Ronda Davis

Ronda Davis

Welcome to my website.

Please click the links to the right to learn more about me.

Feel free to send me an email if you like what you see!

Thanks for visiting!

– Ronda

Wow.  I really feel like I’m in the D.C. now – At a National Women’s History Month Celebration today, I watched the Armed Forces Color Guard, heard the national anthem sung beautifully, and listened to  the following speakers: Dr. Steven Chu (Secretary of Energy), Congresswomen Eddie B. Johnson (Texas), Tena Clark (CEO of DMI Music & Media Solutions), and Candi Castleberry-Singleton (Chief Diversity Officer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) – I am inspired and very happy to be working at the Department of Energy.

Maybe, I should back up and let you know that I recently started work as a Senior Trainer at the Department of Energy – for the Energy Information Administration.  (I’ll share a little more in a future blog post)

It is such a great feeling . . . just like restarting your computer . . .

Simplicity, minimalism, scaling down, however you would like to call it – this is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. It all started when I visited a friend in downtown Greensboro. He had a studio – an area for a closet and bed, bathroom, kitchen, and a living room that included a desk, couch, and TV. As I looked around, I really liked it. It wasn’t too little – it was all that was necessary.

Fast forward a year and you will see that I have scaled down from living in an 1800 square foot house with 3 bedrooms plus loft, 2.5 bathrooms, and two-car garage to an 845 square foot condo on the 24th floor in Uptown Charlotte. When I first was considering this new position that would bring me back to Charlotte, I didn’t look at large square footages – I was looking for something simple, something nice that would be just enough.

I’ve spent three nights in the condo and I am just so happy, overjoyed that I am in this place. A lot of the things that bring me joy are here – the city, the buildings, the awesome view, being within walking distance to work and restaurants. Seeing the sunrise from my bed on Sunday morning made me feel so grateful.

This turn to simplicity or minimalism has been gradual. I have been reading several blogs  such as mnmlist.com, zenhabits.net, and theminimalists.com.

I love technology. I am fascinated by all that we can do with it. I also love showing others how to use technology. My approach has always been to take the complex topics and ideas and break them down into the most basic and simplistic form. I approach coding in the same manner. Now, I want to approach life in the same manner, breaking it down into the most basic form. Once I have made it to that level, I can truly thrive.

This move toward simplicity has brought greater focus in my life. I am one to want to be involved in professional organizations, volunteer activities, Meetup groups, etc. By making this move – in position, company, geographic location, and mindset, I have an opportunity to address my involvement with various groups. I have also evaluated the “stuff” in my life – clothes, books, nick-nacks, furniture – some of which I have not touched in six years – and started to purge items I no longer need. It has not been an overnight process, but I am taking it day by day. Each day I make progress, I can feel myself becoming more and more free. Who would have thought that giving up on “things and stuff” would bring freedom?

I faced my greatest temptation in this journey as I watched the live blogging from Apple’s event today announcing the iPhone 4S. I love Apple products and I normally would jump at the chance to get my hands on the newest product. After the event was over, I thought to myself about how all of this fits into what I have been striving for. It didn’t. Then, I thought about selling my current phone and then buying the new phone. It is not about the money at this point. As I’m having this internal battle, I receive a text message alerting me of a tweet from @zen_habits linking to an article on why you don’t need the new iPhone. Issue solved. I’m hanging on to my current iPhone.

Although I have faced challenges, this journey has brought me much joy. I take simple pleasure in walking to work – the brisk air, the sounds of the buses, seeing all of the businesses, and hearing musicians as I walk by.

If you have been on rondadavis.com before, you may have noticed that my site has gone through a major redesign (simplification). This is all keeping inline with the theme of simplicity.

Number 1: Windows (not on a building,  but the operating system) –  I miss the MacBook that I had while I was at iContact.  It has been a while since I’ve had a PC as a primary computer at work.

IBM ThinkPad

Number 2: Two clocks- Since Wells Fargo is based in California, there are two clocks on every wall (one with Charlotte time and one with California time)

Clocks

Number 3: No floor buttons in the elevator- When you approach the elevator, you use a touch screen panel to select which floor you would like to go to.  The screen displays which elevator to enter.  When you go into that elevator, there are no buttons to control which floor you want to go to.  This is nice, until I enter an elevator in a different building and expect the elevator to know which floor I want to go to.

