Organizing My Herb Garden 2010

  

Since we moved last September, I had to start over with my herb garden. I especially miss my perennial mint and chives. It was so nice to have them already growing in the spring without us doing anything!

Both of these come back with a vengeance, and spread, so you have to be careful where you plant them. My husband planted my mint (spearmint and peppermint) at the end of our deck so I can just walk out and pick it when I want to make some mint tea.

He planted (I have hip and knee issues - isn't he wonderful?) basil, parsley, dill, chives, and cilantro in another area, close to the house so I can go snipping at will.

We discovered some tomato plants that had started growing on their own this spring in that area, so we made room for them to grow among the herbs.  

In previous years, I planted way more herbs than I knew what to do with. But it was fun to experiment. Now I have settled down to the ones I use most, and it's easier to manage. 

I bought a very interest package of all different kinds and colors of little tomatoes at BJ's the other day, so maybe I'll add a little breschetta or tomato basil salad tonight for dinner tonight.


More on herbs:

Herb Recipes

Dinner in 10 - Herbed Tilapia

Organizing Your Herb Garden, Part 4 - Using Your Herbs for Healing 

An Attractive Way to Organize Your Garden Hose

  
We've all seen equipment that stores garden hoses. Here's something that does the job but in an attractive way: hose pots. They look like garden pots, but make your hose available to you without being unsightly.


Here are a couple of examples:

Most garden centers and hardware stores carry hose pots, starting at around $40.


More on gardening:

Organizing Your Garden - Creating Your Own Compost

Using Your Snow Shovel Year Round - Another Gardening Tip

Organizing Your Herb Garden

 

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Treasure Hunt Dinner

  
It's the last day of school for our girls! I always look forward to a less structured schedule. It's busy, but a different kind of busy. 

Summer is a wonderful time to invest in our foster daughters. We're hoping to use the summer to build some character as well as have fun. We can be intentional about the positive influencers in their lives and minimize the negative ones.

It's also a time when it's hard to have some personal "refill" time, as my mom calls it. When I plan each week, I will make it a priority to find some time to myself.

When you need a creative idea, here's another activity to do when everything sounds boring: a treasure hunt dinner.

Treasure Hunt Dinner

 Have four courses (veggie platter, fruit salad, entree, dessert) and hide them in or out of the house, depending on the weather. I use coolers if needed. 

Make up three clues for each course. You read the first clue. From then on, whoever finds the clue reads it. He/she must wait until everyone is there and can hear or until everyone has finished that course. 

When you find a course, you must eat it where you find it - in the garage, in the bathroom - make it fun!

When everyone is finished with a course, give out the next clue and continue. At each course, you can ask a question everyone has to answer: Where would you like to visit? What is your favorite color and why? Who is your favorite person in history? What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

This is a fun event to do for birthday parties, when your kids have friends visiting, or just as a family. It's a bit of work, but a fun memory.

See sample clues below.

Dinner #1

Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
But it’s where we get our mail
A big white box.

Clue #3 – Mail box
Go down one floor
Between two chairs
It’s in the ice bucket
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the basement

Clue #4 – Ice bucket between chairs
Go to the room
Where you take a bath
Open the cupboard
You’re on the right path.

Clue #5 – basement bathroom
A bunch of books
In the second floor hall
Look for “Virtue”
Not hard at all.

Clue #6 – Book of Virtues
Go out the back
Open a door
Look in a cooler
Near the floor

Breschetta/bread in the cooler in garage

Clue #7 – In garage
Go up the stairs
To the second floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in 2nd fl. bath
Go outside
Spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under picnic table
The very next clue
Is not in your sock
Not on a rock
But in a crock.

Spaghetti sauce/spaghetti in crockpot

Clue #10 – under crockpot
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh! Stop you’re cryin’

Clue #11 - Lion King video
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
Look somewhere low
Where there’s a bell.

Clue #12 – In the bell cabinet
We still have dessert
For us to eat
Look where we keep
Things that go on our feet

Cookies in entry umbrella holder
 

Dinner #2

Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
But it’s where we get our mail
A big white box.

