Countdown to National Conference 2016

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Today is July 4. Happy Independence Day! There are only 10 days until the start of National Conference!I know that I keep harping on the “pack light” thing. Now I’m going to tell you to bring something extra—a small first aid kit. A blister, a headache, or an upset tummy can really make it difficult to enjoy NC. If possible, make it something small you can carry with you during the day. A few Band-Aids, some aspirin, and some tummy tablets will fit in a small zippered bag, or even the new Tea PackIt, and are well worth the space they take up.

 

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Today is July 5. There are only 9 days until the start of National Conference!Take just a moment or two to think about your goal for yourself at NC. What do you hope to get out of it? Fun is fun, and I’m looking forward to lots of fun and foolishness. It’s important to remember, though, that the real purpose of NC is to learn from the workshops and from each other. Be prepared to meet your NC goals.Think about what you want to learn. There’s an exercise that some coaches use. They have people look around the room they’re in. They have participants close their eyes and think of everything they in the room that is green. Then they have participants look around and notice everything that’s green. They almost always notice more green things when they’re looking for them. Knowing what you hope to learn helps you to notice it when it’s presented.I plan to write down a few questions for each workshop. I’ll look these over before the workshop starts so I’ll remember what I hope to learn. It will also help when they ask for questions at the end of the workshop, in case one of mine is still unanswered.Write down some additional questions you have, and go over them a time or two so you’re ready to ask them of the people who’ve achieved the level to which you’re aspiring. Think about what you do well and what changes you’ve made in the last year that have helped you. This will help you to have an answer ready when someone turns to you for advice. Brand new and don’t feel like you have any advice to offer? Think about one or two things you wish someone had told you when you signed up. This is great info for people who are recruiting.Finally, one of the most important things about NC is implementing the ideas. If you don’t make any changes, if you don’t implement some of what you’ve learned, you’ve simply taken a delightful vacation with your PC friends.

 

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Today is July 6. There are only 8 days until the start of National Conference!Arriving early or staying an extra day? Talk to your team or traveling buddies about any touristy things you want to do—shop, see a play, visit a museum, etc. Check online for special savings, coupons, and even ideas.Be sure to wear comfy shoes when you travel to and from NC. Flying? ALL footwear must be removed for x-ray screening. Shoes that slip off and on easily will save time and frustration. Well, at least some of the frustration.Merrill will be at NC. Yes, they’ll have clothes, but they’ll also have oodles of other products. Is there something you want to check on? Something you’re running low on? That Merrill area can get crowded and chaotic. Make a list. You might even consider going to their website. Write down anything that piques your interest. At NC you can check those things out to see if you want to buy them. Often there have been specials. At the very least, you'll save shipping. Make the most of your time in the Merrill area.

 

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Today is July 7. There are only 7 days until National Conference! One week, people!Do you snore? Sometimes I do. Talk to your roommates about what to do if someone’s snoring is disturbing you. I usually tell my roommates that if I’m snoring too loud they are welcome to shake me, wake me, turn me over, or suffocate me with a pillow—whatever it takes.This may seem like a small thing, but in my travels I have roomed with people who snored so loudly that at least one of the rest of us had to move to another room. Different people have different noise tolerances. What goes unnoticed by one sleeper can be an intolerable noise level to another. There's no shame in snoring; it's involuntary. There's no shame in being disturbed by snoring; we all have our sleep needs. However, it is a shame (though, not shameful) to lose sleep over something that can be addressed.That said, if you're a really light sleeper rooming with others, you might consider ear plugs.

