Impossible Goals and Epic Searches

Impossible Goals

If you've ever read anything about goal setting, you've no doubt heard about SMART goals.

SMART stands for Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely. Basically, if the research is to be believed, all of your goals should meet this criteria. For example, your goal shouldn't be "I want to loose weight" because it's not simple, there's no time frame for accomplishing it and how do you measure it? When do you know if you've accheieved this goal? How do you know when you're done? You don't. A better goal would be, "I want to loose 10 pounds by August 30." See how much better that is? You know when you're done and you can measure your progress along the way, which keeps you motivated. Studies have shown that you are much more likely to succeed.

Now, SMART goals have their place. In fact, 99% of your goals should be SMART goals. But there is also a place for impossible goals. I believe everyone should have at least one impossible goal. Something unattainable, but no less worth the pursuit of it.

My impossible goal is to Know Everything.

Knowing everything is, of course, impossible. But my quest for infinite knowledge will make me an overall better and more interesting person. So why shouldn't I strive for that?

It's not simple, there's no time line, I can't measure it and by it's very nature it's not attainable. That's no reason not to try.

Epic Searches

There's probably a better name for this, but I can't think of it, so I'm going with Epic Searches.

So I'll start with a story that's not really all that interesting, but best explains what I'm getting at here.

As I'm sure I've mentioned, I work in a call center. One day, we got an e-mail that that informed us right in the subject that there was a Fun new Contest!!! going on. This prompted me to explain to my cynically like minded co-workers one of the things in life that I completely love - Things That Have to Tell You They are Going to be Fun.

If something has to tell you it's going to be fun, chances are it's stupid. There is a 99% probability that you are going to roll your eyes at it. And do I ever love a good eye roll.

My favourite part of it, though, is that this fact goes completely over the head of marketers who slather the word fun all over the packaging of their new awful product or managers that assure their underlings that this contest/meeting/holiday party/team building retreat will, in fact, be fun.

Guys, you are not fooling anyone.

This all lead to a discussion on a related thing I love: Foods that, on the label, have to assure you they are in fact a food. Often, I'm sure, there is some kind of legal reason for this distinction, but still, it makes me laugh. Take for instance, Potted Meat Food Product. I first head about this product years ago on The Sneeze, when Steve Reviewed it (sort of?). The word Meat and the fact that it's likely located in the food isle should be enough to alert you to the fact that this is a food product and not some kind of horrifying joke. But there it is, right on the label, in case you weren't quite sure.

Now, I've never eaten Potted Meat Food Product, so I'm not making any judgements on it's tastiness or about the people that choose to eat it. I just don't think I want to put anything into my body that has to tell me explicitly that it is food. Unless society has collapsed and/or there are zombies. In the choice between eating a Food Product and starving to death...well, you know.

Now, on to the epic search. I am on a quest. Maybe not a quest. I don't know. Anyway. I am in search of the ultimate product label - One that both proclaims that it is Fun and a Food Product. It is my dream that some day I will find such a product, and it will be glorious. My life wont be complete or anything, but it will make me furiously happy. And isn't that what life's all about?

Let's attempt to tie this all together, shall we?

The thing about impossible goals and epic searches is that they ensure that your life always has meaning and direction.

...that's not really worded well. Life always has meaning and direction, but we can't always see it. Maybe you work in a job that you hate, and although you've been working hard to change this fact it hasn't been going great and now you're depressed and just want to hide in bed. Or maybe you have real problems that I can't even begin to comprehend. Even the mildest of depressions can make regular goals seem pointless and impossible. The very point of impossible goals is that, while impossible, they are still worth pursuing. And your epic search gives you hope that, possibly, just around the next corner is something so epic that you can't help but jump for joy.

And when life is good? Working toward impossible goals and searching for things that make this weird world of ours a more wonderful and perplexing place just make things even better. And there is nothing wrong with that.

I Don't Have One True Calling...And That's Ok

This photo really doesn't have anything to do
with this post. It's just awesome. Or Maybe it's
a metaphor...for something. I don't know.

Finding your calling in life is hard.

Only sometimes it isn't. I have a friend that I've known since practically forever who has, for as long as I remember, knew what she wanted to do with her life. And then she did it. It's inspiring and kind of annoying, because I still haven't figured out what I want to do with mine.

For most people it's not easy to find their calling, and for some - it's impossible.

Some people - and I would even argue a lot of people - just don't have that ONE THING that they want to be or do with their life.

From the time we're children we're asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" as if there is always an answer to that. It makes those of us who never really have a good answer to that feel bad, so do everyone a favour and stop asking. It is bad for children.

