Big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond?

The sunshine, palm trees and ocean breeze welcomed me when I landed in Charleston, South Carolina. Mid-70s and the smell of seafood wafted through the air. In just one day, I would indulge in some authentic seafood. Until then, it was time to decide which type of fish to be.

Have you hear the analogy of being "a big fish in a small pond?"

This concept demonstrates that the fish has outgrown its habitat and environment. It could also be related to leadership and experiences. Have you become good enough in an area and are not surrounded with room to grow or develop further? Or is the talent pool around you less than or equal to your capabilities? I was disciplined and focused on this goal for just over a year in bodybuilding and felt confident and comfortable. Was I becoming a big fish in a small pond?

The monotony of monotony

Dang, I'm boring.

Alright, maybe I'm not that boring.

Humans are boring.

Humans are creatures of habit.

And this habit creates monotony.

It has been interesting to relate habits and personal development to eating and bodybuilding. I have had many friends not as knowledgeable about the fitness/health industry ask for dieting advice. I have read nine books to date out of my goal for 30 by December 31. I can safely say that at least 6/8 of them mention habits. This could be anything from the creation of habits, to bad habits to understanding habits and our development. After reading the book "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength", and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business", I feel more confident in giving advice on how to develop workout, eating and healthy lifestyle habits.

Some might not realize that our brains and thoughts are within our control. As one of my favorite leadership gurus and sales leaders once said:

Photo found on: this website

"You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.” - Zig Ziglar



I think this goes along with our bodies. Our mind controls our bodies. If we control what goes into our minds, we control our health.

This is great! Form a habit, stick to that habit and it all becomes easy, right?

Trust and a coach

Have you ever had a coach where you doubt them? I know I have.

I think back to my high school track days. Freshman girls track, Mr. Hemsoth was a tough coach. Often times, the girls would do their best to avoid running extra drills or find a way to make whatever instructions he asked us to do "easier". He demanded a lot of his team and pushed us to run more than you thought possible. He "encouraged" me to run the 800 meter open and 800 meter relay. I was not pleased. His stern demeanor gave him this persona of an all or nothing we gotta win type. (He was not much different as the social studies teacher either.)

Mr. Hemsoth made me doubt his coaching abilities and whether he had my best interests at heart. I have never been the best runner. However, putting me into mid-distance races pushed me to a limit. I ended up quitting after that season for various reasons including an injury. I attribute a larger portion of not returning that next season because of my doubt of him as a coach.

This past week, I had a meeting with the Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy. This meeting, we focused mostly on agricultural policy and industry current events. The second day, we worked with Richard Fagerlin, author of Trustology.

I first saw Richard speak at the AFA Alliance Meeting last November. However, that was more of a keynote speech. This time, he got to work more closely with our group of 10 upcoming leaders in Farm Bureau. It refreshed me of the importance of trust.

"Most Changed" into 2016 & 4 Steps to a New Years' Resolution

The new year is upon us. Is it really 2016? Things can certainly change quickly and time flies! Most of us are in the midst of starting our New Years' Resolutions! Many of you may have already organized, categorized and wrote down your resolutions. Others might be doing the usual procrastination and will not formally write any, but keep some ideas tucked away in the cranny of their minds. However, we all must start with a little reflection.

When I reviewed my past year, I noticed a lot of change. New job, new customers, new challenges, new opportunities, new friends, and a new outlook on life. I am learning to be a better me. I want to grow and become the woman God has given me the potential to become. I think back to my senior year of high school. My 2010 senior class at Otsego High School always voted superlatives by class.

I was selected as most changed in 2010.

Fear of No and Failure

Thing about when you see someone interesting or attractive. Do you approach him or her and introduce yourself? Say hello? Or are you like the majority of people who will talk yourself out of stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a chance? Instead, you scour the Internet and social media to try finding that intriguing person... when all you really had to do was say hello. 

