I know I’ve been a bit quiet lately but writing a blog isn’t something you can do to command (or at least not for me). An idea tends to just pop into your head, you start writing and boom before you know it you’re figuring out how to conclude. So there I was sitting at my desk, when it hit me that I’ve been working with the company for 6 months now. Although half a year is a long period, it seems like way more and not because I’ve sat there counting away the hours but rather on the contrary. A lot has happened since last December and more importantly I’ve really changed as a person.

1) I’ve become an insane multi-tasker

Anyone who knew me a year ago could vouch for the fact that I could only concentrate on one thing at one go. I mean it actually became a joke at home about not being able to text and talk. 6 months later and I am a changed person! Well ok I still have my moments but I’ve been known to answer emails about one thing whilst on the phone figuring out something completely unrelated. Yeah I’m bragging but you would too if you knew how far I’d come 😉

2) I’m the first one in the pool in the morning.

Before I started working, a lot of people ‘scared’ me into thinking that it is impossible to keep up a serious training regime and do your job successfully. Half a year in, I beg to differ, it is really all about how you manage your time and also about being realistic that you might not always feel fresh during a workout.

So now I can brag about being one of the first to jump in our swimming lanes most mornings. I used to be the type to just sit on the edge and dwell about the hard session we had ahead of us. Well why not? I had all the time in the world – so what if I didn’t make that 8 am lecture….  These days I just dive straight in and even manage to get a run in too some mornings. It’s all about commitment – if you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way; if not, you’ll find an excuse.

3) I have a whole new meaning to the term comfort zone.

If you read one of my older posts, you’ll know that I am a great lover of comfort zones in most things I do because let’s face it, they are just more well ‘comfy’. In the last few months this has changed immensely; it’s probably been the most challenging part of the job so far but thanks to my manager Johanna in particular I have learnt that it’s actually ok to take risks sometimes and just let go of that fear of the unknown. It’s all a game of pitch and toss and this is not just work related.

4) I have learnt more in 6 months than any teacher/ professor could teach me in a lifespan

You can have the most outstanding cv and qualifications going but nothing will prepare you for a job more than the actual experience itself. I really feel that I have grown as a person being faced with so many different scenarios and figuring out how to overcome hurdles. I tend to be an observer so over time I’ve also learnt a lot from the people around me.

5) I feel more myself than ever.

I’m going to be honest here and say that I decided to go to university a few years back just because it felt the ‘done thing’, you know, the next step up the ladder. I was never a great lover of school or anything related to studying; I was more one who just got by, I did enough and that was it. In retrospect I feel that it’s because I was never challenged enough. This attitude meant that I ended up with a mismatch of a levels rather than ones specifically targeted towards a career path. So when it came to choosing a degree, again it was more a question of what fit in with my qualifications, my schedule and whether it actually seemed doable. I actually started off in law (yeah really!); luckily it took me a week to realise that it was definitely not the course for me.

I guess you could say I ended up in marketing by default but you know what it turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. I really do enjoy my job, of course there are certain parts I dislike but overall I love it most days. I never dread a Monday morning and it always feels great to get back to the office after some time off. Since starting my job with MUHC I’ve embarked on a journey; I finally have a direction and am enjoying every minute of it!