It's That Time of Year Again....

For many US workers, November signals the beginning of "Open Enrollment" season, a time where we sign up for employer-sponsored benefit plans.  Choosing a plan is probably the most important financial decision you will make this year and I am posting today to encourage everyone who has this opportunity to take advantage of it.   Full disclosure:  I am not a licensed insurance broker, but I do set up and manage private health care exchanges.  I spend 40+ hours per week working around, thinking about, coordinating, and supporting people so that they have access to the plans they have chosen.  I work with employers and brokers, with an aim to make sure coverage for the "lives" I am responsible for works smoothly.

2017

 

It is a new year and with it, I have made new resolutions.  My work life balance was so out of whack in the last few months of 2016, that it negatively impacted my health, which is why I had neglected the blog.  My resolve is to be focused and mindful, disengage from work when I leave for the day, and re-introduce activities that are healthy for my mind and body.

Small Habits

I have been bringing my lunch to work for years.  Each year as my pay increases, my frugal habits mostly stay the same.  These days I'm willing to spend a little more money on convenience items like bagged salad or boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Saving time is important and if spending a bit more to make my lunch adds to the grocery bill, I still feel I come out ahead.

Living the Real Life

My new job is a big challenge, and I think I've posted about that.  It was a good increase in salary and I'm coming to realize it pays as well as it does because it's hard work. It is no fantasy job.  I get into work with a list of things to do that I've put together at the end of the prior day.  Then I start on that list and all sorts of other events take place and I have to address a ton more things.  By 10AM I am overwhelmed.  Then I just start a list going and dive into whatever I can.  Sometimes I prioritize, other times I look at something small that isn't as important but just do it so I can get it done.  By the end of the day, I manage to get 95% of what I was supposed to do done, in spite of it being stuff I wasn't even aware of before I got to work.  Sometimes I think my motto should be "Plug and Chug," just take in the work, plug away at it and chug on to something else.  This goes on for five days straight, then it's the weekend and I've got two days to sleep in.  Yeah!

The work I do is project related (I'm a project manager right now). I don't manage people in a supervisory role, but I do manage processes and see that work gets done.  My PM colleagues are all ages, gender and have a variety of personalities.  No two of us are the same.  We all have a lot of work to do, and we all get it done.  My company is expanding so I can guess our ranks will just continue to grow.

28 Years

The Big Guy and I can tick off another anniversary.  We are now at 28 and I'm even happier with him today than I was in 1988.  Anyone who know the TBG, knows he was a great catch and I'm one lucky gal.  We've been through a lot together and he is stuck with me for life.