Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
Thankful for you Walking into The Future with me!
Irie!
Category: Blog
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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Career Choices 101 (Repost)
(Image by Orange Fox from Pixabay)
“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream”.
(Notorious B.I.G)
The Great Resignation is a term that describes the trend of the mass voluntary exit of employees from their employment obligations.
The Great Regret is a new term that describes the feelings of 80% of the people who took part in the Great Resignation.
The quote above is one of my favorites from the great hip hop artist, Notorious B.I.G. He was a lyrical genius, and the quote above can be used as a career metaphor.
My simple translation = find your WHY and career success will follow.
The Great Resignation provided a lot of people the freedom or guidepost to see the world of work in a different way. The new work view provided some with the vision to seek more and bet on themselves with so many new opportunities available. That’s a positive considering I preach to everyone to explore as much as possible. My blog is titled Walk into The Future because I continue to explore opportunities and will not limit my options (work, travel, fun).
There are some folks who viewed the Great Resignation as an opportunity to change their work situation and in some cases cash in more financially. That’s not a problem if the workplace change was made to get the individual closer to doing things they enjoy. It could be a problem if the individual changed careers simply because there was more money available for the new job.
Quick question: How much of a pay raise will it take for YOU to be happy today? Would $5,000.00 or $10,000.00 make you enjoy what you are doing more?
I ask clients and staff this question to get them thinking about what they truly want. Chasing the paper may seem like the logical answer but don’t forget you still have to pay taxes on that paper. Also, an extra $5,000.00 to continue to work in a place you are not happy with does not sound enticing to me. Conversely, leaving a company for a job paying more money may sound just as good but the switch should not be based solely on the money. Refer to the quote above from the Notorious B.I.G.
The best of both worlds would be to find your WHY and build up your skills so that when your dreams come true, the paper (money) follows. Sounds like a simple concept and it can be, but nothing will be simple without knowing/understanding the WHY.
Going to work without a WHY causes a lot of people issues daily. I work with folks who believe that they are not being paid their true worth in the workplace. Some are completing the same duties they have been assigned for 10+ years—no additional responsibilities or growth from them but they want more. Why is that? They have not identified a WHY for their work life and have not built the skills to chase the dream. A larger problem is some don’t even know what dream to chase to find the happiness they seek.
The lack of paper (money) is not really the problem. The problem is chasing something they are not fully invested in and believing additional funds (salary) will turn this around and they will immediately become happy with what they are doing.
Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
No WHY equals a form of insanity in the workplace. I coach clients to seek/find their WHY to determine the best course of action for their careers.
Chasing the DREAM can bring the paper. Well stated Biggie Smalls!
What dream are you chasing?
Irie!
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2023 Run to Stop Hunger 5K
“As we run, we become”.
(Amby Burfoot)
The month of September was dedicated to getting in speed work by running local 5K races.
I tackled the Run to Stop Hunger 5K in 2022 to test my endurance and work on speed while training for my first full marathon. I enjoyed the race setup, course and participants so decided to leverage this race again this year.
This 5K was convenient to me since it is in Fort Pierce on Hutchingson Island. I used the race as part of my Week #6 training program so I could get some speed work in. Mentally I need a race to make me speed up and racing is a lot more fun than just logging miles by myself. I am not looking for running partners, but the extra motivation racing brings is a welcome change while training.
The race start and finish lines are in the center of the Causeway Cove Marina. I duplicated my warmup from last year by parking on the Fort Pierce mainland and using the Seaway Drive bridge as my race warmup. The bridge was a great way to get my heart rate up and helped me stretch out my legs before tackling the 3.1-mile course.
There was not a huge crowd for this race, but I recognized a lot of the runners present. The Fort Pierce running community is not huge, so I get to see the same folks at most races. I was able to get in additional stretching before we had to line up for the race start.
I didn’t have a set finish time in mind, I just wanted to get some speed work in without injuring myself or anyone else. Mission accomplished on both tasks.
Lined up in the middle of the race corral and decided to just have fun while on the course. The small race lineup did not create a traffic jam as we headed it. This allowed runners to spread out and hit their race pace from the very start.
