My Journey as a Stay-at-Home Wife

Last July we moved to Washington because my husband got a new job. As a result, I had to resign from my job in California. Immediately, I started looking for jobs, applied for unemployment and started attending professional events in Washington. This was something that I never thought that I would be doing.

Attending a Latinas in Seattle event.

Staying at home brought new ideas and gave me more time to work on them. I started my own consulting firm. Looked into new topics for blogging. And I have new sections on the works: Living with Anxiety, Emergency Preparedness, and Product & Service Reviews. Also, I have been trying to be more active in my social channels. I was able to learn a lot through free webinars, free in-person classes, and YouTube. I discovered new abilities hidden in me, I found new passions and I found great joy from being at home.

I did a lot of reflection on our move and in the things we wanted to accomplish in our new place. As I had more time now, I started evaluating and better-organizing things at home.

I became extremely grateful for the food in our table. One day I was having lunch alone at home, reflecting on the job search rejections and in how much my husband was working. As I put the plate in the table I said: “thank you Lord for the food in our table”. Sometimes we feel that the things are just given but we have to work for them. Every time that we eat I feel grateful. And I feel grateful for having a home and for this chance to be doing other things.

I took a closer look at the home finances. I now have the time to pay a closer look at the

savings, discounts, coupons, offers, etc. I have managed to save around $30 at the grocery store in one trip. Because of the “extra time” we were able to score big discounts on Black Friday. I became more aware of the contents in our pantry and improved my recipes being able to use “everything” before the expiration date. I have done multiple delicious recipes and tried the recipes in the food packaging. Check my Instagram for my cooking progress.

On the learning side, I watched a lot of videos about minimalism, home efficiencies, and how to be more eco-friendly. Because of this, I avoided unnecessary purchases, have been more careful when buying groceries, have analyzed everything that is being brought home and have been looking for additional eco solutions for composting, reducing bottled water usage and buying bulk. These practices have also saved money and helped the planet.

I have been even more supportive of the job my husband does. In the past, we both had complicated schedules. At the end of the day, we would tell each other how busy we were. Know he’s had the time to share even more of the daily challenges he faces at work. I do my best to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for him. And for this, he is extremely happy and grateful.

We have grown as a couple. Is like we grew into another level of maturity. When he has very long days, I wake up with him, prepare breakfast and hang out with him while getting ready for work (sometimes at 4 AM). When possible he comes home for lunch. He has been very thankful for all my efforts to keep him comfortable when coming home from work.

Thanksgiving decoration

I have been able to meet the community. Being at home gave me the flexibility to help with the community events. We moved in July and in August I was cutting vegetables for a BBQ. Then, I helped with a coloring day, prepared brunch and was even able to decorate for Christmas at the clubhouse. I have been able to visit the library, and this was something that I wanted to do in California and never got the chance. As a result, I have new friends and some new tea buddies.

Finally, I’m very happy for this period. Its been hard so much rejection in the job search and scary trying to start a business. But I learned a lot. I had so much time for networking and have been able to meet really great people. At home, I have never cooked so much in my life, lol. But I have enjoyed it. I loved my husband’s face or texts after he tries the food.

By being more grateful during this time, I have grown a better woman, a better wife, a better professional all because I have had the chance to stay at home. The journey continues for a job, for my own firm and to maintain these new standards that we have been enjoying.

I would have never thought that this opportunity will bring so many good things in our lives. It was certainly not planned but we have been making the most out of it. I am very aware that these things can be done when you are working, I have done some of them. But sometimes we are so focused on our job that the rest went to a second place.

To more opportunities to grow;

Life Postcards

New Year, Now What?

New goals? We all have asked that question ourselves.

Set some new goals, dream about the things you can achieve and incentivize others to do the same. Planning and being excited about the new year is a personal choice. If you don’t feel like doing it, please try not to discourage others.

But establishing goals gives you a sense of direction.

I like to plan for the year ahead. In fact, I have been doing new year’s resolutions since around 2000. They have worked for me and sometimes I haven’t met some of my goals. And that’s fine, don’t torture yourself if you don’t meet your goals.

Some examples of things to plan for the new year:

• Establish a general budget or a budget by expense type
• Health changes (diet, exercise, visit a doctor, plan a major procedure, etc.)
• Family vacation
• Career change or advancement
• Ask for a raise at work
• Could be the year to jump into entrepreneurship
• Decluttering (house, car, office, phone, life)

In addition, is a good time to reflect on the past year:

• How many times was I sick?
• Did I run out of money often?
• Did I had a lot of family issues?
• What could have done better overall?
• Did I buy a lot of unnecessary stuff?
• Were my habits healthy?

Go ahead and reflect into these two set of questions. Adjust as necessary. Find what would be the best method for you. Establish alarms, use sticky notes, place reminders in hidden places or learn as you go. This does not have to be perfect. The main expectation is to move you forward to a better place. To create your Life Postcard. ♥

Remember: This is for you, these are your goals. Do not compare yourself to social media or to others. We all have different needs. If you want to keep it personal, that’s okay too.

