Checklist for Enjoying Time Alone

I have an older brother but we’re eight years apart so basically I grew up as an only child. I was fortunate to have three amazing girl cousins who were and are like sisters to me. They included me in on all their sisterly things and I never spent a Halloween or birthday without them. But being an “only child” I learned how to play on my own and occupy myself.  I actually love my alone time and look forward to it sometimes.

I’ve been known to go to movies alone, go to the theater alone, go to restaurants and eat alone — etc.  I love it! It’s an empowering feeling to be happy enough in my own skin to be able to spend time by myself and be OK with it.  I probably wouldn’t plan a vacation on my own, like my friends Danielle and Brian have, that scares me a bit but otherwise I’m a pretty independent person. Read more

Checklist for Giving Great Gifts

My mother-in-law and I share a love for giving gifts. We love shopping for them even more — but that’s beside the point.

It’s such an amazing feeling when you give just the right gift and the recipient is thrilled with it. It really makes your friend feel appreciated and shows that you have a great attention to detail and care for them a lot. It’s important to think ahead so you can find the perfect gift.

Here’s a checklist for giving great gifts:

1. Start Early

How many times have you waited until the last second to get a gift and either spent too much money or settled on something that was convenient but might not have been the best idea for your friend? If you started early – this wouldn’t happen. Start thinking about friends’ birthdays or events at least two months beforehand. Read more

Successful List-Making Doctor

I work with a lot of doctors as a health producer. I’m constantly in and our of their offices and operating rooms covering the latest medical news. These highly successful people often have something in common — they are list makers. One particularly organized doctor is Dr. Jennifer Landa. She’s a hormone expert and the author of ‘The Sex Drive Solution for Women.’ She’s my featured list producer this month. Regardless though, we’re not here to talk about sex. We’re here to talk about lists!

Q: Why do you call yourself a compulsive list producer?

A: I make lists all the time. I am busy doing so many things at once, as so many women are. I have a medical practice and am the Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD during the workdays and of course, I am the Executive Director, Chief Cook, Bottle Washer, official Boo Boo fixer, wife and temptress extraordinaire at home. How could I possibly make it all work without lists? Read more

A List Built For Two

I’m mostly a solo list maker. I document daily to-dos, goals and task checklists. But from time to time I share a list with my husband or friends to be more efficient. My husband and I both add to our grocery list throughout the week. And my friends and I share lists about things we want to talk about or make sure we do. I haven’t used this technique at work yet but as my guest blogger Kirsten Bischoff, founding partner of HATCHEDit.com, tells us — sharing makes you more productive.

A List Built For Two

by Kirsten Bischoff

An individual’s approach to list making is almost as unique an identifier as their fingerprints. After all, every brain works in a unique way. Lists can be rigid and precise, or completely abstract; they can be well laid out plans or vague strings of abbreviations. So the challenges when two people get together to create a list (or lists) can seem insurmountable. Read more

Difficult Discussions Are Easier With a List

I had lunch with a friend recently and she was telling me about her boyfriend troubles. They’d come to a point in the relationship where it made sense to start talking about the future and if each other was in it.

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