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© 2010 Administrative Sparkle Blog
or others will do it for you.
Interestingly, I’m hoping this comes across as an inspirational piece. With the old year coming to a close and a new year just on the horizon, some may be looking ahead with a sigh instead of a glint of hope for their 2010 future. So I hope reading this is a gentle reminder of the contribution that you make every day as a professional assistant.
It is important that you take an active role in who you are. It’s easy to get beaten down. Don’t allow other people to define who you are. I tend to be a pretty straight forward kind of person. If I care about you, I will be completely honest with you; not brutal, but honest. On the flip side, if I don’t care what you think, I am more likely not to tell you what I think. There’s a point, really.
There are people out there who are so dissatisfied with their lives that they: 1) let everyone know, 2) make life miserable for anyone who comes within their sphere of contact, and/or 3) try to put other people down by being mean-spirited or doing everything they can to make others look bad, even if that means lying. First let me say, try not to let them get to you. Needless to say, these are the people I don’t bother to give my opinion or voice what I think. In fact, I make great efforts to speedily move on. Limit your contact as much as possible if you can.
I have worked with a variety of different bosses, with different styles. I come from a mid-size family, six siblings, and we all have very different personalities. It’s amazing we are all related. I have friends from all ranges of economic and educational backgrounds. The people we come into contact with have an affect on how we think of ourselves, our value, and our self-esteem.
It’s important that you manage, to the best extent you can because we cannot “control” every person or situation we come into contact with, the people and things that you do choose to bring into your life that greatly influences you. So make them count.
Some things you can do to be the best you believe you are destined to be:
Always Do Your Best.
There are a lot of people who work for very difficult bosses or clients. The first thing that always comes to my mind to say is, “Quit.” After a while people start avoiding them. Nobody wants to hear it, and if they really hate it, then why aren’t they making efforts to find something else, something better. Please go, so the rest of us can get our work done. No pity parties here.
I remember some friends of mine, when I lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that were teachers. I would always hear how they don’t get paid very much, that class sizes are a lot to manage, sometimes they feel like the babysitter or they were the ones that were supposed to teach a kid to be respectful, hard-working, industrious, and to treat others with respect, but they LOVE what they do. They absolutely love teaching. They love the satisfaction of possibly having an impact on a child. So for the teacher who goes into work each day, feeling under-appreciated, you have a major impact on our future. You make a difference.
In the administrative field, we can feel the same way. Our boss treats us like we’re uneducated or that it doesn’t take that much skill to type something up, or organize a filing system, or answer the phone and make each caller feel like they are important and the company’s number one priority, or put together a spreadsheet. I’ve seen some online job sites where the expectation for quality administrative services is requested at maybe $5.00 an hour.
If you love what you do and you are GREAT at what you do, don’t let “them” affect the output of your work. Define yourself by the quality of the work that you do. It’s not about the person, it’s YOUR work. How you submit your work each day or in every assignment is a testament to the quality and professionalism of what you bring to the industry.
Even attorneys get a bad rap. The hurdles, sacrifices, and time; the college, the cost of tuition, the bar exam, and there are people who treat them like they are all ambulance chasers. I used to work as the assistant to two partners of a law firm in St. Paul, Minnesota. One was a man, the other a woman. I have such a high regard for both of them, not only professionally, but how they conduct themselves personally as well. They define the law profession to me. It’s the rest who choose to perpetuate the reputation you want to stay clear of.
It’s the same in the administrative field. Stand out as someone exceptional. Have pride in what you do, your talents and skills, knowledge and education, and who you are. You bring a lot to the profession. We have to undo all the incompetence that bad assistants bring to the profession.
Keep Learning.
Read great information that keeps you informed and on top of your industry; blogs, books, audio, video. Take classes. Go to seminars. Find a mentor. Ask someone you admire how something is done that you don’t know.
Take Pride in Yourself.
I’m not saying to be proud in an arrogant kind of way, just that you are not always going to get that “pat on the back.” So you have to give them to yourself. Surround yourself with people who are proud of you and make you smile in your personal life. You may not necessarily find yourself working in an environment of great leadership, but you can surround yourself with the people who have the qualities and attitude that you wish to aspire each day.
