In today’s Video Per Day Experiment clip, you get to see into my closet.

Even after living in Virginia for the past 15 years, I have never fully committed to cold weather. I have resisted owning winter coats because I don’t like to wear them. Add to that my dislike of shopping and the pickings were slim when I looked for winter gear in my closet. Recently, a number of circumstances occurred which led to several items being added to my winter coat wardrobe. So, it was quite surprising to realize that the selection now filled greater than one third of the space. Looking at my closet and seeing all of the winter paraphernalia made me laugh. Everyone who spends much time around me knows that I am a warm weather gal. My favorite place is a beach with the sun beating down while I collect shells.  My name means shell island so it is no stretch to understand that Sanibel Island in Florida is my favorite place.

A law school friend was just passed over for a position that they really wanted. They were so desirous of the position that they had even flown their whole family to the location and gone house hunting. Unfortunately, the employer wasn’t as convinced. As we discussed options, it became clear that in their mind, no other position would work. They were not open to discussing options on interim jobs that would work “for now” and  make them ultimately more suited for the desired position. Sadly, they have turned down several offers due to this thinking. This seems to be a fairly common phenomenon for my classmates. Many have one idea in mind and are not open to considering anything else.

As a military spouse, frequent moves meant that there were jobs along the way that were not my top choice. However, they filled a need at the time. Ultimately, all of those experiences make me fairly well rounded and adaptable. In my last government position, I joked that they created the job just for me and my weird assortment of skills. I encourage everyone to take a longer view when that “perfect job” doesn’t work out. Think through these questions and open your eyes to other positions:

• What can the job provide that I can use in the future?
• Is there anything about the job that I like?
• Can I build a skill in a weak area by doing this job?
• Will the experience help me to get the “dream” job?

Sometimes, it may seem that the only positive is a paycheck. Looking back though, I can see that I gained something from each job and left better than I was previously. All of these experiences combine to make me what I am today.

Back at my closet looking at those coats, I reflected on the path that brought me to Michigan. If choosing a school based on weather preferences, Michigan would have been toward the bottom of the list. However, I chose a school based on many other factors. Variations of the questions above led me to make the decision.

And just like the jobs in the past gave me skills, the decision to go to school in Michigan gave me a great wardrobe of coats.

See more on the Video Per Day Experiment in my introductory post.