Koala-T Assistant (MyKTA)

What a great day… and it’s Valentine’s Day! It is a beautiful day outside and I get to hear the horse carriages trotting around my corner waking me up this morning with an Old World feeling. There are days when it is so amazing to get to wake up in Old Sacramento. All the lovely couples will be down here treating their sweetie to a gorgeous day of interesting shops and restaurants and either sitting alongside the river or sitting on the deck enjoying a cocktail on the Delta King overlooking the river. Old Sacramento really gives you that Old West feeling when women were ladies and men were gentlemen.

In two days, the 16th, it will be my birthday and I feel kind of spoiled today. I usually take the whole week for my birthday because I have Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and I take the week off from work. Yes, I have this week off. Also, this year starts the 2010 Winter Olympics and the United States is doing pretty good and we’re ranking pretty decently. So grab your cup of coffee because I’ve got something for you. My gift to you. I know it’s my birthday, but I love to share great things.

Goal setting and evaluating my accomplishments and my “stupid” moments really hit me around my birthday. That is why I joined the gym in November and set the goal to weigh 145 by my 45th birthday (I am super duper close) and weigh 125 by the end of May (that’s my daughter’s birthday). Also, big decades are motivators, this being 2010. So my big reflective milestones every 5 years.

I failed to mention this to you at the beginning of the year, but you still have time to catch up. My first gift is for you to check out Darren Hardy’s blog at the Success blog (this is one of the links I share on the sidebar). He is literally giving away his Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life for FREE. I actually paid for this last year and it is the exact same material, with accompanying worksheets (downloaded PDF), for all who register for their blog feed. What I love about this idea is that it is like joining a massive Mastermind group. You can read and participate in the comments. With the written material, this interaction isn’t available. So how awesome is that?!

If you use Firefox, I do, you can use Add-ons. Here is the second part of my combined gift to you. Grab the add-on called “Read It Later.” I mentioned in an earlier article that I purchased the iTouch for my birthday. I love it and have a technique for utilizing it in your productivity. “Read It Later” can be downloaded as an App to your iTouch or iPhone, and it’s FREE.

I am able to save my Google Reader items that have some length to them and sync to read it later on my computer offline if I choose, but this isn’t where I really need it. If I’m sitting at my computer already, than I can read it. I need it for when I can use it productively away from my computer. Such as, commuting and you are not the driver, waiting in an office, standing in a lengthy line, etc. For me, I use it when I’m on the cycle at the gym.

Yesterday, for my one hour cycle workout, I listened to music in the background for the rhythm intensity to keep my legs pumping me into a sweat and read my Darren Hardy blog. “Read It Later” has you sync for offline. Here is my learning lesson for you after using it yesterday in my workout. You can sync for offline web and/or text viewing. I only had it on web viewing. It’s pretty, but small and on the iTouch you are not able to zoom. So, my suggestion would be to sync the text view for readability.

So with the combination of these various technology items, you can still be productive during your downtime when you don’t have access or it isn’t reasonable to have your computer in front of you. It is a great series and I promise you will get so much information, ideas, and motivation by reading it. You don’t have to sign up to view the blog, but you do to access the worksheets and the worksheets are a great supplement to the program. I highly suggest it. Darren also does videos, which were not a part of the written material purchased last year. So the program has really expanded with how he has incorporated this being a live participation model. Do not leave this site without checking it out.

I promise, you will love what he is doing with this program. Like me, I can’t afford the thousands of dollars it costs to go to week-long seminars, and I don’t have the time. This is like an online education/seminar for everyone who participates for FREE. I know there are some people who don’t tend to value information or things unless they have to pay for it, but I am telling you that it is the same thing and, to be honest, an expanded version of what you had to pay for just a year ago. So I appreciate Darren for offering this to so many people who can use it, but can’t afford to pay for something like this and who need it the most to acquire the skills, techniques, and tips that it takes to be successful.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Happy Birthday to me, and I wish you all great success.

