A New Year – 2012
Exciting isn’t it? Well, it should be. With a new year comes surprises, adventure, challenges, dreams, change, and lessons to be learned. Some will rollover from the old year and many new to come.
Surprisingly, in the last month of 2011 over the course of a week, I got married, quit my job, moved, and found out I have cancer. Wow! A lot to process for the upcoming year. I will make mistakes along the way, learn my strengths and weaknesses, patience and love, and find out what I’m made of along the way. I wonder if I can do it all. With the love and support of friends and family, I will navigate my way through whatever comes my way.
I believe with every challenge comes opportunity, tests your resilience, and helps you to grow into a better person.
I wish for all the people who come to Administrative Sparkle a wonderful year of opportunity, love, and success. I hope to bring you many engaging articles, fun and interesting tips, and just some good reading to inspire you as the great administrative professional I know you to be.
With great love, Happy New Year!
I can’t believe we are starting another year already. It’s New Year’s Eve! Sometimes it seems like it went by so fast! Are you ready? Have you made plans on where and who you are going to open up the year with?
My Las Vegas trip was fun. I was amazed at how much has changed and grown in just the last three years since I last visited. Hasn’t there been a recession over the past three years or is it just me? Cosmopolitan opened on Monday, the day before I got there and that was interesting to go see. There was another place that was new called Aria. That place has the most stunning fountain with a waterfall wall that takes up the front facing of the casino. Aside from Belagio’s amazing fountain display, check out Aria. Very nice. I would love to be able to go once a year, but would prefer the warmer weather so I can get some pool time in. December is a bit cold and it even rained.
Christmas was good, except for the rain. The negative for me is all the sweets and chocolates and sugars and cakes that were the constant in the office. I cannot stay away! I must have gained ten pounds in two weeks! Holidays are officially over, so I will need to get back on track with healthy eating and exercise and lose a scant 20 pounds! Hey, it can’t be that hard, right?! CRAP!
The new year looks promising with the economy gradually getting back its legs. It will be interesting to see how Administrative Sparkle evolves over the year.
The Website Itself.
Which brings me to a couple of things that I have been doing with the website. As you know, I have a tendency to change up the look and/or layout. Still, I like to keep it clean and easy to navigate. The theme I am using, by Aquoid called Suffusion, gives me a lot more flexibility than what I am used to and am still figuring it out. But, I love the simplicity of the look and have been gradually learning all that is involved with it.
I have recently incorporated two columns on the right sidebar. You will find similar information side-by-side that will help you find information easily, without having to scroll down the entire website so much.
I’m thinking about a sparkly header or making the title sparkly (if I can figure out how to do that). Let me know what you think about any of the changes. Don’t worry, I’m not getting crazy, just getting creative and looking for ways to make Administrative Sparkle a pleasant place to drop by. Can I get a “whoop-whoop?”
In identifying where my readers are coming from, it’s amazing to see you coming from all over the world and in different languages other than English. So I have added a translator at the top right hand sidebar. I’m attempting to learn Spanish this year and embrace all languages, so join in.
Oh, and lest I forget, Administrative Sparkle is now Android and iPhone friendly. So feel free to check it out when your commuting on the train, bus, or just looking for distraction while waiting in line.
Each day is organized around a topic. It allows me to write about different subjects, which keeps the general theme of this website focused, and encourages my creativity. So the layout of topics for the week have been the following:
Inspiration Monday: Inspire you for the week.
Techie Tuesday: Covering Word 2007 at the moment.
Office Chic Wednesday: Your look in the office.
Office Skills Thursday: Covering Excel 2007 at the moment.
Success Wrap-Up Friday: Wrapping up the week
Referral Saturday: This is new and will offer write-ups on websites that you may find useful.
This is actually quite a load for something that is aside from the 40-hour job in the office. Yes, I spend my days in the office like most of you to pay the bills. This is for fun and I love the collaboration and friendships that are developing over the course of writing Administrative Sparkle.
I encourage you to drop me a line any time and thank you for the encouraging and insightful emails. Also, let me know what you think about the website; suggestions, thoughts, ideas.