 

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Today is July 8. There are only 6 days until the start of National Conference!You will have an opportunity to meet and learn from lots of people at NC. DO NOT spend all of your time with your teammates. You already know a lot of what they have to tell you. I realize that most people are a little more reserved than I. (Everyone who has ever met me has just fallen off their chairs, laughing at that understatement.) Using the buddy system is fine, but make sure that you’re surrounded by people you don’t know. Engage them in conversation. Go armed with the questions you want the answers to. (What is your best advice for getting bookings? If you were to name the most important thing you do in order to get recruits, what would it be? What are you hoping to learn at NC? What are the three things you’re anxious to try when you get home?) Who knows, you just might make a new friend. And, for heaven’s sake, if you’re sitting with a few of your friends and someone else joins your table, include him/her/them in your conversation.As much as I’m looking forward to meeting up with CS friends, that sort of goes for Cheffers, too. After all, we do share a lot here. Just make sure you aren’t surrounded by Cheffers all the time.BTW, are you driving? Make sure you check out your vehicle before you leave. Do this even if you’re only driving to the next town to catch a plane, train, or bus. The Furry Guy will be checking my oil, water, washer fluid, and tire pressure. Trust me; you don’t want to break down on the way, especially if it’s something that could have been prevented.

 

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Today is July 9. There are only 5 days until National Conference starts!You might want to take address labels with you. Some speakers might have handouts or offer additional information. If they run low they generally ask for names and addresses. A sheet of address labels is easy to carry and use. You might even want to bring a few self-addressed envelopes. That way, if you want someone to send something special to you, you can just write what you want them to send on the back of the envelope.If possible, you might want to consider taking your own pillow along. I like my memory foam better than most hotel pillows. I sleep better, making me more wide awake and alert so I can absorb all those great ideas at NC! Of course, if taking a pillow switches you from carry-on only to checked baggage, don’t take it. Chances are good that your hotel will have very nice pillows.

 

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Getting down to the wire. I got my nails conference-ready.

 

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Today is July 10. There are only 4 days until National Conference starts!Take some time while you’re at NC to simply enjoy the experience. You’ll be surrounded by wonderful PC people. You’ll be rubbing elbows with people who have reached the level of success you’re striving toward. You will never have that exact experience again (those exact people at exactly that place in their business). Be sure to take a few moments to just enjoy the moment.Check out the weather report for Rosemont. This will help you narrow down your packing choices. One place you can check is: www.weather.com.If you haven’t already done so, start packing now. It will give you time to remember the little things that may have slipped your mind. Don’t pack right into your suitcase, though. Lay everything out so you can see it. This way you’ll be less likely to over pack. For items that should be hanging on hangers until the last moment, gather them together. Section off a spot in your closet just for those items.Now decide how you’ll pack. Rolling clothes is popular. I prefer stacking everything with plastic in between and folding it gently together (shopping bags work well and can be used later). Sometimes I use a garment bag, for my more wrinkle-prone items.

 

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Today is July 11. National Conference starts in just 3 days!Don’t forget your meds and vitamins. As a diabetic, I take several prescription meds and a whole passel of vitamins and supplements. If you have regular medications you take, make sure to take plenty with you. These are not things you’ll want to put in your checked baggage if you’re flying. I always make sure to take an extra day’s supply just in case something happens to delay my return.I’m serious about the vitamins, too. If you’re used to taking a daily multi-vitamin, you’ll want to continue that even at NC. A tiny zippered bag would hold enough to get you through NC and would fit in just about any purse or bag.

 

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Today is July 12. National Conference starts in 2 days!Have you checked the fridge? This would be a great day to make note of anything that’s getting low so that you can pick it up. You don’t want their memory of your NC trip to be that there was no milk for their morning cereal. This will also give you an opportunity to pick up those healthy snacks you’re going to take along. You can unpack them from the grocery bags right into your suitcase so no one else will be tempted to eat them.

 

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Today is July 13. National Conference starts tomorrow!Don’t obsess too much about what you might have forgotten to pack. You’ll be in Rosemont. There’s little you could have forgotten that can’t be purchased easily near where you’re staying.See everyone soon! I’m leaving in just a little while, and I’ll be praying for safe travel for everyone. The fun is about to begin!Thank you for reading my notes and indulging me in my need to keep myself on track and to share tidbits of information.