My Adventure with MS Project

                Okay, I admit that this intro to MS Project class will be harder than normal. I will have to listen and pay attention. This is the first time in nearly 6 years that I have taken the Ed2Go Project class. The last time was in April 2010 when I first got started in project management. BEA had it on its computer so I took the course scoring 69%. (I intend to score way higher this time especially with all of this PMP wisdom underneath my belt.). During this first lesson, the blood rushes through parts of my brain where it hasn’t in a very long time. This means that I am learning something new. I need to build up a tolerance towards learning MS Project 2013. I am just glad that I have gotten a free 60-day trial. This trial is the economic justification for enrolling. Although I know that eventually I would have to relearn Project, getting a free version keeps the cost manageable else I would be strictly on YouTube and dummies book (I have purchased the MS Project 2013 for Dummies book to supplement my learning.) I refuse to quit because I will master it. Project is a skill that I must have in order to stay relevant as a Senior Project Manager.

Closing the Door

                I have always been great at closing the door on things, persons and processes that no longer serve me. Today I have decided that I am closing the door on working in the federal government. I have had an 8-year career there but after receiving 2 $80/hour jobs from recruiters. This is $160,000 per year. One of the 2 will offer me $90/hour or $180,000. That’s more than GS-15 step 10 income which is $155,000; and, the process takes 15 years to go from step 1 to step 10. Right now I stand to earn more than 15 years. Knowing myself I will be way farther along than $180,000 by year 2031.

                This isn’t the first time that I have closed the door on something. I have done this with two federal agencies, Constellation and now the federal sector. I am happy to leave and never return to my first federal agency because this year this agency is moving from DC to Maryland. I have a choice in this matter. There are so many miserable people relocating but I am still here in DC.

Closing the door is liberating because I can focus on the future. The past is not competing with my future. I can devote time towards creating a new system that serves me now instead of being torn. Indecisiveness kills many people’s dreams; but, not mine. Yes, I admit that the federal sector has been good and has taught me a lot; but, I am very happy that I can move on towards something good. If I stay applying for federal jobs than I am limiting my income and personal growth; therefore, I am closing the door.

Intrepid : My 2016 Word of the Year

Intrepid (noun)-  

characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance  intrepid explorer>

                Intrepid is my word for 2016. I am fearless both personally and professionally. 2016 will bring about absolution. I am very resolute that this will be my biggest and best year yet. There will be no slow down here from 2015 to 2016. I envision my business will be successful earning over $1 million in its inaugural year. Although this is a lofty goal, having earned over $100,000 for three straight years, I have new lands to conquer. I know that I need a system and am open to developing this in order to achieve my $1 million. My radio show will take off because it deals with positive change, project management and brand management. In addition, I will also have my radio and positive change mobile apps available in 2016.

Personally, I envision myself in a full-time job that I love where I can contribute. I have been planting a lot of seeds this year and am ready to reap the harvest. Although this is winter, early 2016 will be my harvest season. I will get a high-paying job where I will be a great fit. In addition, I will rid myself of negative and people or companies trying to take me down. Most importantly, I will eliminate people and things that no longer serve me because I need to be lighter in order to get to the next level. 

What I have learned in 2015

2015 has offered me a whole lot of lessons, both good and bad. Here are my biggest lessons:

• The higher up I go, the more stealth my backup plan has to be.
• I am very good writer and will publish my new book next year.
• Overcoming my fear of failure has increased my opportunity. I have owned my own website and started my own online radio show.
• My being genuine has helped me personally and professionally in so many ways.
• That I’m now a senior-level professional who might have to rely on search firms now to aid me in my job search.
• I’ll have to entertain entrepreneurship because I think that I might have hit the ceiling on pay.
• I need to speak more instead of thinking that the data will speak for me. I admit that I am quite an analytical person but many people aren’t.
• After filing a customer complaint, release my emotions from the final result.
• I have been in DC for 9 years and have survived every situation. I most certainly will survive whatever happens next. 

My 2015 Has Been Nothing Short of Amazing!

                Although there are still 15 days left in 2015, I feel that this is the appropriate time to discuss my year. I have purchased my carlarjenkins website domain, started a blog, became a LinkedIn Pulse contributor, renewed my PMP certification, traveled to Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta and New York City and reserved my LLC business name. It has also been tumultuous as I am in between consulting opportunities; however, the good far outweighs the bad. Taking control of my personal career brand and dedicating myself towards writing have increased my confidence. I can handle anything that comes my way in 2016.