…
In 1945, Jackie played one season in the Negro Baseball League, traveling all over the Midwest with the Kansas City Monarchs. But greater challenges and achievements were in store for him. In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey approached Jackie about joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American player since 1889, when baseball became segregated. When Jackie first donned a Brooklyn Dodger uniform, he pioneered the integration of professional athletics in America. By breaking the color barrier in baseball, the nation’s preeminent sport, he courageously challenged the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South.
At the end of Robinson’s rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had become National League Rookie of the Year with 12 homers, a league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. In 1949, he was selected as the NL’s Most Valuable player of the Year and also won the batting title with a .342 average that same year. As a result of his great success, Jackie was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
…
http://www.jackierobinson.com/about/bio.html
Let me clarify that when Jackie Robinson started, he was spit on as he entered the field with the rest of his team. He was exceptional at what he did and did not let others define him or compromise his ethics when it came to doing what he loved, and what he was GREAT at.
As I’ve said many times before, “Love what you do.”
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Gandhi
###
Anything worthwhile is worth doing with passion. Christmas is only a couple of days away and one week later the new year opens. I love New Year’s! It is probably my favorite day of the year. I always feel like, to a certain extent, everybody has the opportunity to start with a new slate. Dreams, wishes, and goals come flooding back making me think this is my year to accomplish something great.
It also means looking back on a whole year gone by and asking myself, “What did I accomplish this past year?” and “What do I appreciate that came into my life this past year?” Each year I reflect on the amazing opportunities that have come, the new people who have enriched my life, accomplishments and successes. It also means reflecting on where I fell short.
Make Goals for 2010
Make goals that mean something to you. If it helps, write down each goal and detail why it is important to you. Try writing down the pros and cons. The pros being the great things you receive from reaching the goal and the cons if you let it go another year. Goals really are as unique as you are. We each have our own reasons for attaining a specific goal, so own it and create the person that is inside you just waiting to break out.
Passion
Love it! Love it in your heart and soul, and feel it in your bones. It will make the journey more amazing. When the struggles come, you will see them more as a challenge. We live in an age of information. Anything that you want to know is out there and all this information is FREE. On my sidebar you will find some of my favorite websites. What the internet does not provide is YOU. Ultimately, it will take the action on your part to traverse the hills and valleys, the ups and downs, the good and the bad.
Give Back
There is an African proverb that states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Isn’t this so true? This relates to adults as well. You’ll be amazed at the people who are out there to encourage you and if they can help, they will. If you find that the people around you aren’t encouraging and even go to lengths to discourage you, be it by what they say, or what they do, or how they treat you and your dreams, replace those voices and that energy with people who do encourage you. Winners love winners, losers try to keep others at their level. Don’t let other people determine who you are and your value.
With access to people who believe in you, encourage you, and help you to reach your goals, remember to give back. It means helping others in their journey, believing in them and their dreams. I believe you get what you give. Life really does work in cycles. There are moments when we all need a little help along the way, you will find yourself in moments where you can help because you can.
And, who knows, maybe those who gave you the most grief end up becoming your biggest fans. Be an inspiration, be a catalyst.
In Conclusion
Because this is real for me and is written to share my hopes for you, I would like to wrap this up by letting you know what is important to me for the next year. I’m not coming up with something like 25 goals I would like to get done in one year, but to really focus on the ones that mean the most to me. Here is a list of what I love and would like to achieve and see become excellent. In no particular order:
- Health & Fitness. Since my car accident three years ago, my weight has gradually been increasing. I walk pretty much everywhere I need to go, but I am now older and my body and metabolism doesn’t let me get away with what it used to. I was involved in whatever sport was available when I was in school; working in an office, behind a desk all day doesn’t quite get the heart rate up.
My goal is to be 125 pounds. I’ve rejoined a gym. I have also joined SparkPeople that gives me a lot of information and a community of like-minded people.