Clue #3 – Mail box
Go down one floor
In front of two chairs
It’s on a foot stool
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the basement

Clue #4 – On foot stool
Go to a place
Where we keep snacks
Run up the stairs
You’re right on track

Clue #5 – chips box
A bunch of books
In the second floor hall
Look for “Virtue”
Not hard at all.

Clue #6 – Book of Virtues
Go up one flight
Open a door
The second course
So you can eat more!

Fruit/white bowls/napkins in attic by craft table
 
Clue #7 – In attic
Go back downstairs
To the second floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in 2nd fl. bath
Go downstairs
Spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under antique table
The very next clue
Is not in your sock
Not on a rock
But in a crock.

Spaghetti sauce/spaghetti in crockpot

Clue #10 – under crockpot
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh! Stop you’re cryin’

Clue #11 - Lion King video
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
Look somewhere low
Where there’s a bell.

Clue #12 – In the bell cabinet
We still have dessert
It won’t be long
Look in a drawer 
Where mats belong

Cookies in drawer with placemats

Dinner #3

Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
It’s where we keep cars
On top of a box.

Clue #3 – Garage on a box
Go down one floor
Look for matching chairs
It’s on a foot stool
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the office

Clue #4 – On foot stool
Go to a place
Where we keep snacks
Run up the stairs
You’re right on track

Clue #5 – chips box
A bunch of books
Is where you will find
A babysitter’s clue
Of the best kind

Clue #6 – Babysitter’s book
Go up one flight
And open a door
Where guests spend the night
We’ll eat on the floor

Fruit/white bowls/napkins in guest bedroom

Clue #7 – Guest Room
Go back downstairs
To the bottom floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in basement powder room
Go around the corner
And spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under antique table
The very next clue
Is not on your head
It’s not on a sled
But an empty bed

ham/cheese/tuna/crackers in empty bedroom

Clue #10 – Empty room
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
It’s in a tree
Next to some bells.

Clue #11 - Christmas Tree
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh stop your cryin’

Clue #12 – Second Hand Lion
We still have dessert
It won’t be long
Look in a drawer 
Where crafts belong

Cookies in craft dresser


More on Summer Fun:

Organizing Some Fun

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Outdoor Decathlon

Organizing Your Fun Time

 

Simplifying Summer Dishes

  
Drinking glasses seem to multiply during the summertime, don't they? Last year I came up with an idea to try to reduce the number of drinking glasses we use each day. I found a package containing four different colors of disposable plastic glasses. Each person chose a color. But I felt very un-green!

This year we found a box of eight large plastic drinking glasses - two in each of the four colors. Since these are sturdy and dishwasher-safe, I feel much better about using them. 

We only have two foster daughters at the moment, so we can each choose one color. If we get more girls, we'll let the girls use the colorful glasses and my husband and I will use other ones. 

It's amazing how few glasses we are using now! The only problem is that the colors don't always go with my color scheme. But I guess I'll live with it!


More summertime hints:

Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

Cook It Once, Serve It Twice

Foil - A Griller's Friend

 

When Clutter is Unhealthy

  
I discovered this excellent article by David F. Tolin, director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, Hartford, Conn., and author of "Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding" (Oxford University Press, 2007).
  

When Clutter is Unhealthy 

 

"What's the difference between messiness and hoarding?

Most messy people aren’t hoarders; they’re just messy. But if someone is no longer able to take care of work, family, or basic safety, they’ve crossed the line into mental illness. 

Their clutter might create a fire hazard or vermin infestation, or keep them from walking around in the house. They have an exaggerated attachment to items that prevents them from discarding things that most of us would consider to be junk, like stacks of old newspapers.  

What if I suspect that a friend or family member is a hoarder?

Sit down, calmly explain why you are worried, and offer to help without taking control of the person’s life. The next step is to get the person some quality mental health care. Medications don’t seem to do much for compulsive hoarding. 

We recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy, in which we help the person identify and change irrational ways of thinking and practice new patterns of behavior. Even after treatment, most people are still hoarding, but it’s much better controlled and doesn’t cause safety problems or impinge on their functioning. 

