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How To Create a “Rainy Day” Work Collage

06. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Blogging, Business, Career Development, Inspiration · Tags: ,

rainy day work collage.jpg How To Create a Rainy Day Work Collage

No matter your work role- a freelancer working with clients, a corporate employee coordinating with a sprawling team, or a start-up hustler living a fast-paced lifestyle, we all have days where we just want to pull the covers over our eyes, curl up with a cup of coffee, turn on Friends, or take a road trip to get away from it.

On those days, it can rough to remember why you usually love your job and the many successes you’ve had. The awesome client response to a project, the great feedback from your boss, the sweet thank you note from a blogger you worked with all seem to be instantly banished from your memory. So here’s an idea: keep track of all of those encouraging odds and ends so that you can refer to them on a “rainy day” at work.

Where to create your collage:

  • Photoshop (if you already have the program)
  • PicMonkey (though you won’t be able to edit it)
  • Polyvore (you could save it as a draft so that it’s not publicly visible)
  • Evernote (better for words than photos)
  • Pinterest board (keep it secret if you want)
  • A bulletin board (yes, a real one. Not an online one!)

What to include:

  • Thank you notes (or photos of them)
  • Text from positive emails, tweets, or Facebook messages sent by your boss, your contractor, or your client
  • An article with your byline and headshot
  • Screen shots of your successes (like that graph showing a 500% increase in your site stats for your blog!)
  • An autograph of a famous-in-your-industry individual that you were able to meet
  • An image of a graphic you designed

Do you have a “rainy day” work collage? What would you include?

Photo credit

30 Days of Compliments

04. April 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Inspiration

Have you heard of 30 Days of Compliments? Here’s what it says on the Facebook page:

Not to be too general but the world can sometimes be a bit negative, and lately, at times, I have caught myself buying into that negativity. I don’t want to do that. It’s not cool. It’s not me. So, even though I am not a frequent poster, I am going to use the power that I have in my words and in my ability to post on Facebook to do something positive: post one compliment a day for 30 days about a person in my life. And I figured why not invite you all to do the same, my former students, family, friends, acquaintances, etc. (it took me forever to click all 1200 tiny boxes on the invite friends list!) Will you do this with me? If so, will you share the invite? If not, no worries. You’re still the coolest! There are only two rules: the post has to be your own words and you can only compliment a person once in the 30 days. That way the good cheer is spread around a wee bit more! Who’s in?

I’d seen the 30 Days of Compliments campaign floating around Facebook and the blogosphere but hadn’t experienced it firsthand…until this morning! Karrie, one of my best friends from college, tagged me in a post that said:

30 days of compliments, Day 3: to Cristina Roman, thanks for being such a great friend! You are one of the most driven people I know and you always push me to be a better me! I love when we are together because all we do is laugh and have a great time! I am ecstatic that you said yes to my spontaneous visit in a few weeks! Can’t wait to see you!!

Just a short paragraph, but it made my day!! Though I didn’t jump on board early enough to participate in the whole 30 days, the campaign makes me want to reach out to people who have inspired me.

And speaking of reaching out to people you inspired you…I got an email from a girl I went to college with telling me that she’s been reading this little blog and that it inspired her to start her own consulting business. I am SO proud of her for making such an exciting (albeit scary) move. I’m also so appreciative that she took the time to email me to let me know that she’s been inspired- it makes me want to keep blogging regularly when I get awesome feedback like that!

Who inspires you? Are you participating in 30 Days of Compliments?

My Career Brain Dump: I Want To Do It All

04. February 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: Career Development, Inspiration · Tags: , ,

I have a problem. Professionally, I want to do it all. Sometimes, that makes branding myself and my business, as well as maintaining a somewhat sane life, challenging. What you see below is the definition of a brain dump: “…the transfer of a large quantity of information from one person…to a piece of paper…” I literally wrote the following without stopping to edit it or think about it (though I did go back to add links), which means it is my honest, (almost) complete assession of my current interests and desires:

