ClaireMolineaux.com

We’ve all been there. That awkward moment when you find yourself doing exactly the thing you said you’d never do. Maybe it involved:   Eating something you said you’d never eat Visiting a place you said you’d never go Trying something you said you’d never do And you actually enjoyed it. Or maybe it was sad realizing that you broke your promise to yourself – or that you’d promised something so odd in the first place. Whether it’s big or small, we all make claims about our lives before we understand the long-term repercussions: “I’ll never go there again.” “I promise I’ll never do that.” “When I have kids, I’ll never let them behave like that. ”   We make pseudo-commitments to ourselves that preclude us from experiencing real life. What we don’t realize is that the way we live now is not the way we will always live. Life changes day to day, and the circumstances we find ourselves in will not always be exactly the same. I’ve eaten many of my own word

Today marks 7 years that I’ve been working in my position, doing marketing for higher education.  I am so blessed.  I love my job.  I love the people I work with.  And I love the mission to which I contribute every day I go to work. Over the past 7 years, I’ve been a part of many projects and processes, and through it all I’ve learned one very important thing: I have no idea what I’m doing. Don’t get me wrong – I sure do try, but so many days I’m left wondering what in the world my employer sees in me. ·      I am outpaced and outperformed by so many of my talented colleagues on a daily basis; but they keep me striving to achieve higher goals. ·          I am continually stumped by new problems that arise; but they give me an opportunity to expand my troubleshooting abilities. ·          I am dumbfounded by new systems and technologies that enter the market; but learning about new capabilities enables me to adapt to an ever-changing world. The cool thing a

This morning as I opened my email and sorted through the various industry e-publications to which I subscribe, a headline caught my eye: "Top 40 Under 40 in Direct Marketing" As I read through the list of 20- and 30-somethings who have achieved great accolades in their various roles, I wondered how many countless others worked tirelessly to earn a position on this list, only to fall short - or to have their efforts go unnoticed. I'll be honest, I think it would be cool to be on this list someday. But let me take a step back for a moment. Don't these kind of lists set unrealistic expectations? Don't they highlight the early bloomers and ignore those who have labored their entire careers for such success? Why try to achieve so much so early? My entire life I've been labeled as a fast-burner, or a bit of an over-achiever. I finished high school at 16, consolidated a 4-year Bachelor's degree into 3 years, landed my dream job, bought a house, and