Marriage Management

Next week I get mid-year reviewed. Which means, I'm filling out personal development forms and lists again. Hoorah. I have to ask myself, what have I done, done and done over the past six months? (A lot!) And where do I want to go, go, go in the next six?

As I was adding up my personal success equation yesterday, I realized that I had failed to transfer any of the accomplishments I have made over the past two years onto my resume - a WORD document that I haven't touched since I added my MBA credential to the top of it and found the perfect, a la @GregActon ways to massage each of my odd jobs - restaurant manager, personal assistant, intern, and nanny - into desirable work experiences. Greg, your wordsmithing worked! But yikes, my resume is way outdated.

So I started to update the piece of paper that sums Lo up to my employer. I went back to @GregActon's words of wisdom on how to sculpt the work I have done into more actionable, measurable terms. I subtracted the meaningless stuff. I added the big projects and contributions I have made in my current role. And ta da! My resume got pimped. 

On that section "Other" though - the one at the very bottom where I proudly display 4-year ND Lacrosse Monogram Winner, Social Committee Dance Coordinator (ugh, embarrassment), Cartoonist (getting rusty), French and Italian proficiency (which should actually say, 'able to shop for clothes and groceries in these languages') and Personal Chef (I am ... to myself and Peter) - seemed dated though, so I edited.

I will forever keep my experience as a hefty ND Lacrosse Player, which is forever cool and inevitably becomes a conversation starter.
Although personal chef to Peter just about every night, I thought I would clarify a little more about my culinary pursuits.
Social Committee Dance Coordinator - ya, deleted.
Marathon Runner added.
And then I came to the final detail - the one that I'm still debating.
To add Marriage Management or not?

Okay, @GregActon is cringing and thinking absolutely not. BUT ... let me just tell you it has been a serious job over the last four months, and I know the workload, stress, time invested, and hand cramps from writing Thank You notes are only going to get worse as we head into the summer. Furthermore, as a marketing and communications professional, I've approached our big day with a campaign mindset. I went through the whole 'know, do, believe, feel' process. I honed in on a wedding theme beyond the colors. I developed communications briefs for each of the vendors to clearly convey the background, desired outcomes, and "one thing" that I want people to take away from the ceremony. And I've appointed team leads to various segments of the planning. Like I said, this is clearly relevant project management experience.

The problem is that one of my weaknesses that sometimes surfaces at work - my desire to just check it off the list and get it done - is surfacing in my approach to marriage management.

For instance, one evening this week, while in fierce wedding planning mode, I ran Peter through our task list as he cracked and dismantled live lobsters, and turned their dismembered parts into lobster infused butter. He sensed the stress boiling up.

Okay, what's your time line for the tux?
Seriously?
I need addresses for these people ...
Will do.
Did you send the tux form out?
Will do.
Whose the second reader?
Let me think about it.
Can we PLEASE just book the honeymoon. 
I don't want to go to Sonoma anymore. 
What?! Where now?
Let me think about it.
F!!!!!!
Do you want to add this pot rack to the registry? I think we need to hang one right there.   Why not there?
NO - right here. Stop being difficult. Can't we just get everything done!!
You know what - crossing things off the list, isn't the fun part - getting it done is the fun part. Let's just enjoy it.

Silence.

It's ready.

Peter, my personal chef for the evening, encouraged me to dish up

Thank you Mrs. Thomas and Theresa!

The lobster bisque was phenomenal. And I forgot about the task list shortly after my first bite. I also just deleted Marriage Management from my resume. Basically, because it will never be done and done. It will be a work in progress long after we exchange vows. And that's the fun part - the part that doesn't need to be quantified or qualified - that doesn't live on a resume.

Now, for something completely off my resume - the "Best Day Ever" - Cubs game a la Crippsy.

Lo.