what work has taught me

31 random things, in no particular order, that i've learnt in 19 months of full-time work:

1. that your job scope doesn’t limit you to how you can grow within a company. 
2. that i can always find a way to tie my most menial tasks to the things i’m passionate about, if i remember to look up and see the bigger picture.
3. that there will always be people who are difficult to work with, but…
4. …there will always be people who are willing to reach out and lend a helping hand. 
5. these are the people who help you stretch yourself and grow yourself so much that soon, you’ll realise you could never have gotten to where you are today without their investment.
6. that you should always, always lock your files and check your links before sending off an illustrator file.
7. that you should always ask for a sample before ordering anything that requires mass printing.
8. that phone calls are twice more effective than e-mails, and in-person is three times more effective than phone calls.
9. unless you are working with IT, tech support, developers, or project managers. 
10. that having two calendars – work life vs. personal life, contrary to helping you ‘balance’, actually creates more stress by dividing your life into two parts.
11. that it’s less tiring having one calendar because it means getting to be honest with your superiors and colleagues about who you are, in and out of the office, and it means not having to keep up having two separate images, one for the office and one for elsewhere. 
12. that having to manage people below you teaches you how you should relate to your supervisors like nothing else.
13. that there are two kinds of people at work – the first that work for a job title, and the second who work for a calling.
14. that the second are those who can be counted on to go beyond the call of duty, who create that sense of community and family at the office, who don’t complain when asked to do things outside their job scope. 
15. that communication matters. that challenges are dealt with and things get done only when communication is effective. 
16. that good communication matters. that it's always easy to reply a friendly e-mail than a demanding one.
17. that the best leaders lead by example. 
18. that if you're not learning something new everyday, you're not looking hard enough. 
19. that the way you treat the office cleaner says a lot about your character and values.
20. that no matter how tough or tiring or just plain draining and monotonous work can get, there is nothing more rewarding than knowing you are surrounded by an amazing, passionate, values-driven team. 
21. that success and a rewarding career is all about relationships, building bridges, and adding value.
22. that you should treat every single person with respect and courtesy as you will never know not only when you might work with them again, but when they might be able to do you a huge favour you won't be able to repay. 
23. that if things are getting tough and you're not getting tougher, if things are moving too fast and you're not moving faster, you will drown. 
24. that as counterintuitive as it may seem, sometimes getting tougher, faster, better, and stronger is not achieved by doing more, but by stepping back, getting centered again, getting focused again, and returning with renewed perspective and clarity.
25. and that with fresh perspective comes the ability to problem-solve quicker and more creatively. 
26. that there is a time to push yourself... but there is also a time to process, reflect, renew, and realign. 
27. that whatever your method - to-do lists, planners, journals, apps - the quicker you figure out a way to manage and stay on top of things, the better off you'll be.
28. that a lot of time is wasted purely because of a lack of planning ahead. that spending a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day listing out priorities will give you a productivity boost like few things will.
29. however, productivity is meaningless if it doesn't fit into a bigger strategy. it's not just about getting more things done but getting more of the right things done. 
30. that talent is commonplace. and skills are even more commonplace. what makes some stand out from the rest is not just talent + skills but talent + skills + consistency + trustworthiness. 
31. and lastly... His grace is sufficient for every single day.