- This Blog. This blog actually happened on accident. I created and started this blog this year, 2009. Working as a professional assistant for 20 years, I wanted to put out information to and for the administrative professional. To elevate the profession to a level of respect that so many of my fellow administrative professionals bring to their work each day. This profession has some of the most talented, creative, intelligent, and amazing people I know.
My goal for this blog is to write content that informs and inspires. I would like this website to be a great place for professionals to come to for ideas, encouragement, vent frustrations, share their achievements, and feel welcome to contribute their ideas.
- My career. I love what I do and I hope that is reflected in how and what I write on this blog.
My goal is to continue to advance and excel; expand my network of really great professionals; continue learning, whether taking classes, the vast resource that is the internet reading information provided by other really great bloggers, books, and just learning by doing.
Finally, let me just say that everyone who comes by my little blog home, you inspire me. I look forward to your comments, participation, and suggestions. I wish you great success in the year 2010!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Layne
Zipping programs have their advantages and are really fast, easy, and simple to use. It will truly simplify your life if you find yourself transmitting multiple files to your contacts. Go to the end of this post for the really “quick and easy cheat” directions to zip and unzip.
What is an Archive or Zip File?
- Distribute files on the Internet: Only one Zip file transfer operation (download) is required to obtain all related files, and file transfer is quicker because the archived files are compressed.
- Send a group of related files to an associate: When you distribute the collection of files as an archive, you benefit from the file grouping and compression as well.
- Save disk space: If you have large files that are important but seldom used, such as large data files, simply compress these files into an archive and then unzip (or “extract”) them only when needed.
Program Tutorial
You can access the tutorial from the Menu, select Help, and then select Brief Tutorial.
Zipping Options.
- WinZip Classic: The powerful WinZip Classic interface is preferred if you have a general understanding of Windows and of Zip files. Most users will be quite comfortable with its Explorer-like interface once the basics of Zip files are understood.
- WinZip Wizard: The WinZip Wizard guides you through some of the most common operations involving Zip files. If you are new to Windows or unfamiliar with Zip files, you may wish to start with the Wizard and switch later to the more powerful Classic interface.
Zipping With Classic.
- In the WinZip window, click the New toolbar button or choose New Archive from the File menu. The New Archive dialog will appear.
- In the New Archive dialog, specify the location where you want to create the archive and type the name you want to use for your new archive, then click OK. The Add dialog will appear.
- In the Add dialog, select the files that you want to add to your new archive and click Add.
Zipping With Wizard.
- In the Select Activity panel, choose Create a new Zip file and click Next.
- In the Choose Zip Name panel, type the name you want to use for your new Zip file and click Next. For example, if you are creating a Zip file that will contain some files related to yearly reports, you might type “1999 reports” as the name for your Zip file.
- In the Select Files panel, click Add files to choose the files you want to add to the Zip file. Select the files you want to add and click OK.
- Click Zip Now to create the new Zip file.
UnZipping With Classic.
- In the WinZip window, click the New toolbar button or choose New Archive from the File menu. The New Archive dialog will appear.
- In the New Archive dialog, specify the location where you want to create the archive and type the name you want to use for your new archive, then click OK. The Add dialog will appear.
- In the Add dialog, select the files that you want to add to your new archive and click Add.
UnZipping With Wizard.
- In the Select Activity panel, choose Unzip or install from an existing Zip file and click Next.
- In the Select Zip File panel, click on the Zip file you want to work with and click Next. The Unzip panel will appear.
- In the Unzip panel, click Unzip Now to unzip (extract) the files in the archive. The WinZip Wizard will open a Windows Explorer window showing the unzipped files.
Quick and Easy Cheat to ZIP.
This is the drag and drop method.
- Execute WinZip.
- Open your directory.
- Select your documents (you can select more than one file by pressing the Alt key or the Ctrl key and clicking the left mouse button).
- Drag your selections into the WinZip window.
- It will ask you to provide various information. The most important, giving it a folder name and you can browse your directory folders for a location. The “Add to Archive” name field is already highlighted when the Add window automatically appears. Provide the name and location here.
