Routines

By now the schools are settled into a routine, and we have the opportunity to slow down after whirlwind summer festivities. Routines give us a familiarity needed to keep ourselves on an even keel. Routines also have the tendency to bore us. The trick is to get into a routine that works to keep us functioning efficiently while providing enough variation that life does not get boring. So what can we do? Make simple changes in your routine from time to time.

• Eat a different cereal for breakfast or have breakfast at diner time.
• Take a different route to or from work.
• Change your pattern for getting ready for school or work.
• Change evening activities. Instead of watching TV, turn you loose photos into beautiful scrapbooks.
• Learn a new skill, language, or hobby.
• Spend long evenings with family and friends.
• Catch up on letter writing and phone calls.
• Get organized.

Whatever you do to stir your routine, enjoy yourself.

Fall is Here

Summer is winding down. Days are getting shorter. School children are heading back to school. All the signs are here that fall is upon us. As we wind up the fun-filled, hectic summer, we settle into a more structured routine.

• Find time to fit in the things that are important to you as well as those that are necessary.
• Nurture yourself by reading, writing, meditating, visiting friends or relatives, and so forth.
• Take time to smell the last fragrant flowers of the summer.
• Plant fall flowers to enjoy before winter.
• Create one last summer adventure.

Only when we have balance in our lives can we achieve our best. Balance is best attained by attending to our physical, mental, and spiritual selves.

Fleeting Summer Days

How is the summer to-do list coming?

• Are you accomplishing what you had hoped for the summer?
• Have you completed the summer maintenance projects?
• Is the yard in tip-top shape?
• Did you take time to enjoy family and friends, take some fun day trips--the zoo, an amusement park, hiking trails, swimming pools?
• Did you collect enough warm-weather memories to last through winter and another year?

If you have not reached your summer goals yet, there is still time, but the days (and nights) are growing shorter. Don’t let the great weather slip by without taking advantage of the splendor it has to offer.

Goals

Make goals your priority and focus on attaining them. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish. Take action today by asking yourself these questions:

• What am I willing to do to attain my goal?
• What am I willing to give up in order to attain my goal? (i.e., time? money?)
• Do I have the ability and means to attain this goal?
• If I do not have the ability or means to attain this goal, can I obtain the ability or means? (i.e. go back for retraining or college credits)
• Is this goal a high priority for me?
• Are there steps today I can take toward accomplishing my goal?
• Do I take steps every day to reach my goal?
• Is what I am doing now bringing me closer to my goal?
• What steps can I take to reach my goal?
• How will I organize the steps I need to take to reach my goal?
• When will I begin working on this goal?

Develop a solid plan of action to attain your goals, and start today to bring them to fruition.

Have a “Professional” Summer

Enjoy the many benefits and the “fun” summer brings, but remember to keep professionalism alive at work. Nothing says, “sitting back and goofing off,” like inappropriate dress, language, and work habits. Here are tips to keep the professionalism in your job:

• Read a good book like my new 101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work. It contains 101 of what I have come to know as the best ways to build a successful career.
• Dive headlong into a dreaded project. As an incentive, set a timer for small increments of time (10-15 minutes) so the project does not look daunting. Breaking big projects into smaller parts keeps them from becoming overwhelming.
• Set a routine and do frequent tasks on a specific schedule. For instance, handle phone calls between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. or read the mail between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Another suggestion is to do certain tasks on specific days of the week.
• Look for new, creative ways to do your job in order to change your perspective. Rearrange or redecorate your office so it reflects summer’s sunny disposition.
• Smile and have fun!

Interview with Tory Johnson of Good Morning America

I had an exciting week interviewing with Tory Johnson of GMA Job Club with Tory Johnson. The link can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=100%25%20Externship%20Success%20Carol%20Silvis

I also received an author's copy of my new business trade paperback 101 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work. It will be available July 3 in bookstores.

Hope you all have a wonderful, productive week.

Summer Moods

Summer is a great time to evaluate your mood and do a little upgrading if necessary. The sunny weather makes us feel good, which in turn gives us lots of reasons to be positive. A positive outlook can improve your relationships, your work, your health, and on and on. It is far better to be positive than negative, although it might take some extra work on your part.

Collect positive sayings in a notebook or post them somewhere you can see them on a daily basis. Read uplifting, positive books that make you feel good about yourself and others. Step outside on a sunny day and drink in the sun and beauty of nature.

When you have upgraded your mood to a positive high point, spread it around!