Tool for Success | List Producer

Being Organized Helps Beat Stress

March 12, 2012/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Books, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success, Video/by Paula Rizzo

One of the things I love about being a health producer is that I get to cover “news you can use.” From the newest super food to a cutting-edge surgery — we often learn about it first. Not only does this information help people but it makes me look really smart at cocktail parties.

That said — I had the opportunity to produce a segment with life coach and author Margaret Moore (a.k.a. Coach Meg) about her book “Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life,” where she gave all kinds of tips and tricks for being less overwhelmed, less stressed and more productive. Love that!

Take a look at the video and accompanying article here for some ways to tame the frenzy in your own life. Here are some of my favorite Coach Meg tips:

Think about what puts you in a calm state and do it!
Set small goals to focus your attention (say to yourself for 30 minutes I’m only working on x)
Turn off your cell phone and/or email to get more done
Even super organized people can overload — build in breaks and time to relax
In the end you are the only one to hold accountable for your productivity

Online Calendar Makes Life Easier

March 9, 2012/2 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Children, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time, School, Technology, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

How do you keep track of everything going on in your life? Do you make lists? Keep a pocket calendar? Or track everything on your phone? Appointments, events, classes, your kid’s sports commitments and dance classes — can all fill up your lives but can be tough to organize in one place. I found a great solution — Hatchedit.com.

The online calendar is really smart — you can share it with several people and checkout what’s going on at all times. The site will help you keep track of upcoming events, invites, daily to-dos, favorite blogs, and groups you’re a part of. So if you want to plan an event with your book club or your child’s soccer team…all the information can be stored and shared on HatchedIt.com. When you sign up you get your own “dashboard” that you can easily make a part of your everyday routine.

If you’re drowning in paper calendars or want to ditch your dry-erase board – this is a great way to organize your life. HatchedIt is a free tool that will make your life simpler and more streamlined. You can even update the calendar when you’re out and about with their iPhone or Android apps. Let me know how you like using it.

DIY Gotta Have It Tool List: A Girl’s Best Friend

March 8, 2012/10 Comments/in Art, Decorating, Fellow List Producers, Guest Posts, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Shopping, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Just the other day — my friend Danielle (are you sick of hearing about her yet?) and my friend Brian (equally mentioned on this blog) were doing a little home project — fastening a wine rack to Danielle’s wall. It did not turn out as planned – the wall was concrete. As any DIYers would guess — they didn’t have the right tools to finish the job — so instead of going to Home Depot they Facebook’ed my father (Mr. Fix It) for some answers and cracked open a bottle of Pinot Grigio while they waited for answers. Needless to say — no wine rack is on the wall today. Read more

How Not To Be Bored

March 7, 2012/2 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Oprah, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success, TV, Wine/by Paula Rizzo

I’m almost never bored. I can always find something to do. Not because I’m a super busy person (some days I am) but because I like doing a lot of things. I have a lot of hobbies and I hardly ever tire of doing the laundry list of things that I enjoy doing:

Drink Tea
Watch the Golden Girls
Eat Guacamole
Write Blogs
Connect with Friends
Call My Mom
Watch Oprah
Paint My Nails
Drink Pinot Grigio
Read Magazines
Read Anything on my Kindle
Make Lists
Watch Chick Flicks Read more

DIY Dry-Erase Frame & 10 Ways to Use It

March 6, 2012/0 Comments/in Art, Beauty, Boost Memory, Decorating, Fellow List Producers, Guest Posts, Home, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Creativity comes in many forms. For me — writing is my creative outlet. But give me a glue stick and some glitter and I’ll definitely make a mess — not a masterpiece. I like crafts — but mostly when other people do them! My guest blogger Molly is a whiz with such things and she’s whipped up this post about how to make a dry-erase frame yourself for your lists! Love that! I think I’ll even attempt this one myself 🙂

DIY Dry-Erase Frame + 10 Ways to Use It

by Molly Borter

Like many of you, I’ve been making lists for as long as I can remember. From what I need to pack for a weekend getaway to my observations on a sunny day, I can’t seem to stop scribbling on notepads, post-its, napkins, envelopes—well, just about everything! And while I have invested in my own cutesy stationary in the past, I’ve always wanted something easier and budget-friendly. Read more