I targeted a couple runners in front of me as my pacers and leveraged them to propel me forward during the first part of the race. This 5k is a simple out and back course that is completely flat. We run a portion of the race on the sidewalk, so it gets tight when runners turn around to head back towards the finish line.
One of my pacers slowed down around the 1-mile marker and the other decided to hit another gear and left me. I did not attempt that pace since it was not comfortable for me at this point of my training process.
Fast forward and I finished the 5K in 27:56 which is an 8:59 per mile pace. Not fast or slow for me at this point of my training schedule. I still have additional training sessions and races coming up so there’s plenty of time for me to improve my pacing, conditioning, and mental preparation.
I’m using my exercise bike as a warmup prior to my long runs and not as a primary training device. This helps me stretch my legs and creates a solid foundation for my planned runs. I’ve got plenty of time to ensure I’m ready for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon in December.
Excited to see how far I can push myself this year.
What are you excited for?
Irie!
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Walk into The Future update
“Blogging is good for your career. Content is just something to talk about”.
(Penelope Trunk)
Thanks for your patience!
The Walk into the Future blog has been on an unexpected hiatus the past three weeks.
I was not boycotting my blog responsibilities but battling laptop issues. My reliable 2018 laptop started acting up last month. It was a few small things happening with the computer, but it continued to provide me with access to the internet and all my writing files. I make a point to backup my files just in case something goes awry with my laptop.
Fast forward a bit and my 2018 model completely shut down on me. No worries! Made my way to Best Buy to find a 2023 model that would allow me to upgrade my speed processing and data storage. Found the right 2023 model for me and I thought I was off and running again.
Purchased my new laptop on a Monday and returned it on Sunday. Yep, less than a week and the laptop had a structural defect. Still loved the model and the specifications available. Best Buy did a complete exchange for me since the laptop had a defect.
Got the new laptop home and began to restore my files so I can get back to my work of saving the world one blog post at a time. That was a joke! LOL.
I plan to get back to my normal blog posting routine next week. You can be on the lookout for articles that cover these past three weeks; I’ve been busy! Multiple half marathons, a trip to the northeast that allowed me to visit Hartford, Connecticut, Springfield, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island.
Half marathon training continues to move forward. Been busy and look forward to sharing those experiences with you in future blog posts.
The Walk into the Future blog continues to move forward!
Irie!
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2023 Virginia Beach 10-Miler
“Either you love Virginia Beach, or you are wrong”.
(Anonymous)
My first Virginia Beach adventure was to tackle the 2021 Rock N Roll Half Marathon.
I always heard how great Virginia Beach was and wanted to experience it for myself. I enjoyed the race, beach, board walk and the people. The plan was for the running tourist to make this an annual trip to tackle the Rock N Roll Half Marathon. Turns out the city of Virginia Beach did not enjoy the partnership with the Rock N Roll folks and decided to cancel the race—they didn’t want an outside organization shutting down the streets or boardwalk over a long holiday weekend.
I continued to research Virginia Beach races with an eye to return to the area at some point. Really enjoyed my initial experience and wanted to get back and explore a bit more. I signed up for the 2023 Shamrock Half Marathon in March but decided not to run since it was the same week as my Negril, Jamaica trip. That would have been too much travel for me in one week. I love to see different sights but that was a bit much for the running tourist. LOL.
The city of Virginia Beach and J&A Racing partnered up to host the Chartway Virginia Beach 10 Miler over the Labor Day weekend. Decided this would be a great race for my return to Virginia Beach especially since it was over a long weekend. Never ran a 10-mile race but viewed this as a great training run and an easy way to set a personal record (PR). This distance fit my training schedule and allowed me to see Virginia Beach from a different angle.
Flew out of Vero Beach on Breeze Airways for the first time. I normally drive over to Orlando for a Southwest flight, but Breeze is new to the area and had direct flights to Norfolk. No extra driving and airport parking is free in Vero.
