One Bite at a Time

I want a different job and environment, but I am focusing on the steps and not the outcome, especially in this terrible job market

The job market right now is a dumpster fire. Hiring tends to pick up in the fourth quarter as companies attempt to finalize their headcount and budgets to prepare for the upcoming year. Uncertainty around tariffs, profits, and a general unease have led to a real slowdown in the labor market.

With that being said, I am not giving up on changing careers, getting a different job, and changing my work environment. I am going to stop focusing on the outcome and continue to do something every day to move forward.  I suspect that for most of us seeking jobs, our best bet will be to find a job through our network rather than filling out job applications.

If you think of the end product, you’re toast,” he said, sort of, though he used an expletive in place of “toast” that we wouldn’t publish in The Morning. When endeavoring a big project, he said, your mantra must be, “I gotta move a little bit forward today,” rather than, “I must meet my goal.” This makes sense: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 

One bite at a time in this horrendous job market is going to be the way to survive while looking for a new job. All I know is that I need to change my environment for 2026, and it is going to happen!

My Writing Class was canceled.

“Another disappointment, “ I thought to myself.  “What else is new?”

I was really excited about the writing skills workshop for the writing program I am taking through UC Berkeley Extension. Unfortunately, the day before the class was scheduled to begin, I discovered that it had been canceled. I was really looking forward to the class because it met live online every week. I am currently lacking in learning and interacting with my peers, so I was looking forward to the class to gain some peer interaction. A lack of peer interaction, learning, and socializing is one of the main reasons I need to change work environments. Having three hours each week to reconnect with people who share a common interest in writing would be refreshing. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, I am signed up for my second copywriting class. After completing this class, I will only have one more class to complete in the UC San Diego copywriting program. In my first copyediting class, I discovered I enjoyed editing, and I have good instincts when it comes to editing. I don’t know where this will lead, but I do keep in mind that Toni Morrison started as an editor.

 Making Better Choices: No more short sticks.

This past summer, I was reconciling my disappointment in myself for making poor career choices and other poor decisions. I realized that all of this stemmed from the same place, and that was consistently choosing the short stick. I consistently settled for what I thought I was supposed to do. I thought I was following a script or formula that said if I consistently chose the lesser, then there was some nobility in that, or I would get more points for self-imposed suffering.

This past summer, I mourned a life that never was and forgave myself for how disappointing my life has turned out to be. I chose as well as I could with the facts I had, and now that I know better, I will choose better.

From a spiritual standpoint, I heard a teacher say that we can make a wrong decision and God can use it to grow us. There is a scripture that says ALL things work together for good for those who love God and are called to His purpose. There is so much truth to that statement.  Even with the last five years, which have been especially demoralizing, I have grown more as a human being than I ever could have otherwise. I know what it means to be vulnerable and transparent with another person, tap into my gifts, and care for others.

I also know that I can face the worst moments of my life and keep moving forward. With that being said, I have become a better person over the last ten years, and that will undoubtedly serve me well in the future, regardless of what comes.  I can’t help but feel that the previous ten years were a preparation for the next era of my life. At a recent book club meeting, I mentioned that one of the lessons I learned from Bobby Brown’s book is that there seems to be a real difficulty in reaching the pinnacle of life too soon.  We are too immature and unprepared to handle success and have healthy relationships. There are some things that we can only appreciate and sustain after living a little bit.

That Girl Energy is simmering.

I have become convinced that the dream on August 8 was a signal and reminder that there is still an ember burning somewhere inside of me. It may be burning low, but there is still something there. I am feeling an energy that I haven’t felt since 2014. I call it “That Girl Energy.” Think that old school Eve song, “Who’s that girl…La la la la.” I respond, “G’s that girl la la la la la.” I think a large part of it is that I am living more authentically and doing things I enjoy again, like watching TV shows I missed.