What if the person won’t accept help?

Don’t be tempted to take a shortcut, like clearing out the house when they’re away without telling them. It doesn’t work and often precipitates a mental-health crisis. 

If there are children in the house or the person is elderly and there’s an immediate hazard, you can call in your state’s protective services agency. They have the legal authority to mandate treatment. Otherwise, there’s usually not much you can do. 

It’s horrible to watch a family member self-destruct, but if it comes down to a fight, you’re likely going to lose because the law protects a person’s right to be mentally ill. In those cases, the best option may be for family members to seek counseling themselves."

—David F. Tolin, Ph.D.

This article first appeared in the June 2010 issue of Consumer Reports on Health. For more on compulsions, such as hoarding, see our section on diagnosing and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.


More on hoarding: 

Hoarding - There Are No Easy Answers! 

Self-Help Books for Hoarders and Their Families

Get Organized Month 2009 - Some Words from Peter Walsh, Organizing Guru

 

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Outdoor Decathlon

 
"I'm bored!" My response is usually, "Sorry, that's your choice!" Over the years, I've come up with some activities to do when there doesn't seem to be anything to do. Most of these I've made up or adapted from other ideas. Sometimes merely reframing ordinary activities creates fun!

So ... I'm going to do a series on some of these crazy activities. Hope you enjoy them! 


Outdoor decathlon: 10 games - a combination of silly games and games of skill. See possible games below.

I keep the list of games a secret. Then it's a series of surprises.

Gather all the supplies needed for each game. 

Create a box or bag of prizes. 

Create a score sheet chart with each person listed and each game listed. 

After each game, record the scores. If you have five people playing, the person who comes in first gets five points, 2nd place gets 4 points, etc. 

After all 10 events are played, the person with the most points is first, etc. #1 get to choose a prize first, #2 second, etc.

Possible games (you may need to adjust to kids' ages): 
dropping clothespins in a bottle
horse (basketball)
elimination bocce ball
bubble gum blowing contest
tossing a coin into a muffin tin
bowling with a toy bowling set
paper airplane making/flying
frisbee golf
croquet
bouncing a tennis ball on a tennis raquet
tossing a tennis ball into a waste basket
ladderball
relays
balancing a ball on your finger


What fun activities have you created? 

More on creating fun: 
Organizing Some Fun

Organizing Your Fun Time

Five Health Benefits of Laughter

 

Get Organized With These Sneaky Tips

 

Here are some great tips from Anna Miller, my guest blogger for today. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Get Organized With These Sneaky Tips

There are some people who are anal about cleanliness and order and others who are totally unconcerned about the clutter they live in. The former are sometimes obsessive compulsive about keeping their personal space neat and tidy while the latter have no qualms about co-existing with filth and disorder. 

Thankfully, most of us fall somewhere in the middle of these two opposite ends of the spectrum – we wish we were more organized, but we’re too busy at times, too lazy at others, and just not in the mood many a day. 

It’s good to be organized, especially if you want to save time and effort every day. When you know where everything is, your day goes by more smoothly and you minimize your stress while maximizing your energy and efficiency. So if you feel your life slipping more and more into the disorderly side of the spectrum, here are a few sneaky tips to get organized:

Do more when the mood strikes: I like to think that I’m a fairly neat person and that my things and schedules are as organized as they can be. But while I do believe that there must be a place for everything and everything in its place, I find that there are times when I’m just too pressed for time or that I’m not in the mood to organize and clear up the clutter. 

But then, when the mess accumulates beyond a certain level, the mood to clean takes priority over all else. I try to get more done during this time, because I know I tend to slip back into laziness soon enough. So if you’re in the mood to clear up, milk it for all its worth and get more done around the house or your workspace.

Procrastinate once, not any more: It’s ok to put off things if you don’t feel like doing them, but not more than once, especially when it comes to cleaning up your clutter and organizing your space and belongings. Remember, the longer you leave clutter around, the more time you need to get organized. 

