Goals

So I was thinking about my goals and how they're going. I feel like the work goals are going well, I need to discuss a leadership quality for this week which I will do ASAP, but for the mot part, work is going fabulously! And my marathon training is going fairly well also. I'm gearing up for another 20k run tomorrow morning, and am on track with my 3 10k runs per week as well. I've altered the other runs a little bit because hill running is definitely my weakness and here in the mountains I have a great opportunity to do lots of hill training, so one of those runs a week has become a little shorter but more focused on running uphill, which hurts me but needs to be done. So that's good. The one thing I have been thinking about is doing something everyday that's just for me. This is a funny goal because on one hand, things like running and going to the gym are time that's just for me, but it's not quite the same thing. It's the little moments, the time I take to go through an exercise magazine, or even just letting myself sleep in a little bit. It's really tough for me to relax. Banff has definitely helped because I kind of got to start over. At home there's a lot of people expecting me to do a lot of things and my time gets filled up even before I realize it. Here I got to start over where no one had any expectations of me so I get to do more things for myself. Even little moments help. The other day I was running in a rainstorm and I just stopped and looked up and stood in the rain for a minute. Pure quiet moments like that make my soul happy. Anyway, time for work!! The lounge is looking for someone to pick up some food running shifts this week, I'm going to look into that!!

Sulphur Mountain

So, since I've had a few days off, I've been outside constantly! So nice to get a little break from being inside all the time! Also, as you might remember, one of my goals is to speed up my marathon time to under 4.5 hours. Part of my training is to be running 3 10k runs and 1 20k run a week during july. It's july now!!! So yesterday I did my first 20k of the summer, the route is a little imperfect, it may be a little short but it's also partly straight uphill so I'm giving myself a little wiggle room there. It ran a GORGEOUS route  from the resort down to Sundance Canyon, where there's a little wooden walkway system that goes all around the marsh. A little further there's caves but I didn't make it to those, those are for exploring another day. So my run went well, and then I hiked up Sulphur Mountain with a few friends. So beautiful. I'll throw some pics up here in a minute. While we were hiking up we found a trail that leads out to the caves and the basin so I think we're going to spend a day doing that walk next week, if we go down the other side of Sulphur, it comes up near the caves and at the middle of my 20k run loop. Back to work tomorrow and then a double on saturday! Funsies! Here are some photos from the mountain!!

A cool waterfall at the base of the mountain. As we got farther up we actually passed the point where this waterfall turned into snow. We were higher than snow. For true.

On the left is this crazy little stone hut that's on the summit peak of the mountain that was used in the 50's by a scientist who was studying cosmic rays, he was also a mountain climber. He lived up there in that hut for like 20 years!! On the right is me on the lower peak viewing area.

These are pretty self explanitory. 

View from the top

From the highest peak where the stone hut is, you can see the gondola, which is in this photo, there's cool wooden stairs going from the gondola up to the summit peak.

Kristy and I on the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station sign.

This is the view of our resort from the gondola on the way down!!

Photos!!

So as promised, here are some camping photos!! Banquets is very quiet this week so we all only have 3 shifts, thanks goodness I picked up a morning shift in the restaurant, that makes it a little better!!

this is the bridge into town, kind of along my 10k run route.

GOAT!!!

Me at the lake that we camped at. So beautiful.

Bec at the lake at sunset

The lake in the morning

I'm collecting firewood!!

And now, as promised....dun dun duuuuun. The photos of the Diva's restaurant. They closed it for the summer so we all went in to have drinks on it's last night and I took a bunch of pictures. It's so my favorite place in the whole world. I want a room in my future house to look like this!!

Kristy by the fireplace.

Women's washroom with photos of male divas

You can't really see through the glass but you can see the mountains through this window!

The fullest view of the room that I could get!!

The bar!

The marilyn wall. And we all know how much I LOVE marilyn!!!

As you can see, the bar is amazing. I love it in there and I'm sad that it's closed! And how gorgeous was our camping lake!? Love it!!

Spring Fling

So I worked the spring fling and it was super fun. Since it was a staff party of sorts, all the higher-ups helped work the event so more staff could attend. This meant there were just two of us actual banquet staff working and the head of human resources, the operations manager, and the food and beverage manager were all clearing the plates. I worked the bar with the sales manager. I used that opportunity to pick his brain about my career and such. He said that if I'm working towards GM, I'm right on target, having tons of food and beverage experience is good. He also said that getting front desk experience would be crucial. I really hope I can get some of that here before I leave. He was very helpful and when I asked if I could come and shadow him for a day he thought that was a great idea. I think I'd be good in sales. As much as I adore food and beverage, banquets in particular, I think I'd really excel sales. I'm a connector, I bring people together and help get them what they want. That's what sales in a hotel is all about. So that's another interesting avenue I could look into.