- Click the Add to the right of that field.
Quick and Easy Cheat to UnZip.
This is the drag and drop method.
- Double-click on the zip file you have been provided. This will open the zip folder with a full view of all the files within it.
- View or Save
2a. View. Double-click on the document and it will execute in its appropriate program.
2b. Save. Select your documents (you can select more than one file by pressing the Alt key or the Ctrl key and clicking the left mouse button). - Drag your selections into the directory folder you would like the folders saved.
Today’s challenge.
A colleague needed to send out an email with over 20 attachments (I’m guessing because it was probably more). I came by her office to ask her for some personnel data that I needed for a department budget worksheet that I work on. So the timing was perfect. She puts the email together and has all the documents attached. She asks me if there is another way to attach so many documents. When there is a list of attachments, most people don’t realize they have to go through the scroll bar to see that there are more than the five or eight that are within view and actually miss the extent of information that has been provided.
The solution.
Zip them up. I brought up the Zip program, anything like WinZip will work, grabbed all the files she needed and attached that. It took less than five minutes and now all the recipients will receive the collection of files already foldered up in one place and viewable at a glance.
Tell me what suggestions you would have come up with for this challenge.
This is your life. Don’t let other people tell you who you are. We are all unique and each of us are set apart with our individual talents. We try to conform to the masses and end up feeling lost. We adjust our personalities to feel a part of and end up feeling misunderstood, different, or weird. To tell you the truth we all feel like that.
If we were meant to be cookie-cutter replicas, creation would have been designed that way. And how boring would that have been? When something bad happens to you, learn from it, take something away from it, and use the experience to become a better person and your choices in the future.
Get pissed off enough! Get passionate. Do something about it. If it truly is the system being unfair to a select demographic that you fall in, do something about it. Complaining about it doesn’t change it. Being passionate is the motivator, taking action makes changes happen. Let your passion come through and then do everything you can to change it. Be a force to be reckoned with.
Some Examples of Very Unique Individuals.
There are so many others, but I hope this list gets you to thinking about people who inspire you, that your story can make a difference. Did any of these people think they would be remembered in history? They are the hero in their own stories and took action to make happen what they believed in. They are unique and different and found their voice along the way in the process.
Every story is made up of a sequence, or series, of events. The way events are ordered to create your story is called the plot. The plot is all the action that takes place during your story. Every story has the following elements:
The Setting.
The setting of a story is the place and time of when a story takes place. Does your story take place at home, work, school? Is it in the past, present, or future?
The characters.
The characters are the people, animals, and other creatures in your story. There are generally two types of characters in a story: the hero and the villain. The hero is the main good character of the story. The hero is the character we are hoping will succeed, defeat the villain, and be happy. It’s safe to say that you get to be the hero as you are the star of your story. The villain is the bad character in the story. The villain tries to prevent the hero from succeeding or being happy. You can have more than one villain.
The Sequence.
Exposition. This is the beginning of your plot. It gives the background, history, and details of the characters past to understand the personalities and present lives of the individuals. It is important to understand these background details in order to understand the plot. The exposition is background information on the characters and setting that provides information about events and may explain what happened before your story begins.
Conflict.
The conflict is the problem faced by the characters. The hero wants something or is trying to help others. The villain is trying to stop the hero from succeeding. The conflict is the most important part of the story. This is the part that makes the story so interesting and exciting. The hero must confront the conflict and find resolution. The story does not end until the conflict is resolved. You can’t cheat the story and give up. Besides that is way to easy and your story goes on as is without resolution. To end the story, you must resolve the conflict. Have you identified the actual conflict of your story? It may not be what you think. It could be something quite simple or something much more complex.
Climax.
This is the part of the story when the conflict of the plot is resolved. This is usually the most exciting part of the story. The climax is sometimes referred to as the “turning point” where the plot of the story changes for better or for worse for the hero. This is where we want the hero, you, to defeat your villain in the climax.
Resolution.
The resolution is the end of your story. It occurs after the climax. This is where you learn what happens to the characters after the conflict is resolved.
