Throw Out The Rundown

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Random Control Room Shot

In newsrooms across the country producers were yelling, “throw out the rundown” when word of the twin bombings in Boston got to them.

Having been in newsrooms and control rooms during numerous breaking news stories I know that phrase all too well. In a split second you dump everything you’ve been planning for your newscast. Then you get on the air as quickly as possible to inform your viewers about what is happening in their world. All the while — piecing together senseless facts and trying to give a clear picture of what is going on.  Those are usually the best newscasts because everyone is on their toes.

My heart goes out to the city of Boston. I’ve been there a few times — most recently almost 4 years ago when I stayed at the Lenox Hotel and ate lunch at Atlantic Fish on Boylston street. You may now recognize these two places because that’s right where one of the bombs went off.

I often write about embracing structure, always having a plan and thinking ahead but on days like April 15, 2013 – that all goes out the window.

A good friend of mine just told me she is pregnant with her second child and wasn’t “planning on having another so soon.” She’s a big planner like me. But she is happily “throwing out the rundown” and welcoming this new baby into her life.

These got me thinking about how I approach life and that sometimes I could stand to be a little less rigid and not always stick to the rundown. You never know what an unexpected event will bring you. Whether it be heartache or happiness we should all learn to go with the flow and go along for the ride — good or bad.

I’m going to give myself permission to just go through the day without accounting for every single second.  I still see the value in preparation and am not going to abandon my lists any time soon but I really think sometimes you have to just “throw out the rundown” and live your life.

Start Next Year’s Taxes Today

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Tax

Tax (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Tax day is here! So you’re either cringing and cramming to get your return in on time or you’re sitting back, sighing a breath of relief that you’ve already gotten your money from the government. Whichever category you fall into — this post is for you.

Be Prepared

I’ve spoken about Evernote before because I think it’s a great tool for keeping organized and remembering everything you need to in one place. It’s also fabulous for keeping track of your tax information.

I used it this year and it really helped to keep me on track. Next year you should try it too. Starting now though will keep you less stressed when tax time comes around again. Here’s what I did:

1. Make a notebook in Evernote called “Taxes”.

2. Create a note that lists out all the documents that you will need to collect for next year’s taxes. That’s all the 1099 forms for each of your accounts and employers. Put a checkbox next to each so you can check them off as you get the correct paperwork.

3. Throughout the year put notes and receipts in this notebook for tax writeoffs.

4. When you start getting 1099 forms back later in the year — scan them into this folder.

5. Once you get all your information together — do your taxes! Or send off all the forms to your accountant.

That’s it. If you just take the extra step to be a little bit ahead of the game you won’t be scrambling this time again next year. Think of all the time and money you’ll save! Let me know how you keep track of your tax information.

Try This Tip To Be Less Stressed

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Google Calendar

Google Calendar (Photo credit: HRC)

I have a productivity tip that will help you save time, your sanity and make sure you arrive stress free to dinners, meetings, phone calls and appointments.

The way to do this is to prepare and think ahead. Whenever I make plans for anything I instantly import them into my digital calendar. I use Outlook for work and Google Calendar for home stuff. As soon as I make the appointment I type in the time, date and how I will get there.

I make sure to do this right then and there so I don’t forget. If I move on to something else I’m sure to get wrapped up in that other project and might not remember what I’ve committed to do. So I put in all the pertinent information and figure out how exactly I’m getting there. If I’m taking the subway, walking or driving I make sure to get directions and include them in my calendar notes.

Then I set the reminder alarm for however long I think it will take me to get there plus 15 minutes. Sometimes you need a little time to get ready to go if you are doing something else. So I add in this extra pad for myself.

When I’m ready to leave , I just glance down at the directions I’ve already laid out — and I go. It’s a great system for arriving on time and unstressed.

Carrot: Bossy To-Do List App Makes Productivity a Game

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image_1I don’t usually respond well to bullies but for some reason I’m really liking the Carrot app because of it’s pushy ways.  I downloaded the to-do list app after a friend told me about it and I’ve been using it for several days.

The idea is that this to-do list with a personality will help you to get all your tasks ticked off.  And when I say “personality” I mean “attitude.”  Carrot’s mood changes depending on how productive you are.  It’s pretty funny actually.  But as you finish a task you earn points and unlock new features and get rewards.

Here’s my list of pros and cons:

PROS:

  1. The fun game-type format makes you want to complete tasks to find out imagewhat Carrot has in store next.
  2. It’s very easy to use and intuitive.
  3. One of the gifts I was given was a cat named Captain Whiskers.  How cute! 

CONS:

  1. Not very forgiving if you make a mistake at first.  As you work your way through the levels you are able to edit, undo and change tasks.
  2. There aren’t any pictures of Captain Whiskers. I think they will probably improve on this in future versions to increase the fun factor.  
  3. I could see people getting tired of Carrot’s schtick and not using it after the novelty wears off.

I think this could be a fun way to get more done for a lot of people.  It’s definitely worth a try.  Let me know what you think of Carrot if you’re using it.  Also — I have no idea why it’s called Carrot.

Pack These Items When You Travel

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Paula & Nicole at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Paula & Nicole at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Traveling can be very stressful no matter how much you plan. People go travelling for a whole host of reasons. Some people are interested in doing something like this Cultural Care Au Pair, whilst others are only interested in being tourists. But there are some tips and tricks that I’ve found to help you out. Recently, Jay and I went to Italy and Paris with our friends Nicole and Peter. They were the ones we went to visit in Paris in July.

Anyway — Nicole is a crazy planner/researcher like me. She makes lists and is super organized. She even wrote a guest post about ways to pack for a two week European vacation in a carry on. It’s brilliant advice. We had a blast planning out every stop on our two-week Italian tour. So we teamed up with this list of travel must haves: Read more