I would love to hear from you if you decided to join and your thoughts on the program and any other ideas you have that make you productive and encourages your success. I also hope you find information here helpful, so please share with the people who could you positive things in their life. Also let me know how fantastic your Valentine’s Day is. I’m off to see my mom for Valentine’s Day and I texted my daughter to tell her she is my lovely Valentine’s girl. Did you tell your special people how amazing and appreciated they are today? Well… get to it!

With great love and affection to my Sparkle peeps.
-Layne

I attempt to lead a relatively simple and, to a certain degree, quite a minimalist lifestyle. Sometimes that makes me feel like a bit of an outsider at times. Not always going with the direction of what would be considered “normal” or necessarily mainstream. Not so much a follower of the population, but I do try to follow my heart, listen to my intuition, and keep my eyes open for “signs.” I don’t mean to sound metaphysical, just to express that, with all the craziness of trying to keep up, I make every effort to retain my perspective, the idea of who I am and want to be, and my sanity by not getting bogged down by all the activity that takes place around me that can steer me off of who I inherently am inside or question the greatness that is within me and provoke me to act in a way that is against my best judgment or call into question my morals and values of what I believe is right. Living my life with integrity that represents the core of who I am, the contribution that I make with the people I interact with each day, and the appreciation I receive when I am authentic.

What You Already Know

There are things that you already know about yourself. What you like, what you don’t like. Do you find when you do something that you already know you don’t like, you find yourself disappointed? I do. So why do we keep doing it? Is it thinking that there will be a different outcome? Or that the situation deserves another chance? I love trying new things, new foods, new styles, new destinations, meeting new people. That’s different. When you continue to do things that you know doesn’t work for you, what does it take to make you clear your closet of that and replace with something that doesn’t work for you with something new that may be even better.

Moments of Epiphany

It dawned on me that I don’t look good in grey. I love black and white, those are always my classic colors, but grey completely washes me out and makes me look and feel drab. I know I have a pair of grey pants, so why do I keep them? To reduce the clutter in my life for what doesn’t work for me it is time to get rid of the grey in my life. I also have a wide array of lipstick colors, but there is only one that I always “want” to wear, because no matter what I wear it always looks great. I do have a second color that adds a little punch, and I stroke a bit of my favorite over the top of that. I can also wear just about any gloss over the top of my favorite and it looks fabulous. So why do I hold onto the rest of the colors? I keep thinking if I wear pink, the pink lipstick would look good; or I would wear red during the Christmas holidays, but when I do, I don’t think it is my best color. What I should do is toss all the lipsticks that are taking up space and stick with my “classic” and splurge every once in a while on a fun gloss to mix things up. I’ve also come to realize that black eyeliner is just too much for me and the browns always make my blue eyes that much more bluer. The solution… get rid of the colors that don’t make me feel good, get colors that do make me feel good, and try some new colors that just might make me feel good.

You Have So Many Choices

I loved working in law, I also loved working in engineering. I find both industries to be dynamic, interesting, intellectual, and challenging. I’ve worked in other industries and find them rather boring in comparison. So why haven’t I focused on finding more work that is in line with law or engineering? I guess I never took the time to realize some of the specifics about what I love about being a executive professional other than being really good at getting things done and how to get things done. Still, the industry in which you work can provide passion in the details of what you are doing and why.

Create a List of You

I’ve written in the past about making a list of what you want to accomplish and listing what you need to do to get there. But, I never suggested, starting your list of assessing who you are and what you already know you love or what makes you feel good. If you use this as a starting point, you are able to hone in on what activities or goals are really a perfect match for you, instead of chasing after what you think you should be doing. You will avoid a lot of wasted time and disappointment by going after things that really make your spirit sing. I don’t regret working in the various different industries. After all, that is what helped me discover more clearly what I do love in the work I do. I can also expand on the skills I provide because I have become more conscious of what I naturally have a knack for, what I struggle with, or what I’m really not very good at.