Federal Reserve Rate Hike and Career Management

Promote Your Competitive Advantage

Assess, Action and Adapt

Deliberately Expect the Extraordinary

                Listening to Constance Arnold’s most recent podcast has motivated me to deliberately ask and expect the extraordinary. This phrase has awakened me because until then I have only expected the ordinary. Given how my life has been for the past 4 years, all I want to do is keep my head above water and pay my bills on time. Now I have managed 3 promotions in the last 4 years but there has been a significant amount of turbulence too. However, right now I realize that I have decided to ask for the extraordinary. I simply don’t want to have a full-time position. I want one which is mentally stimulating where I will be able to learn something every day. Also I will deliberately expect more than just starting my business off on the right foot. I expect to it to be epic! Constance’s podcast has stopped me from settling right then and there because I know that I am capable to expecting more; therefore, for the next 30 days, I will keep a deliberate action journal chronicling my daily steps towards an extraordinary life. I love this idea because I love continuous improvement and with 32 days remaining in 2015, I can see progress ending this year on a high note; and, positioning myself for a way better 2016.

Moving from Writer to Mentor During Nanowrimo

                Nanowrimo is grueling. I will be the first to admit this. This is my first time winning in 8 tries. As soon as I have won I have morphed into mentor role because I need to see more people win. I have shared participants my tips and stories of my overcoming writer’s block (It’s real that the first 43,000 words were easy but I get writer’s block with 7200 words to go. I have managed to snap out of it by writing 8900 words in 2 days winning Nanowrimo with 51,630 words.). Mentoring comes easy for me because I love to communicate with people and exchange ideas. It is the 29^th and there are still people winning the competition, and people who need encouragement to cross the finish line. 

Nanowrimo Badges

Winning Nanowrimo and Its Meaning to Me

I have won Nanowrimo after 8 years. I’ve won because I have an outline, a theme, encouragement and determination. I’d be the first to admit that it has been hard. There have been 4 days that I’ve stopped because my brain swirls with all of these ideas. My brain need a break. In the past 2 days, I’ve typed over 8900 words to win. After turning the corner on 40,000 words with 8 days to go, I was determined to win. Before this year, 38,000 was my personal best. Now I will revise my book and prepare for the manuscript editing this December.

The Difference between Gratitude and Intention

There is a difference between gratitude and intention. Many gurus want people to be grateful. There is nothing wrong with that. I awake every morning and go to bed every night grateful for life and opportunity; however, I am set intentions every morning and night towards getting as much money, abundance and freedom. I equate gratitude as static or potential energy. When are grateful, you are still and quiet. You are grateful for your current state and what you have right now. Yet, to move forward, you need intentions which is dynamic or kinetic energy. When you intend to do something, you set the ball in motion. There is a big difference between gratitude and intention. You cannot move forward only on gratitude. You must add intention in order to become a better version of you.

Veracity

Veracity (noun):

Full Definition of VERACITY

1

:  devotion to the truth :  truthfulness

2

:  power of conveying or perceiving truth

3

:  conformity with truth or fact :  accuracy

4

:  something true

                The word of the week is veracity. Although I practice internal honesty every day, with 2016 being less than 45 days away, I need to be more honest. I need to declutter letting things, ideas and people who don’t serve me. I need to drop things that hold me back from my greatness. I must do it now and not want until New Year’s Eve because those evil spirits will weigh me down.

Project Execution with 45 Days Left This Year

Nano Epiphany and Other Things

                I know that I have been busy with Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) so I haven’t been writing on Blogger much. Today I have to take a mental break (I am currently at 17,676 words and 20,000 is my next goal). I am ahead 3 days so I deserve the rest. Also I have had a great epiphany. While perusing the #Nanowrimo hashtag yesterday, I came across some woman who wasn’t participating in this year’s competition because it coincided with her doctoral thesis. We tweeted each other and I learned that writing a 50,000-word novel was similar to writing a doctoral dissertation. The lightbulb went off immediately.

                I admit that I have been toying around with returning to school for my doctoral degree but I am conflicted about which major I should pursue.  I know that economics is the most math intensive out of statistics and business administration, but it is very hard. Personally, I don’t want to be seen as a math slacker. I am leaning towards taking statistics because it is out of 100 and I can still hold tight to my NASA Astronaut dreams. To become a NASA Astronaut, I need to have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree. Statistics will qualify me for this. Furthermore, becoming an astronaut satisfies my inner Trekker. My mother has hooked me on the original Star Trek with William Shatner while growing up in Cleveland. I always want to be in something science-related. Therefore, earning a statistics degree puts me front and center. Although I have some incomplete education elsewhere, I still believe that with adequate preparation and discipline that I can accomplish my stats goal (It would be great to write about my statistical analysis too!).

My Worst Travel Weekend Ever!