Sex and the City

I never watched Sex and the City when it was popular.  I am watching it now, and I am really enjoying it. Watching the show as a forty-something is hilarious because I have experienced many of the things that happen to the characters on the show. In the second episode, Carrie goes in on modelizers: the men who only date models. I learned my lesson about that in my twenties. If that is a man’s flavor, I will voluntarily take myself out of the running. I don’t need to be reminded that I am not a supermodel, as one guy did. He said: “Pretty, yes, but supermodel? No.” By that time, I had been around actual models and realized I would never look like that, and I didn’t want to look like that, so who cares? Besides, I like weird guys who are different, and those guys don’t tend to be modelizers.

My sister says that I am like the character Miranda on the show, and she’s not lying. I can be cynical, rigid, and pragmatic, and sometimes self-sabotage, because I want to be in control and protect myself from being hurt. I have learned that nobody gets out of life alive without some hurts. To love anyone means risking hurt and pain because at some point it will end, whether it is through separation in life or until death do us part. I am also enjoying the shows Hacks and The Gilded Age. It’s nice to have shows to look forward to.

Exercise is the Fountain of Youth

This week, Nicole Wilkins sent out information about a five-week challenge starting next month. I haven’t done one of her challenges in two years, and I feel like I am in the right headspace to push myself for five weeks.

I have been tracking my food and revisiting some of the hacks I used during my fitness days, such as avoiding carbs after 3 pm.  There is nothing magical about 3 pm, but it forces me to eat protein and vegetables for dinner.  My body likes more protein and fewer carbs.

A word about tracking apps

I have the app I use, MyNetDiary, on Autopilot, and I was shocked that they set my calories so low. It was below 1,300, and you can burn more calories through exercise. I am removing the Autopilot feature from the app and adjusting it for more appropriate goals. Personally, I mainly like to track my food to keep myself accountable and avoid eating too many snacks, as well as to silence that part of my brain that insists I need more food because it tastes good when I am perfectly all right.

The Real Fountain of Youth

Exercise is the true fountain of youth, and I am not just saying this because it’s what I do for a living. Most people don’t believe I am as old as I am, and I attribute it to exercise.

The award-winning journalist, Gretchen Reynolds, shares some encouraging research about the effects of exercise on aging in her book, “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer.”

Consider the following points.

Dr. Hirofumi Tanaka – professor of physiology at UT Austin.“ A great deal of the physical effects that we once thought were caused by aging are actually the result of inactivity.”

Numerous studies of mortality and health have found that for every percentage rise in someone’s aerobic fitness. Their risk of premature death falls.

More than anything else, aerobic fitness was a better predictor of longevity than any other health measure the researchers examined. Even obese participants and smokers lived longer if they were aerobically fit.

I dislike how the fitness industry often portrays exercise as a means to lose weight, when in reality, exercise is merely a tool, not the primary driver of fat loss. Nutrition is king for fat loss, but exercise is what keeps us vital, strong, and can help us live longer and better. At this point in my life, exercise is about avoiding premature death and also helping with my mental health.

Never Been There, Never Done That: SF Symphony

I signed up for three concerts this symphony season because I wanted exposure and to expand my world again. The SF Symphony was playing George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. I didn’t like the second piece because it was meandering and sounded like five different songs, but other than that, it was great to do something different! The evening began with a great contemporary piece, “The Block” by Black composer Carlos Simon, and concluded with “Harlem” by Duke Ellington. I enjoyed the exposure to classical music. While I think I enjoy musical theater more, I appreciate classical music and jazz. Both are great for reading when you want to calm your nervous system or need to focus.

Who wouldn’t appreciate a lovely evening at the beautiful Davies Symphony Hall? When I was in elementary school, we went on field trips to the symphony, and it always felt like a palace and very fancy. Who knew I would be coming here as an adult to enjoy the music?!

What a beautiful night in the city.  This was really great for me because the more I do, the more I WANT to do, and these are activities that add value to my life and not drain me.