Thoughts of Snow

Yesterday, I thought about snow all day long. Large banks of snow in a mountain range far away from the rolling hills of Georgia. In July, this may be a tad bit strange. I should be excited for sun, outdoor adventures, and conversations until the sun sets just after 9 pm. To my defense, the excessive rain in Atlanta, and every other place in the country I’ve visited this summer, is putting a damper on the July sunshine.

But yet, I was envisioning a mesa packed with cold, fluffy snow.

The view from the gondola in Snowmass.

This means I am feeling overwhelmed. When I am stressed, I usually daydream about places that have opposite characteristics of where I am currently. I crave a different climate, food, accent, and land form. The opposition creates an escape that calms me. It is as if being somewhere else will make a difference in my life.

It won’t.

So today, I am focusing on gardens. Tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, flowers, and other things that blossom with rain. In July. In Atlanta. Where I am now. 

My very first cucumber plant from last season.

My Approach to Round 3.

***Warning: This post is long, detailed, and catered to my struggle with the GMAT. If you want to skip around to items relevant to you, see bolded headers below***

So I came up with a plan for my life. Well, not my whole life, just the standardized test taking part of it. I thought a step by step approach would work best considering that my 'study in isolation' approach landed me at 20 points below my starting point. I started the plan yesterday. So far, so good. Let me know any thoughts, resources, and suggestions. It’s never too late to go for gold.

Step 1: Trust your support system

If you have one, trust your GMAT tutor/ teacher as the expert. Mine had the following words of wisdom below.

1) Review your takeaways prior to test day.

2) Don't try to make any radical changes between now and then.

3) For your timing, look to make smaller, meaningful corrections on how you're timing.

4) Stay calm and loose, but focused. Have confidence in the work you've done thus far and the greater overall comfort you feel with the material.

5) Remember that no one question or couple questions can ruin your score (if you don't let them). Don't freak out or worry about a question on the test. Just get back to business on the next one. The GMAT requires a very short memory. View each question as its own little battle. Once the "battle" is done, focus only on the next one.

Inform people that you are busy, but keep them in the loop even if you want to isolate yourself

If you’re lost (like completely lost), compile questions that you have already reviewed and could not solve on your own and ask somebody. 

Step 2: Remain Positive, Humorous, and Authentic (Yes, even while studying for the GMAT)

Go to the hair salon and get an easy, long lasting hairstyle

Plan ahead for your friends and family time

Write “blogs” about how frustrating this process be and let them hang out in your “do not post” folder. No one needs the negativity.

Commit to the process and trust yourself– Put the time in for desired results

Strive for Stretch Goals to build endurance, but accept that the intense schedule may not be possible all the time

• Stretch Goal: Take 2 CATS per day off (One in the morning and evening)
• Be prepared for the best and the worst
•  Strive to finish the test, but be ready to implement guessing strategy
• i.e. Don’t guess on consecutive questions (guess, solve, guess, solve)

Positivity

•  See yourself studying hard and score well. Do a visualization exercise (See post: http://shashainflight.blogspot.com/2013/06/positive-visualization-exercise_13.html )
• Don’t rule out any lucky charms that have worked before
• Surround yourself with cheerful and encouraging people

Now for the real work….

Doing what you love for free

So I love planning. I am a logistics fanatic. As a result, I plan a lot of events for different people and organizations. This “hobby” takes up a lot of my time. And I usually do it for free or very minimal fees. So I end up living this hectic life, with my full time job that is pretty cool that I get paid to do and an undercover secret job that I love that I do not get paid to do.

This summer, for example, I have planned or am in the process of planning a dinner for 60 people in the King of Prussia, a small intimate wedding in New York, a kickstarter product launch in Atlanta, and a happy hour aimed at attracting young professionals to skiing. With the GMAT, applications, and my REAL job, I am short on time. But for some reason, I can’t stop and I have the bags under my eyes and dollars debited to Hot Yoga to prove it. 

Pictures from an engagement brunch I hosted last weekend. 

The question is do I have to live my dual career life forever? Or somehow can I find a way to spend my days brainstorming about how to connect people to other people and products that are unique to them.  This is the question of the hour. 

THE PLAN (for this week)

This weekend was a whirlwind. In the past 96 hours, I finished moving into a new apartment, drove to Gainesville, Ga to take the GMAT, took the GMAT, flew to Philly, attended an awesome MLT seminar, and had an overdue bonding session with my bestie at the wine bar in the airport.

I woke up to a quarter of my apartment being covered with boxes. Shoes, books, and random items are still packed away. The search for a pair of heels that made me feel cute, but comfortable was a struggle.  I felt guilty as I grabbed a left over bag of airplane pretzels, some vitamins, and said a little prayer for my morning. After a 45 minute ride with the windows down playing Yeezus (which is another story) at a volume that might have put my speakers at risk, I accept that the boxes might not be tended to today. Today is a day for planning.

GMAT

·         Come up with a detailed GMAT plan

·         Read  GMAT Testimonials for Guidance

Following Up

·         Email admissions officers I met this weekend

·         Email student I met at Wharton

·         Email cohorts with thank you for dinner

·         Find a contact at Abbott or Thorne

·         Find contacts at schools I am researching this month

Work

·         Return emails from vacation time

·         Make a work to-do list

Work Life Integration

·         Contact my friends to let them know I’m alive

·         Make plans to see them but do not overcommit

·         Unpack

·         Be a good bridesmaid and update engagement brunch reservation for Sunday

·         Be a super bridesmaid and figure out the agenda for the engagement brunch

·         Follow up with my Little’s mom on July summer activity suggestions

·         Go to yoga this week

Ok, I might not follow this plan bullet by bullet, but it's a start.