I had the travel experience from hell this past weekend. I was supposed to board American Airlines at National airport to Norfolk to attend the TCE Summit. I was excited in the Uber en route to DC airport when I got this cancellation email. Immediately I called the customer service and that lady was a grade A witch. She told me that she cancelled my entire reservation because I did not want to fly out of Baltimore, layover in Charlotte then fly to Norfolk. That would had taken 5 hours. I hung up on her returning home to book a Sunday American Airline plane ticket then Amtrak business ticket to Newport News. I arrived at Union Station at 5:30pm but the train was late boarding everyone at 6:15pm instead of 5:50pm meaning that I didn’t get into Newport News until 10:50pm. The only thing keeping me calm was talking with my girlfriend. My train ride was the first stop because I had to board a transfer bus from Newport News to Norfolk. Finally, I had to call Uber to my hotel arriving after midnight. What angered me the most was that I was unable to eat dinner with my father. My saving grace was that he was still up when I arrived there (and offered me a piece of chicken because I refused to pay exorbitant food rates on Amtrak).

Newport News Amtrak Station

                I spent all Saturday morning recuperating and overcoming my travel headache which I attributed to downing caffeine. My father said that he would be on the road at 6am so I drug myself out of bed, put on my business slacks and took a photo with my Dad because that was what I initially wanted on Friday night. I posted it on Facebook and Instagram ASAP. My Dad stayed an extra day to see me and that photo represented redemption. American Airlines could not hold me down! After he left, I crashed missing half of the TCE Summit.

Dad and I at the Norfolk Springhill Suites

I made it to the other session.  Then we had lunch. Afterward I was stuck at the Me/Self table which I did not understand because I took time out for myself. What I hated was this woman who complained to us about her being invisible to her husband but when I called her on it she played victim. I did not need that. Furthermore, I noticed that some reason there was always 1 crazy at my conference table. I should attract better. I took my photo, did a Periscope and returned back to my room to await my Ohio State game.

Sunday morning I was ready to fly out to DC. My flight was 10:05am and I left at 8:30am to ensure that I was there on time. Nope! American delayed my first an hour. On top of that, my original return flight ticket was honored. I tweeted the airline immediately because that meant that I bought a duplicate ticket. Things got worse because I ended up waiting 3 hours and 45 minutes for my flight to leave. That was the worst flight experience I ever had. Although I applied for my refund Sunday night, I spent Monday and Tuesday recovering from the hellish travel weekend courtesy of American. I am sticking with United and Delta after this!

Norfolk Airport outside

I’ve Decided to Grow Up Today

                I have purchased Money  magazine at the CVS this afternoon. After reading it, I buy a 2-year $20 subscription because I need to grow up and manage my money better. Now I do earn 6 figures, save 25% of my non-rent paycheck and max out my retirement savings to receive the corporate match but I just feel stuck; therefore, I have decided to better educate myself financially. I know that I am full capable of not only getting to the $1 million level but surpassing it. I know that I possess the ability to become the first wholly owned black Fortune 500 CEO company. I have grown up over $32 ($12 for 1-year Kiplinger Personal Finance and $20 for a 2-year Money magazine subscriptions). I may also consider buying Worth magazine because my goal is to prepare myself for the stratosphere. I know that my book career will take off and reading financial magazines are the ways that I’ll be prepared for positive change.

Mass Shootings Will Never Make Me Numb EVER!

                Unlike some people, I am not numb to mass shootings. Today is no exception. I can never understand the motive behind them. Like ‘what is it?’ Why shoot up everything over stupid mess. Now I have been teased throughout grade school but killing people is a big no-no. It is just plain grotesque that killing a whole bunch of people is okay. Finally, let’s start re-labeling these mass murderers as evil instead of mentally ill. 99.9% of mentally ill people aren’t blogging manifestos and killing people.

http://t.co/icHuFqknnt  (Heavy.com Oregon mass shooter article)

When Ed2Go Learning Becomes Your Second Skin: Continuing Education and Improving Myself and My Business

                I have to take stock in my accomplishments and not have tunnel vision all of the time. Today I have completed Ed2Go Creating WordPress Websites I quizzes 1 and 2. In the middle of my class, 2 things hit me: 1) I am amazed at my level of productivity when I am not stressed and 2) taking Ed2go courses constitute as self-investment. Regarding the latter, I have taken Ed2Go classes on and off for 5 years that the practice has become normalized. I have tunnel vision and don’t even consider it as self-investment; however, it is because I am paying money and devoting time and effort towards improving myself. I am now running PositivityChange.com and I need to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Tonight I have created a WordPress site independent of GoDaddy. That’s a huge accomplishment because now I can update my site independently. In addition, I can go over my site with my social media coach tomorrow afternoon. By tomorrow’s appointment, I will have completed 2 more lessons so that I will have a better grip on WordPress. Continuing education is essential towards my improving my brand and me. 

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