I bet you’ve clicked on this post because of the title—right? Or I may be wrong. But it is a catchy title…

So Wednesday was the birthday, and I’ve taken the past couple of days trying to reflect on the past year, how things have gone, what I want to change (or what needs to change), and where would I like to be by my birthday next year. I’ve been doing a lot of reading of personal development books since the job ended July 31^st, and several of them have gotten me thinking about my career.

I love science, the research (not so much the hours or low pay), the collaborative environment that most academic places have, and just always getting to meet new people. One drawback on that is—scientific research is really the only thing I know (not counting the paper route that I had as a kid), I’ve been doing research in some form since I was a senior in high school—so basically half my life (or a little over that now) has been spent in a lab doing something. 

This has caused a slight conundrum for me professionally—I have numerous technical skills, and I’m quick and fast learner of new skills. The problem is that with the way funding is for science—if you don’t have all the skills, people don’t want to take you on to train you in those areas—they’d rather hire someone they don’t have to train for the job (which is understandable—but I’m in the mind frame of wanting to learn; therefore I’ve been applying to jobs that I may be lacking a skill or two, with hopes that the lab will take me on).

So where does that leave me right now? Well—I’ve got my trip planned for London in a little over a week (both business and personal), so that may result in a offer (or at least letting companies/universities know that I’m willing to relocate abroad). If nothing really pans out with that there may be other ones that I might try to go to in the spring (I think one big trip in the fall will be enough).

I’m also thinking of going back to school for an MBA. I was talking with someone yesterday at a job fair, and they mentioned that the MBA had originally be designed for majors other than business majors, so that they could become more well rounded for job/career world. I know that going back to school won’t be cheap, and it will be time consuming, which is why I’m taking my time in deciding which schools that I might want to apply to and whether they also offer the program online as well.

I’ve also realized that with being unhappy with my job the past year or so, I’ve let my health and fitness routine fall by the wayside again. I will admit that I’m not the most consistent exerciser in the world. I could blame my inconsistency on a lot of things, but in reality—I’m the one making the choice (good or bad), no one else is forcing me to workout or skip the workout—it’s all on me.

So I know that I need to start trying to change (1) the way I eat, (2) drinking more water, and (3) getting back into a consistent workout schedule. Number 2 won’t be a problem, since I’ve realized that I start to develop headaches when I haven’t drunk enough water (though it will still vary day to day). The hard ones will be numbers one and three.

Getting back into a workout routine should be fairly easy (I have enough programs to chose from), but it is making the time—I can figure out so many other things to do instead, if I don’t want to do the workout. Which means I just need to find the program that I absolutely love and know that I will stick with the set schedule (and hopefully not miss a workout). Hence why I set up the squat challenge this month—a way of slowly easing back into a workout routine.

Eating clean and healthier is a bigger problem right now, since I’m living at home and I’m in theory the only one trying to get into shape (it is a pain to cook a meal for just one person and have others eating other food around you). So I’m going to just do the best that I can (may start skipping the onion rings for dinner when we have those with something), and just watch the hopeful baby steps start to add up.

So how do I want the next year to go? I want to find a job that (1) challenges me, (2) pays a slightly more than a livable wage, (3) makes me want to get out of bed everyday and show. I want to get back into shape and then hopefully (1) sign up to run/walk a 5K; (2) arrange a trip with friends and hike around the Grand Canyon; (3) book a trip to Peru and make it the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu. I want to be living in a vibrant city that has a rich history that I can explore on my weekends and off days from work.

In other words, I’m setting off on the journey to find myself—it may be slow, but I know that I can do it—I just have to start putting one foot in front of the other, and if I fall, start crawling until I’m able to stand and continue walking.