I can't remember if I mentioned that I get to do random server assistant shifts here and there in the restaurant. I figure the more I branch out, the more management will think of me for random tasks and moving up etc. ANd just to learn how they do things in other departments. I've been coercing people into letting me ring things in while i'm there so I get used to their particular micros system. I have a lovely restaurant shift next week.

It's getting a little slower around here so I'm going to look into getting a nightclub job as much as I hate the clubs here. I have found that I actually really miss working in the bar and a little extra income wouldn't hurt me at all. I love nightclub bartending, so much fun.

Also, I called my parents last week and was all excited to tell them about my big epiphany about how I thrive on change and need to be constantly challenged and they were like 'of course sweetie, you've always been like that'. So my big revelation was in fact just a known truth. Sometimes you discover things about yourself that everyone else has known all along.

There's an opening for a banquet captain that I would be considered for if I didn't have to go home so soon. It's tempting to not go back, I really love it here and think I could stay longer. But I can't just not go back to school. It wouldn't be right. Not legit!!

Camping!!

So after a grueling week in the banquet department we all got 3 days off. So we decided to go on a team banquet camping trip. We drove to near Invermere, at Lake Enid. 10 of us and a few friends of one of our supervisors. It was so nice to get away from Banff for a little bit. The weather was unbelievable and gorgeous. The lake was so lovely. We went swimming, made a fire, cooked over the fire and did all the fun things you do while camping. It was great to have a chance to hang out with my co-workers outside of the banquet department. Even though we spend like a million hours a day together, it's not the same as getting social time together. Photos will be up shortly, but right now I've gotta run to work. Tonight is the Annual  General Meeting for the Rimrock, all the staff go and I'm working for it. Almost everyone has the night off, but there's a few of us who volunteered to work for the event. It'll be so nice to see everyone all dressed up and fancy!!

Doiley Notes

I may need to google how to spell doiley because I can't seem to get it right. Anyhow, so sorry about the delay in writing. It's been a crazy few weeks. I worked 140 hours this pay period. 130 in my home department (banquets) and another 10 in the restaurant. So needless to say I haven't had much time for anything but work, gym, and sleep. SO, keeping that in mind, I have a few things to say. I wrote on a doiley (hence my confusion about spelling the word. I need to use it!!) while I was working a bar a few days ago to remind me of the things I need to write about. My iphone decided to stop working a few days ago which was devastating for me, but I've procured a new one and life as I know it shall go on.

To start off with maybe I'll talk about the last few days. We've had a group of executives from a huge oil company in the hotel for about a week and they've been living a breathing in banquets. Also we had the Canadian Tire executives in and we are trying to steal their business permanently from other hotels so the staff had to bend over backwards making sure they got everything they wanted. The oil company is the one I'd like to talk about specifically because we went all out for them. These people are a big deal. A few of them had just flown back into town for this conference from South Africa from the World Cup. On their private jets. Which they will be taking back to watch the rest of the cup. Yea. For true. They have their own jets. That's plural. JetS. Anyhow, their organizer planned a huge event the other night with our head chef that was extravagent to say the least. They created an 'Iron Chef' type dinner where the 80 people were divided into teams and each team (under the supervision of a Rimrock chef) cooked a meal. Each team represented a country. Each team leader received an engraved iron chef silver spatula. And we didn't do this inside. No sir, we did it outside the pool on the patio terrace under tents with heat lamps. As you can imagine, this required a huge amount of set up on our part. We rolled portable bars out of the parking garage and down hills, we moved 26 8 foot tables from the 6th floor down to the 3rd and outside, we clothed and skirted all those tables as well as pinned flags and table numbers to them. I was assigned to the bar which I was very excited about until it started thundering, hailing and pouring. The portable bar was kind of under an awning that ended up leaking and pouring all over us, I have never been so cold in my life. Still the group drank an admirable amount of alcohol and managed to complete the event with not a single mishap. It was amazing to watch so many departments come together to make something this huge happen and go so smoothly (from the guest's point of view anyway). It was unreal.

Oh my goodness. I have so much to blog about. I've been really feeling like I've been learning so much about myself and what I want out of not just this job, but also life in general. And I've met some seriously amazing people that I really think I will always have in my life.