Arrived in Norfolk without any delay and made my way to the Enterprise Holdings rental counter. Norfolk is a smaller airport so getting out of the terminal and then the parking garage was an easy journey. Made my way over to Virginia Beach and checked into my hotel. Decided to book my hotel early this time and stayed directly on the famed boardwalk and beach. Staying directly at the beach allowed me to just park my rental and walk everywhere I needed to go while in Virginia. The beach, restaurants, and live music were easily accessible from my hotel.
The race EXPO was held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center which was two miles from my hotel. Decided to walk over to the EXPO to get my race bib and gear. Used this walk to stretch my legs the day before the 10-mile race. Made a quick stop at a local farmer’s market to check out the goods—didn’t buy anything but got a good vibe for the Virginia Beach farmer’s market scene. Lots of vendors and friendly people out and about the day before the race.
The EXPO was small—just a few vendors available and only one spot to get my customary EXPO photo taken. Picked up my race bib and made my way to check out the vendors. Didn’t need anything but wanted to see if I could pick up another race shirt but the selection was not great. One of the vendors sold race bib magnets—some runners use magnets to hold their race bibs instead of safety pins. Decided it was time for me to step up my game and purchased a set of magnets to use during the 10-miler. Small investment but I will get a ton of use out of these magnets. Carb loaded a bit more after the EXPO and headed back to sit on the beach before going to bed early.
The race start line was only two blocks from my hotel and the finish line was directly below my hotel room on the boardwalk. Got up early on race day so I could stretch and mentally prepare for the race. I didn’t have a set finish time planned but wanted to run as fast as possible to test my fitness over a longer distance.
I was assigned to Corral #2 and made my way towards the front of the waiting runners. This was an opportunity for most of us to continue to warm up and get a few selfies of ourselves standing around in a race line. Made sure to give myself some room to maneuver in case runners around me were not paying attention—didn’t want to trip with so many people in the corral.
I wanted to run a clean race where I could ensure my pace was consistent and provide a good finish to the race. My last race in Virginia Beach was a struggle at the end because I didn’t pace it out correctly AND there was a bridge crossing at the 11-mile marker. NOTE: we crossed that same bridge during this race, but I was physically and mentally prepared for it this year.
My mile splits are below:
Mile 1: 8:56/ Mile 2: 8.58 / Mile 3: 9:13 / Mile 4: 9:28 / Mile 5: 9:39 / Mile 6: 9:58 / Mile 7: 9:56 / Mile 8: 10:24 / Mile 9: 10:01 / Mile 10: 9:40 /Mile .06: :33
The highlight of the race weekend for me was the post-race party. It was on the beach with live music, good pizza, and beer. The best part of this scene is the post-race party was across from my hotel. I got a chance to drink as much beer as I wanted without having to worry about how I was going to get back to my hotel. I simply walked off the beach, got on the elevator and went up to my room when the music stopped. A 3-hour nap awaited me!
There was a ton of live music available during the weekend and I made a point to get back out to check out the bands. Virginia Beach has a cool vibe, and the folks up there are super friendly. Made my way back to Catch 31 for great food and a nice view of the King Neptune statue. The sound stage had a ton of activity, so this was the spot for me to kick back and enjoy my time in Virginia Beach.
Looking forward to my next race weekend in Virginia Beach—just got to figure out which race I will tackle up there next.
Irie!
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Poetic Flow / The Time
Photo by Jordan Benton on Pexels.com The Time
Watching Time
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Time slowly moves on,
You must use it wisely.
Express yourself.
Let your thoughts flow,
Inform all who do not know
Share life lessons learned
With this you cannot go wrong.
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House updates
“Home is the nicest word there is”.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder)
The Walk into the Future adventures continue to move forward daily.
I closed on my townhouse in Fort Pierce back in May. This was something I wanted to do when I first moved here but things and conditions did not align for me. Things happen for a reason and in due time—a bit cliché I know but this fits my home buying journey.
I looked for a townhouse to purchase for a little over two years but did not get serious with a real estate agent until Summer 2022. We looked in several areas, but I never got comfortable with prices and/or locations during the early stages. We kept moving forward with the search and the prices started to come back down in early 2023. Worked with my agent to hone into a more detailed search and we began viewing townhouses that fit my stated budget and in areas I wanted to live in.
Found my townhouse less than three miles from where I was living in Fort Pierce. This was a bit ironic because I looked in a lot of other areas but never checked out my own neighborhood.
We made an offer within a week and accepted the small counter offer the following week. Things went quickly once we made the offer, and my agent guided me through the process, and I felt comfortable the entire time. Fast forward and we closed in the early part of May, and I was suddenly a homeowner again. My apartment lease was not due to expire until October but there was a provision in the lease that would allow me out early with a one-time penalty. This was a welcomed provision since I did not have to rush my move and this extra time allowed me to make some upgrades.
Floors
The living area in the townhouse came with tile floors. This was a nice look for the property but both bedrooms and closets had carpet. I’m not a fan of carpet and knew this was going to be removed before I moved in. My realtor connected me with several flooring specialists so I could get quotes to pull up the carpet and install wood laminate floors. Wanted to get this upgrade completed before moving into the townhouse. My flooring guy provided me with a ton of samples to choose from and we agreed on floor color, date of installation and pricing. Took him two days to complete the flooring overhaul and the new look made the place feel bigger and I didn’t have to worry about what the old owners left in the carpet.
Painting
The best time to paint is prior to moving in with furniture. Decided to change the paint scheme throughout the townhouse to brighten it a bit and put my touches on the new place. Got painter recommendations from friends and interviewed two painters. Selected my painter and headed to Home Depot to pick out my paint. The townhouse came with a black accent wall—yes, you read that correctly. There was no way I was keeping the black accent wall. LOL. Picked out a nice and refreshing blue paint for the NEW accent wall and a natural (sand) color for the rest of the townhouse. Left the paint with the painter and got out of his way to upgrade the paint scheme for me.
Appliances
This move-in provided me with an opportunity for a complete reboot of the inside. Purchased the townhouse with appliances but wanted to start fresh. My realtor shared that Home Depot has fantastic appliance sales in conjunction with the 4th of July holiday. I thought she was overstating the sale, but it turns out Home Depot appliance sale is just as great as she stated. Decided to purchase a complete kitchen package and remove the old appliances prior to my official move-in. My new appliances are all under the same warranty and should provide me with years of enjoyment.
Furniture
My original plan was to enter the townhouse with all the furniture I owned. Quickly determined my new place required a furniture upgrade to make it feel complete. My TV console was fine in my old apartment but was too small for the larger space of the townhouse. Also, my dining room table was adequate for the apartment but did not fit the style or feel of my new place. Made a trip to City Furniture and Rooms 2 Go to begin the process of figuring out what I wanted for the new place. Rooms 2 Go had a better selection that fit me so made my large purchases there. The bonus was the free delivery they offer. Still looking to upgrade some of my shelves but very happy with my new furniture and how it looks in the townhouse.
I still have a few more home modifications I want to make in the bathrooms but happy with my progress so far. The townhouse is slowly becoming home for me. Enjoy having a place of my own to come back to after work or a road trip.
What makes your house a home?
Irie!
“A house is made of bricks and beams. A home is made of hopes and dreams”.
(Unknown)
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2023 Celebration of Running 5k
The 2023 running season kicked off with the 2023 Celebration of Running 5k in Winter Park.
I have run this race three years in a row and love the experience. It’s August in Florida so the heat and humidity are high, so this adds to the challenge. I don’t run a lot of 5ks but this one remains on my list because it is flat and provides a training gauge for the year.
I never set out to run a PR here but want to test my physical and mental stamina. The race crowd is not too large, so this helps when trying to avoid other runners at the start.
Decided to line up closer to the front pack of runners to give myself room to operate without having to dodge folks. Still amazing that I know runners from when I lived in Oviedo. It’s almost like they don’t know I’ve been gone 9 years now.
My race goal was to go out and find an even pace. The secondary goal was to run faster than last year. I met both of my goals and enjoyed the race from start to finish.
I found a couple of runners with great paces and decided to hitch a ride with them to challenge myself. This was a fun activity since I train by myself. It was great having others around to inspire me to find another gear. Felt good enough at the end to leave my running companions and put in a good kick to complete the 5k. Crossed the finish line in 28:50.