So if you don’t feel like washing or clearing up after dinner because you prefer to laze on the couch and watch TV, go ahead by all means. But make sure you wake up a few minutes early the next day so you can clean up before you leave for work or get started with your day. It’s when you keep putting off organizing your space that you find yourself losing control and getting stressed out.

Entertain: I’ve found that the best incentive for me to clean up is to throw a party or invite people over for dinner. When guests are expected, I know my home has to be perfectly neat and clean. It doesn’t have to be big, just a small gathering with friends is enough to do the trick.

I find myself tidying up and getting rid of the clutter every Friday because I know I will have company on Saturday. This weekly routine ensures that I stay organized and on top of things.

The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t really have to be neat and organized all the time; it’s enough if you realize your strengths and weaknesses, and play to the former while avoiding the latter as much as possible.


This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com.

More on organizing tips: 
Don't Make the #1 Organizing Mistake

Color-Coding Your Storage

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Organizing and Cleaning

 

Right-Brained People - Enjoy Your Creative Organizing!

   
If you are a creative, right-brained person, don't despair when it comes to organizing! Use that creativity to come up with organizing solutions that work for you.

Just because you may not be organizationally minded doesn't mean you can't organize. As my right-brained daughter has said to me many times, "I can organize, just not the same way you do."

Right-brained people are good at brainstorming and thinking outside the box. Use those skills to come up with creative solutions to solve your organizing issues. Create systems that work for you. 

Don't feel that there is a "right way" to organize. Organizing is very personal and needs to work for you. Even if a system works for others, it may not work for you.

Try out your creative solutions and see which ones work. If they don't, tweak them or throw them out all together! 

The key is to drag yourself away from more enticing projects and take some time to use your creativity to organize. It's hard to do. But the result is worth it: your mind will be freed up for more creativity because it's not cluttered with visual chaos.

Right brained people, tell us your organizing solutions!

More on organizing differences:

Is Decluttering/Organizing with Your Spouse Making You Angry?

How to Stay Organized When No One around You Is

Organizing the ADD Household

 

Organizing Some Fun

Happy Memorial Day!

I was trying to think of some fun for today. We have some limitations: one of our foster daughters has a sprained ankle and another needs to do a bunch of reading before tomorrow (what? procrastination? one word: her.choice! LOL) So we can't do anything that involves walking, which eliminates almost everything.

The reader was planning to come downstairs and read for about four hours straight. Sprained ankle offered to read at the same time. So we are all going to read - to me that's luxurious!

But I'm going to change it a little. After about 2 hours, we are going to go on a progressive fast food lunch. Sounds nutritious doesn't it? We'll give each girl $6 and go to various fast food establishments where they can spend their money. The only catch is that they can only buy one item at each place and they don't know where we are going until we get to each place!

This is my plan: MacDonalds, Taco Bell, Sheetz (gas station), Burger King, and the dollar store. Sounds horrifying, doesn't it? A teenager's dream meal!! I guess I could add a grocery store on the list and make them buy a piece of fruit. One word: not.going.to.happen. 

Then we'll come back and continue our reading time.

Yesterday we did a flip a coin adventure. Flip the coin once: heads = go straight; tails = turn. If tails, flip again to see which direction to turn. Heads = right; tails = left. We go about three blocks between flips so we're not just going in circles. Sometimes we start a little distance from our house, so we're in new territory. 

Yesterday we ended up in some beautiful areas where we had never been - fun! 


What creative fun have you invented?


More on fun:

Organizing Your Fun Time

Organizing An Intentional Summer for Your Children

In a Winter Rut? Here's How to Climb Out!

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Being Generous

 

Wrapping Up the School Year

     
 As the school year closes, it's a good time to wrap up end-of-year activities. Even if you don't have kids in school, many activities take a break for the summer - a perfect time to put closure on those activities.

If you volunteer, declutter and organize any paperwork for your position. If you are passing that position on to someone else, hand off that paperwork by the middle to end of June so the transition goes smoothly. 

If you've taken a class, organize your class notes and related material. Look over your notes for action points you want to take away from the class.

If you have school-age children, sit down together and look over school papers, projects and artwork you have saved. Determine an acceptable amount to save and work with your child to determine which masterpieces to keep. 

