Once again, the Christmas season tends to bring out the better and yes sometimes even the worst in people. This time of year there are so many campaigns and efforts for charitable causes that are worthy of your generosity. Again, we shouldn't need a reminder such as the holidays to extend our kindness to those less fortunate, but I too seem to get caught up in the day to day throughout the year that I don't focus on these kind deeds. This year at my office Christmas party we were asked to donate goods for an organization that provides various services for women in need. I felt so blessed (and warm inside) to be able to share and give to this organization.
So next time you see a salvation army kettle, a food drive, a toy drive, take a moment to be thankful for what you have and do what you can to help others. It will make someone's day and probably yours as well. Also, with the Christmas spirit in full swing you may be more motivated to engage in random acts of kindness. Sometimes it can be as simple as complimenting how wonderful someone looks today, holding the door open for the people behind you, paying for the order of the person behind you in the Tim Horton's drive thru (how truly Canadian!).
Take some time today (and throughout the year) to do something nice for someone else, it is amazing how it can make you feel!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Holiday Cheer
Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry! It is also the season where we are compelled to reflect and express our appreciation to others. While we shouldn't need occasions to remind us to be grateful for those around us, we all take the people we care about for granted at times and then can't help but get caught up in the spirit of the season with the warm fuzzies. So as you write your Christmas cards and prepare to make the Yuletide gay, allow me to take this opportunity share a small nugget of wisdom: say what you mean and mean what you say!
Take this time to tell the people who matter to you, what they mean to you and how much you appreciate them. With that said, you can also spare me the gag inducing scripted b.s. that is often spewed out of "protocol" and "obligation". You can't treat people like they are second rate and then at the end of the year put on a dog and pony show to illustrate your "gratitude". It is condescending and patronizing. My suggestion: just be real, raise your glass, wish everyone a Happy Holiday or god forbid a Merry Christmas and get on with it.
Also, remember to make time for the people who matter. While the end of the year is often a hectic time, it is prudent to share in joy and laughter with those who are near and dear to us.
Merry Christmas!
Take this time to tell the people who matter to you, what they mean to you and how much you appreciate them. With that said, you can also spare me the gag inducing scripted b.s. that is often spewed out of "protocol" and "obligation". You can't treat people like they are second rate and then at the end of the year put on a dog and pony show to illustrate your "gratitude". It is condescending and patronizing. My suggestion: just be real, raise your glass, wish everyone a Happy Holiday or god forbid a Merry Christmas and get on with it.
Also, remember to make time for the people who matter. While the end of the year is often a hectic time, it is prudent to share in joy and laughter with those who are near and dear to us.
Merry Christmas!
Friday, 25 November 2011
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fashion
Ok, so I am looking for some feedback and guidance on this topic.
I recently made the decision to refocus my wardrobe and collection and start to acquire more high end fashion items. A little material maturation if you will. I'm after key pieces that every girl should have. So I started to make a list of what I want / should get. I know this is a costly endeavour, but I see it as an investment. High quality and classic style will last for years to come. While it will take years to get around to accumulating this collection, this is how it is starting to shape up:
- a few functional and versatile hand bags
- a belted trench (I have an off white one for fall/spring, but could use a winter one)
- a cashmere scarf (likely classic Burberry check)
- Hermès gloves
- a classic timepiece
- a statement piece (jewelry)
- functional, yet stylish flats
- a killer pair of heels (have my eye on some Choo's)
- the perfect LBD
So now I turn it over to you. What else should be on my list? Any specific examples of things that I have mentioned?
Halp! Thanks in advance.
xoxo
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Working for the Weekend
Is everyone working for the weekend? Are they going off the deep end? Are you happy in your current position? If you aren't, maybe it is time for a change. That might be easier said than done, but it is worth trying!
In business, it can become very easy to be controlled by your bottom line and to be blinded from the bigger picture. Of course you want to be productive and profitable, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money. The cheapest and easiest way to get from A to B may not be the best solution if you eventually have to get from A to Z. Look at the innovative companies out there and what they do for their employees, much of their success is due to the fact that their employees are happy and productive. Building a positive and productive climate will help you retain your employees, which is key for long term success.