You already have elements of your story. You have your setting, characters, and conflict. Detail your exposition; some history and background on your setting and your characters that bring clarification to the conflict you are facing. Then describe your conflict. What are you trying to accomplish and what is holding you back? What or who is your villain?
This part of your story has already been written.
Let me say this again… This is your life. You are the star in your own movie. How do you want it to turn out? Do you want people to remember you, after meeting you, that you were authentic and interesting? That you inspired them to remember what makes them special and unique?
Now take a few moments to write out the rest of your story. Really put yourself in it. Feel it, touch it, smell it, breath it. Be very descriptive in everything that you do as if you have already done it. Etch it in your mind the exact process of what you did to achieve your resolution. Exactly what steps did you take in the course of your climax? Detail what you saw, the people you met along the way, what you did. Feel it in your bones and write it down. Then read it aloud. If it does not resonate with you and inspire you to act on your story, edit it, rewrite it, bring it to life.
In everything you do, aspire to be the hero of your own story. I know you can do it and that inspires the rest of us.
Have you ever had something staring you right in the face and you just don’t get it. It happens when you buy a car. All of a sudden the car you buy is everywhere, before, you rarely saw it. Now they are EVERYWHERE.
Let me just say, I didn’t mean for this to be so long. After going through the information, I really wanted to provide the details of what you would see and get. So with that said, I hope you enjoy the post and check it out for yourself.
That brings me to my challenge for today. I work on three different computers: the office, home, and the laptop. I don’t lug my laptop around with me wherever I go. So I was looking for technology that met three criteria:
- My work has become more collaborative, requiring the necessity to be able to share documents with people who are not on my network or server;
- I would need access to the documents when working on a different computer, once again, not on the network or server; and
- I need to be able to work the document in the program I created it in and others can use as well.
There you have my dilemma.
It dawns on me that I have been reading a lot in my “feeds” about Google Docs. So I dove in to see if this was the answer I had been seeking. I work on resumes and require access to the most current version of the document when preparing a mailing series. The document is in Word, complete with graphic lines and WordArt Text.
Google Docs failed my qualifications. Google Docs strips it down to its basic elements. Looks nice, but anything graphical is eliminated. I suggest this as a simplistic method of sharing information. One great use is for students. Kids who are living between two houses and juggling homework between the two. This option eliminates carrying a flash drive in a bag full of books.
My conclusion for Google Docs is a glorified word processor and hard drive in the clouds. Nothing fancy, but it does store your documents for retrieval wherever you are and available when working on various computers.
My second option, Office Live Workspace. As soon as I executed the desired workspace, the Job Search Workspace, loaded the Word document, and then executed the saved document, I got exactly what I wanted. Microsoft Word executed and the exact replica of the document slid onto my desktop. Now I had to test the second criteria: sharing the document. I sent off the invitation to my client to see if she was able to access her documents.
She was floored with what she was presented. She had her resume and cover letter, but she was also greeted with the following: Interview Preparation Notes, Interview Schedule, Interview Thank You Letter, Job Contacts, and Informational Interview Request. I had just prepared her with the perfect “workspace” to keep everything organized, managed, and manageable. And, she could access all this information anywhere.
She divides her time between the office, the place she lives at during the workweek, and her home 100 miles away. She prefers to keep her travel light, so eliminating the need to transport her computer back and forth every week definitely simplifies her life. However, she does travel with a plethora of flash drives and my work doesn’t have to be included when she is searching for all her job search documentation. I just made her computing life easier, arrangement of all her job search information in her workspace environment, and now whenever she needs changes, I have access to all the necessary information at once.
Needless to say, our previous method of manipulating the information was emailing back and forth. When the next round of resume submissions came, I had to request her most recent information. There just had to be a better way. The “cloud.” Now, we are on the ground running.
In the Workspace I have provided her the following documentation:
- Resumes;
- Cover letters;
- The Interview Schedule, listing the company, job position, the event the company is attending or attended, location, the start time, the end time, job description, the interviewer(s) name(s), the interviewer(s) title(s), and the interviewer(s) phone number(s);
- Interview Preparation Notes where she can contact the department in advance to prepare for her interview. She works for the State and is seeking a promotional position. If you have been asked for an interview, you can request their interview questions in advance and they will email it to you. I know, that was weird for me when I first found out.
