Transitions in the Past Year

This past year, I’ve gone through many transitions.

First, My husband and I moved to Chicago from the suburbs. I’ve lived on the edge of the city before, but not in the city. I’ve had to get used to things like walking places (which I love!), being constantly surrounded by people (which I usually love), and having to deal with roaches (shiver). Thankfully, my husband has risen to the challenge in the roach department.

I started doing freelance writing as my job. I was already working on my own writings, and I had always dreamt of writing being my job (while doing some form of ministry on the side), so I decided it was time to try it out and see if it worked. It did!

I’ve loved learning new skills, such as SEO writing (see Moz for help on learning SEO) and copywriting, and getting better at some skills I already had, such as researching and creative writing.

I thought I could write about 20,000 words a week, which seemed like a lofty goal. What I found out, however, was that I can do 35,000 words a week, and possibly a little more, if I have to. However, at that point my hands are so tired that It becomes a chore to lift a glass of water to my mouth to drink. So, it’s not sustainable to do 35,000 words every week.

Writing 20,000 words, however, is doable. The way I have made that work has been through the following:

• Getting an ergonomic keyboard. (This is the one I use with my Mac and it’s worked well).
• Taking breaks to let my hands rest.
• Doing hand and arm stretches. I’ve learned some helpful ones by watching videos like this one.

***An aside: Before you recommend dictation software, I’ll say that it doesn’t work for me. I’ve always thought through my hands, so to speak. I am more visual and can correct my grammar and syntax as I go, because I see it in front of me. In short, I self-edit as I write and then all my work needs is a quick proofreading at the end.

Another change has been transitioning to new friends and a new church community. Breaking into a group can be difficult. The reality is, most people are just as shy or shier around you, the new person, as you might be around them. But someone has to break the ice. I’ve tried to approach each situation meeting new people as being the icebreaker. I’ll ask questions and be prepared to share about myself. Occasionally, I get a little too comfortable with this, however, and realize I need to back off because this person just isn’t comfortable around me yet.

Then CoVid-19 hit. It’s hard when you’re in a new place and trying to meet new people and suddenly…you can’t go places to meet new people! Thankfully, as we had already connected with some people, we were able to transition to virtual meetups. We have gradually gotten braver to do socially-distanced visits. I am thankful that I have been able to form some good friendships here so far.

And then, there are the internal components to all of these changes. When I am in a new environment, I get a little excited. These people don’t know me yet. It’s a chance to start over. I can show them who I am right now. I am a person who is constantly growing and changing (Myers-Briggs ENFP), and yet, sometimes those around me have a certain perception of me from when they first met me, and I can feel pressure to be the person they think I am, rather than the person I am right now (does that make sense?).

And yet… I desire to present and be my genuine self.

It is inevitable, then, that I am driven to figure out who I am exactly, in this moment in time, and how do I fit/ not fit my context and how much of myself needs to adapt to my environment and how much can just be…me?

In a nutshell, I think I have determined the following about myself, at this moment in time:

1) I am a writer. Whether I am publishing something or not, my thoughts must be written down and recorded. There is satisfaction in simply putting something into words.

2) I am a learning enthusiast. At any given moment, I want to learn at least ten different things, and only have time for one or two of them (sigh). These include learning more about languages, culture, science, philosophy, theology, art, psychology, you name it… (oh, except math. 😉

3) I am a visionary. I always kind of knew that, but was shy about it. I don’t want to be too bossy with others, but when I get a vision of something amazing that can and should happen, a fire is lit under me and I have to map out an entire strategy to make it happen, even if it is at some point (sadly) discarded. But for every “vision” I have, there is always more where that came from. Like a Hydra, I cut off one idea, and two more will instantly take its place.

4) I am an extravert. This is a tough one for me, because at various points others labeled me as introverted and then at some points others thought I was very extraverted! The truth is, I’m about 65-70% extraverted, but I still need alone time to be in my head and examine my feelings and think about who I am and what I want to do with my life. I know this from self-examination (Which is normally an introverted activity, haha!) and every assessment test I have taken. At times I become more introverted, however, if I feel unsafe, as I am also a highly emotional person who is hyper-attuned to my environment.

This “nutshell” is starting to get a little long-winded, so I’ll end this blog here.

I’d love to hear from you.

What are some transitions you’ve had in the past year?

How do you respond when you’re in a new environment?