Today two things happend that are of some significance. The first is that I withdrew from my online course at Athabasca University. The new job is just not leaving enough time to focus on it and learn. While I'm chagrined at the money I've lost on it I'm somewhat happy that I won't have a WF on my transcrips in case I ever decide to take another course from there when I have more time.

The second is happier in that I decided that it would likely be a good idea if I set up a, for lack of a better term at the moment, "program" in which our office will set personal and work goals, share and encourage each other on with them. The inspiration I got for this is from the Canadian Business series of articles entitled Canada's Best Workplaces. They had a feature article on one of my previous employer's 1-800-Got-Junk? that focused on the company's practice of encouraging employees to set goals for themselves in both their personal and work lives. I've borrowed the concept form Got Junk and expanded on it for my own purposes.

What I proposed to the girls looks like the following:

1. Goals
a. One Short-term Personal Goal (1 week)
b. One Short-term Professional Goal (1 week)
c. One Long-term Personal Goal (6 months - Year)
d. One Long-term Professional Goal (6 months - Year)
e. One Life Goal - Huge and Outlandish
2. Personal Development
a. Find one blog or web-site that you will devote a maximum of one half-hour a day that you believe applies in some way towards the acheivement of your goals (mine is going to be Canadian Business I think)
b. Meet every Wednesday at 2:00 for a quick informal meeting to discuss progress on goals for the week, set new ones and share one thing from the readings that you found interesting and would like to share
3. Encouragement
a. Each of the goals will be posted on a space on our bullitin board visible to everyone in order for each of us to maintain accountability towards our goals

I believe that I'm really not the only person who feels the way I do at times while I'm stuck up here. Of course I'm talking about those feelings of hopelessness and complacence that so many people all over the place feel all the time. I recognize that it's not just the people in my area of the country but many people in general. I digress, the purpose behind my deciding to presenting my "program" to my girls are I don't want them to feel as though they are stuck in a place in life that they're going to be forever. I want to help them acheive their goals both professionally and personally. I want them to help me reach my goals for the office and department. I want to grow as a Manager and a Leader.