Money Diary #8

Morning: Up around 7:30, brush my teeth, and migrate to the sofa. Start watching Love is Blind: The Reunion, move parents' groceries to my car, and Dad texts a bit before 8:30 to let me know they're heading out. SO gets up and starts playing GT7. Slightly before 9, Dad texts again saying they are nearby, so I drive to where they are and drop the groceries off. Come back, plop on the couch, and watch him play GT7. I read an article on IKEA and its emphasis on food. The article mentions how "it's difficult to do business with someone on an empty stomach." It goes on to talk about how in the 1950's, companies noticed that powdered cake mix sales were declining. Which was weird because all the consumer had to do was add water. That process, though, was too easy since it removed the effort, and more importantly, the emotion from baking. When companies removed egg powder and made consumers add their own fresh eggs to the mix, sales went back up. I love reading articles like that. He wants to go to the gym, so I put on sweats, t-shirt, light jacket, and a visor. I really wish I could wear shorts today since it's so muggy outside, but I haven't shaved my legs in a while so I put that on my mental to-do list for next week. As soon as we leave the house, I realize I forgot our Nestle Tollhouse Cafe coupons so we'll have to do that tomorrow. He drops me off at the mall around 10:30, and I walk around for the next hour and people watch. After he is done at the gym, he picks me up, and we head to IKEA for lunch where we get 2 plates of chicken tenders (chicken tendies, we shout!) with fries, coffee, and juice ($15.13).

Afternoon: Spend around an hour eating lunch, and I am absolutely stuffed. The tasty pear juice along with the Swedish diet cola did me in! Too stuffed in fact for frozen yogurt unfortunately, so I tell him we need to make a specific fro-yo visit to IKEA sometime. There are a couple of chicken tendies with fries left, so he gets a to-go box. We head to the outlets next where we walk around and discuss the structural differences between the Michelin Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy (LOL). By this point, I am super hot and tired, so once we're back home, I pass out on the couch and take a nap while he plays GT7. Once I get up, we split the chicken tendies and fries, and I drink a glass of Coke Zero. I spend the rest of the afternoon reading Money Diaries, and while I enjoy seeing how someone handles their finances, their career guidance has been invaluable to me as well. Some things I learn from today's diaries:

• On the importance of work-life balance:

1. How you couldn't tell the difference between the diarist's working days and the weekend 
2. Her company is flexible on location and hours, so that she and her colleagues can run errands, pick up kids, and do what they need to do. Then, when they are in the right headspace to focus, they deliver excellent work product in the requested timeframe. That's how her company drives productivity.
3. The diarist highlights how her work quality and ability to deliver on a deadline -- rather than the exact number of hours she's spending at her desk (or rather, her kitchen table) -- matter.  

• On progressing in Corporate America:

1. Everything I do or say builds up political capital, even when it shouldn't.
2. Observe the environment around me and absorb what kinds of approaches get buy-in from cross-functional stakeholders.
3. It's important to slow down my pace. Listen hard to understand the actual message and how it is delivered.
4. Observe and imitate. If something works to get someone promoted, it's what the company considers "good behavior." Therefore, pay attention to what "good behavior" is being rewarded. 

• On what I need to do next in my career: 

1. My goal -- I think -- is to become a senior individual contributor. That is, the highest role I can have at the company as an individual contributor without getting into management.
2. I can't simply assume that if I keep doing what I'm doing for long enough and don't screw up, I'll eventually make senior IC. I should ask (i) what is the highest role of an individual contributor and (ii) what skills are needed in order to become a senior individual contributor.
3. I need to start seeing my work not simply as an exchange of my time for their money, but rather an opportunity to find out what I'm good at and how to get better.

Evening: Start re-watching the reunion episode of Love is Blind. I hate that I love this show, lol, and OMG, the teaser for The Ultimatum. Then back to The Mentalist. Dinner is leftover pasta, more Mentalist, and drink mango beer with my legs in his lap while he plays GT7. Bed around midnight. 

Eating out = $15.13

Total = $15.13