Collected my medal, water, and banana before making my way to the beer garden. Yes, we drink beer at 8:30 am after races. We eat donuts too! LOL.
This was week 2 of marathon training so needed to get additional miles in after the race. Headed back over to the Seminole Cross Trail to complete my training with 6 miles there. Got a total of 10 miles completed on the day.
Made my way back to the hotel to shower and find some real food. Wanted breakfast so went by First Watch close to UCF for a huge pancake, eggs, and bacon. Favorite meal when I eat there.
Feeling good about my training so far and look forward to a fantastic running season. Heading to Virginia Beach again for the 2023 Virginia Beach 10-miler over the Labor Day weekend. Should be fun getting back up to Virgina.
Will ramp up my marathon training when I return from Virginia. Time to lock in mentally and physically to prep for my 26.2-mile challenge in December. 😊
What are you looking forward to?
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Why do I run?
“Running is my private time, my therapy, my religion”.
(Gail W. Kislevitz)
The Walk into the Future blog continues to roll along and provides me space to share a small portion of my world with readers. Yes, this is a simple concept but one I take seriously to find new content to share with others.
Running is a huge part of my life and I am happy to be at this point of the journey. I started running as a small hobby to get in more cardio, but it has morphed into a lifestyle that energizes me daily. Who knew I would enjoy going to bed early so I could wake up before the sun comes up for a run? Well, that’s what I do now, and love every minute of it—even in the south Florida humidity.
So, why do I run? That’s a great question and I will provide some context to why with this post.
Solitude
The ability to go out for a run without having to coordinate or schedule the activity is appealing to me. There is a level of peace for me when I’m out for a run. I lace up my running shoes and just put one foot in front of the other until I hit my mileage goal for the session. The solitude comes in handy on days where I don’t feel like running faster—I can just move forward at my own pace without worrying about slowing someone else down. Also, I can enjoy my music and sing out loud when I want to. Not many folks come out at 5 am to hear my bad singing but it helps me when the miles get tough. The solitude of my run is a highlight for me and one of the main reasons I’m still out putting in the work.
Time to think
The solitude of my runs is great, and it provides me with a lot of free time to think and change the world—hyperbole here! LOL. The space and time to think are enjoyable aspects while I’m out training. This time has helped me come up with solutions to work problems, generate new ideas for the Walk into the Future blog and new topics for my leadership consulting side hustle. There are times when I just run without thinking about ways to change the world but running provides me with a platform to simply think and be me. Sounds simple but this keeps me lacing up my running shoes and logging the weekly miles. Who knows, there may be another blog article coming from my next running session.
Physical wellbeing
An obvious outcome of my running program is the physical wellbeing it brings. I leverage running to help me maintain my weight without having to count calories. I practice intermittent fasting daily but can eat whatever I want because of my running program. Running is also a great way to build up leg strength and muscles. The development I have in my legs rivals muscle growth I saw when I was more active lifting weights (squats, leg presses, etc.). Again, the physical aspects of running leads to a better mental outlook as well.
So, there you have it—I run for solitude, time to think and physical wellbeing.
Why do you run?
Irie
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Favorite Sunsets
“My favorite color is sunset”.
(Unknown Author)
My Walk into the Future allows me multiple outlets to explore passion, interests, and new hobbies.
One area I continue to expand, and grow is my love for beautiful sunsets. I always joke with friends that I’m not a huge fan of sunrises—this is simply because I never get up early enough to see them too often.
The sunset has a magical feel and pull for me. I’m always amazed when the colors in the sky change and reflect differently over water than over land. The reflections add a new dimension and provide a level of awe for me. I get my phone ready whenever there’s an opportunity to take a shot of the sky. I share a lot of these pictures on my Instagram feed and send some of the best ones to my tree branches.
Decided to compile some of my favorite sunset pictures and share with my Walk into the Future readers:
(Duck, North Carolina)
(Negril, Jamaica)
(Fort Pierce, Florida)
(Disney Springs)
Which one is your favorite?
Irie!
Walk Into the Future 