A funky day

Today has been sort of a funky day.  My mom returned from Korea and you know, her visits are no longer the same.  Going to Korea in the 80s and 90s were all about coming together and celebrating this thing called family.  We took trips to Cheju do, celebrated big birthdays, went shopping, sight-seeing, etc.  Then trips to Korea for my mom became spending time w/ her mom, even if her mom no longer recognized anyone anymore.  Now, it's her aging dad.  And it's also my eemo-boo w/ Parkinson's.  My mom said that she and her dad (I will attempt to write this Korean phrase in English phonetically ) "oh reh boot deuhl goh ooh lruh suh" as they said good-bye.  Translation: Held on tight for a long time and cried.  I honestly don't know of a sadder phrase or moment than that in the context of saying good-bye to someone, knowing it may be the last, but no one of course addressing that elephant in the room head-on.  But what are the other options?  My mom to stay in Korea indefinitely?  Then what becomes of her life?  There is no right answer.  I can write a book about my experiences and feelings on death and the after life, but for today, I just wanted to capture that powerful moment my mom had with her dad.  Writing this is bringing tears to my eyes.

A life without (work) deliverables

What would a life without any deliverables be like?  What if you didn't owe anybody anything - not one single thing?  What if there were no metrics to measure, conference calls to prep for, agendas to design, meetings to coordinate, follow-ups to track or documents to write?

I know the answer.  It would be great for the first 2-3 days, but then I would become anxious, bored, unfulfilled and eventually miserable.  For me, I know that having a career is a critical part of my overall happiness and mental health.  But I have to tell you, there are some days or weeks when I daydream about not having any deliverables for work.

Bing (c'mon, 11 years at MSFT can't be erased - plus I'm still a significant shareholder) or Google "Amazon corporate culture" and you'll find a wealth of information.  Most recently, my colleagues have been chatting about a recent Wall Street Journal article about the interview and "bar raising" process at Amazon, while quietly celebrating that "we made it through!"  Then there are other articles like this one from Business Week that shares a perspective on how difficult it is to earn a promotion. 

That said, I can't imagine being anywhere else right now.  In Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In, she gives very specific direction to those faced with the task of choosing jobs/companies/opportunities...and that is to go where the growth is.  Need I say more? 

I put in over 100 hours preparing for a meeting in mid-December that took quite a toll on me.  And that same client contacted me yesterday about another executive meeting they want to schedule for June.  And I just had one of those moments daydreaming about not having any deliverables...

Bring on 2014!

This New Year's Day was just not the same with my mom away in Korea.  Nonetheless, my brother and the Kyung crew came over to celebrate the New Year with a traditional Korean meal of kalbi-jjim, jap chae and dduk soup...all made by...my MIL!  Yes, the woman who doesn't cook!  She said she didn't make jap chae in over 10 years.  LOL!  She asked me to try it but to be brutally honest, it didn't look appetizing.  In our family, the true taste tester is Lauren.  If she likes it, it's good!  So I made Lauren try a strand of noodle and my golly, she liked it! 

After lunch, the girls put on their hom-boks and did seh-beh.  They earned nearly $200 each.  Lauren funded her iTunes account with $20 immediately.  She is really such a big kid now.  I am glad to integrate this bit of Korean culture into the girls life.  They absolutely love it.

As for me, I haven't made resolutions in years.  Of course there is a ton I want to accomplish this year - be a more patient mom, wife and daughter, eat healthier, figure out how to incorporate exercise into my life, grow professionally, etc.  But I think (hmmm, that doesn't sound too convincing) the one thing I will focus on this year is to get more organized.  I have been wasting too much time looking for things like my keys, device chargers, clothes and shoes.  Okay fine, I'll commit to it right now.  I will get more organized this year by making a spot for everything and putting everything back in designated spots.  I'll keep you posted on how this progresses.  I believe The Container Store is having a sale on storage solutions right now.