Elevator

Number 4: Window washers - I just find them fascinating.

Window Washer

Number 5: Custom Name Tag- It isn’t as colorful as my flag from iContact, but it is definitely fitting.

My Name Tag

Number 6: Hyperactive soap dispenser- I walk by it and it dispenses soap.  I’m not sure why it is so eager to get rid of its soap.

Soap Dispenser

Number 7: Swanky places to eat – Last week, I went to a restaurant called Vapiano.  When you enter, you are handed a chip card (that looks like a credit card).  You are then free to browse the various food stations – pizza, pasta, panini.  I went to the pasta station where I placed my order and the chef cooked it right in front of me! (In case, you are wondering, there is shrimp under the spinach in the picture.) Before leaving the station, I swiped my card.  After eating, I handed the chip card to the cashier and paid my bill.

Scampi E Spinaci

Number 8: The train isn’t a roller coaster - I’ve been riding the Lynx light rail on a daily basis. I know that it is a train and not a roller coaster, but every time it picks up speed or goes up an incline, I keep picturing myself on a roller coaster and expect it to do a sharp twist or a double loop!

Lynx Train

Lynx Train

The "One Day" Doodle

I’ve been drawing this little doodle entitled “one day” for at least a decade. “One day” symbolizes my desire to be in the city – to work and live in tall buildings in the middle of a city.  I was never really clear on which city I would be in or what exactly I would be doing for work, except that it had to be something that I was familiar with and had some skills in since my greatest challenge would be trying to work when I had such a great view of the city.

I hadn’t drawn my doodle in several months.  This morning, on my first day working at Wells Fargo in uptown Charlotte, I drew my familiar drawing and then looked outside the window of my cube.  It was at that moment that I realized I am living my “one day.”

The "One Day" Buildings

I recently signed a lease for a condo in a high-rise and am now working at Wells Fargo – familiar as I had worked for Wachovia for nearly three years.  I’ll also be doing something very familiar – creating documentation and delivering technical training.  I have great views out of my window at work and out of my soon-to-be balcony at home.

Even when you don’t expect it, the very things you were striving for can appear right before your eyes.

Yesterday, I found a quote from a Calvin & Hobbes comic (Bill Watterson) that I found inspirational:

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”

It is so easy (at least for me) to pay close attention to my calendar and my lists and my priorities to keep an eye out for what is coming next.  What is the next thing coming up?  What is my next big goal or accomplishment?

Yes, we should have goals and have a plan for where we are going in our personal lives and in our professional careers.

Yes, we should stay focused on the big picture.

Today, I want to pass along that we also need to enjoy where we are today, this week, this month.

My challenge to you is for each day – including today – to find the simple joys of life.

Find whatever makes you smile – whatever makes you feel good inside.

Here is an example . . .

Over the Independence Day holiday, my mom wanted to buy me something.  The store we were in really didn’t have anything I needed, but I did find a Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer.  I saw my  favorite scent (called Sweet Pea)  and showed my mom and she bought it for me.  Now, it was only a dollar, but the smile I get when using sanitizer (which is normally an unexciting event) – brings me a small smile when I smell it.

Another example:

On Monday night, I visited a friend in the north part of town. I took the loop around Greensboro to get there quick since I was meeting his family for dinner.  However, on the way home, I drove through downtown to see the buildings – since I love tall buildings – small joys of life.

We have so many plans, we take care of a lot of things, and we are constantly thinking about others . . .

I encourage you today – think about you  – and don’t be so busy watching out for what is coming and find a way to enjoy where you are today.

There are so many things that I want to do in my lifetime.  I have several ways of documenting – lists, mind maps, and today I created small bulleted lists of “Small Steps” for each area of life that I want to make progress.  By breaking up large goals into small manageable tasks, my dreams can more easily become reality.

Below is an example:

Small Steps: Speak at 2012 ASTD Conference & Exposition

• Think about my strengths
• Think about how my strengths would relate to conference attendees
• Narrow down to a topic/area
• Flesh out the topic in outline form
• Get feedback from others on topic/outline
• Complete and submit proposal before August 2011 deadline