If you also don't have a true calling - it's time to celebrate, because you're not alone.

What does this mean exactly? It means stop trying to fit into a box that isn't the right size for you. Even if you have a great job that made you happy for awhile, it's ok to leave it for something different. Even if it'll make you less money or it's silly or it's hard. It means that you don't have to sit around waiting to decide what to do with your life - just get out there and do it, don't be afraid to change your mind later on. 

On a similar (or possibly the same) note, I'm beginning to hate the phrase "Find your passion". I'm what you'd probably call a personal development junkie. I spend a lot of time - probably too much time, if I'm being honest - reading self improvement blogs and filling out work sheets to help me realize all the things that are wrong with my life so I can fix them. One of the phrases that pop up over and over is find your passion. Once you find your passion, you then somehow turn it into a career. The whole process seems so alien to me. I just can't comprehend what it feels like to be so passionate about something that you could call it My Passion. As if there is one thing in life that you love so much that you can hold it above all other things as the best thing.

Maybe I don't like Find Your Passion because I just haven't found mine yet. Maybe I don't like it because it makes assumptions about who we are or at least who we should be, and that if you can't find your passion there is something wrong with you or maybe you're just lazy.

There is nothing wrong with you.

It's ok not to have a calling. It's ok to not know what you want to do with your life, whether you're 7 or 17 or 37 or 70. It's ok not to have one big passion. Embrace it, because once you do, that opens up whole new ways that you can be awesome.

And, really, isn't that what life is all about?

Why I Hate Job Interviews

Today, I had the least terrible job interview I've ever had.

...That's not to say that it went excellently. I was awkward and stammery. I didn't say half the stuff that I planned to in my obsessive prep work. I didn't ask enough questions at the end. If I get an offer, it will be only through some sort of divine intervention, I'm sure. And I don't believe in those sorts of things.

Before every interview I have, I not only pour over the company's website, but I also re-read all of the job interview tips I've read a thousand times before. Say this, don't say that, ask these questions...Is it just me or does the whole thing seem completely disingenuous? It's like you have to trick the interviewer into believing you're the best fit for the job. It all just makes me feel kind of smarmy.

Interviewers have it tough, I know. They have a stack of resumes, and a bunch of candidates that all (or at least most) could do a pretty excellent job. And you have to pick just one, and hope the choice was right. I just wish it didn't seem to be about who can follow the interview rules the best.

Although, maybe I'm just bitter because I keep going on interviews that continue to not go anywhere.

Skills you should learn for Zombie Survival

Basic Wilderness Survival skills 

You might want to consider taking a wilderness survival course. Even if you live in an urban environment, these skills will come in handy during the zombie apocalypse. Specific skills include how to build a fire, How to build a shelter, How to Snare Dinner in the Wild (also a good skill to capture and exterminate Zombies) and How to Avoid Hypothermia. Knowing how to kill zombies is useless if you die of starvation or exposure. 

First Aid and Medical skills

It will be a crazy time and people will get hurt. I’m not talking about treating zombie bites here. Those people are doomed. It’s all of the other wounds and injuries that will need treating, so know how to treat them! Everything from cuts, sprains and broken bones, to bullet wounds and third degree burns. Learn how to dress a wound, make a splint, stop bleeding and how to treat a burn. Learn CPR. Once you’ve mastered all of that, you may want to learn some more advanced procedures. Because if you group up with other survivors, it doesn’t matter how much of an asshole you are*, if you can remove a bullet and suture the wound, they will keep you around and keep you safe.

Combat and Self-Defense

There are two types of people you will need to defend yourself from: Dead ones that want to eat you and alive ones that want to take things from you. Or are possibly just jerks. Either way, you’ll want to know how to defend yourself from both types. Consider taking some self-defense classes, or perhaps a martial art or two. Learn how to handle a firearm without blowing off an appendage.

Other skills you may want to consider

Construction - For building a shelter and barricading doors and windows. It would suck to die in your sleep because of a poorly barricaded door.

Welding - Welding can be also be used in barricading and shelter construction. It can also be used to create zombie traps and other such booby-traps. 

Electrical repair - If your group has a means of distance communication (walkie talkies, cb radio, etc), you will want someone around who can fix it if it breaks. You can’t just go out an buy new ones, you know.

Sewing - Again, you can’t just go out and buy new clothes every time something gets worn or rips. There will probably lots to be looted and scavenged in early days, but that wont last forever.


Did I miss anything? What skills do you think will be most important for surviving the zombie apocalypse?

