Improved Initiative Consulting

09/10/2022

t’s finally happening!

After 7 YEARS of heartache, frustration, loss, and more, I finally get to defending my dissertation!

I’ll let you know Wednesday how it goes. ;)

05/16/2022

How’s your morning going?

Mine started with school shenanigans and has now also incorporated destructive kitten activities and several rounds of imposter syndrome.

Maybe I should add whiskey to my coffee…

04/20/2022

This is encouraging…

02/15/2022

Greetings!

My name is Chrissy Mackey and I will be graduating soon with a PhD in I/O Psychology. I am looking to network with other consulting psychologists who have interest in adding a fledgling consultant to their team.

I specialize in organizational analysis, ergonomics, and training through applied gaming.

Please DM me here or email me at chris@plus5initiative and let’s see how my skills can work with you!

Serious inquiries only, please.

02/03/2022

01/10/2022

My sister took me to visit Dad on the 1-year anniversary of his funeral. It was raining when he was laid to his final rest, and it was raining when we went to visit him. But, there was this tiny rainbow in the clouds…

11/05/2021

This is one of my favorite affirmations. I’m a huge supporter of NOT telling someone to cheer up. The idea that we somehow have to be happy all the time is bizarre to me. We are people with a range of emotions. I am allowed to be sad or angry or disappointed if it’s appropriate to the situation.
Fell the emotion. Embrace it. Then set it free. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is sit with your emotions and address them. It’s uncomfortable, but necessary on the path to becoming.

11/03/2021

10/22/2021

In doing a bunch of things, as I always do, I have chosen to take an hour-ish first thing in the morning to incorporate a morning routine. Part of that routine is positive affirmations and visualizations.
I also have been using for weight loss since the beginning of September. I like Noom because the science is sound and it’s based on psychology. It’s interesting how much of it I already knew, but just didn’t think to apply to areas other than where I initially learned the for.
I say all this because I also have an app called “Manifest,” which sends me affirmations throughout my day. This particular affirmation struck me, so I am sharing it with you.
Amid all the things I have going on in my life—finishing my dissertation, burlesque, voice over acting, KWOS (Kitchen Witchery & Other Spells), SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism)—and trying to take care of my health ( ), I have found that hour to be the most important part of my day. I get to read for pleasure for 30 minutes; I get to exercise for 10-15 minutes; I get to meditate for 5-10minutes; I get to journal for 10 minutes; and I get to spend 2 minutes appreciating myself and visualizing my day and life. It’s focusing and it helps put me in a good frame of mind.
Do you like the person you are becoming? If not, what can you do to change? How can I help you achieve your best you?

09/24/2021

I’ve restarted my Magickal Mornings. They consist of the following:
Silence (Meditation)
Affirmation
Visualization
Exercise
Reading
Scribble (journaling)
You can do these in any order and for any amount of time that suits you. My current breakdown is meditation 13 minutes, affirmations & visualization (for the day) 1 minute each; exercising for 10 (light yoga), journaling for 10 minutes, and reading for 30 minutes.
It has been some time since I read for pleasure. So I’m reading one of my favorite classics that I’ve actually never read: The Portrait of Dorian Grey.
This quote really resonated with me this morning. Be in harmony with yourself, and you are good. I know I’m context it’s meant something a bit different, but I think back to the times when I’ve tried to conform to others ideas and standards and I’ve been miserable. When I just live in harmony with myself, I am happiest and healthiest.

09/23/2021

If any of my followers can make it to National Mall before October 3, I would really love a picture of Dad’s flag.
Dad was diagnosed in February 2019 with autoimmune encephalitis. The last time I spoke to him was November 5, 2020, after I had successfully defended my dissertation proposal. He didn’t really know what everything meant, but he knew it meant he was one step closer to (legitimately) calling me Dr. Mackey.
When I called at Thanksgiving, he was sick. No breathing issues, Mom assured me. He died after 10 days in the ICU on December 22–three days before my birthday.
Mom nearly died from Covid, as well. She’s stubborn, though. She still isn’t able to get past Dad’s death.
If people hadn’t rejected the idea of lockdown, mask-wearing, and social distancing, there’s a chance Dad would have lived. He had to go out once a month for infusions. That’s how he got sick.
If you can get vaccinated, do so. My dream was to have my Dad hood me at graduation. Don’t take someone’s dream from them because you think it’s a hoax/infringes on your freedom/deny science. Dad only had a high school education, but he got to witness the eradication of polio through vaccines. There is no way he would have refused a vaccine.
If you want to dedicate a flag to a lived one, the website is http://inamericaflags.org/.

09/08/2021

A friend of mine shared this on her insta and it occurred to me, it was the first I’d seen anyone talking about this. We need to open a discussion about how to help employees and employers, alike, recognizing that things are different and may never go back to how they were.
When I had my first isolated clinical incident that started me on the road to a Lupus diagnosis, I suddenly found my life was different. I didn’t have anyone really supporting me and helping me. It was traumatic! Now, imagine that helpless, traumatic feeling multiplied by The World.
Obviously, disability is different than what’s going on; but it’s a personal experience that I can use to try to help bring this to a finer, more discussable point.
How do we, as scientists and practitioners, go about easing the transition to the new normal? How do we extend grave to those feeling this helpless panic while also encouraging their productivity?