"The minute you settle for less than you deserve,
you get even less than you settled for."
~ Maureen Down
NY Times Columnist

Managing Email for Results (Gain an Hour a Day)

With so many ways to get in touch, stay in touch, and be in touch these days, it can be truly overwhelming. Whether you use a cell phone, a PDA, a blackberry, raspberry, cranberry or other fruited combination, keeping up with it all can be an art! Until recently, I had the unproductive and time wasting habit of checking email as often as possible. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to stop and instead schedule twice a day checking. In addition, I trained myself to open and reply in one step rather than opening, reading, thinking about it, reopening, thinking some more, and finally replying. Handling each email once and immediately at opening has saved me a lot of time, limiting my email checking to twice a day has really streamlined my productivity and given back my focus on many other more important activities.

Richard Branson: Screw It, Let's Do It

A short book and quick read from one of the most creatively successful entrepreneurs ever born. Branson tells it in plain language, how his mantra of believing in himself, faith in all things possible, living life to it's fullest, and never giving up have created his extraordinary life and can create ours. Just as there really is no secret, it is simply within each of us, so is our success DNA and our ability to design our own lives for greatest satisfaction and realization of our dreams. He is one of the truly original out of the box thinkers that trusts himself, makes fast decisions, and takes calculated risks. Big risks have led to big rewards all backed by bold thinking and an indominatable spirit. Inspiring.

Getting Clear, Achieving Focus

With so many priorities in each of our lives and particularly in our careers, it can often be challenging to get clear and truly achieve focus on any single goal. The key lies in focusing intensely, for short periods of time, on singular goals. For example, if you have three major projects, if you do a little on each, you won't typically get as far, as if you focus exclusively for a day or a week on one at time. This ensures you the necessary attention to cover all the details and strategize for success.

When I sit down at my desk, I have a completion list, and I have learned to focus exclusively on each item until it is completed. If, instead, I flit back and forth across several items, nothing gets finished and wrapped up and I simply have a lot of loose ends back on the list the next day.

June 2007

The Gemini Sun dominates the sky this month so all decorating will have a Gemini flair. Geminis are the born communicators of the zodiac. So you will want your home to "communicate" something, whatever that something may be. By contrast, it must also be a space that allows others to gather socially and communicate their own ideas because home is all about welcoming the communication of ideas. Thus, you will find yourself playing hostess this month!! Keeping it simple will let your keen sense of humor shine through. When shopping for your entertaining events, look for light airy yellows, blues and greens. Have Fun!!