I'm not superwoman

This is something I've always known about myself, but something I never recognized as a problem. I've always hated getting any sort of help from anyone. I'm a very "do-it-yourself" kind of girl and I'd much rather stay up late and work on something myself, rather than delegate duties to other people and gain a few hours of sleep. I like the assurance of knowing it will be done if I do it and I know it will be done the way I want it done. I think that's why I always liked track and excelled in it. I really didn't have to rely on anyone... my time was my time and it had no bearing on anyone else's performance (unless you were in a relay of course). [side note: I just noticed that there were about 1,000 "I's" in that last paragraph.... which kind of serves as a perfect parrallel as to what I'm about to talk about it] After being at SHM for a full 2 months now, I'm realizing the importance of what it means to be a team and how it's really ok to ask for a little help once and a while. It sounds dumb, but it is really hard for me to ask for help... I feel incompetent for even asking. There is not 'i' in 'team' (corny I know) and I think by recognizing that, my quality of work will improve as well as my overall leadership skills.

What I Know

One thing working at SHM has taught me is that procrastination is NOT a necessary step in tackling an assignment. In the past, I've become notorious for delaying school assignments until the last moment and then working feverishly to complete them. This is not always the best tactic (believe it or not)
While working here, I've developed the organizational tool of prioritizing. I've been keeping more and more "To do lists" and have learned to leave helpful notes and reminders for myself. Consequently, I'm spending less time figuring out what needs to be done, and more time actually doing it. This has enabled me to do my work more efficiently and has also helped me in managing my time.
These small changes have also been supplemented into my everyday routines outside of the office. I find myself more organized and efficient with my time. Ultimately, it has allowed me to accomplish a greater amount of tasks and given me more time to do the things I enjoy.

Learning? I thought we were out of classes...

After working at SHM for a solid time span I have learned that I may not be cut out for the 9-5 desk job. I have a problem sitting still most of the time and sitting at a computer all day is non-conducive to my disorder. This is why I think dolphin training would be the perfect profession for me - outside/in the pool all day, just hanging out with the world's coolest animals... Can you say ballin?!

I have also learned that 'going out' consecutively on the nights before a morning of work is a terrible idea. Not saying that I have ever done that... but I have heard that it's a struggle.

The final piece to my learning puzzle here on Spring Garden Street is that working collectively with co-workers is an awesome tool for problem solving and maximizing project potential. I usually hate group projects during classes because half of the students never show up to meet/there is always an overachieving girl who tries to be the boss. But here is the work world, teams are amazing!

SHM

What I've learned at SHM is part textbook organizational and business skills but mostly things you can't learn in school - like how to succeed in a work environment. Todd and Ashley do a really good job of pushing us to do our best without us even really noticing. They ask us questions and make us think in ways that I wouldn't have before. I've also learned the importance of saying no and asking for help when you need it. No one can do it all by themselves, and for the success of the company, we need to sometimes ask others for help to get the job done on time or done correctly.

Two things I have learned throughout the last 3 months:
1. It is extremely important to stay organized. I have learned to write even the simplest tasks down so I don't forget! Also having an agenda or tasks written down allows me to accomplish things more efficiently. I have learned to love sticky notes!
2. (As much as this may break my favorite QI princesses' hearts.............) I have also learned that I will never like/eat sushi!! :)

What is something you have learned about yourself in the past three months of being at SHM?

Dallas/Philly

While most people are going to be in Dallas for the week, there will be plenty to do back in Philadelphia. I've received several assignments from Jacqui that need completion and have added them to my tasks in Outlook. I hope to stay focused throughout the week by breaking down my assignments into smaller goals for each day. It should be a fun and productive week.

Preparation:
To guarantee that I am prepared for the week ahead I have received a list of 13 tasks with my name on it. Some people may believe '13' to be an unlucky number but many of ya'll will be flying home on Friday the 13th! However, mathematically I'm thinking they'll cancel each other out.

Ensure productivity:
A week without supervision is a challenge when it comes to project motivation. Why do something if nobody is here to check that it's been completed, right? Wrong. That's exactly the kind of attitude that will lead you down the path to failure in life. And I'm flying on a non-stop flight to success.

Bonus:
Like the hit TV series 'America's Best Dance Crew?' Stay tuned for some break out moves I've been keeping under wraps in our video posts next week!

RAGER

Obviously we're going to throw a huge rager here while everyone's gone. Duhhhh. After we rage I'm sure DeeDee will be keeping me plenty busy. I know I have some filing work ahead of me, and we have to upload stuff to 5pm (we had a training in it today). I'm going to start working on my big chapter project and hopefully have a good chunk of it done by the beginning of June. I'm obsessed with to-do lists so that will definitely be how I will stay on track over the course of the week. Other than that, the MA's have some grand plans. And when I say grand I mean graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand. Everyone in Dallas is definitely going to be amused by our AMAZING videos. :]

Freedom!!!!

While the others are gone, Kat will be keeping me in line with lots of design projects. In the off chance that she doesn't, Meesh, Joan, Andrew and myself have come up with a line-up of fun, engaging activities that we can use to better SHM while entertaining ourselves. Everyone in Dallas will be jealous!

HM2011

In attempt to stay busy this up coming week I will meet with the QI team to review all tasks that can be done. To make sure I am productive I usually keep a task list of when things should be completed. In addition to tasks that Ann, Lauren, Taylor, and Wendy may give me, I will work closely with Joanne, who will be staying in the office, and assist her with any tasks she may need done. I also look forward to work more with the other co-ops during the hm2011 week!

While they're gone

In less than a week, most of the office is shipping out and moving to Dallas for a few days.

How are you going to prepare yourself for their absence this week?
How will you ensure your productivity does not lag while they are gone?