It isn't always about big, elaborate, over the top ideas. Perhaps small and semi regular incentives can make a significant difference. Recently I read that the number 1 factor in employee satisfaction was having a flexible schedule. Providing flexibility makes it easier for employees to keep up with their lives beyond the workplace and I would assume that subsequently, these people have much less life stress getting in the way of their work. Incentives are a great way to motivate people into action. However, there are caveats: a pizza lunch, or cupcakes might improve your team's dynamic and attitude for the day, but are there any long term effects of a cheap lunch once per quarter? I think not. Don't get too smug, just because you do a nice gesture once. Small incentives and gestures of appreciation can go a long way. Sometimes your situation may limit what you can offer. But if you have the ability to go big, do it! Bear in mind the old adage 'penny wise, pound foolish'. Don't become a victim of your bottom line.
"Once in a while you can squeeze a 70 hour work week from someone if you promise them a big bonus. However, if you want to dedicate their idle brain cycles to the success of the company, if you want them to act as a team and to avoid the pursuit of their personal gain in petty office politics, you need to enable them to win big when the company wins big. When a company decides not to give equity to it's employees, it focuses so much on the short term that it's bound to become irrelevant ten years from now." -YG (In: Next Montreal)
Also, I think it is important to take a chance on those still rising to their full potential. Companies seem so bent on finding the best in the industry, someone with a proven track record, which intuitively makes sense. But that person has already developed their style and methods and may not fit into every situation. Instead there should be a shift in focus to moulding fresh talend to suit your company and team of employees. Everyone wants a guarantee of performance, but there is always a learning curve, no matter how much experience you have.
“Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it” - Thoreau
In business, it can become very easy to be controlled by your bottom line and to be blinded from the bigger picture. Of course you want to be productive and profitable, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money. The cheapest and easiest way to get from A to B may not be the best solution if you eventually have to get from A to Z. Look at the innovative companies out there and what they do for their employees, much of their success is due to the fact that their employees are happy and productive. Building a positive and productive climate will help you retain your employees, which is key for long term success.
It isn't always about big, elaborate, over the top ideas. Perhaps small and semi regular incentives can make a significant difference. Recently I read that the number 1 factor in employee satisfaction was having a flexible schedule. Providing flexibility makes it easier for employees to keep up with their lives beyond the workplace and I would assume that subsequently, these people have much less life stress getting in the way of their work. Incentives are a great way to motivate people into action. However, there are caveats: a pizza lunch, or cupcakes might improve your team's dynamic and attitude for the day, but are there any long term effects of a cheap lunch once per quarter? I think not. Don't get too smug, just because you do a nice gesture once. Small incentives and gestures of appreciation can go a long way. Sometimes your situation may limit what you can offer. But if you have the ability to go big, do it! Bear in mind the old adage 'penny wise, pound foolish'. Don't become a victim of your bottom line.
"Once in a while you can squeeze a 70 hour work week from someone if you promise them a big bonus. However, if you want to dedicate their idle brain cycles to the success of the company, if you want them to act as a team and to avoid the pursuit of their personal gain in petty office politics, you need to enable them to win big when the company wins big. When a company decides not to give equity to it's employees, it focuses so much on the short term that it's bound to become irrelevant ten years from now." -YG (In: Next Montreal)
Also, I think it is important to take a chance on those still rising to their full potential. Companies seem so bent on finding the best in the industry, someone with a proven track record, which intuitively makes sense. But that person has already developed their style and methods and may not fit into every situation. Instead there should be a shift in focus to moulding fresh talend to suit your company and team of employees. Everyone wants a guarantee of performance, but there is always a learning curve, no matter how much experience you have.
“Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it” - Thoreau
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
When to Stop
Lately I have been thinking about when to stop. As my friend so frequently reminds me with the following phrase: "start at the beginning and when you get to the end - stop".
But where is the end? How do you know?