If there are too many for your comfort, take pictures of the rest and put them in a photo album. Or send them to relatives or soldiers. Or create placemats, lamp shades, collages, etc. with them.

Print photos you want to keep from this year and divide into categories. Or copy to CDs or DVDs or another medium. Organize according to activities. Remove these pictures from your camera to make room for your summer fun.

If you haven't done so already, evaluate summer clothes for the family. Get rid of those that don't work and fill in the blanks with new ones. While you're at it, if other clothes are outgrown, get rid of those also. Donate, hand them down - whatever, but get them out of the house!

Celebrate the end of school! Make something special, decorate, do something silly, make certificates to celebrate milestones. Whatever you do, celebrate all the work each of you has accomplished during the school year.


More on wrapping up:

Getting Organized for School - Organizing Your Child's Artwork and School Papers

Overwhelmed by Unfinished Projects?

Organizing Your Keepsakes into Bins

Is Clutter Distracting You From Work?

       
Are you easily distracted by some of your clutter? Is it distracting enough that you stop working? Examples: the newspaper, magazines, catalogs, golf clubs, etc.

If you find that your work is suffering because of these distractions, remove them from your office! Make it a weekly habit to remove such distractions.

Work hard. Take breaks which refresh and rejuvenate you. Refuel yourself during your breaks with food and liquids. Get enough sleep. And you'll be operating at peak efficiency and energy.

More on clutter:

Your Priorities, Passions, and Gifts Create Context for Your Clutter

Can Clutter Cause You to Lose Your Job?

Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind  

 

Finding Charities that Will Pick Up Your Clutter

      
On a recent organizing job, my clients were getting ready to move and wanted to get rid of some items to reduce moving expenses. As I was driving home, I noticed a nearby Salvation Army.

I called, and sure enough, they pick up unwanted items. While on the phone, they gave me an extensive list of what they will and will not take. As it turned out, Salvation Army took everything except some wood. 

While arranging for the disposal of these items, I was thinking it would be nice to go to a website that listed charitable organizations who pick up discarded household goods. Since I was working in an unfamiliar location, I wasn't sure what organizations were available in that 
area.

Since that time, I discovered Donation Town - a website that lists such organizations by zip code. Just go to Donation Town, enter your zip code, and you have a list of charities that will pick up your unwanted items.

I took the following section from their website, listing such charities:

• Salvation Army Donation Pick Up
• Goodwill Donation Pick Up
• Arc Donation Pick Up
• Vietnam Veterans Donation Pick Up
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Donation Pick Up
• Humane Society Donation Pick Up
• Habitat for Humanity Donation Pick Up
• Hospice Donation Pick Up
• And hundreds of other charities that serve the homeless, children's charities, veterans charities, faith based charities, disability charities, medical charities, and More!!!!!

More on donating:

Donating Business Clothing for Job Interviews

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Suits/Coordinated Outfits and Jackets

 

Test Taking Mistakes

    
 We have a few days off, which we are thoroughly enjoying! Our girls return Wednesday night for dinner. 

Schools around here are not out yet - not until the first week of June or so. Our girls get out June 8.

If your kids are still in school and have tests to take, have them take a look at the three biggest test-taking mistakes, according to Julie Baird, The Grade Coach.

While there, snoop around - Julie has great advice to students who want to be successful in school. 

More on doing well in school:

Getting Organized for School - Peaceful and Organized Surroundings

Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Getting Enough Sleep

Getting Organized for School - Study Shows Flashcards Help Improve Memory

Spring Cleaning Your Career

 

Part of time management is knowing your priorities, passions, and gifts so you know how to invest your life. Helen Coster wrote the following article for Forbes, which provides hints for examining your career satisfaction and productivity. 

"You've sent your sweaters to summer storage, stashed away your snow boots and vacuumed up five months' worth of dust under your bed. Your career needs a spring-cleaning, too. Whether you're actively looking for a new job or just willing to jump if the right opportunity comes along, use this season as an occasion to make yourself a better job candidate.

