Which way should I go next?

Do you know what you want to do with your life? Loaded question, I know. It feels like we're supposed to pick a path as a teenager and then blindly follow it around every twist and turn until we've reached the promised goal line at the end. Nobody really tells you what to do when you get halfway down the road and decide you don't want to be going this way anymore. Have I stretched the metaphor far enough yet? Ok, good.

How to Keep Motivated During Your Job Hunt

As part of the move across the world in "The Great Canadian Adventure", I had to quit the job I'd been in for 2 and a half years. It was terrifying, but also somewhat exhilarating, like cliff diving or bungee jumping. ...Until I remembered that now I had to start job hunting again; yay, my favourite pastime!

Anyone who's had to search for a job while not in work knows that it can take a while to hear anything back from a prospective employer, and the vast majority of answers are going to be "No". This gets disheartening very quickly, let me tell you.

So how do you keep your spirits up enough to keep going, but not feel guilty about time away from your search? Below there's a few things I'm taking up, maybe they'll help you out as well:

Why Silence is not always Creatively Golden

Have you ever heard of Coffitivity? I've tried it a few times before when I want to focus on something long enough to get a task done - watching something at home on the TV or listening to the radio distracts me way too much, but sitting in complete silence drives me crazy.

~Source~

I think it reminds me too much of studying: there's evidence to suggest that as we recall information best in the environment that we learned it in, silence is best for exam based studying, but more ambient noise works better for creativity and focus. I used to use this trick all the time for helping me remember certain pieces of information - I would listen to a certain album or song while I was studying for a particular exam, and mentally hum the words to myself in the exam hall. It does work, or did for me anyway!

So in an attempt to actually focus long enough to get a budget and LinkedIn account done (success on the first, but the second is still a work in progress) I spent my Saturday afternoon after work in the Bean and Leaf, in Cork. I adore the drinks here and the atmosphere was just what I needed. If I end up doing overtime on a Saturday again, I might make this a regular productivity habit!

Just Get Started!

I often feel like the most difficult thing in accomplishing any routine or unlearning bad habits is not wanting to just get started! Procrastination is definitely my worst habit. I put off doing the dishes until after dessert, I put off organising my room until I have all the proper matching accessories and storage containers - or I indulge in my worst organisational habit, researching everything before I go anywhere near!

Now, researching and planning are definitely good stages of any project or any routine. If I'm travelling, I'll always plan out the journey step by step and make sure I know exactly what's happening (and pad in a little extra time in case anything goes wrong). But there can be times when I search and search for the best way to do things because I'm afraid of just taking a chance and getting started, or because it's easier just to fall back to the easy way.

So this week, my mission is to just get started!

Peeking over the Edge of the Nest

Hello, nice to meet you!

Welcome to Training Wings, my blog about getting organised, getting crafty and getting ready to meet the world. I feel like we all need a bit of help before we leave the nest, and sometimes it can be way too easy to just get into a rut and not move forward in life.

This blog is going to keep me accountable to myself, and keep me on track with my goals and living life with wings spread wide (and yes, there may be some bird puns along the way)! If you have any tips or tricks to share, I'd love to hear them. Or if you're just journeying out, come and share the trip with me!

2015 is definitely the year I learn to fly!