When you set goals set realistic and achievable expectations. You can write down “the main categories” and then break it into months, weeks or as needed. In the past, I have used a Gantt Chart and is really helpful and visual.

As usual, technology can be a tremendous ally but if you are setting goals for the first time is good to keep it simple. Is good to write them down by hand, it feels more intentional. It feels like you, it feels personal. In my case, besides the Gantt Chart, I have used note taking apps, established goals in the Google Calendar and love to write them down.

If you are into crafting, create a vision board. You can get cut outs from magazines, newspapers, get stickers or use colored markers to express yourself and your dreams.

The intention is to set a plan for the year, to head in the direction of the place you want to be. Do your research, explore new goals, talk to family or friends or “find yourself” during this process.

What will you add? Have you used any apps to facilitate planning? Any suggestions?

Wishing you success;

Life Postcards

Preparing For The Holidays

As the holiday season approaches, I invite you to be smart in your shopping and with your feelings.

Besides the family gathering and festivities, let’s see the holidays for what they bring to us if we are not prepared: a lot of shopping = debt and emotional stress = depression.

These days we let the holiday spirit carry us away and let social media dictate the way to celebrate. We need to be truthful and clear about the things that we plan for this part of the year.

A lot of people feel the need or feel obligated to buy gifts for a lot of people. But they are not in the best financial position to do that. I am sharing this somewhat early to give you a heads up and start planning with the time you have left.

Evaluate Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday or Cyber Monday as possible options for discounts. I strongly encourage you to start checking prices for the gifts that you have in mind. Be mindful and realistic about the gifts and prepare a list. Assign a budget for each person and work around that.

Do not feel obligated to wow them with an amazing gift. Think of something useful and appropriate. Do not overspend. Do not try to match yourself to social media.

As for your feelings, relax for the holidays. If you do not know this, I will tell you; there is drama in most (if not all) families. If you are not up for drama, do not attend events. And if you go, please be patient and tolerant. Also, instead of attending the whole event you may attend a couple of hours. I recommend getting when the event starts because sometimes there are fewer people and is easy when you want to leave. Or you can try arriving towards the end when probably some guests have left already.

A lot of people get emotional during the holidays for various reasons. Try to be prepared ahead of time with the gift shopping. If you have existing conflicts in your family try to solve them during the year or try to use the holidays as a motive to solve them. When you put an end to emotional situations, there is a huge weight that is removed from us. Plus relationships improve.

The holidays bring a lot of emotions and spending. Be smart about it and tolerant. Even shopping can get stressful. The social demands and responsibilities are increasing but we need to stay put to be able to make it in one piece.

What are your thoughts about holiday spending and festivities? Comment and share.

Do your best always and have a blast during this holiday season;

Life Postcards

Six Tips to Make the Most of your Day

The pharmaceutical industry is a very busy world. It is not just making drugs, it also involves documents revision, lot review, meetings, planning, operations improvement, etc. This work environment is very demanding and exhausting. But which job is not? This type of activities, sometimes require the extra mile and that means overtime, weekends or even sacrifices from our personal lives. A couple of years ago I was being affected by all the work I was doing, plus marriage, college and the rest of the family. One day I almost hit rock bottom and that is the day I decided to modify my work routine and part of my lifestyle too.

I started reflecting on the things that were harming me and that put me in stress. To my surprise, most of them were things that were in my control. An easy fix resulted in great changes to my work and life. These six things helped me regain control of my time and my overall health:

1.      Wake up Early– Yes, that’s right! I added between 30 minutes to an hour to my morning routine. I exercised, prepared the meals for the day (when possible), included snacks, planned for the next hours and even changed the alarm music. Especially with the alarm music, I did not notice that the music that I was using made me woke up tired and in bad humor. Now, I use sounds like: sea waves, birds, raining or water dropping. You can also evaluate the traffic and alternate routes. Wake up early and you will be feeling glamorous and with strength.

2.      Plan for the rest of the day– This one helped me carry snacks and water for the day, so I did not starve. At the same time, I evaluated if I needed extra clothing and prepared a bag for this purpose. Usually, I left home with my purse, college bag, clothes bag, lunch bag, and water. Also, you can evaluate the weather and consider using a coat, closed shoes or carry an umbrella. Doing this was crucial since most of the week I left home at 5:30AM and did not return until 11:00PM. Remember to plan with the entire family, so no one misses anything and everybody is successful in their day.

3.      Re-evaluate the plan through the day– In this one, you will evaluate if you need to stop for food, refuel the gas tank or pick up the kids from school, so you can make all the stops at once or in sequential order. This allows you to save time, money and even stress less. Remember to write down or revise your plan during the day. Add or remove things from your list (I use Evernote, which is cool since it can be accessed from your mobile or computer) as necessary. When you plan, you save money!

