Friday, April 27, 2012

I grow Stronger. #acui12


Believe it or not, I have been trying to write for weeks. I've had several thoughts in my head but couldn't seem to narrow it down to something concise. I have often told myself that if I can go back finish the blogs I have in draft, I would probably have a month's full of entries.

That notion pretty much describes me because I feel that I have a bunch of unfinished business that needs to be conducted. While the writing as not come to me much lately in the ways that I want, my long hours at work and doing homework have but a strain on the time I have to write.

As the school year comes to a close, I can see how my life this year is beginning to pan out. My goals, the ones that I have yet to reveal, are near completion. It is an exciting time for me because I am down to one 20 page paper and a summer of endless possibilities.

I am also in the process of identifying and solidifying my strengths. This is new concept for me because usually when you are in any workplace, we tend to focus on weaknesses. If you have been following me on Twitter you may (or may not) recall this hash tag I was using for about a week: #acui12. This was away for me to share my experience with others at the ACUI Conference in Boston. It was also a way for me to network.

For those who do not know, ACUI stands for Association of College Unions International. Every year, professionals within this field get together to share ideas on how to make our careers and our profession better. This was my first time going to this conference and I am happy to say that I learned a lot.

I made it one of my goals to go to this national conference because I felt the need to see who else was out there. The need to network, for me, is not just about the job search, it is about building relationships and discovering my path. Networking also give me a sense that I am part of something larger within my industry. I can really relate to people in my field who go through exactly what I do through. Not to mention the one thing we have in common - working with students.

One of the things that I has able to discover were some strengths that I really didn't think about before I arrived. When you are a professional, it is almost standard to take leardership "test" like Myers Briggs to gauge how we can work together. During this conference, we were encouraged to do StrengthsQuest, which is designed to highlight our top five strengths. Why is this different from others? Well, the thought behind it that we work better when he use our strengths rather than focusing on areas of weakness that we want to improve. 

My top five strengths are Strategic, Adaptability, Connectedness, Futuristic, and Lerner. Without getting to deep into it. I will summarize all of these in a few sentences. I am a strategic thinker that can get by any obstacle that comes way. I live in the moment that allows me to be adaptable and not get flustered when something new pops up. I believe we are all connected in someway whether by history or experience. I am always looking to the future and what goals I can achieve now to my life better later. I love to learn and be kept abreast of new information.

For those who know me, none of this is new, but this speaks volumes to me. My hope is to cultivate the  things I know are my strengths so I can move on to complete yet another goal. I just get stronger in 2012. 

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails