Show you care

Thanks to Denise for the reminder of where to buy heart-shaped balloons! They make the PERFECT Valentine’s Day gift. 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Make it special! 

You look marva-what?

What was for dinner last night?

When was the last time you worked out - REALLY hard?

When was the last time you walked into work with confidence about yourself and your ability to exceed all expectations?

The way we look usually translates into how we feel about ourselves - and how we feel about ourselves usually translates into how we perform at work.

I’m a sucker for watching shows such as “You Are What You Eat” on BBC America or NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” Even I’m surprised that the common storyline for these TV shows - people treat their bodies badly and ‘the road to recovery and rediscovering who they are’ - continues to interest me.

For BBC America’s “You Are What You Eat”, the nutritionist will display on a large table literally what their obese subject will have eaten for a week, prior to her arrival. The food and beverage always appears disgusting with no redeeming health qualities, whatsoever. Her typical comment has to do with the smell of the room. She goes pretty far into explaining to them what that poor nutrition is doing to their health and then she gives them an entirely new diet plan and exercise plan to follow at home, in their typical daily schedule. When they stick to it, they are shocked at just how amazing they look and feel. It’s pretty cut and dry - she doesn’t get very emotional about why the subjects gained the weight in the first place. It’s basically a case (each episode) of, “you eat terrible, never work out, and if you use my diet and exercise plan, it will fix you.”

You may be more familiar with NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” which includes a group of obese contestants who work out their bodies, and work on their nutrition and emotions on The Biggest Loser Ranch, away from their home and families. The show’s trainers have become celebrities because they seem to care more about the emotional state of the contestants (which always plays nice in TV land). The understanding is that these contestants spend most of their waking hours in the gym working out - while eating a healthy diet - and we’re always happy to see how that much effort transforms their bloated, distorted bodies into healthy, happy people with each week’s very dramatic “weigh in.” 

These shows demonstrate with every season that the healthier we are, the happier and emotionally stable we are. When a person is overweight, they feel less confident about themselves and confidence is a key element to performance.

So, think about how you’re treating yourself. If that nutritionist were to come show you literally everything that you’ve eaten this week, how embarrassed or how proud would you feel? If “The Biggest Loser” celebrity trainers were to show up and give you an amazing free “Last Chance Workout,” how impressed would they be with your ability to perform?

How good do you look and feel when you walk into work each day and how confident are you in your performance? The mind and body are connected - so the best way to improve your confidence and feel better about your performance each day on the job is to take really good care of your health. 

It’s Friday!

• skip the free donuts that someone will bring in to the office to celebrate the end of
  the work week
• think about what you’re putting in your mouth (keeping a food journal would help)
• work in a work out to your schedule, makes you feel SO GOOD just to MOVE!

Look good. Feel good. DO good and BE CONFIDENT!

Mornin' routine

When my awesome husband is out of town - the typical routine looks completely different:

Let’s start from when I get home from work (and he’s gone):

• Home around 7:15 (much earlier than usual, so I can relieve our afternoon tutor for B&B)
• Grocery store run (because someone needs something for some class)
• Make my dinner (yep - usually the hubby makes me yummy food, but not tonight)
• Eat dinner and watch some TV with kiddos
• Put kiddos to bed
• Evening call to out of town hubby, to catch him up on the evening
• Make lunches for tomorrow (while catching up on TIVO’d TV - so it takes at LEAST two times longer)
• I go to bed, but I don’t really because I turn on the TV in the bedroom (STAY UP TOO LATE WATCHING THINGS I GENERALLY HAVE NO TIME FOR, such as Project Runway All Stars)
• 5:25am: alarm goes off for the morning workout, but I snooze because I’m stiff tired from being up too late the night before
• 6:15: actual up & shower, etc
• 6:40: wake kiddos up
• 6:50: kiddos actually get up
• 6:50 - 7:15: morning blog time for Paperclip
• 7:12: kiddos come down for breakfast, while I finish getting ready for work
• 7:25: start telling kiddos to get in the car to leave for school
• 7:33: actual time we leave for school drop off
• 8:20: arrive at the office (about 20 minutes earlier than when my husband is here)

No complaints - this is just how it goes when he’s out of town.

