Time to review what I learned this week!
1) Being a good leader means being a good recruiter, a good motivator, and putting people in the right places
It bears repeating because I think this sums up the entire job very quickly while at the same time still showing the magnitude of the job and why it’s so important; people who can do all three well are very rare. I think it’s also worth noting that the size of the job is also a big factor in leadership – not everyone can handle a grand task, and failing to lead in one instance is not a predictor that they will fail at an entirely different one (and vice versa). Sports is great because it often demonstrates this on a visceral and easy to see level. Athletes who are put into an uncomfortable situation often struggle, no matter their talent or work ethic, but they’ll shine if put on the right team.
2) Know your skill set
By the same token, I think this is very important. People often take a wild stab at what kind of career they’re suited for without ever really thinking about what skills they have and thus, what they might be most successful. I suppose it’s not easy, but it is something to think about and try to inventory. Some people like solving puzzles, some people like working with their hands, and others like creative thinking. Some are patient and don’t mind doing things thoroughly, others are impatient and like to think of shortcuts. In my opinion, there’s a job for every kind of quality, and there’s no “good” or “bad” skill set unless you’re gunning for a specific career. Obviously, if you want to go into medical surgery but you have bad hands, a slow mind, and can’t handle blood or death, it’s probably not going to work.
3) Ants don’t like spices or herbs
If you want to deter ants from coming out of a hole, they don’t like a lot of common spices and herbs. It has something to do with interfering with their ability to follow a scent trail. Black pepper, paprika, mint – ants hate these and will avoid environments rich in them. You could put them all over the ground, or simply cook frequently with them.
4) Let soups and stews simmer overnight
If you’ve got the time when you’re cooking, let a soup or stew simmer overnight. It evaporates a lot of the water and leaves a very rich taste behind, something you simply can’t do by boiling faster. I’ve noticed with most of my soups that they taste much better as leftovers the next morning than they do the night that I serve it. As a mini-lesson learned, butternut squash soup is a MUST during the fall or winter seasons. It tastes like autumn. Secondary is butternut squash risotto.
Goals from the week:
1) Skip rope 5,000 times – success and more!
2) Fitness regimen – not so much, just getting warmed up again
3) Study regimen – laced it, success
4) Tuck planche or handstand 10 sec – failed, close but no cigar
5) Job search – got a few apps out but no dice
Verdict: Pretty happy. Feel good about tightening up but man, the employment market is crap.