Make It Work For You

I work out at the gym five or six days a week. There are times when I can’t wait to get into the gym that day and am actually looking forward to it. Other days, I have to literally drag myself to the gym, but once I get there, I am full steam and motivated. I didn’t think I would like the elliptical, but found it to be less stressful on my knees and, after a while, now find myself enjoying it as I get into the rhythm of the music for the pace that makes me feel pumped up. I didn’t think I would enjoy the cycle because I am sitting down, I think I could be accomplishing much more aerobically by doing something else. Now I find the cycle almost meditative, I’m able to decompress on the cycle and even watch a movie, and still break a sweat. I also spend an hour on the elliptical and a half-hour on the cycle to offset my thinking that I am not pushing myself like I should. I tend to feel intimidated by weights, but have found that I can get through them very quickly and find myself already done. So I have found ways that make my workouts enjoyable, makes me look forward to going in each day, and feel like I’m missing out when I don’t go. The pros: I feel more fit, my weight is more manageable, and I’m reaching health goals. The cons: being early in the year, the gym is sometimes pretty crowded and it is almost like “Where is Waldo?” when looking for a piece of equipment. I don’t care for crowded locations to a certain degree and would prefer a lighter amount of traffic that makes me feel like there is more air and space flow that surrounds me. So I go as late as possible without getting out of the gym at midnight when I have to get up early in the morning.

Just Do It!

By eliminating what doesn’t work for you and replacing it with the things that do, you create more balance in your life. Believe it or not, many times it is the “things” in our life that we don’t let go of, knowing that it isn’t right for us, that clutters our minds and our life. By removing these things, you allow better things to come into your life, whether you know it or not. And you become more particular and more focused on what you already know works for you to allow them in. This includes friendships and relationships. You and I are sometimes the very people who set up our own roadblocks by letting the unimportant take up space in our lives. We allow it take up residence in our psyche thinking we have a reason for letting it be there.

Don’t! Get rid of what is unnecessary. Make room for what makes you feel good. There are some things that you just can’t change at this very moment, but you can make a concerted effort to step away for a moment to clear your mind space and come back centered and focused. Sometimes you may just need to let what is going on around you just sort of flow past you. To let the energy around the activity sort of pass by with very little reaction from you. To just not take that day so seriously. And, sometimes, to just take a personal day and step away to shake off and let some of the intensive energy settle in order to get back in, hopefully with your perspective, your energy, and your authentic self to reemerge.

Thank You

We are continually on a journey of self-discovery. Find appreciation in the things that make you remarkable; find appreciation in the remarkable things around you; find appreciation in the little things that come your way; find appreciation in the challenges that you take on and overcome along the way that make you stronger, wiser, and more patient.

Find the Grace of God in each day, whenever you can.

If you find this article helpful, pass it on to someone who can use a boost.  If you know someone who always seems overwhelmed or a bit harried in life taking over, this article might remind them of their value and the importance of taking the time to appreciate themselves.  And, if you liked this article and it really kind of hits home with you, leave a comment and let me know.  I would love to hear from you and hear about what keeps you authentic.  And thank you for stopping by to visit with me.

The internet provides some great resources to learn basic to advanced skills in various programs. If you haven’t figured me out, I love books and find them to be a great resource in learning new skills, but must admit that it is nice to have the visual on “how-to” do something.  Here is a list of resources to check out various software tutorials.

Excel

Excel appears to have the most dedicated video tutorials on the web. Here are some suggested resources that have a nice selection of tutorials.

