Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Happy New Year...now get to work


Look at that. We've all got a brand-new, shiny year to play with.

The triskaidekaphobics will probably have a rough time of it but, you know, you can't please everyone. Years aren't like buildings; you can't just rename the 13th year of the century the 14th year and go on like nothing happened.

Well, I guess you could, but it would just confuse everyone.

This is the day that people traditionally make resolutions for the year ahead, promising themselves to behave themselves and quit doing the things they think they shouldn't be doing and to start doing the things they think they should be doing but don't really feel inclined to do.

I don't make resolutions.

There are a couple of reasons for that. First of all, the track record of humanity, collectively, for keeping resolutions, is not that great, and I don't like to set myself up for failure. I'm good enough at it without building it into the plan for a year. But, more important, I've always believed that if something is important enough to do, there's no good reason for waiting until an arbitrary day to start doing it.

What I do try to do every year, on the first day of the year, is to sit down and think about what direction I would like to go during the year.

First and foremost, I hope to get work this year.

I've proably mentioned here that I've been out of work. At this point, it has been a little over a year since I've worked at a paying job. This is not my choice. I was let go from my previous job as a result of the economy and, although I've been looking faithfully, there really hasn't been anything out there.

This is something I don't have complete control over. I can apply for job after job after job, but that doesn't mean that I'll get an interview, much less a job. The official jobless numbers in my county are still above 14 percent; the unoffical numbers are just about universally agreed to be close to 10 percentage points higher than that. But I can continue to look and to apply and to hope for the best. I can also continue to do volunteer work at Central Valley Professionals while I look for work. The things I do there, including writing and presenting workshops for other jobseekers, are helping me develop new skills that could help me get work.

While I'm looking for work, there is no reason for me not to continue to work on ongoing writing projects that can eventually become revenue streams for me. And so I will do that, and look for other, smaller projects that can pay off more quickly than the two big, ongoing projects that I'm currently working on.

There is also this blog. I intend to continue blogging every day, or as close to that as I can manage. I want to continue writing the Music Sunday and Movie Monday posts. I would like to do more social and political commentary here, as well. Previously, I tried to stay away from politics, especially, here, but the lessons of the recent presidsential campaign included, for me, that it is important to keep the conversation going on the issues of the day, rather than expecting our elected and appointed officials to do the right thing. Because, you know, it isn't a foregone conclusion that they will know the right thing, much less do it.

So, I plan to focus on two things this year - looking for a job and trying to create my own job through my writing. Neither one is mutually exclusive of the other, and even if I am successful in finding a job, I will continue writing. Continuing to write implies also continuing to read. And I will do that.

All that should keep me more than busy this year.

Well, that, and trying to nuture a social life, and keeping up on popular culture, and coping with the things that come up and make life interesting and, occasionally, frustrating.

Watch this space. We'll get through 2013 together.

8 comments:

Thea Landen said...

I could have written your post about a year and a half ago. I, too, lost my job due to the crap economy, and nothing I applied for actually turned into anything. I wound up going back to school to train in a COMPLETELY different field, and I turned to writing to bring in a little extra cash. I hope you're able to reach your goals early in this new year!

Corner Curl Girl said...

Ok, so I need to stop complaining about my job, lol. I find it difficult being an urban school teacher, but I must keep in mind there are some without a job. Good bless you in finding success, dear. Xo

Ccurlgirl.Blogspot.com

littlemissattitude said...

Thank you, Thea, for your comments. I *wish* I could go back to school. Unfortunately, that costs money that I don't have, and even if anyone would give me a loan (chances of which are slim and none), I'm not willing to take on any more debt, even for that.

But, I've got a BA, I've got professional writing experience, and I'm learning new skills at CVP, as I commented in my post. Something's got to change at some point.

What I've got going in my favor, too, I think, is that although I'm not getting paid for anything right now, I'm working at something every single day.

missattitude

littlemissattitude said...

Corner Curl Girl...Thanks you for your comments and good wishes. And thank you for being willing to go into the classroom ever day in difficult circumstances. My roommate is a teacher, and, oh, the stories I hear from her about the classroom experience. I don't know how she does it.

missattitude

Kat Nagel said...

I think your positive attitude is just what you need at this time. Hope 2013 brings you success and satisfaction!

littlemissattitude said...

Thank you, Kat. I'm trying. Sometimes it's difficult to keep optimistic, but I find that if I do something positive toward reaching my goals, that helps lift my attitude.

missattitude

McMGrad89 said...

I must say that I understand where you are coming from although my joblessness and underemployment didn't last a full year (Only 11 months.) You are a smart woman and the right job is waiting for you. Keep on writing! I will keep stopping by.

Annemarie

littlemissattitude said...

Thank you for that, Annemarie. Always glad to see you stop by.

missattitude