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*Don’t be an asshole. (This is a good life rule in general)

Jobs I Would Try If THINGS Wouldn't Get in the Way

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There are lots of jobs I’d like to try out. Jobs, not careers or professions. Jobs I would like to do for a week or a month, maybe more, but not forever. They are jobs that seem fascinating, challenging and fun to learn about. But things get in the way. Money, transportation, opportunities or other. Sometimes all of those. THINGS. Things are pesky and annoying. They make all of these jobs impractical for me at the moment. But a girl can dream, right? These are some jobs I would try if THINGS would get out of the way.

I would work in a vineyard and a winery.  There are lots of vineyards and wineries here in the Annapolis Valley. I’d love to work in the vineyard for the entire growing season. See what grape growing is all about. And learning about wine making? How incredible would that be? Grape blends, processing, bottling...and whatever else comes along with the wine making process.

I’d also like to work in an Apple Orchard. Another start to finish kind on thing. Apples are big here. They are a big part of our culture and history. I’d like to know what goes into biting into that juicy delicious apple. Plus, if you’ve got to work, an orchard is a pretty awesome place to spend your day. These first two, I know would be a lot of hard work, and my body would probably hate me for a while, but it would be worth the knowledge I’d gain.

I love coffee, so I’d love to work in a coffee shop. A small independent or a local chain like T.A.N. or Just Us!. If nothing else, I’d learn to make some awesome coffee drinks. I’m sure I’d learn other stuff though, I’m just not really sure what that other stuff would be.

How awesome would it be to be a Photographer’s Assistant? I mean, sure, I’d like to be a photographer, but that’s a whole different kind of dream. As assistant, I’d get to learn all about the field of photography. Plus, photography is a subject I never tire of learning about. Although I’d still categorize it as a job rather then a profession, I could probably actually do this one forever. So maybe it shouldn’t be in the list, but whatever, it’s staying.

What jobs would you like to try if things wouldn’t get in the way?

Of Life and Cheese

"Life is great. Cheese makes it better." 

               -Avery Aames

I love sweets. Anything chocolate, sugary frosting covered cupcakes, rich and decadent cheesecakes...And I love anything bread based - muffins, croissants, bagels...

        But if I'm looking for a special treat, nothing is better then a good sized hunk of cheese. Bonus points if it's melty.

  

Life is a Canvas

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.  

                         -Danny Kaye

Style Statement

After our wedding, The Husband (still weird to say and type!) and I went to the lake for the week. Just before, we happened to be in the mall, where we passed the bookstore that always has tables full of sales books out front. I love sales tables and especially sales books! Also, books are good to have at the lake, where there’s no TV or Internet to distract you. One of the tables had a sign that proclaimed “$2 or less!”. Holy crap is that a good deal, or what?! I pick up two books, one of which was Style Statement: Live by Your Own Design. It was $1, so I bought it. Why not? I thought it would be mildly interesting but a little too preachy, like most self-help-type books I read. But it was probably worth a dollar though, right? I was wrong though. This book was AWESOME. I read it and re-read parts and answered the questions and pondered who I am and what I really like and feel. I found it to be a great self discovery tool. It fits quite well with my <a href="http://saysdee.blogspot.com/search/label/cultivate%20me" target="_blank">Cultivate Me series</a> (more of those posts to come!), and has really helped me focus my quest to be More Awesome.

Basically, what your style statement is is two words that describe your overall style. Not just your style for clothes and decor,  but your style for life. They employ the 80/20 rule. The first word is your 80% - described as your inner foundation, your essence, your roots. The second word is your 20% - your creative edge, your wings.

Through my self discovery, using the workbook, the style statement I came up with was  

Comfortable Creative

This is going to sound really stupid, but as soon as I landed on that word combination, I felt like things make a more sense in my world. It made me want to clear out all of the clutter in my life, clear out my closet, decorate my house. The book said this would happen. I rolled my eyes. Because it sounded stupid to me too. But it happened.

Now, If you’re someone who already has a good handle on your life and style, you probably wont get much from this book. You might find it mildly interesting, or you might find it to be a giant waste of time. I’d guess the later. But, if like me, you’re still trying to figure this whole life/style thing out, I’d recommend checking it out.

And if you have a local Coles book store, you might be able to snag a copy for a buck.

Fighting Maturity

                    The purpose of life is to fight maturity. 
                                                            Dick Werthimer

Inspiration and Guidance

Photo by rachel_titiriga

"The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge." 

                              -Bertrand Russell

LIFE: If You're Bored, You're doing it Wrong