MUCH different from when he’s here and does a LOT of the typical routine tasks (like making lunches and taking kiddos to school).

Much respect to the single parents out there - who ALWAYS have all of the responsibility of making everything run smoothly.

Lovin' the green!

So - as I struggled to think of something thoughtful to give the members of the team for Christmas this year (yes, I ended up giving good ol’ reliable Starbucks gift cards), Jaime found just the PERFECT gift and she was generous and got one for everyone . . . a nice green plant for our individual workspaces.

At first, I was VERY afraid that I would kill it, like I’ve done several times before. (Yes, Amy, I know - I was very very sad). Let’s just say that I don’t have a very green thumb. Jaime assured me that she gave a form of cactus plants in order to be very low maintenance. Good thinking! As you can see, mine is still alive - and it’s been a month!

I love plants - and our office is so much nicer looking with everyone having a cute little touch of green on their desk. We’re all committed to keeping them very alive and well. I’ve even had folks remind me to water before leaving for the weekend.

I’ve been thinking of a name for him, like “Mr. Green Jeans” (in honor of Captain Kangeroo’s sidekick soooo long ago). This was a really terrific holiday gift idea and would also be very appropriate for an officemate’s birthday.

Thank you Jaime! Mr. Green Jeans and I are getting along just fine!

Sometimes . . .

So - I was talking with some friends over the weekend about work/life balance.

We talked about the fact that sometimes we become completely engrossed in our work - and it’s all-consuming. 

But sometimes . . . we take a step back and we wonder if this job is really the right job. Sometimes - we’re just not into our jobs. After working in the same position for a while, you feel like you’ve learned everything there is to know about it and the work is not stimulating anymore. 

My friends were talking about the importance of a happy life because you start to realize that the work you do is funding the fun you can have outside of work, such as the latest decorating project, or the upcoming vacation that you’ve been dreaming of taking.

Even when we aren’t feeling completely inspired by work, we can feel inspired by what our work is helping us accomplish or support elsewhere in our lives. Then we can respect what we do and keep us on track - without slipping into a feeling of frustration. 

So, even if this Monday morning has you less than excited about going into the office, you can remember that you’re doing what you need to do in order to afford your life. Your office needs you and wants you to perform your best when you’re there. 

And about that lack-luster feeling about the job? Give yourself some time - either some new project will come up, or some new opportunity for a promotion might occur and you’ll feel inspired and motivated by your work again, or you’ll feel led to search for a new job. In either of these situations, time will be your friend. Give yourself time to realize what’s going on in respect to your feelings. Doing your best job gives your employer a good reason to assign you the new important project which puts you in the position for a promotion. And if you’ve decided to search for something new, time allows you to think about what type of new job to look for and develop the skills you might need for a new role. 

Sometimes, a steady job that’s not too draining of your energy or schedule is a good thing to allow you to pursue other interests outside of work. In the end, the fulfilled life is the ultimate goal. The best part is that you get to define “fulfilled” and what that means to you.

how's the year going so far?

Here we are - almost a month into 2012 and I’m curious, what are the little things of everyday office life that bring you joy?

Things I’m LOVING:

Evernote and using my iPad in meetings. I like NOT having the issue of pencil or possible pen marks on my hands from taking notes in my usual notebooks anymore. I also like having my notes synced to all of my devices. I’m just saying - it’s GENIUS!!

Getting back to my usual lunch salad. I feel less tired, less “stuffed” and more free to enjoy my little M&M “fun pack” size later.

New Milly bag. PERFECTLY sized for daytime. (Another post on this to come!)

My RED iPad smart cover. So Much Better than the cream one I first had that looked dingy very quickly!! (The more you use it . . the less pristine that cream looks!)

The new touch of green on my desk - a plant that I shouldn’t be able to kill. Happiness everyday. Thanks to Jaime!!

Open discussions. What’s working, what can be better, what can I do to help. Three questions that I’m talking at lot about these days. VERY HELPFUL.

Hearing more laughter in the office. Things are just as busy, but we’ve just been having more fun getting it all done!