- The Interview Thank You Letters;
- Job Contacts where she can enter information from their business cards to send their Thank You Letter and follow up; and
- Information Interview Request. It was an option that she had not even considered and may consider in researching what it might take to get the position she wants.
Office Live Workspace comes with a variety of workspaces that preload with various templates just for that subject. Here are the choices of workspaces and their preloaded templates you have to choose from:
- Class Workspace
- Class List with Contact Information
- Class Notes
- Essay Outline
- Important Dates
- Syllabus
- Essay Workspace
- Paper Milestones
- Team Paper Outline
- Term Paper Template
- Thesis Template
- Event Workspace
- Business Event Flyer
- Directions
- Event Agenda
- List of Invitees
- Notes
- Party Invitation
- To-do List
- Household Workspace
- Announcement Board
- Emergency Contact List
- Grocery List
- Household Event List
- Household To-do List
- Job Search Workspace
- Cover Letter
- Informational Interview Request
- Interview Preparation Notes
- Interview Schedule
- Interview Thank You Letter
- Job Contacts
- Resume
- Meeting Workspace
- List of Attendees
- Meeting Minutes
- Meeting Notes
- Meeting Presentation
- To-do List with Owners
- Project Workspace
- Participants
- Project Notes
- Project Overview Presentation
- Project Post-mortem Presentation
- Project Proposal
- Project Schedule
- To-do list
- School Workspace
- Graduation Requirements
- Notes
- Semester Schedule
- Sports Schedule
- To-do List
- Useful Contacts
- Sports Team Workspace
- Announcements
- Directions
- Season Schedule
- Snack Schedule
- Team Roster
- Study Group Workspace
- Announcements
- Event List
- Meeting Notes
- Report Template
- To-do List with Owners
- Travel Workspace
- Business Trip Itinerary
- Packing List
- Personal Data Form
- Travel Checklist
On the left sidebar you have “My Workspaces” where you can view and select from the various Workspaces you are working with. On the right sidebar you can view “Activity,” “Comments,” and your list of “Shared” persons for the selected Workspace. The preloaded templates use the various Microsoft software applications, but Workspace is not limited to just Microsoft applications. Because you can upload your own documents, you can have access to any of your program documents as long as you have the program application on the computer.
It’s easy and it’s free.
If you found this article interesting, I hope you will share your thoughts and ideas of what you do in resolving sharing issues in an age where sharing information has become essential. How have you simplified your sharing challenges? I look forward to hearing your experience.
It’s December, we’ve fattened up during Thanksgiving, being grateful for the things and people we have received in our life. Christmas, we’re in the throes of giving; extending love, joy, and peace to all. When you think about it, starting new habits doesn’t nearly start in January. These are qualities that we start beginning in November, habits that inspire us how to begin a new year, to extend a grateful attitude in receiving and a generous attitude giving without the expectation of something in return.
That is what networking is all about.
I believe that people, at our core, are inherently generous. If they can help, they will. If they know you, trust you, and like you, they will want to help you. Also, in giving, you open yourself to opportunities to receive when you need it. That is why networking is so important. It’s not just that you need others to get information, resources, or opportunities to help you get where you want to go, but they are looking for people who introduce them to those things as well.
In any relationship there is give and take. The most obnoxious people are those who always seem to be asking for favors and needing something. On the flip side, the most pathetic people are the ones who don’t know when to say “no,” or the “doormat.” They are both impossible relationships to maintain or tolerate. First you have the self-absorbed friend or contact, and the other is the needy, insecure, seeking constant reassurance and value as a person. Both extremely high-maintenance and exhausting. Although they do make a perfect match for each other. They meet each other’s most essential needs, but for the person who is secure in who they are, these relationships are time consuming and constantly laden with expectations and agendas. Run! With the first, at some point, you will start to feel taken advantage of and used. With the second, you will feel that you have to constantly validate the person.
