Who takes PTO time for a long run? This girl!! (Brace yourself…this is new for me!)
I’ve always heard that how you live your personal life carries over to your professional life. Up until now, I felt like that couldn’t possibly be true.??
“Work Mindy” and “non-work Mindy” were very different.??
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However, my half marathon journey made me realize that “work Mindy” and “non-work Mindy,” really aren’t that different at all.?
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Here’s why:?
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A month ago today, I crossed the finish line of the “Run Nash” half marathon that’s held in Nashville, one of my favorite cities.??
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It took a lot of discipline to stay on track with training. I told myself this half marathon was a one and done for me because I don’t even love running that much; it’s more of a love/hate relationship.?
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Summertime is my very busy conference season where I’m traveling quite a bit for work.??We had the big transition to our new building, new key staff coming on board, and of course the busy schedule of being a mom with kids in summer sports. I also lost the last two surviving grandparents I had, which resulted in several trips back home to Illinois. ??
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Juggling all of that on top of maintaining my strict training schedule was becoming very difficult. So crazy in fact, that I started taking PTO time just to squeeze in my long runs, as I mentioned before. ?
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However, I had a realization that running was helping me realize my greatest strengths. I’m a creature of habit who follows a strict and organized schedule. I set goals. I always strive for more.??
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The lessons I learned hitting the open road were informing my conversations at work, and vice versa. For once, I carved out time for myself (and pulled a muscle in the process, but hey who’s counting).?
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After crossing that finish line, and once the exhaustion wore off, I reflected on the goals set, and the celebration we had that night walking the strip.??
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I finished. I reflected. I celebrated.??
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I remain committed to setting bold goals for Integra First and celebrating each milestone.??
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After the race, I found that inner voice that always strives for more telling me I needed to do this again, only much faster next time. (Surprise! Chances are I’ll be doing it again.)?
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If you’re still with me, congrats, you made it through my first attempt at being raw and vulnerable.?
I have to thank my husband and family, my friends Bev and Tiffany who did the run with me, and the Integra Team, who cheered me on along the way. I recently hired a Marketing Manager, Erin Noha, who said that my story brings a lot of meaning to our credit union, and that it’s important to share my journey, both personally and professionally, with all of you. We met to discuss her strategic direction – and part of that involved me (much to my surprise).
The fun doesn’t stop here… rumor has it I’m on my way to becoming an Integra First TikTok star!!