New knowledge. Lynda.com has got to be one of the BEST investments we’ve made. I’m addicted to it - makes me wish there were more hours in the day. Learning has never been easier or more tailored to an individual’s interests. It’s fascinating.

How’s your 2012 going? What are you doing to make it great?

Dare to impress . . .

I remember when my dad would come home from work and when my mom would ask how his day went, he would say (sometimes a little sarcastically), “Well, I got an ‘atta boy!”

That “atta boy” was code for “great work” or “good job” or any other generic “way to go” phrase that you can insert. Even as a kid, I know that even if he was being sarcastic in how he would mimic the way in which it was said to him, my dad secretly liked knowing that what he was doing was good.

When is the last time that you decided to impress someone with your work?

I can hear (even from myself) the reasons why it’s pretty hard to do these days:

• they expect so much from me, in such a short amount of time
• well, if I only had the resources . . . 
• pretty tough to “impress” when I’m barely getting what I need to do finished, completely

And then there’s the:

• the last time I impressed someone, I ended up when many more “initiatives” assigned to me
• impressing is tough to do when the end goal keeps changing
• how do you impress people who don’t really know what they want?

Well . . . 

The number one person that you need to strive to impress is - yourself!

We’re our own worst critics. You (and I) KNOW when we’ve done a really good job with something, and when we’ve just basically mailed it in.

When you strive to impress yourself, then ultimately, you’ll find more happiness in what you are doing - because doing great work makes us feel So Much Better about what we do. You’ll gain knowledge and confidence by actually pushing yourself to be better at what you’re doing. You’ll actually CARE MORE.

When you mail it in, it’s kinda like how you feel when you cheat on your diet All The Time. There’s no commitment there and you ultimately don’t have your heart in your efforts. How can you possibly expect that half-hearted work to impress anyone? You’ve been given talents and specific skills - and deep down, you know when you are wasting your time and your talents.

So - beat the odds. Do the great work, despite the reasons why you shouldn’t be able to. Impress yourself. Get all of the extra initiatives that you can possibly handle - VOLUNTEER    for them even!!

Make your work be heard - most importantly, by you.

And then, give yourself an “atta boy.” Make yourself proud.

(p.s. This is dedicated to anyone who needed a boost in their spirit today.)

what's on my iPad?

Let’s see:

565 notes in Evernote

Yes, it goes with me to every meeting. I try to keep everything digital and avoid handwriting notes as much as possible. Sometimes, it’s more practical to write my notes - when there are huge, multi-page documents being reviewed or discussed, but other than that - I put the info in Evernote (which is also on my phone, as well as on my work and home notebooks!). These notes sync like magic!! With the ability to create different notebooks by topic, and also “tag” individual notes within a specific notebook - this app has absolutely revolutionized the way I work and keep track of everything.

36 books (reading through about 5 or 6 currently)

5 sample books (just deciding if I want to buy them or not)

18 magazines in Zinio

20 magazines in Newsstand (LOVE the new WWD app!!!)

(9 issues that need to be downloaded)

a Bazillion apps (always fluctuating thanks to my kids sharing my iTunes account)

(4 apps that currently need updating)

several games (thank you kiddos) - but my FAVE is Backgammon

Twitter (of course) and Facebook (but I’m more active on Twitter for some reason)

Pinterest (just getting started with this new social phenomenon) 

camera & video (iPad2 - YES) - so lots of videos and photos

9 movies!

1 TV show - Million Dollar Decorators (SOOOOO good last year!)

1 music video - I Am A Gummy Bear (thank you, son)

1457 songs

2 podcasts

75 unread emails (whoops!)

NO telling what else, but I’m curious - what’s on your iPad???

Check YOU out!

When I imagine the most ideal professionals, they always have a super smart wardrobes and are on top of their game in the office. The women have fantastic hair, perfect manicures and a slim fitting, smart outfit complete with really yummy shoes. The men have crisp shirts and nice watches or pens.

I don’t know why I associate these particular attributes with the genders, but I do.

In making my new years resolutions, I literally wrote “Amp up office style.”