As I said, I believe that most people want to help, but don’t want to be taken advantage of or feel it is a one-way street. We also want to be “open” to receive, but don’t want to feel that we “owe” someone. The right relationships do neither. There is no agenda, no expectation, just that the relationship is reciprocal and non-opportunistic. It’s genuine in both its giving and receiving.
As long as your networking and relationship development is with integrity and your intentions are meant to have relationships with like-minded people who are moving in the direction you want your life to go, it sounds like you have a healthy idea of what networking and relationship-building is. Now bring your networking and relationship building skills up a notch. Find out who they are, what they like, and what their goals and dreams are. You will never be at a loss for moments to give when you can and ask when need.
This could be a really great year for you to meet and develop some really fantastic people. Make a list of what you like and the kind of people you would like to meet and then get out there. Pick up your local city event magazine or online and start getting out there to places you love or places you’ve wanted to try. Sounds like there would be a lot of people who like the same things as you. And, well, that’s a start.
Give me your thoughts on networking and developing relationships. Tell me what you think. Tell me what you think are the most important qualities in relationships and friendships.
I’m always looking for the bigger and better deal. I am a huge advocate of any product or service I use that meets my needs in an exceptional way and I tell everyone I know about it. This article being case in point.
Some history on my mobile use. First of all, that is all I use for both personal and business. At this time, I see no reason to have two or three phones, phone services, or lines to do this. There is the home phone line, the business phone line, the fax line, and the mobile phone. My mobile phone is used for everything except for fax. I actually prefer sending and receiving information via PDF rather than by fax and thus far have not found the need for it. When and if I ever do consider a fax line, I will choose to do that online.
I like to keep things simple and keeping all my communication using one phone and online keeps everything in one place. I still need to consolidate my email addresses to select accounts. No matter what you use, the point is using what works for you, with the features that are important to you, meets your needs, and is cost effective.
As you know by now, there are some services that I absolutely rave about. Some being Sony for my electronics, HP for printing, Finesse for my shampoo and conditioner, Verizon for my mobile phone, Google Reader to keep all my RSS feeds organized, you get my point.
Some services have a timeline for renewing or expiring. These are the times when I start researching what new products or services have become available, as technology is always changing and companies need to keep up with the change. When using Verizon, I tried the BlackBerry. Having used the Palm Treo, I was extremely disappointed in the web interface that BlackBerry provided and found using the web on my phone nearly impossible. So I changed my service (which reduced the cost), replaced my phone, and went without web on my mobile. BlackBerry has since changed how you view the web and now the Palm Treo is not even found in the Verizon store as an option. BlackBerry improved on what was already an outstanding product and eliminated the competition from the store.
I knew that my Verizon contract would be completed soon and considered whether to keep them or find an alternative that met my needs sufficiently. The priority for me in my mobile phone is the ability to have service wherever I am. I’ve used various services, AT&T and Metro PCS. When using AT&T years ago, I wasn’t able to get service at a location where someone on Verizon could, and the location was in an area of the office where I worked. So I thought I would switch to Verizon. I even loved it then. When I was looking to cut on my expenses, I switched to Metro PCS. When I moved to Minnesota from California, Metro PCS wasn’t an option. Turns out it was only in California at the time. So I switched back to Verizon.
Fast forward to NOW. My Verizon contract is up and I started researching carriers. I thought about going back to Metro PCS considering cost and the fact that I don’t travel like I used to. The reception and service was a little spotty, but it met my needs in reliable communication. Researching Metro PCS, I discovered that they had expanded their service and gave them a second look. Then a friend suggested a service that I hadn’t yet heard about, Straight Talk, a registered trademark of Tracfone Wireless, being supplied and distributed by Walmart.
I’m a predominately visual, see, and touch person. So off to Walmart I went to talk to a customer service rep to get the details, while comparing all the other service providers. Although the Straight Talk and PCS Metro appear to be comparable in many ways, there are two things that stand out. Dependability of coverage: it appears Straight Talk is ahead of Metro PCS on this one. Phone selection: Straight Talk is still very limited in your selection of phones and Metro PCS has included a BlackBerry in their selection. The cost: They both seem to be pretty much equal.
