Reminding myself...

So, we are one week into the new year - how's it been for you so far my dear readers?  Did you make any new year's resolutions?  Have you stuck to those resolutions?  Do you already want to make new resolutions?

I have already had to remind myself a couple of times in this past week that I didn't want to make resolutions for myself this year but I wanted to make some true lifestyle changes and changes to the ways I look at things.  There have been times already that I find myself slipping into old habits and trying to find ways to conform to the me that I feel I'm "supposed to" be; I am trying not to become overly frustrated with myself when this happens but even that is difficult.  In my head I do know/realize that change takes time, that it's not going to be instantaneous (even if that is what I would prefer), and be okay if/when I stumble and fall along the way.

I know that part of my frustration is stemming from the fact the transition to my new job has not been as smooth as I hoped that it would be.  In the four days that I've been there, I've realized that it is a 180 degree paradigm shift from what I've become accustomed to where I've worked the last almost nine years and that means I am going to have to change the way my mind thinks about work.  I have also had to make a major shift to my internal clock as I have to get up at 4 AM in order to get ready for work; have to be there by 5:15 AM to get the building ready for kids to start arriving my 6 AM; and have worked through lunch everyday (eating at my shared workspace) and leave sometime after 3:30 PM (one day I left at closer to 5 PM and one day around 4:30 PM).  Yes, I am grateful that I have already found a new job but I don't like feeling as if I'm already going to have to put in 12 hour + plus days again because I really don't want to go back to doing that.

I am trying to remain positive about the new job and look for ways to make positive changes where and how I can.  I have already been told by a couple of staff members that I am a "child whisperer" since I can get kids to do what's being asked by them (i.e. cleaning up, sitting and listening to a story, and getting kids that never sleep to take naps).  I see it as just another day and I have to remind myself that not everyone is like me - I've known that I would work with kids in one form or another since I was in Kindergarten myself; all these years later, even though I'm a director, I still work with the kids.  I can use my knowledge to go into the classrooms here and help the staff who are novices at working with kids or just need a new way of thinking of things.  If nothing else, I can help the people who are working with kids to be better educators even if they don't have the educational experience that I have or the background that I do.  I just have to remind myself of that.

Another thing that I need to remind myself of is that I cannot do it all and I cannot do it all myself.  That's not something that I necessary like to admit because one of my phrases from when I was little has always been "do it myself".  I guess I just have to learn how to be selective of who I ask for help and in what instances to see if that helps me at all...

Well, my dear readers, I have once again left myself with something to think about and even though there has been many a time that this is when I've started writing my blog post for the evening, I am going to bring this to a close since 4 am comes awfully early...  Thank you for joining me on my journey and I wish you the best of luck on yours.  =)

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Grandma!