Last week, one of the executives at work mentioned a fellow employee and the conversation literally shifted into a moment of style appreciation. Basically, this particular employee was looked upon in a very favorable light because they give a lot of effort in their professional appearance at the office (as well as being very talented in their position) - ESPECIALLY on Fridays, which are “business casual.”

Say what you will about performance, but the style you bring to work each day will get you noticed.

The question is - are you being noticed for how great you look (and make the company look) OR are you being overlooked because you don’t stand out in a really good, pulled together, “I GOT this,” type of fashion?

What a difference a year makes

A LOT can (and will) change in a year.

We’ve had members of our team change, AND as a result we have new folks who’ve been terrific to work with and get to know.

I’ve completely changed how I take notes (thank you iPad & Evernote!).

We’ve reconsidered (and are still considering) the physical space of the team.

We’ve been researching new software to manage projects better - and have finally found what we believe is a VERY amazing custom solution.

We’ve been given several new exciting projects to develop - and that’s probably one of the BEST parts of the development of our team’s skills.

We’ve been given more  to handle, more to do - and we’ve met those challenges with great attitudes.

We’ve grown together.

We’ve learned more (thank you Lynda.com!).

I’m very excited about this upcoming year.

On a personal level, there are some things that didn’t really change. For instance: 

Still working on building industry relationships - although the conference I attended last year definitely (and am looking forward to this year) helped & so did the professional association I joined. 

I’ll always need to focus on my family (because they are ALL awesome!). I’ve already proven that I’m still a workaholic, but when I’m home - I’m REALLY home with them. I don’t check my phone for emails or texts. I AM, however, guilty about Twitter. Addictive! 

Listening skills - better, still no cigar. Check, continue to work on that.

I worked on the sleep thing last year. Not too terrific, but this year we have a dog and earlier workouts (very routine) - and that “less TV” thing helps also.

Lots of expectations for this year, but lots of confidence.

How was your last year, and what are you doing different or what are your focused on to prepare for this new year? 

On this day . . .

Today is a VERY special day in our household. It’s my son’s birthday. He’s smack in the middle of TWEENhood.

What I really remember most about this day is the fact that for both of my kiddos, I was healthy enough to be able to work right up until their birth. I scheduled their births for induced deliveries - don’t judge (I simply didn’t want to be the woman who had their water break at the office).

Anyhoo - both kiddos were born on Tuesdays. Linda (a very nice, interesting lady that I used to get my nails done with) told me that “Tuesday’s child was full of grace.” I was HOOKED on that particular day of the week.

During my pregnancies, I was terrified of a difficult (read: painful) labor/delivery. Ergo, I really leaned heavily on the support of my family as well as my office-mates and friends. Both times, I was very fortunate to have been blessed with non-painful, non-drama births. Which goes to prove that “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”

We didn’t find out the gender of either child until they were delivered (I LOVE the surprise!) and so the office had a pool for gender and size (I think). When my son was born, I remember thinking - it’s just a little after five, so I can call the office and let them know that “it’s a BOY!”  SUCH A THRILL!

Made even better when my friends from work (Julie, Lee, Denise and Seana) came to the hospital the next day to see me and meet him.

Yep - today is a special day. I worked with some very special friends. Now this kiddo is ELEVEN. Time flies. And YES, I think Linda’s theory was just right. He’s a terrific boy.

new year - clean it up!

Yep - my Friday night was spent doing something that I had needed to do for a WHILE - cleaning out all of the past issues of WWD from my office. (Yes, I have an online subscription, but I also get print copies at the office.) CRAZY how these issues just tend to become integrated with other work papers, but I had known for a while that I was way past due of cleaning them out. So - my kids both had evening practices Friday night and I took advantage of the time they wouldn’t be home to stay a little late and clean up.

SO GLAD I DID. I had issues that dated back to last July!

I also took the time to empty out my recycling bin - old papers and empty water bottles be gone!

Now, I know that on Monday - I’m going in to a cleaned up, organized office space and I’ll be ready for this week.

How’s your space looking these days? Do you need to take out some old papers that are adding unnecessary anxiety? It doesn’t take long - and you’ll feel a million times better if you just deal with it. Don’t worry - you’ll always have more to contend with at home.