The service providers I invited to the event were the Fort Napier team (blood pressure, aids test, mental health), Virgin Active (fitness tests), Capitec Bank (financial planning), the Eye Wellness Group and a private dietitian. We provided healthy goodie bags for each attendee and lucky draw prizes such as gym towels, caps, water bottles and pedometers to name a few. There were still questions from the guys as to where the braai meat, biltong and beer was, but it was 'Wellness Day' hello!
What I discovered from planning this event was not where the best shops to order in bulk were, or how to keep the budget under control, it was rather two very important life lessons to add to my ever increasing list. At the age of 23 I find myself constantly learning new things about myself, whether they are weaknesses or strengths. Its these kinds of under-pressure experiences from people that have given you a prominent responsibility that highlights what you know and what you have yet to learn.
Yes, you actually can rely on people
Because this was the first event I had ever planned, and I watch too much reality television, I had predetermined the idea that something was going to go wrong somewhere along the line. It was like I had given the event some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy days before it even materialised. I have always been a very independent person who likes to think that if you want something done properly do it yourself. I don't even ask someone to make me coffee while they are standing by a boiling kettle.
This event, however, required assistance not only from the people I worked with but people I had never met from companies that I was only slightly familiar with. My boss had given me the instruction to assign roles to people on the day because I would not be able to manage alone (he was so right). This was a difficult lesson for me to accept because I have never had to rely so heavily on people that weren't my family. There was only so much I could do by myself anyway, I only had two hands and two feet. If I needed something heavy to be carried, I called on a few strong men who weren't too busy to carry it. If I forgot something while I was busy setting up, I asked someone to fetch it.
It was in this moment of empowerment that I realised I was not bossing people around or using them, I was simply relying on someone other than myself to get the job done, and they all played a significant part in the planning and setting up of the event. I thought to myself rather this than feel completely overwhelmed on the day with little pieces of nothing completed. Then there were the service providers that I had invited to the event and had phoned repeatedly to confirm displays and details of the day. My worst fear was that one of them would not show up and the entire event would be a disaster. That morning every single person that was supposed to be there arrived on time with smiles on their faces ready to be part of the event I had organised. I cannot tell you the complete bliss I felt.
Throughout the day, the only problem was that we ran out of juice for our guests to drink (there were more than I had expected). Guess what I did? I called the lovely lady working at the company canteen to bring a few extras to where we were having our event. I relied on so many people that day and was not let down even once. Obviously it doesn't happen that way all the time, but it was such a good way for me to learn that many hands do make light work.
Own your accomplishments
The Wellness day was a success! Everyone enjoyed the healthy goodie bags I had put together, including a Futurelife energy bar, an Energade, fruit, yoghurt and mini shampoos. The prizes were also well received, and everyone from the office staff to the realstand operators attended. Many said the wellness day had made a positive impact on their lifestyle, and there were a few things they were going to change in terms of bad habits. Lets just say the dietitian was harsh on some!
After emails, phone calls and pats on the back from various people saying well done for the event I organised, I found myself actually accepting the praise instead of brushing it off like we all do when we receive a compliment. It made me think about compliments in general. If someone gives you one, don't give it back to them as if you don't want it by saying 'no I don't agree' or 'you're just saying that'. If a person genuinely says something nice about you or congratulates you for something, accept it with open arms! Its like a little gift from one person to another so unwrap it and own it. It makes both you and the person giving it feel good.
Maybe you have lost weight and someone has noticed, or you worked damn hard for a project. Every now and then you need at least one person to show you that it has not gone unnoticed. This encourages you to continue with determination and succeed with that knowledge that someone somewhere is watching. x
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