Sometimes it can be really obvious, but more and more I am realizing that it isn't always so black and white. In a slightly trivial example, I am currently searching for a great hotel to stay at in NYC. Now we are only there for 3 nights and we only have 2 full days and want to maximize our time in the city. There are so many factors at play here, location and price being at the top of the list, but we also want to stay somewhere nice, it is ladies weekend afterall and we want to indulge a bit. So how do I know that a hotel is good enough? If I keep looking maybe I will find a better deal? I don't want to be disappointed!
Similarly, I was just discussing with someone the perils of shopping for a wedding dress. How do you really know that you have found the perfect dress. Some people say that there is just a feeling and you just know. But what if you don't get the "feeling" or you get a lot of "feelings" how do you decide? And how can you be confident that once you commit to a dress you won't change your mind.
Obviously, these examples may seem silly, but this idea applies to greater things as well. I am once again working on my manuscript. Another situation where there is no set completion point. You write a paper, you do your best to make it thorough and credible, but now you need to adjust it to fit the audience you are hoping to submit it to. Does it ever end? There will always be revisions you can make, so how do you know when you are at the end and just STOP?
What does it take to be satisfied?
But where is the end? How do you know?
Sometimes it can be really obvious, but more and more I am realizing that it isn't always so black and white. In a slightly trivial example, I am currently searching for a great hotel to stay at in NYC. Now we are only there for 3 nights and we only have 2 full days and want to maximize our time in the city. There are so many factors at play here, location and price being at the top of the list, but we also want to stay somewhere nice, it is ladies weekend afterall and we want to indulge a bit. So how do I know that a hotel is good enough? If I keep looking maybe I will find a better deal? I don't want to be disappointed!
Similarly, I was just discussing with someone the perils of shopping for a wedding dress. How do you really know that you have found the perfect dress. Some people say that there is just a feeling and you just know. But what if you don't get the "feeling" or you get a lot of "feelings" how do you decide? And how can you be confident that once you commit to a dress you won't change your mind.
Obviously, these examples may seem silly, but this idea applies to greater things as well. I am once again working on my manuscript. Another situation where there is no set completion point. You write a paper, you do your best to make it thorough and credible, but now you need to adjust it to fit the audience you are hoping to submit it to. Does it ever end? There will always be revisions you can make, so how do you know when you are at the end and just STOP?
What does it take to be satisfied?
Monday, 5 September 2011
Perspective
Life happens, how will you handle the curve balls life chucks at your head?
Does everything happen for a reason? Or is that just something we say to make ourselves feel better and justify a situation? I believe there is something to be learned from every life experience, is that the same concept?
Recently, yet again, I found myself with a cancelled flight in my connecting location. This time I was in Minneapolis/St Paul for a full 2 days before I could get back home. At first this seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. The location was not all that entertaining but it gave me time to reflect. After the initial panic and reacting without thinking through all of my options, I started to see the big picture. Aside from the cost that this delay would incur, what did I have to lose being there? Sure there would be some mild issues with time off at work, but in the grand scheme of things, I had nothing planned for the 2 days I was stuck in Minnesota. No one was going to die, the world would continue to spin, life would go on. Besides my job, which doesn’t require my presence, nothing was waiting for me, nothing is relying on me, I have no real responsibility. It made me realize how I have nothing critical going on in my life and despite appearances, I do have a lot of freedom right now.
My financial obligations (rent, bills, etc) quickly make me feel like a prisoner to the daily grind. But this experience opened my eyes to the fact that I can do anything I want right now (within reasonable limits). My current job is temporary, I do want to maintain an income, but losing this job wouldn’t really have a negative impact on my larger life.
As much as part of me would love to just pick up and disappear for a while, I can’t do it without a purpose (or maybe I can?). But I promise that as soon as I find a purpose (or enough courage), I will make the change. Now if only it were that easy, to just let go of the "responsibilities" I have and feel obligated to. But I maintain the hope.
Anyone up for an adventure?
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Vacation
Vacation is critical for survival. I think everyone should take the time and make the effort. Maybe you can't afford to galavant across the globe, but even a few days out of the city away from your "daily life" is important so you can relax and recharge.
Proof that vacation does me good:
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