I want to…
…edit resumes and give career feedback to women of all socioeconomic backgrounds
…write inspirational pieces for career-minded women, freelancers, and those in search of more productive lives
…run online productivity seminars for individuals, groups, and corporations
…use the skills I learned in recruiting to teach others how to hack their lives
…run seminars where women can build on or off-line portfolios showcasing their skills and experience
…teach individuals and small business owners the wonderful world of social media
….connect and share blog posts with like-minded individuals who love career development, productivity, and gluten-free cooking
…empower small business owners to take control of their online presences
…try my hand in marketing for different industries like fashion, social entrepreneurship, law, and recruiting
…help individuals brand themselves online and dominate the front page of Google
…run a group for young entrepreneurial women in Raleigh to share openly, give feedback, and have fun
…continue building brown bag lunch sessions to equip entrepreneurs in the Triangle with important business information
Is that so much to ask?!

The Little Things on Monday Morning

10. December 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Inspiration · Tags: ,

…Seeing chats from three of your best friends pop up on your computer screen at the exact same time

…Sipping toasted almond coffee and getting to work at 7:15am

DSC 0561 1024x682 The Little Things on Monday Morning

…Remembering funny moments from your weekend away

…Having two of your best friends’ birthdays in one week

…The smell of fresh laundry

…Getting a card and a recipe in the mail from a friend

the little things on monday morning The Little Things on Monday Morning

…Looking forward to a weekend recap with your sister and a friend

…Sending out a funny Menoranh-themed holiday card to friends

…Savoring your Pumpkin Spice Candle even though it’s almost winter

…The smell of your roommate’s Crockpot concoction floating in from the kitchen

…Reading inspirational Monday morning quotes, like these:

167125836143592144 eXtvCIZq c The Little Things on Monday Morning

Reality Check: It’s Not the End of the World…

05. October 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Inspiration, Thought of the Day, Uncategorized · Tags:

reality check 1024x682 Reality Check: Its Not the End of the World... Photo credit

…If I eat a fast food meal instead of a healthy home-cooked meal

…If I don’t blog for a day…or a week

…If I have 1000+ unread items in my Google Reader

…If I miss a few days at the gym

…If I work fewer hours than I should and need to put in some time over the weekend

…If my books are a day overdue at the library

…If every item on my Evernote To Do List isn’t checked off by 5pm

…If there are a few articles of clothing scattered on my bathroom floor

…If I go a few days without tweeting

…If an email goes unanswered for a few hours

Sometimes it seems like the exact system that we develop to keep ourselves sane is the same system that causes us stress. Yes, I work out and eat healthy to feel good, but sometimes even that needs to take the back burner- behind having fun, seeing friends, and living in the moment.

Anddd a bit of reality check humor to lighten the mood:

reality check bounced Reality Check: Its Not the End of the World... Photo credit

The Fear of We

01. October 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Inspiration, Thought of the Day · Tags: , , , ,

I had partially drafted this blog post, but felt inspired to finish it and schedule it when I read Clare’s Forever Goals.

Screen shot 2012 09 18 at 6.40.55 PM The Fear of We

On one end of the spectrum, there are girls who are dying to be part of a “We.” We love that movie. We vacation in the Outer Banks. We’re staying in tonight to cuddle. 

On the end side, you have girls like me. The girls who fear “We.” Girls who pride themselves on being independent: making their own decisions and being in control of their schedules.

I think girls like me are fighting hard against age-old stereotypes of “typical” females: we’re not willing to give up our lives, our interests, or our time to ingratiate ourselves to men.

And in some ways, it’s great that women are taking a stand for independence. But there are drawbacks- like preventing yourself from fully committing to someone because you fear that you will lose yourself.

I know a happy medium exists because I’ve seen it. Like my one friend, who lives with her boyfriend but has no qualms about having a silly girls’ night out. Who has used the phrase “We love that show,” but watches Bethenny Ever After without her boyfriend. Who doesn’t make the fact that she’s in a relationship the first thing people know about her, but doesn’t hide it either.

As with many things I blog about, it’s about finding the fine healthy line between independence and co-dependence.

In Clare’s words, I strive to “Be independently successful but even better together.” Cheers to finding that balance!

My Vow to Fall

25. September 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Inspiration · Tags: , , ,

I love fall with a passion. I don’t mind that long summer days are slipping away or that winter is just around the corner. My only focus is absorbing as much fall as possible. Here is my vow to fall.

