Reply To: Catch-up week
Catch up week reflections
How has this workshop compared with your expectations or other classes, if any, on similar subjects?
I think I was expecting this to be a workshop of “doing the thing” not “talking about the thing” and it has been just that. The group interaction has been supportive, which I expected, and the guest speakers have been incredibly inspiring in the passion and the results they achieved from their projects. I didn’t know we would have the opportunity to hear from them and it was a welcomed surprise. This is more like workshops I have taken to learn something specific vs. any classes I have taken. When I was in an administrative position in the county, we had a “Leadership” program that used workshops for learning and practicing but it was a top down imposed program. The adoption of this program didn’t include any working staff and so it didn’t connect to anyone’s real passion.
I don’t think I expected to feel the amount of pressure I feel about the assignments. It is more challenging to get them done than I thought. I have truly enjoyed every conversation that I have had and getting them scheduled around the normal life things has been more challenging than I expected. The week of 10 interviews left me feeling exhausted and uncertain I would be able to maintain this for 30 weeks. Having the assignment ready for posting on Saturday morning at 10 am my time feels like a huge crunch to do the work, write the work, reflect on the writing, post the writing.
How has interacting with others factored in?
People are my main interest. Listening to/reading their ideas of projects motivates me and stimulates my curiosity. I truly enjoyed my advice conversations with every one of the participants I spoke to. I not only enjoyed their advice, but liked having the time to hear more directly about their projects from them. It was fascinating to me how being asked for advice sparked my thinking in fun ways.
Any suggestions for improving the experience?
I don’t know how to make it feel less like a marathon but I still don’t know that I can do this for 30 weeks. Having just been out of the loop for a week leaves me feeling really jammed to even start thinking about anything again. I’m running at about 25% energy right now, not able to be upright more than a few minutes at a time and I don’t know if I’m coming out of it or still in the middle of it. I also have a pile of life things that have to be handled that didn’t get handled last week. I realize this isn’t concrete suggestion about how to improve, but my brain doesn’t have a concrete idea to suggest.
What have been your biggest surprises so far?
Something I didn’t anticipate was how much I would be deeply looking at my own sense of purpose. I, like Jim shared today, am probably closer to the end of my timeline than most in the class (recognizing that none of us know and the end could be at any moment). So, how I spend these moments with which I have been blessed has been my major pondering. I am realizing that I care about the trash situation in Merida, but that isn’t my passion. Connecting with people as I pick up trash is the gold for me. Looking into someone else’s eyes and connecting as a human who cares to another who cares, that makes my heart sing.
What do you think the rest of the class will be like? Or the leadership part?
Thinking too far ahead makes me anxious. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do about interviewing five people with “the problem” because I’m having a hard time defining who that is. I have some ideas but my mind is on this week’s assignment, not next week’s. I can say I’m excited to watch my friends and how they evolve in their ideas.
Confession: I am typing this directly into the forum and am not sitting on it overnight. I need to get this done so I can continue to the next assignment. I have the energy right now. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy in an hour or tomorrow.