I did make the switch to Straight Talk, which is a month-to-month provider with no contracts. I have found the dependability in my calling on target and no issues there. The phone I bought was the most expensive, a Samsung with a QWERTY keyboard, has a bit of weight to it, fits nicely into my hand, and slides open with ease. I need to read up on the “lock” feature and use that feature as you will find that because the cover buttons protrude above the faceplate a bit, your phone will be making calls or rotating through the features if placed in your purse or pockets.
So, with a week in, I love my phone and I love my service. Like I said the phone selection is still pretty limited, but wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve over the next year. The BlackBerry and much talked about Droid phones are a lot more fun, have all the bells and whistles, but if you are looking for something that stands out in giving you the basic necessities of what you need with calling, texting, picture texting, and web capabilities, this will fit the bill.
I do need to make one other note. There appears to be a limitation on the amount of phone numbers you can store in your “Contacts.” There are five Groups to choose from: No Groups, Business, Colleague, Family, Friends. In saving contacts, it appears that I can only store ten contacts in each group. That would allow for a total of 50 if I am correct with that. This generally wouldn’t be a problem for me, but, when using my Verizon, I could save the number without considering how often I really need to access it. Also, if someone calls me from a saved number, their name displays on my phone. So this particular limitation can be a bit annoying. The one perk is I don’t have to remind myself to go through my phone on occasion to clean up my phone directory. Who knows, maybe this is something they will change in the near future.
If you are looking to reduce your cost and are able to live without some fancy bells and whistles, this is a great option to look into. I’m saving $300 a year and access to the Web when I need it.
Would love to hear your input on who your provider is, why you like them, why you don’t, phone and provider features you can’t live without, and any thoughts you may have on this new provider Straight Talk and others.
You almost have to love at the fight going on between AT&T and Verizon!
Or should I say coexisting peacefully? Regardless, we are bombarded each day with decisions, urgencies, surprises, stresses, and demands. We would like to believe that we are in control, but we just aren’t.
We can give our life direction by the decisions we make, good or bad, but we cannot account for the uncertainties and external factors of others or random external events. So there you have it, the process of navigating through life’s challenges and surprises with a sense of purpose and peace.
Processing and managing life’s inconveniences and irritations do not have to be all-consuming. There are some things that you can do to keep perspective and move forward with grace.
- Life, like nature, has cycles. There is a time for everything. A time for love, a time for heartache. A time for health, a time for illness. A time for wealth, a time for poverty. A time for success, a time for failure. Understanding this helps you to remember that, just around the corner, things will turn in your favor. There will always be something that needs tending too.
- Meditate. Meditation calms the mind, releases stress, and brings you back to center. It is also in quieting the mind, you are able to reduce the noise, and bring forth clarification and focus. Allow the obvious to bubble to the surface and become inspired.
- Create fences. When dealing with work issues, leave them at work. If there is a lot of drama going on at home, with family, or friends, don’t bring them to work. The point is don’t let one aspect of your life filter into and infect another aspect of your life.
- Act normal. Going through your day as if everything is okay, is okay. There is a difference between having a problem in your life and making a problem of your life.
- Write it out. Give yourself five minutes or a half hour to get it all out, take some sort of action toward resolution with a determined deadline, and let it go. Don’t marinate in it.
- Go for a walk. Fresh air, get the blood moving, free up your thought process, release negative energies, and come back feeling renewed and refreshed.
- Be grateful and appreciate. The likelihood of everything at one time being perfect is probably not even possible. So, with that said, the likelihood of everything at one time being wrong is remote. Appreciation for the good things in our life is a gift. You may not have your health, but you have your sense of humor. You may not have your big house anymore, but you still get to wake up each day with your kids.
There are things in life that we can live without and things we can’t. We make adjustments, we discover new things we like more, life changes and thought processes that raise us up and improve how we treat ourselves and others we would not have done otherwise.
