Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick!

It is almost the New Year and everybody is deciding on what they are going to resolve to do this year. Some people try to recreate themselves, some people try to get healthier, and some people try to reach their career goals.

One of the things I want to discuss is why only 8% of people’s resolutions actually work out. There are many reasons behind it. One is that you are too busy to follow through. Another is that you are not organized enough to stick to it. A lot of people think that they can stick to their resolutions without any help, especially in business. And one of the biggest things is that most people have to play catch-up before they can even start approaching their new goals.

So how can you make your resolutions stick? First you need to think of them as goals. You don’t want a resolution that you make and then as soon as the next year comes you drop it for the next change. You need to have a measurable goal. If you want to increase your income, you need to figure out your monthly, weekly, and yearly goals and steps to get there. Documenting your steps, and having manageable goals will go a long way to get you where you want to be.

Another thing you can do is get help from those who can help you! If you have friends who can help you get healthier, call them! If you need help with your work, consider hiring an assistant, or even a virtual assistant. Don’t think that you can take on the world alone. Everybody needs a little help sometimes. If you have catching up to do before you can start your new goals, ask for help to get you there.

What are your resolutions, and how do you plan to stick to them? Our goal is to help you reach your goals while freeing up your time for things you really want to do. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

It is 2 days before Christmas! Did you lose track of time or get tied up with all of the holiday activities? Now you are going through your list of gifts and realize you are missing some! What do you do? Here are some great ideas from Consumer Reports.

Have you considered giving experiences? It is one thing we do in our family, and it is always a great surprise. You can purchase passes to a museum, the zoo, or even a concert. A sports fan would love tickets to a game. Think about something that the recipient would love to do.

The grocery store is a great last minute stop. They have everything from assorted baskets to flowers. If you know what the recipient likes you can create a basket of ingredients to compliment their tastes and maybe even add a bottle of wine to pair it with.

Give a framed memory. Today it is becoming more and more rare to have pictures printed. It is even less common to give a framed picture as a gift. You can go to your local CVS and print out pictures, and even find a frame perfect for your needs.

Now you can get gift cards for specific restaurants and stores at most grocery stores. If you choose a gift card for a location or activity that fits the recipient, your gift will seem thoughtful instead of impersonal. A lot of people love getting gift cards as gifts.

Last minute gifts can be tough to decide on, but these tips should help! We hope you have a fantastic holiday weekend! Our goal is to help you reach your goals while freeing up your time for things you really want to do. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.

Time Management Tips

Time is something that seems there is always a shortage! Every day has 24 hours of time that can be used for everything from sleeping, to accomplishing your daily goals. So how do you do it? How can you actually manage your time well instead of feeling overwhelmed and out of time? These are some tips that if you follow them and set your mind to it, you can become good at managing your time!

The first thing is to declutter. I know this seems like it shouldn’t have anything to do with time management, but it does. How long do you spend looking for that one missing paper or that post it note you can’t find? You probably spend more time looking for items than you do actually doing the task you needed the item for. Getting rid of clutter and miscellaneous items will save you more time than you can imagine!

The next thing is to schedule your time. You need to plan your time out. Sit down with your planner, write out all of your must do things, such as the kids soccer practice, days the kids are off school, and important meetings. If you have things every week that are the same, put those in first. If you make your own work schedule, plan those hours out if possible. If you work specific times every day, write those in. As things come up, add them into your planner. Once you have this all written out, you can see exactly how your day, week, and month look.

Another important thing is to prioritize. Write down all of the things you feel like you need to do in your days. Then take this list and figure out the most important to the least important. If every week your son has soccer practice that you need to take them to, make sure that is listed as a top priority. If it isn’t a priority, take it off of your list.

Managing your time isn’t just having your days planned out. You need to focus on your schedule daily. If it is on your planner, make sure it gets done. If you are sick or can’t get something on your schedule done, reschedule it. When you sit down to work, spend that time fully focused on work. When you plan family time for an hour, use that time to fully engage with your family. Focusing your efforts on your schedule will help you reach your time management goals.

One of the hardest parts of time management is staying organized. If you spend a little time every day making sure your desk is clean and making sure you picked up anything out of place, you can stay organized. If you get off track, take one of your calmer days and catch up on cleaning up.

The most important part of time management is to ask for help when you need it. If you need a day to run errands without the kids, find somebody to watch them. If you need help cleaning your house, hire somebody if you can. If you need an assistant because work is overwhelming, then find the perfect person or company. If you are too overwhelmed to get everything done in an organized manner, then don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Time management is a struggle for many people. I hope these tips help! Our goal is to help you reach your goals while freeing up your time for things you really want to do. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469

Holiday Tradition Ideas

It is the holidays and everybody is full of excitement and wonder! Sometimes you feel like you can’t get everything in for the holidays with all of the hustle and bustle. And that is ok! You don’t have to do it all, only the special things. I have gathered some ideas for holiday traditions you can start anytime. Choose the one, or three that work best for your family and all you have to do is do it every year. Do you have any traditions that you do already?

One of my favorites is a Christmas Eve box. You can use any kind of container you like. It can be a box, a bag, a treasure chest, whatever you have. Inside is for your Christmas Eve adventures. My favorite list of things to put in is a pair of Christmas pajamas to wear that night, hot chocolate, a Christmas movie, popcorn, and a new ornament for each kid. It stays closed until Christmas Eve and then the kids get to open it up to find the goodies inside.

The next thing that is always fun is a surprise holiday lights neighborhood tour. Surprise the kids by getting them all ready for bed (maybe a little early), pop some popcorn, then put them in the car for a journey around the neighborhood to look at holiday light displays. It is really fun for everybody!

Another very simple tradition is that everybody gets a new ornament each year. It can be a homemade one or a store bought one. Label the back with the recipient’s name and the year and every year when you put it on the tree you can remember when you got it.

The last idea I will suggest is doing a Christmas morning bake. This is easy to do if you prep the night before. There are many different options you can find for breakfast casseroles that you can prepare the night before and pop into the oven first thing in the morning. By the time the kids are done opening their presents, breakfast is done and nobody missed anything while cooking breakfast! Every year we do an egg, cheese, potato, and sausage bake and a blueberry breakfast cake and it is always a hit.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions? If you feel like you are too busy to enjoy the holidays, we can help! Our goal is to help you reach your goals while freeing up your time for things you really want to do. If you are interested in more information, or for a FREE Business Analysis, call us at 202-469-6774.