Making plans

September is here, and along with cooler temperature and shorter days, there is a feeling of change in the air. Everyone in the blogosphere (or so it seems) has mentioned how September always feels like time for a fresh start, and I guess I've caught that vibe too. Lately I've been feeling the need to begin making some changes in my life. By next September I hope to be in a better place personally than I am right now.

My work life is unsatisfactory. In the beginning, I was just sick of working in retail. I could go on about all the ways that retail management jobs stink--the lousy hours, the nasty internal conflicts between people jockeying for position, the sheer amount of work that's expected for the (somewhat) living wage you earn--but let's just say that it's not right for me anymore. I want to do something new, although I have yet to figure out what that might be just now. Still, I want to take some steps to help move things along. I've started checking local job listings on the Internet and in newspapers to get an idea of what's out there. I'm also paying close attention when people talk about their jobs and the companies they work for, to see what environments might suit me and where there might be openings later on.

This winter, while I'm figuring out what direction to go in, I'm seriously considering learning Spanish. It's something I've wanted to do for years now anyway, and it's a major marketability booster in this area. Several people who work in local government, tax offices, the hospital, etc.. have told me that they would get raises immediately if they learned it. Some companies and businesses will pay for classes for their employees. Everyone seems to agree that bilingual job candidates have a huge advantage in the hiring process. I'm thinking about an intense self-study course this winter with the Rosetta stone (or one of it's offshoot) software packages. It would cost about the same as taking classes, but I could go at my own pace, and of course I'd have the software to refer back to if I needed refreshers.

Another thing I plan to do this winter is to slowly build up my work wardrobe. I am in serious need of some new things to wear. This past year has been a challenge financially with GB not working at all the first half of the year, and working less hours the second half while he continues to recover. My decent work clothes are getting threadbare from constant washing and wearing, and I need new things. This is something else I can do slowly throughout the winter to move towards my goal of a better job.

I have a few other personal goals for the autumn and winter, mostly involving health and fitness. Although I go for long walks every day, I would like to find some additional (enjoyable) ways to exercise. I still have a long way to go to meet my health and fitness goals, and being less sedentary is the major one I've been slowly working towards for the past year. Now that the weather is cooling down and the days are beautiful and cool, I am considering getting our bikes tuned up and beginning to ride. The poor things have been languishing in our storage shed for two years, unused. I think it's time to polish them up and start using them again! And I want to continue to eat better, making more food from scratch, trying new vegetables and fruits, and drinking more water.

By next September, I hope to be somewhat fitter physically and to have a new, better job. For now, I'm making plans and taking baby steps to move towards those goals. As another blogger said recently, "A year from now you'll wish you had started today!"