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Archive of ‘Life Without A Manual’ category

Puzzled by Connections

A photo of the New York Times Connections PuzzleEvery morning, I drink my coffee and solve the The New York Times Wordle. Recently, I added a new puzzle to the mix: Connections.

Have you seen this puzzle? It is pure evil, and I’m completely addicted to it.

Basically, you are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four words that have a common thread. When you make four mistakes, the game is over. Groups are categorized by color: the yellow and green topics are supposedly the easier ones to get and blue and purple are the harder ones. Sounds easy, right?

But here is how they get you. Several words can have common themes and different meanings and can be grouped into different categories. In order to win, you really have to get into the mindset of the puzzle creator to figure out what they are actually thinking. And it is SO HARD.

I’ve solved a few of these puzzles but not as many as I’d like to. Clearly, I don’t know what the creator is thinking, but I do know they definitely have a maniacal laugh. I hear it every time I open this puzzle and attempt to solve it.

Take yesterday’s puzzle for instance. Five words were definitely related to Christmas. They were: mistletoe, reindeer, snowman, stocking, and candy cane. I can only pick four so I chose: “mistletoe, reindeer, stocking, and candy cane.” And I was wrong. I had another guess so I kept “reindeer, stocking, and candy cane” and went with “present.” There are plenty of presents given on Christmas, so that must be it.

Wrong again.

Now, I’m Jewish, so after another attempt at getting all the Christmas-related words right, I started to wonder if there was some mysterious holiday tradition I was missing out on. So, I walked away. I grabbed more coffee and sat back down again. I gave up on Christmas words and tried to create a different group. I was so happy when I put the words “bagel, cheerio, donut, and lifesaver” together. Round shaped foods for the blue category, Alex!

I thought I was on a roll, so I went back to the Christmas words and tried one more time. I went over each word, considering hidden meanings and watching my morning fly by. I decided to keep “mistletoe, reindeer and candy cane” and replaced the word “stocking” with “display.” People have Christmas displays all the time – in their front yards, in the shopping malls, on TV. That must be the answer, right?

Wrong!

FUCK!

And now the game was over.

The correct grouping was “mistletoe, stocking, snowman, and reindeer.” I’m sorry, but when is a snowman specific to Christmas? Aren’t snowmen agnostic or at least seasonal? Yes, I know all about Frosty the Snowman, but I’m sorry – presents are more associated with Christmas than a corncob pipe and a magic hat.

Oh, and why wasn’t candy cane included in the Christmas words??? Because it fit in a different category – things with stripes – “referee, crosswalk, tiger, and candy cane.” Cue the maniacal laugh…

I know. I know. First world problems. But, yesterday’s puzzle really put me in a bad mood.

Will I try again tomorrow? Absolutely.

XO,

Elisa

The Power of a Compliment

It’s easy to get discouraged during a job search. When I was employed, I would wake up every morning with a to-do list a mile long. I knew exactly what I needed to do at work, and would sometimes give myself a mental pat on the back for crossing things off my list. At the end of the day, I could look back and feel accomplished.

Now, the to-do list is still a mile long, but I’m have trouble deciding what to prioritize. This is so not like me. I’m the queen of prioritizing my work. But this is different. Like a Wordle puzzle with too many options to choose from, I tend to freeze up (or scroll Reels on Facebook as an exercise in avoidance and procrastination).

Do I hit the job boards on Indeed and Idealist or plan out posts on LinkedIn? Should I work on my freelancing website or schedule a few more networking calls? Maybe I’ll add a few more organizations to my target list and work on some answers to potential interview questions. I also need to nag a few people about a few letters of recommendation.

Which one of these things will get me that much closer to a new job or a writing gig? The answer: all of the above. It can be quite overwhelming at times. My goal every day is to be able to say that I was productive.

Which is why a compliment from an old friend was so welcome. We go way back to my synagogue days when we were program directors in our respective congregations. While we live in different states, we stayed in touch online. During this phone call, we talked about the different directions I could go in with my career. He shared some of his most recent work experiences with me and offered some solid career advice.

Before we got off the phone, he said, “You are incredible at what you do, Elisa. Hang in there.”

Incredible? I don’t know if I would describe my contributions as incredible. But I have to admit that it’s really nice to hear someone else say it. He put me back in the right mindset by reminding me that I still have plenty to offer. I need to remember that as I continue to push forward.

Wherever I decide to put my efforts tomorrow or the next day or the next, the prioritizing is probably not the most important thing. What’s important is to DO SOMETHING because I know every little bit helps. So far this week, I got my resume down from three pages to two pages. I also found a few places on my resume where I could explain my accomplishments more clearly. Before I knew it, I had a whole new resume to send out. Today, I posted on LinkedIn and made some new connections. Tomorrow, I’m going to follow up on a few job applications I sent out last week and look into taking a few classes toward another certificate.

For now, I’m going to watch the Phillies and get a good night sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.

XO,

Elisa

P.S. – If you would like to follow me on LinkedIn, here is the link to my profile. I’d love to connect with you.

Getting Over That Hill

A photo of a walking path in the park. I like to walk in a pretty park across the street from our neighborhood with a two-mile paved walking trail. Every time I walk through, I take deep breaths, enjoy the fresh air, and appreciate the park’s natural beauty. Until I get to this one big hill, and then, I’m miserable. It’s in a part of the trail where the sun beats down on me harshly. The twists and turns make it that much more difficult for me to climb. I plow through, but it’s not my favorite section of the park. And then I remember, what goes up must come down. The rest of the trail from there is basically downhill, and I arrive home feeling relaxed and invigorated.

Today, I didn’t even notice the hill. I was deep in thought about being laid off, my recent job search, and how things are moving along at a snail’s pace. Like that hill, it feels insurmountable. It’s easy to get discouraged. I’m one resume in a large pile on my potential employer’s desk. I have an excellent cover letter that shows my ability to write and think creatively. But, I’m not sure people actually read it or just scan it for my salary requirements. My resume is long at three pages, but it’s a well thought out representation of a successful marketing career so far.

I know, I know. A three page resume is probably too long. I need to cut it down. That’s next week’s project. 

I think it is more productive to attend networking events and ask people out for coffee or lunch to pick their brains. I love this part of the job search. There are always ways in which we can help each other, and we do so without hesitation. Last week, I sat down with someone and discovered we were both applying for the same positions. At first, it was a bit awkward, but as we continued to talk, we started rooting for each other to land the job. Building these relationships is so important during any job search. I plan to keep them going after I land a new position. In the meantime, I’m hoping my efforts will get me an “in” somewhere, and soon. Once I get over that hill, it will be downhill from there.

For now, I’m hoping to do some freelance work so I can keep my skills sharp and my creative juices flowing. I’m working on a new website and portfolio so people know where to find me and what I have to offer. And, I’m trying not too stress out too much. That is not an easy task, but I have a list of projects I never got around to this summer. I call it my list of distractions. It’s a solid list that will keep me busy. I need to apply for TSA Pre-Check and get a Real ID in case my new job involves a lot of traveling. I want to clean out and redesign my home office. I’ll very likely be working in a remote, or preferably hybrid, environment and need my office to be much more comfortable and inviting.

There are a bunch of books on my TBR that I’m working my way through when I need a break. And thanks to those long walks and that G-d awful hill, I’ve lost 12 lbs already and will keep working my program until I get back to a healthier weight.

And thankfully, the Ultimate Blog Challenge is the writing project I need to keep on creating for and connecting with those who read it and my fellow bloggers. I’m looking forward to it!

XO,

Elisa

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