Imagine your last job interview. You spent a half hour or more being interrogated, probed about your experiences. Then, it was your turn. Ask away! What did you ask? Did you ask what other qualities you need to demonstrate to prove you were right for the role? Essentially, did you ask for the job? Why or why not? What is the worst that could happen if you ask? 

In both situations, you could be told no.

Why are we fearful of the "what ifs" and "could happens"? Why does the big two-letter word push our interests aside and keep us from potential? 

The biggest weakness in personal development and sales is fear of "no" or fear of "failure". You could be one of two people who have to this point:

Option 1. 
"Oh, I see what Caroline is getting at! I'll continue reading."

Option 2. 
"Pff, I don't care about personal development and/or I'm not in sales. This does not apply to me [as you close this screen]."

7-year trend comes to an end

The past seven years, I have spent the last week of October focused on the same thing. The National FFA Convention and Expo has had my undivided attention. This trend is coming to an end. Unfortunately, I will not make it to the convention this year. But, that is OK.

Sometimes, our responsibilities and priorities shift. The National FFA Organization is near and dear to my heart. It has shown dramatic impact on my personal development and aptitude for my career in agriculture. Whether it was getting my start in public speaking or learning about soil science, I learned much through my local, state and national participation. If there is one thing I learned and took for granted through FFA but now understand and implement today, it is that putting yourself in environments of change and discomfort yield the greatest results. I have said this a lot; change is tough. Let me reiterate:

Putting yourself in environments of change and discomfort yield the greatest results.

I shared in a past blog post about my various experiences at FFA Convention. Last year, I judged Supervised Agriculture Experience finalists and chapter awards, in addition to mingling with guests in the Syngenta booth in the Expo. Each of my convention years were different. This year, now that I will not be there, is the most different of all. Instead, I will be in Nebraska, working with my customers, closing out harvest 2015 and attending a district sales meeting.

Change is difficult, but change is good. I have now been a Seed Advisor Manager for 8 months and have learned a lot. It is crazy that we are already in the thick of selling corn and soybean seed for 2016 and my Seed Advisors are well on their way to reaching and exceeding goals. I have much more to do and learn before I will feel more comfortable in my job. Thankfully, the FFA paved my path towards being active in agriculture and better serving the farmers I work with.

Lucky for me, the trend of change continues. My time attending FFA Convention may be coming to a stall, but definitely not a close. Whenever my next appearance there is for, it will be a new experience. Who ever say they want to remain the same for the rest of their lives? If they did, they must already have reached their life's ambitions...

I am openminded. What big change or end of a trend is upon you? Are you ready? Can you be openminded and embrace it? Your choice. I know I do not settle for mediocrity.

Sweet as Swiss

Remote. Friendly. Authentic. Value. Beautiful.

These words describe my two-day experience in Interlaken, Switzerland. If they don't inspire you to want to move there too, just wait.

During my vacation, a main goal was to identify different personal enjoyments and passions. Since starting in my first career out of college, I have struggled to find balance between work passions and personal passions. The two days spent in Switzerland brought forth a great realization: I love enjoying the outdoors through hiking and taking paths less traveled.

The group arrived in Switzerland by train late one evening and we had two full days after to adventure and see the sites. I woke up early (6:30 am) to head towards my first adventure: hiking Harder Kulm in the Swiss Alps. Interlaken is nestled in a valley of the Alps. This "mountain" served as a challenge. I was advised it would take slightly more than 2 hours to reach the peak. Sounded like a great start to the day!

Off I went to the base of the trail. It was 15 minutes from my hostel to the entrance. There was also a "wildlife park" near the entrance, where I saw some mountain goats. I backtracked a bit to find the actual trail and met a couple who were parking their bikes and prepping to trek to the top. I asked them if they were hiking to the top. The gentleman said "yes" and his wife started speaking in German. Luckily, the man spoke good English and told me to join them on the trail. So, I did. This was the beginning of learning from Yulie and Frannie.