List of Steve Jobs’ Best Quotes

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If you’re carrying an iPhone, iPad or iPod – your life has never been easier. If you’re a Mac user – you also know what I’m talking about. These pieces of technology are amazing for increasing productivity and efficiency! A man you’ve probably never met has changed your life forever.

Last night as I helped work on a Steve Jobs obit article, I realized that in his 56 years he’s said some very inspirational things.

Here are some of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes:

  • “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
  • “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
  • “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me.… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful—that’s what matters to me”
  • “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life…Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”
  • “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Rest in peace Steve Jobs — we’ll carry your memory with us everyday — in our briefcases and in our pockets.  🙂

Amanda Knox’s To-Do List

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To-do ListI’m a news junkie — there I said it. Big news happens and immediately my heart starts pumping and I get that “news feeling.” Once a newsy — always a newsy. Years in a control room will do this to you. This is exactly what happened to me when the Amanda Knox verdict was read.  She was set free and cleared of murder charges. Whoa — no matter what your feeling on the case — it’s shocking.

Immediately I put myself in Amanda’s shoes — if I were being released from prison after four years…what would I want to do?  What did I miss? Who should I visit? How do you take all that in?  So I made a list of to-dos that Amanda Knox should consider:

1. Get an iPad: I tell everyone I know that it’s the thing that you don’t need but that you have to have! She should immediately download Angry Birds.

2. Get Twitter & Facebook accounts: Twitter was just a baby when Amanda Knox was first imprisoned and perhaps she had a Facebook page as a co-ed…but things have drastically changed in four years.

3. Catch up on Movies, TV & Music: Avatar, Betty White’s comeback, Michael Scott’s exit, Oprah’s farewell season, Modern Family, Mad Men, Anything on Food Network, Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse.

4. Eat Foods You Can’t Get in Prison: Green tea, dark chocolate, Pop Chips (so delish,) Pinot Grigio (I had to.)

5. Update Wardrobe: Buy skinny jeans immediately. Read more

Fulfilling Dreams With a List

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A dream may be to visit a winery in Italy for example, or to write a book. Even if this seems difficult at first, there are always options like checking out a plot generator, for example, to start the writing process off. We all have to start somewhere. Another dream could be to own a fabulous apartment, hold a koala…these are all things on my “life list.” You know, the things you want to do before you die — some people call it a bucket list.

I think having goals is essential to living a happy life…that way you always have something to look forward to and work towards. My love of lists of all kinds lead me to MyLifeList.org, where you can record all of your life dreams and wishes. It’s a social media site for goal-oriented people. Soon there will be a magazine called “Achiever” to go along with it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know the CEO Bill Starr and COO Shelagh Braley — they are seriously fabulous people and so motivated to make people’s lives more enriched. Shelagh is this month’s featured list producer: smart, successful and a list nerd!

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

A: My company, My Life List, is totally based on lists for success in creating your major life experiences. How do you achieve any goals without making a list and a definitive plan? My Life List is based on the concept that if you write down your dreams and engage others to support you, they become achievable goals. Read more

Checklist for Organizing Your Home

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This upcoming weekend is the last free one that I will have in quite a while. So I’m going to make the best of of it! Jay will be watching football and I’ll be organizing! But as you know — I don’t take on a task without being prepared with a checklist. Professional organizer Bonnie Joy Dewkett has helped in the past with my paper problem — and now here’s her list for staying organized at home.

Top 10 Home Organization Tips

by Bonnie Joy Dewkett

Organizing your home doesn’t have to be a challenge. Take the time to effectively plan your projects out. Then give them the thought, attention, and time they deserve.

1. Start by writing down your organizing goal. Don’t start with “organize the garage.” Start with WHY you want to get organized. For example, “I want to organize my family room, so that I have more time with my kids” or, “I want to organize my closet, so that I have a less stressful morning routine.”

2. Next, write down the space you want to organize. From there, identify the smaller steps you will need to take to do so. This will make the overall project less daunting, and will create a great “to-do” list. This can seem like a big task, but making the smaller to do list will show just how much better it will make everything else. For example, in a garage, you may write down the following: Read more

Checklist For Being a Better Storyteller

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I tell stories for a living. That’s what compelling TV is all about — great storytelling. I think I get it from my dad — he’s a fabulous storyteller. He’s been known to captivate audiences with his police stories or tales from the “old neighborhood.”

Some people have storytelling in their genes but you can also learn how to get people to listen to your adventures. The skill will help you at cocktail parties and even when putting your kids to bed!

I’m excited about our guest blogger today — she knows all about storytelling and has dedicated a whole website to the subject at MrsP.com. Mrs. P is portrayed by actress Kathy Kinney, who starred as Mimi on “The Drew Carey Show” for nine years.

How to Be a Better Storyteller

by Mrs. P

Whether you’re at home trying to get your child to fall asleep or at an office party telling a story about sitting in a patch of poison ivy on your honeymoon, having good storytelling skills can greatly improve your life. No one ever walks away from a good storyteller. And good storytellers are always invited back to the next party. Here are seven tips to improve your own skills:

1) Start with the ending. In other words, know how your story will end before you begin. Starting a story is like starting a trip, and if you have a map and know your destination, it will be a more satisfying and entertaining journey for both you and your audience. Read more