Tackle the most intimidating chore first, by designating time to take stock of where you are professionally. Many of us get so caught up in our day-to-day duties that we lose sight of whether we're on the right path to begin with. 

Do you enjoy going to work every day? Are you stimulated by what you do? Are you making enough to live the way you want and save for the future? Are you pursuing your professional dreams? If not, take steps. 

"The most effective thing you can do to get to your next job is get a sense of where you should be going," says Win Sheffield, a career coach with the Five O'Clock Club, a career coaching organization. "Many people discount this question, because they assume they're at the whim of the market."

You don't need to figure out your life's purpose or have a laser-focused vision of the future before you can make a move, Sheffield says. "While that kind of focus is great, it's not in most of us." Instead, he recommends, have an open mind about different careers that might satisfy you. 

Start by developing a sense of what naturally interests you now. What do you read about in your spare time? What are your hobbies? Consider careers that could develop out of those passions. 

To get the most out of your current job, take on added responsibilities that will challenge you. In mastering new skills you may discover new things that excite you and give you ideas about what you want to do next.

Next, dust off your résumé. Sheffield says that employers look at a résumé for an average of 10 seconds, and that people who have worked for less than 10 years should keep theirs to one page. If you've been working longer than that, consider two pages. Replace hackneyed expressions like "strong team player" and "possess organizational skills" with strong, active verbs that demonstrate results.

"An employer hires you to solve his problems," Sheffield says. "The single best indicator that you're right for the job is an example of where you've solved other people's problems."

Whenever possible, use numbers to document your performance. Instead of saying, "Managed a team of three," say, "Managed a team of three employees who interacted with clients and had a 100% client-retention rate over two years." Include keywords related to your skills and background, since many big companies use computers to screen résumés for phrases, like "analyst" or "financial modeling." Have a friend double-check your résumé for spelling and grammatical errors, and always be honest.

Update your LinkedIn profile. Add links to any websites that showcase your work. Write a summary of your career, including as many keywords as possible. Enlist colleagues to write recommendations. Increase your volume of connections by reaching out to former colleagues. Send a brief personal note with each invitation to link. Flesh out the "Experience" section to include a description of every job you've had.

Clean up your online reputation, as well as your workspace. Either set your Facebook settings so prospective employers can't see your updates and photos or be very sure to post information that presents you in a positive, professional light. 

Set aside an hour before or after work to declutter your desk. File business cards in some kind of searchable way, and file random documents. 

Brush up on the latest skills in your profession. Work on your public speaking with an organization like Toastmasters International. Ask your office information-technology guru for a lesson in Excel or PowerPoint. Sign up for a continuing education class. If you have an area of expertise that you can share with others, gain visibility by starting a blog about it.

Network both inside and outside your organization. The best time to network is when you're not actively searching for a job. "When you're gainfully employed, you're in a position of strength when you meet new people," Sheffield says. "They're not worried that you're going to ask them for a job." Join an alumni organization, and network internally by meeting colleagues for lunch or coffee at least once a week.

---

Clean up your schedule by considering all the things that compete for your time, and decide what to keep and what to discard. If you volunteer with three nonprofit organizations, select the most meaningful one, focus on it and stop giving your divided attention to all three. Focus on the things that are important to you and ditch the extraneous.

Lastly, update your "bragalogue," a short, pithy story that incorporates a few bits of information about who you are and what you've done. Think of a few positive things you can say about your work, and be prepared to share them during fly-by encounters with your boss. 

If you don't already have one, create a journal in which you keep track of your achievements. Every time you accomplish something, add an entry, noting what you did and why it was important. When possible, show how that achievement helped your company. The list will help you make your case for an internal promotion. Or, if you've stopped being excited about your accomplishments, it will indicate that it's time for something new."

More on careers:

Announcing My New Coaching Package - Rethinking Life

Creating Routines and Systems

Three Steps to Time Management at the Office

 

 

Top 10 Workouts For the Busy and Budget-Strapped

I'm the time management expert for Campus Calm, an organization devoted to helping college students have balance while in school. Amy Lademann, Fitness Expert for Campus Calm gives the following advice when you're short on time and money:

"I know many people skip their workouts because they are too bored with the same old jog, or weight training program, and struggle to think of something new to do. 