My Vow to Fall

I vow to drink as many Pumpkin Spice Lattes as possible

I vow to wear every different colored pashmina in my closet

I vow to play as much tennis outdoors as possible

I vow to cook with butternut squash as much as possible

I vow to sit on my balcony with a cup of tea and a blanket on cool evenings

I vow to burn my pumpkin candle whenever possible

DSC 00012 1024x918 My Vow to Fall(I think I have an addiction)

I vow to try new fall soup recipes

I vow to have a fall leaf photo shoot

I vow to visit a pumpkin patch and corn maze

I vow to sit around a bonfire with friends while someone strums guitar

I vow to go apple picking

I vow to attend a harvest festival

I vow to appreciate every day of fall

My Vow to Fall

What’s on your fall bucket list? 

Fill the Bucket

10. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Inspiration, Thought of the Day · Tags: , ,

My sister told me the other day that the preschool where she works has a daily Character Club, which teaches the kids important life lessons. As a side note, I want to form a young adult Character Club! How amazingly nerdy and cool would that be? I guess Change the Triangle is pretty close…

bucket Fill the Bucket Photo credit

Ready for a Character Club takeaway? Imagine that every person has a bucket. You can fill someone’s bucket by saying kind things, complimenting them, or being nice. You take away from someone’s bucket by being mean, rude, or hurtful. Also very importantly, you can protect your bucket by covering your bucket and telling someone “No, you cannot take away from my bucket.” I don’t know about you, but I definitely plan to use that line in every day adult conversations.

And that is your lesson of the day, straight from preschool icon smile Fill the Bucket

I encourage you to fill someone’s bucket today. Let me know what you did it in the comments section. 

P.S. I was going to title this post “Fill my Bucket” but does anyone else read that in a dirty way?! Just me?

Lovin’ List

28. August 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Inspiration, Life Updates & Recaps · Tags:
  • Phrase 10
  • Bring it Back by Travis Porter (the explicit version, obviously!)
  • My crazy levels of productivity
  • Spotify
  • Bibimbap from Seoul Garden
  • Working with the windows open
  • Playing tennis several times a week
  • Rehashing our crazy bachelorette stories
  • Introducing friends to Shawshank Redemption and brainstorming a movie list with my roommate
  • Browsing my Google Hacks book
  • Getting emails from best friends about our San Francisco trip
  • Gluten-free zucchini almond butter muffins…served warm with melted butter
  • Steamed artichokes
And one major thing I’m not loving: my wisdom teeth coming in. Nooooooo….
What are you loving this week?

Raleigh To Do List

07. August 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Food & Drink, Inspiration, Raleigh, North Carolina · Tags: , , ,

As I cleared out my queue of 105 draft blog posts (pretty crazy, huh?), I came across a Raleigh to do list that I made awhile back.

DSC 0266 1024x682 Raleigh To Do ListLake Johnson at night

Here’s my progress:

  • Lunch at PieBird
  • Brunch at Humble Pie {When my friends from DC were in town}
  • A special exhibit at the NC Museum of Art {Rembrandt}
  • Show at DPAC {Chicago!}
  • Show at NC Theatre
  • Concert at Lincoln Theatre {Breakfast Club- plus TEDxRaleigh}
  • Concert at the Amphitheatre
  • Farmers’ market {Crawfish Day!}
  • Day at CAM
  • All lakes
  • Tequila tasting at Jibarra {Did a vertical tequila flight with friends, then traveled to Calavera for margaritas!}
  • Chocolate tasting at Vidieri {Did it but hoping to do it for an upcoming bloggers’ event}
  • Beer flights at Tasty Beverage Co & Big Boss Brewery
  • Pullen Park, post-renovations {Took the kids I babysit there}
  • Museum of Natural Science
  • Lunch or dinner at Lilly’s Pizza
  • Brunch at Poole’s Diner {Girls’ brunch!}
  • Listen to jazz at Zydeco
  • Hurricanes hockey game
  • Drinks at Boylan Bridge Brewpub {Several times but our upcoming Change the Triangle social is there too}

DSC 0027 682x1024 Raleigh To Do ListNC State Farmers’ Market

What else is on your Raleigh to do list? Which of the things above have you done?

pixel Raleigh To Do List
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