid of what they'll find. Also, this means having to see Dr. McHottie in an unflattering, vulnerable state - with all the tools poking and prodding my mouth, the bib, etc.
*Dr. Bill - I finally got my bill from PT and I think my heart stopped upon seeing those numbers. For the record, I don't feel like I got my money's worth.

Things That Make Me Smile:
*Regan's Phone Call - Before bedtime the other night, Regan sang me the ABC's, Old McDonald, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and the Wheels On the Bus. Of course, hearing her say "wuve you Coco" was the icing on the cake. Love her.
*Tires - After struggling a little with what kind of tires to get/where to go, I finally made a decision and got it all taken care of today. It's a relief and glad it's over with.
*Cousin Outing - I met up with my cousins tonight for a fun dinner outing. It's always fun seeing them and not only talking of what's currently going on each of our lives but also talking about all our fun memories growing up.

Time For a Change

After some careful thought, I decided to stop my compressed work week schedule and go back to a 5, 8 hour day work week. I'm happy to report that after 3 weeks, I'm loving it and am 100% behind this decision and here's why:

*Shorter Days: The hours at work go by a lot faster and I think I am actually more productive in 8 hours than I was on 10. I usually hit a wall anywhere between the hours of 2:30-4:00 where I just shut down and it was almost impossible for me to get motivated to keep working. A "shorter" day prevents me from getting so burnt out.

*Energy: I feel I have a lot more energy when I leave work. It's amazing how those 2 extra hours of being holed up in a cubicle, staring at a computer screen really starts to drain you.

*Time: I feel like I've been given the gift of time. On the 10 hour days, I felt like I only had time for one "activity" per night - so I had to choose whether to go running or run errands or do housework or hang out with friends. Now, my nights seem to last forever and I can do so much more. Today, for example, I ran 5 miles and went to the grocery store, (in the time I'd normally still be at work) then ran some errands, and went over to S&J's for the rest of the evening.

*Sun: I think there's a lot of validity to the whole exposure to sunlight is important idea. It is not fun to go AND leave work in the dark. I did this all of last winter and am relieved to not to have to do it again. Plus, I can get most, if not all of my runs in before the sun goes down.

Do I miss the 3 day weekends? To be honest, no. Although it was great not working Fridays, it started to become a busy day full of errands, appointments, housework, etc and I rarely did anything fun. Now, with having more time and energy in the evenings, I can get more of those "chores" done during the week and still have time to enjoy my weekend. Has it been hard working on Fridays? Not so far. There are actually a few perks to working Fridays - jeans day, the atmosphere is more laid back, and usually it seems to be a quieter day in terms for the workload.

Who knows if the novelty of the "short" days will wear off, but I'm not worrying about that. Right now, I'm just enjoying the change of pace.