Here are my favorite workout ideas when your time, and budget are limited. These exercises will help make you fit, healthy, and strong. Of course before trying any new fitness routine, you may need to evaluate your current health and/or check in with your doctor. Always listen to your body, and work within your limits.

10 – Group Sports
Remember the days of playing outside with your friends? Many of us headed outside after school, and stayed out until dinner time, riding bikes, playing tag, playing sports, and more. If you have a group of like
minded fitness friends then make a regular time to meet at the park and do some sort of workout. Even taking cues from your childhood could lead to new fitness routines, and improved strength.

9 – Swimming
Living in Southwest Florida, the white sandy beaches, and hot summer days, and beautiful blue waters call to many of us. If it is hot and you feel like you should do something healthy then go for a swim. Swimming can be an amazing workout, to strengthen your entire body, and increase your endurance.

8 – Jumping Rope
I love jumping rope, because it makes me feel strong. Also, a 10 minute skipping session is probably worth about 30 minutes of jogging (depending on your pace) which may save you time and give you something new to practice. Jump ropes are cost effective tools, that can shape your shoulders, tone your legs, and increase your cardiovascular endurance. They pack easily, and can be used anywhere.

7 – Hiking
Hiking is an amazing workout. An all day hike is good for the body, and the soul. It challenges your core, helps your stability, strengthens your legs, increases your stamina, and more.

6 – 100’s
When you’re looking for an amazing way to measure your progress and want to boost your overall fitness level try 100’s. Take any exercise you can think of and do 100 repetitions. Then, think of another exercise
and do another 100 repetitions. Obviously this is an ambitious goal. 

Start with a lower number like 20 and work your way up by 10’s until you reach 100.
 

For example, try 20 minute workouts of:
• 100 crunches;
• The 100’s from Pilates
• 100 pushups;
• 100 squats
• 100 bicep curls
• 100 jumps with a jump rope
By the end of it you should feel tired, and totally invigorated.

5 – Variations of 1 Exercise
If you travel frequently, don’t have a gym membership, and/or are limited on time, try the Variations Workout. The idea is to take one exercise and do it in all different ways for a whole workout. For example, do pushups for 20 minutes in a variety of variations. Try a normal width pushup, a wide one, narrow one focusing on your triceps, a declined pushup, an elevated one… keep changing positions until you have exhausted them all.

Start with a reasonable number, based on your current fitness level and add 10 each time you do this workout. If you only have a total of 30 minutes, try this with 2–3 exercises do each exercise for 10 minutes,
and then change to another body part.

4 – Hill Sprints
Hill sprints work your whole body, and really test your fitness level. Two or three sessions of these a week, is worth double that amount of jogging. Your heart rate increases higher in a shorter amount of time, and your body will be pushed to its limit. You’ll burn more calories than jogging alone, and change up your workout a few times a week.

3 – Circuits
For your circuit workout, use one exercise for each muscle group, and perform them one after the other with no breaks in between. Then work your way back down to the start. Some great exercises for a good
circuit are:
• Pushups
• Crunches
• Bicep Curls
• Squats
• Overhead Press
• Chin Ups
• Dips

2- Dance
Put on your favorite tunes and dance! You can do this any where, and at any time. No dress code required, no reservations required.

1- Hula Hoop
Want to feel young, carefree, and alive again? Grab a hula hoop and hula! See how long you can go swirling it around your hips. Time your sessions and work your way up to several minutes at a time. Your
core will work, your balance may be challenged, your waist may become slimmer, and your energy will soar.

Just remember, fitness, and healthy living, is about incorporating workouts into your lifestyle. Finding things that you love and that make you feel good, healthy, and fit. 

It’s not about being perfect, wearing the ideal outfit, or joining the best gym. Fitness is about being consistent, at times pushing yourself further, and sometimes pulling back, or taking a day off. Listen to your body, and have fun exploring your full potential."

For more information on creating fitness programs, visit Go Beyond Motion  or contact Amy at info@go2beyondmotion.com.

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