Tool for Success | List Producer

To-Do List After Hurricane Irene

August 29, 2011/2 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

We did it! We got through Hurricane Irene! I hope my checklists for preparation came in handy. Jay didn’t have to work after all (most sporting events were canceled because of Irene) so we got to wait out the storm together! Some trees were down in our Lower East Side neighborhood but nothing major. Our car survived in our garage even though it was in a flood zone. The subway system will be coming back to life slowly Monday morning so getting to work will be a task but hopefully not impossible.

Checklists to Prepare for Hurricane Irene

August 27, 2011/2 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Children, Decision Making, Food, Health, Home, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success, TV/by Paula Rizzo

I’ve been making checklists since I heard that Hurricane Irene was going to hit New York City. Supplies lists, grocery shopping lists, emergency contact lists (because who can remember anyone’s phone number these days!), etc.

I usually don’t panic for storms and blizzards because working in the news business has conditioned me to handle tough situations.

It’s much different being in an apartment than in a house during a hurricane. This is my first experience in an apartment. Jay is working Saturday night — because the news business doesn’t stop in emergency situations. You can listen to his sports updates on 1010WINS if you happen to be listening to the radio. But once he’s home on Sunday we’ll have plenty of snacks, water, non-perishable foods, candles, batteries and wine — all thanks to my planning and list making. Read more

A Gratitude List

August 24, 2011/8 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Books, Fellow List Producers, Health, Learning With a List, Oprah, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Tool for Success, TV, Wine/by Paula Rizzo

Have you ever started to feel sorry for yourself and gotten in a real funk? That happened to me this week and it’s so unlike me. I’m not an unhappy person! I’m usually very upbeat and spunky. I put other people in a good mood. So when I found myself slipping into a foul mood I stopped myself immediately. What’s my problem? I have so much to be grateful for!

1. My job: Just today I had a wonderful shoot at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx with the Medicine Hunter, Chris Kilham. Chris travels all over the world looking for medicinal plants and medicines. I joked with him today that being in the Garden with him was the closest I’d get to going to the Amazon with him. I’ve worked with Chris for nearly 3 years and have featured him here as a fellow list maker. Read more

Simple Solution for Gift Giving

August 19, 2011/0 Comments/in Decision Making, Holidays, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success, Weddings/by Paula Rizzo

Today Jay and I are loading up the car and heading upstate for our friend’s wedding. It’s going to be at a gorgeous place called Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Ok – so it’s not really upstate but if you live in NYC everything north of Westchester is upstate. It’s going to be a gorgeous and relaxing get away and we’ll get to celebrate with some of our dearest friends.

This weekend is also my best friend Danielle’s 30th birthday. So between this wedding and Danielle’s milestone – I have gifts on the brain. You know me – I’ve already had their gifts covered for weeks. Another reason why you should start your holiday shopping immediately – you won’t stress when the time comes! Read more

Outsource Your To-Do List

August 10, 2011/5 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Movies, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I’ve been raving about the movie “Limitless” since Jay and I saw it in the theaters. If you haven’t seen it – you need to! Not only because Bradley Cooper is easy on the eyes but also because it’s a highly-entertaining thriller. It’s also set in New York City and I love movies where I can point out my favorite streets. I guarantee by the end of the movie you’ll want the drug they’re pushing called NZT.

NZT allows you to access 100% of your brain instead of just 20%. It’s like being your best possible self but then times that by 100. Bradley Cooper’s character Eddie learns languages in a fraction of the time and recalls memories and information in a flash. He’s able to write a novel in just days and quickly becomes rich by learning the ins and outs of trading stocks.

Talk about crossing off everything on your to-do list! Wouldn’t it be nice to whiz through all the things you need and want to do? Well you actually can – even without NZT.

It’s called TaskRabbit.com. It’s a new service launching in New York City today where you can pay someone to do the things you’re too busy to do! Isn’t that just perfect for New Yorkers?! You can save time, money and be less stressed. For a small fee you can ask a TaskRabbit to do just about anything like:

Put together Ikea furniture (isn’t that the worst task ever!)
Pick up groceries
Research a trip (my personal favorite – you know how I love research)
Stake out a picnic spot in Brooklyn
Visit a family member at the hospital Read more