4.      Eat-Remember: you are what you eat! Make time for your three meals and at least three snacks. When you plan for the day, half of the meals or snacks can be covered from home. If eating in fast foods, try selecting the best option in quality, time, distance and of course money. I recommend that you best carry non-refrigerated items since they are easy to carry on the go. Plus, if you have kids having snacks around will reduce their need for candies.

5.      Plan for the next day– When finally home: prepare in advance the snacks, prepare the clothes for the next day, analyze what needs to be done and move forward. Planning will be a crucial part of our lives and work. Plan for the family things, when possible anticipate unexpected situations and their resolutions. Reflect on your day, how can it be done better. When you have done this a couple of times you will feel successful with your time and day management.

6.      Bedtime– Have a nice shower. Try not to rush it. This is a very nice moment to let go your day. Go to bed with relaxing music (I use Pandora Relaxing Panpipes Station and put a half hour timer), read a book or do something that calms you down and be ready to sleep. I recently added to my bedtime routine an eye pillow with lavender scent (which feels very nice). Your bedtime routine will determine the energy for the next day.

These simple things can be done easily. The best part is that all of them are under your control. By achieving these simple changes you can impact in a positive way your daily routine, your work, your life, and health. You can even start noticing changes immediately. Your mood will improve and you will feel better. The key is to plan and to take control over the things that can be controlled.

What would you add? What makes you successful?

Let the magic begin and enjoy this new day!

Originally published on LinkedIn.

 

Mayra Martinez is a Process Improvement and EH&S Consultant, Founder of Corporate Basics Consulting. She is passionate about improvements, culture engagement, EH&S and emergency preparedness. In the last 14 years, Mayra has been focusing on process improvements and safety programs within the biologics’ field. If you want to reach out please email: mayrarmv@gmail.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Five Work Concepts I Learned in My First Job

Originally published in Linked In on November 14, 2016.

The office setting, business meetings, coffee in the desk or emails are far from what was my initial job experience. My first work took place in a fast food when I was 16 years old. I joined the workforce using an apron and a hat. This first work was 25 minutes away from my home in the municipality of Humacao, Puerto Rico. My title at that time was Customer Service Representative for which I earned $4.25/hr. back in 2001.

I started in May 2001, while in high school. My main responsibilities included: taking orders, serve orders, replenish supplies, assist cooks, assist delivery and maintain clean the general dining area. I learned the fundamentals for work at a Kentucky Fried Chicken® Restaurant. I worked here for almost two years.

This first experience served me to learn the basics for work and helped me learn how to act in the workplace. This was a very nice contact with the workforce while attending school. I still remember my first day there.

These are five lessons I learned from there:

1.      Punctuality – Be on time to work. Of course we are humans and things happen. And is for that reason that you need to be known as a punctual person. Let the lateness be the exception. People are counting on you, the team (you are member of) is counting on you, and your boss is counting on you. I consider myself a punctual person. When I started working I wanted to show the manager and my colleagues that regardless my age I was a punctual person. This says a lot about you and how much you care about work.

2.      Diversity – For the first time I was working with grownups with no intermediary. All with different backgrounds, views of life, work styles, frustrations and goals. In a normal day (easy day), you probably could not see our differences since we acted calmly and there was no need to project our inner selves. But when we hit the rush hours you could pick all the diversity that was around us. I learned to respect it, embrace it, and enjoy how stress put the team to the test. I learned the term diversity later but I knew from my grandfather that we are all different and that we need to work with that.

3.      Teamwork – What a stressful time were the rush hours: open time, lunch time, dinner time and close time. Everybody went to help, to clear the line, to serve the clients quickly and to see the counter clean. We assisted others when we could to be ready for the rush times. I can remember how good it felt when we cleared the line. The sense of accomplishment when the kitchen was set up ahead of time, when the areas were supplied or when we just served the order from the front. And the result was happy customers!

4.      Responsibility – “We all know this one” or at least we want to understand it. What I mean with this one is that if I made a mistake I had to face the consequences. I was teenager, but I would not look good if I called my parents for something I did. And yes, things happened to me there. Clients not satisfied with my service, clients not satisfied with the food, clients mad because of the waiting time, a misunderstanding or just an argument with a coworker. I faced all these situations, learned to solve them politely and avoided to get fired. Like any other mature person, I came to work as usual like nothing happened.

5.      Efficiency – This was my first shot at improving operations. I teamed up with a senior coworker that always wanted to improve things but no one wanted to support her. First intent was to talk to the store manager to start early on weekends to be able to have more time for the restaurant set up. Second move was asking to have one more person to do the set up. As a result we moved from half hour set up with one employee to an hour set up with two employees. Results were instantly noticed. Usually we were delayed at opening time and suddenly ended waiting for the customer to enter the restaurant. Besides starting early we created systems to set up for the day and to run the shift. This systems allowed us to create our own backups for the rush hours.

Working in this place was a very enriching experience. I still enjoy the memories from there and all the lessons it taught me. I would always be grateful for the general manager who mired me. Remember that punctuality, diversity, teamwork, responsibility and efficiency will always need be part of what we are in our jobs.

What about you? What lessons you learned in your first job?