| There's Nothing To It But To Do It! A Guide for Setting Your Goals |
 |
I t’s that time of year again. When we drag out last year’s resolutions and find that we have achieved none of them. Statistics show that by March, nearly 90% of our well-intentioned goals are abandoned. What can we do to stop that from happening this year?
The first step is to decide what your goals are for the year and list them. Plan to set goals in all the areas of your life that are important to you. Next, break those goals down into smaller targets so that you can map a road of achievement that can clearly be measured. For example, if one of your goals is to run the New York City Marathon, plan a realistic weekly exercise routine to begin building up your endurance. Once you have achieved that goal, begin running smaller, local runs such as a 10K race or a half-marathon. Before you know it, you will be running the streets of New York!
Make sure you set realistic, attainable goals. Studies show that it takes about 6 weeks for adults to form a new habit. Set the first six weeks as your first milestone.
You can use the following list to help you write down what goals you have. You may not use all of them, but even small achievements in each of these areas will help enrich your life. On a separate sheet of paper, write down your goal for that area. Put in dates, times and starting points so that you can begin to measure your success. Next, prioritize them and get started!
| in this issue |
 |
|
- There's Nothing To It But
Do It! A Guide for Setting Your Goals
- We're Getting Bigger. The Skinny On Obesity
- 7 Steps To Get Organized
- To Lease Or Not To Lease, That Is The Question
|
| We're Getting Bigger. The Skinny On Obesity |
|
Amid the fear of anthrax, smallpox, West Nile Virus, influenza and secondhand smoke, we are ignoring what may be the worst epidemic to hit the United States in the past decade. Obesity is fast becoming the number on threat to public health.
Why are we getting so much bigger? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 1991 only four states had obesity rates above 15%. In 2000, 49 states did. The increase was true of the entire population regardless of race, gender or economic standing.
Obesity and being overweight contributes to a host of medical problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, asthma, arthritis and many types of cancer. Twenty years ago, type 2 diabetes (insulin dependant) was rarely found in children and today physicians are seeing unprecedented growth in the number of children afflicted with this disease.
|
|
| 7 Easy Steps To Get Organized |
|
|
By Linda Goldman – Altogether Organized
There’s no time like the beginning of a new year to start fresh and get organized. An organized and clutter-free space can give you a newfound sense of well-being, make you more productive, help you stay focused on your priorities, and even help alleviate stress.
Step 1 - Prioritize
Make a list of all the areas in your home or office that you want to organize and prioritize your list. One way to prioritize is to identify what is bothering you the most and start there. For example, does your desk drawer refuse to shut because it is too full? Or, do you do battle with the bikes in your garage when ever you try to open your car door? If so, these may be good places to start. Be sure to finish one organizing project before moving to the next.
Step 2- Schedule The Time
Make an appointment with yourself to carry out your organizing project and keep it! Why? Because if it isn’t scheduled, it probably won’t get done. There’s almost always something more pressing to do than your organizing project.
Step 3- Take Everything Out
If possible, remove all the items from the area you are working on and pull them into an adjacent space. If you are working on an area with a lot of items in it then just start with one section at a time.
|
| |
| To Lease Or Not To Lease, That Is The Question |
|
When it comes to leasing a car, there are pros and cons to consider prior to making the decision that leasing is the way to go. Here’s a quick snapshot of items to bear in mind.
Advantages to Leasing
Monthly payments on a leased car are usually significantly lower than on a car loan for a purchased vehicle. Down payments, or a capitalized cost reduction, are often less than what would be required on a vehicle purchase. Most repairs are covered under a factory warranty, since most leases are typically three years. Taxes can be lower since you only pay on the financed portion of the car, not the total sticker price. One of the most attractive things about a lease, is the ability to drive a new car every three years or so (depending on the length of your contract).
Disadvantages to Leasing
The number of miles that you can drive your car is limited and if you go over the contract’s allotted amount of miles, you will have to pay. You will never actually own the vehicle and in this way, leasing is much like renting a car. You may also have to pay “wear and tear” fees if there are any dings, scratches or other obvious signs of hard use. At the end of the contract, the car is not yours unless you wish to buy it out. |
|
|
Featured Professional |
Linda Goldman is passionate about helping others simplify and bring order to their lives. She founded Altogether Organized to help her clients transform their home or workplace from a chaotic and cluttered space into a peaceful, calm and efficient environment. Another specialty of Altogether Organized is working with individuals who have attention deficit disorder and/or who are chronically disorganized. Her company has been featured in a variety of newspapers in the Chicagoland area.
Before becoming a professional organizer she worked for almost 20 years in corporate training, human resources and management in several Fortune 500 companies, most recently at Baxter Health Care. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Business from the University of Illinois and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. |
|
|
|
January's Celebrity Birthdays
Rod Stewart, Jan 10, 1975
Jim Carey, Jan 17, 1962
Humphrey Bogart, Jan 23, 1899
Ellen DeGeneres, Jan 26, 1958
Oprah Winfrey, Jan 29, 1954 |
| |
RabbitReflections |
|
|
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"
Henry David Thoreau |
| |
|
|
| |
Here's Your Chance At |
Free Movie Tickets! |
| |
Super |
Trivia Challenge! |
| |
The first correct answer |
emailed to: |
|
will be the proud winner of: |
|
!!!Movie Tickets!!! |
|
On the average, one inch of rain is equivalent to how many inches of snow? |
|
a) 10 inches
b) 1 inch
c) 5 inches
d) 1 foot |
| |
|
|
| |
Thank You! Thank You! |
Thanks to YOU the word is  spreading! Thank you to all of our network partners who graciously referred their clients to us last month!
Our success is because of good friends like you. We just couldn't do without you!
Thank You for Your Referrals. |
|
|
