Oh Boy.

I'm job hunting, again. A very common theme here.  Unlike before I don't need a new job, I want a different job.  You would think with a resume that lists nearly everything under the sun it wouldn't be a problem finding something different, but that is the exact problem. I want something DIFFERENT.  Not different as in that is a job you never imagined existed, or you have never met anyone who has done that, but a job different from what I've done in the past.

I want a job where I go to work, have my own workspace, start with the same task every morning, proceed through my to-do list, produce tangible results, smile at people, offer assistance, gain feedback and get paid.  I would like to work from morning to late afternoon. I would like a regular lunch break, a desk free of clutter, a chair with a back, adjusted to an ergonomically correct height, and baskets and cabinets where things are put away neatly at the end of every day.

As I work at my current j.o.b. I think about potential employers. In the past I've taken jobs and found out within a month that my employers are not the most, shall we say, savory people.  Oh, they looked good on paper, the pay and incentives may have been attractive, but the unspecified details that arose didn't just raise tardy red flags, they sent up emergency flares in to my mind's sky.  Unfortunately at that point I had commited to the positions physically (relocated) or contractually or because I was without a fallback plan.

I need standards.  Working in or near my hometown will give me the benefit of knowing someone that knows the potential employer's reputation.  My pops, he can't walk down the street, into a church or restaurant, without running into an aquaintance.  My extended family is enormous (though I don't mention relations because not all are viewed favorably) and their opinions can provide some insight (i.e. if so and so likes it, avoid it like the plague).  The friends I maintained since high school? They have a large group of successful friends. Network! I must.

As I go about my day I make mental lists, take notes, consider my options. I'll need a new resume. Something that presents me and what I have to offer better.  I make mental lists of adjectives to incorporate.
Meticulous. Dedicated. Creative. Efficient. Organized.

Then I get home, look at the space where I live and realize that I need my attractive attributes to carry over into my personal life.  I know what I stumble over every day: failing to be asleep by my assigned times (8 am for me is midnight after a FULL day for most of the rest of the world - but here I am blogging); running on the days I'm scheduled to; eating balanced meals at regular intervals. I've tackled this issue, I'm working with solutions to overcome the major stumbling blocks.

Next up is the need for physical organization. I've always surrounded myself with controlled chaos.  I'm capable of ignoring 95% of the distractions around me to be able to focus on the task at hand.  But I'm drawn to, crave and revel in cleanliness, simplicity, order and functional design. I've got a knack for looking at a room and rearranging it for better functional use.  I can prioritize the needs and analyze the potential of a space for real solutions. I can identify what is missing and what is superfluous and sell the stong points of my changes.

What do I love? I should, at this point, move forward in a direction I love. What do I love?