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ExcelIsFun
Name: Mike Gel Girvin
Website: http://flightline.highline.edu/mgirvin/excelisfun.htm
Pros:
1,025 Videos to select from.
8,265 Subscribers
Has a large collection of “Playlists” making it easier to learn a set or series that are related.
You can download the workbook files used in the video.
Very current information and new videos appear to be uploaded several times a week.
Basic to Advanced.
Speaks clearly and provides explanations.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bjele123
Name: Bill
Website: http://www.mrexcel.com/
Pros:
808 Videos
440 Subscribers
I remember this guy from three years ago, so he has been posting excel videos for a while. This is my favorite guy. He brings a lot of personality to it, speaks clearly, and provides great explanation.
Uses the “Playlists” feature. Pretty extensive and allows you to group your training on a related subject.
Very current information and new videos appear to be uploaded several times a week.
Basic to Advanced.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ExcelisHell
Name: None.
Website: http://www.teachexcel.com/
Pros:
184 Videos
345 Subscribers
Has a nice collection of “Playlists” making it easier to learn a set or series that are related.
Very current information and new videos appear to be uploaded several times a week.
You can download the workbook files used in the video.
Basic to Advanced.
Speaks clearly and provides explanations.

http://www.youtube.com/user/DannyRocksExcels
Name: Danny
Website: http://www.thecompanyrocks.com/
Pros:
71 Videos
267 Subscribers
Uses the “Playlists” feature. Not a large collection, but still a feature that makes it easier to group your training.
Basic to Advanced.
Speaks clearly.
On his website you can view video tutorials on PowerPoint. It appears that he is putting together a Word video tutorials page, so I’m sure that is to come.
Cons:
Upload of new videos is a bit random.

Various Software

Websites:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/
http://cbt.brainstorminc.com/microsoft/
http://www.lynda.com/
http://h30187.www3.hp.com/

Assessment Testing:

http://www.brainbench.com/
You must sign up for this website to access its features.
There are free assessment tests available.

If you are anything like me, you have your RSS reader filled with great information that seems impossible to get through on a day-to-day basis. I love to comment on the great information and suggestions that are provided out there and flag information that I would like to be able to access later.

I have gotten better about getting through my RSS reader and scanning quickly through some information, but others have a little bit more meat to them and take time to get through. Between the RSS information from some great websites that I like to keep up with, magazines, and books that I like to go through, that is a lot of reading in only so much available time.

Spreeder.com is a great way for me to get through my online reading quickly. I just paste the information in and “go.” I see it as a great flashcard idea if you are taking college courses and have a lot of terminology that you need to get through in preparing for tests. As long as you have the information already typed into your computer, you can paste it into the Spreeder and cycle through the information over and over at a faster rate.

Now if you are looking to get through information that is not readily available on your computer to paste into Spreeder, such as your magazines, books, and journals information, I suggest you take a look at this article at The Art of Manliness.

Obviously, like any other skill that you are looking to improve on, the more you read, the more you learn, and the better you get at it. I hope you find this information as helpful as I have. Let me know what you think and don’t forget to show your love to The Art of Manliness while you’re at it.

This is a recommendation post. You have got to check out and sign up for this at Typeracer.com. This is the coolest thing online for working on your typing skills.

A little bit about it. You can do “practice” sets and you can compete with other online people or your friends. It displays your skill level, average speed, and races completed. You are able to view your own scores, as well as the fastest typists. You can race against anywhere from one to four or five other typists and watch all the typists progression and where you are in that race. The program also sets you up to race with typists that are around the same level as you so you don’t feel either completely humiliated with defeat or not challenged.

Generally when I’m working on accuracy and speed drills, I use a program called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. It has games, tests, and a great graphical interface. It’s a fun way to work on and improve your typing skills. This one I suggest for getting the nitty-gritty, basic to advanced, practice to getting better at your typing.

What I love about Typeracer.com is it’s fun to compete against others. A little bit of my competitive nature coming out with this suggestion. I’m amazed at some of the speed skills that are out there. And I think I’m pretty good, so it definitely humbled me a bit.

You don’t have to sign up to use the website and compete, but would definitely encourage you to if you want to compete with friends and track how you’re doing.

Have fun and let me know what you think!