New Horizons

Welcome to my latest adventure. No, I'm not having another kid (yet). Actually, my latest endeavour is professional in nature and I have moved on to new responsibilities at my job. Without getting into the details too much, I have been brought on to a very important project involving the migration of our database system to the latest upgraded version. As part of that, we are testing current systems to make sure they work in the updated version of the software and implementing improvements to existing processes to our system. Needless to say, this is a tall order for everyone on the project team and, to complicate matters further, this is global migration. This means we have similar teams working on the exact same thing in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia in addition to our home office. Enter me... clinic services representative, brought in for my expertise in order entry and "front line" systems knowledge. I don't think I have to mention that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. As I've phrased it in the past, if I was a big fish in a fairly large pond before, I am now feeling like a minnow in the Atlantic Ocean right now. The scope of this project is so monumental that a part of me has been trying to run from the building screaming since the day I was offered this opportunity. What's equally scary is that seasoned veterans of this company who are also on the team and from different global regions have eluded to their own anxieties over this undertaking. A project like this that scares a 17 year veteran of the European region (arguably the most difficult region to administer in our company) has my nerves rattling like a epileptic skeleton.

Which brings me to the point of today's entry. I sit here today admittedly scared out of my wits about this project, yet I find myself strangely at ease with it. I'm not saying I'm confident about this, far from it. In contrast, I feel as if I'm harnessing every uneasy feeling and trepidation about this project and channeling it towards motivating myself to push through and get the job done. The real work has yet to begin, but my fears have not gotten in the way of me "getting to it" and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. I am starting to understand that the work I have done up until this point was truly preparation for where I am sitting today, and I need to accept the fact that I am no longer able to sit comfortably in a bubble if I want to advance myself to a true professional's career. No disrespect to my customer and clinic services teammates; I just want to be more than a phone representative and this is the time to push myself to do and learn more so I CAN advance further. It's an odd place to be right now. Part of me is confident in my abilities for what I was selected to do. The other part of me is scared at the unknown and the volume of work that needs to be done. Premature as it might be, I can say that I think I've struck a balance between the two and I am using the fear constructively to fuel my drive to learn as fast as humanly possible and get as much done as I can in as little time as possible. I've been fortunate to have a lot of support from my co-workers that have been around me for a long time, and their confidence in me is what has helped me keep focused on the goal. Ultimately, this project will affect all of them directly, good and bad. For that, I am determined not to let them down, always remembering where I came from as I push us to where we need to go.

So, off we go into the wild blue yonder, and damn the torpedoes as we go! This is going to be an interesting year, and I'm determined to come out on the other side stronger, wiser, and a better professional than I sit here today. Wish me luck!