One of my goals is to take something about a manager in my workplace and identify a trait of theirs that I like and discuss it and analyze whether or not I have that particular trait and what I can do to include it in my management style. So, keeping that in mind, I'm going to discuss one of my managers that I worked with quite a lot this month while training up on night shifts. He has a very big personality, always very jovial and loud. He's very good with guests as he is quite personable. He has a super high energy level, which is what I'm looking at today. I think that I also have a very large personality, which is why I identify with this particular trait. I think that seeing someone else with a trait similar to mine has made me  really analyze the good and the bad. On the good side, energetic loud people have a fairly easy time motivating others and keeping up the team moral. This is very useful particularily in my home department where we are often working anywhere from 12 - 18 hour shifts and when you're carrying 8 foot tables around at 2am after being at work since 8am, having someone to keep your spirits up can be crucial. On the other hand, loud energetic people can be really annoying. Especially when you're tired and I'm not. Also, this particular trait can often go hand in hand with being easily distracted by work, people, shiny things, etc. This is something I've noticed in myself and also my manager. I love this aspect of my personality and am very interested in watching how my manager utilizes it in his management style. However, observing him has made me a little more conscious of my own energy levels and trying to tone it down sometimes isn't a bad idea. I tend to get carried away and sometimes it isn't necessarily appropriate or necessary. This week I'm working on keeping my enthusiasm and energy at an appropriate level and trying not to scare people. I think this self awareness will help me to use my high energy personality to it's fullest potential without sacrificing who I am, while still being an effective manager.

I've discovered something interesting. I've always thought of myself as a fairly adaptive person. I adjust to new situations and people quite quickly. Leaving on this co-op was a fantastic opportunity to test this theory. Leaving my comfort zone for somewhere new, I wasn't entirely sure how I'd react, since I've never really packed up my life before. I've done lots of travelling, even for months at a time, but this is different. I was pleased to discover that I was correct and I do indeed adapt quickly. My best friend here came to Banff from Vancouver and is originally from Edmonton. She has been having a hard time adjusting and talking to her about her problems has made me realize how quickly I really do adapt. I think that part of this is due to the fact that I am so obsessive compulsive that I HAVE TO have my routines in order to feel comfortable. Therefore the first thing I did when I got here was satisfied my compulsions and obsessions which immediately made me more comfortable. I never thought of my condition as a blessing before but it's really made it easier for me to settle in. Home is where I can train and count things. Sad but true. I've also realized that I thrive on change. I'm never happier than when I'm learning something new or meeting new people. I've developed a theory that the larger one's comfort zone is, the easier it is to become complacent. I found myself bored at home, too comfortable, and becoming complacent. I think that the more comfortable I get, the more complacent I become, and that causes me to not do my best work. I really excel when I'm learning a new skill or trying something hard, or pushing myself beyond what I think is possible. My comfort zone is large, therefore I need to keep myself constantly challenged, which is why I love this industry I think, there's always something new and exciting to do or see and new people to meet everyday. I love it.

Goals

So I know that I keep talking about my goals and such and if you're actually reading this than you may also be wondering what exactly those goals are. Well, here you are, a copy of my goals for future reference. Also for my own reference when I have to come back and talk about them, as I shall do very soon, I swear!!

MY GOALS AND ACTION STEPS FOR THIS WORK TERM ARE:

GOAL:  To improve my management skills and mindset by watching and learning from the members of management that I currently interact with

ACTION STEPS:

1) Each week, identify a skill or quality in a member of the management team that I admire and would like to possess______

2) Analyze my own behavior in terms of that particular skill or quality and determine whether or not it is one that I possess______

3) Incorporate that skill into my daily interactions with others. ______

GOAL:   To perform to my maximum potential in my current position and achieve an ‘outstanding’  evaluation from my manager at the end of my co-op.

ACTION STEPS:

1) Complete assigned tasks promptly, efficiently and correctly______

2) Ask for feedback weekly from my supervisor throughout my work term______

3) Go above and beyond what is required of me, look for extra projects to do

4) Spend some of my time off learning the computer system and the different methods of billing within my department______

GOAL:  To expand my knowledge base and learn as much as possible by working shifts in other departments when possible______

ACTION STEPS:

1) Discuss the possibility of picking up other shifts with my direct manager and ask that he keep me in mind if any shifts come up______

2) Speak with the managers of other departments and let them know that I am willing and able to cross train.______

3) Take any measures necessary for each department to ensure that I am able to cover shifts. For instance, present a photocopy of my driver’s license to the controller so I may be added to the on-call bellman list. ______

GOAL: To make more time in my life for the things that make me happy, this will make me a more balanced and happy person and therefore, a more effective worker and manager.

ACTION STEPS:

1)    Do one thing a day that is just for me, whether it is going to the gym or watching a movie or even taking a nap. One thing that is JUST for me and not for anyone else.

2)    Make time to keep up with proper nutrition and vitamins, missing meals is such a simple thing but takes such a huge toll on one’s body and mind. This means I must take my supplements twice a day and eat 4-6 meals a day, (including snacks and protein shakes)

GOAL: To get my marathon time down to under 4:30 for the Royal Victoria Marathon on Oct. 11.

ACTION STEPS:

1)    Run at least 4 days a week.

2)    Make one of those runs a long distance run, 20 km every week until July when it will increase to 30 km.

3)    Make one of the runs a hard but short run, perhaps uphill or sprint intervals.

4)    Make sure to not over-train at the end of September and taper down until the Royal Victoria Marathon on Oct. 11^th.