If you haven’t been following me on Twitter or Facebook, be sure to click on the Follow links located all the way to the right of your computer screen. I am attempting to get more adept at the social networking tools and created a Facebook Fan Page that allows you to get involved in discussions and share photos. Would love to see photos of your favorite Office Chic ensemble or a picture of your office, desk, or cubicle. I know, I should post my little pod on there for you.
So before this gets too elaborative, I would like to wish you all a wonderful New Year’s celebration. Keep it safe, have fun, and join me in 2011 to see where Administrative Sparkle takes us. Are we excited for 2011? I know I am, I get to play with you!
Spark On!
As the New Year speedily approaches at this point, I looked back on the passing year of the things I could quickly access in my brain that I thought were to be advancements and progress. I didn’t want to feel like my year had passed by and I was in the same place as last year. How dreadful to go through a whole year of time and to not have a scrapbook in my head of pleasant memories.
I am thrilled to report, I was able to conjure up quite a few moments of which I am very proud of, that took me further into satisfaction of successes, and continue to create simplicity and joys in my life. Even when I have not accomplished other goals I would have liked.
So this coming year I have decided upon a theme. Living a “charmed” life.
The first thing to do in creating my ultimately charmed life is to acknowledge and appreciate the fantasticness in experiences in this moment, what is charmed about it now. The tragedy of someone is the individual who does not believe that there is anything in their life today that is good and who does not see good things coming his/her way every day.
Where have you come from? What qualities does your heritage and culture make you the person you are? What are you good at? What are you really good at? What are you proud of? What can you do? What have you seen? Whom have you helped? What great people have chosen to be your friends, your mate, your children? All of these things are your assets, your personal collateral.
What are your days like now? How much time, effort, and attention do you put into succeeding in the things that matter to you most: well-nurtured relationships, well-chosen experiences, and well-tended aspirations? In each given day, do you conduct your activities with intention?
Just the act of eating should be done with purpose and intention. Cooking your food with care, selecting food that is free from pesticides and drugs, food that contributes to good health, food that is filled with nutrients and prepared with joy in the process. Do you present your meal on beautiful plates on a table that is clean with beautiful flowers in a vase of water.
Are you creating extraordinary experiences out of the ordinary? Are you living your moments with purpose and intention in each experience presented to you?
Make time for doing the things that are important to you by eliminating those things that aren’t. You will start finding fortunate accidents surround you all the time.
Some of the things I already do with purpose and intention each day are:
- A beautiful dinner prepared and presented just the way I detailed earlier.
- My morning coffee. I pick out a wonderfully aromatic blend of premium coffee from the grocery store. Each morning I grind my beans so they are brewed at their peak. When the coffee is done, I pour one of a selection of creams. My latest favorite is a cream called Chocolate Mudslide.
- Before leaving for work I eat oatmeal with a bit of Truvia and brown sugar, along with my luscious cup of coffee. I then bring along my portable coffee mug filled with my yummy coffee and a salad prepared for lunch, as well as a piece of fruit for my mid-day snack.
- I give myself an at-home manicure every weekend.
- I take beautiful baths and give myself a facial a couple of times a week in the evening. It’s especially nice when the weather is so cold outside.
- Sometimes I make a point of lighting the candles and turning out all the lights to watch a movie on my big screen tv. Feels like I’m in the theater, but I get to recline in an insanely comfortable leather chair and drink a glass of wine.
- I have Monday movie night with my sister. Once a week we get to talk and laugh and catch up.
All of these things are pennies to the dollar if I were to go out. The experiences are richer, the food more delicious, relationships are nurtured, and my peace of mind and finances are left intact.
Part of the art of leading a charmed life is having big dreams, embracing the opportunities presented to you, and taking your journey through life with flair and fearlessness.
Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. -William James
In Conclusion
Live every day on purpose. Everything doesn’t just happen, you get to be a part of it. Make it the best part possible, not only for yourself, but for those in it with you. Focus on the greatness that is presented to you to create something out of what could be a fleeting year closing in. Your entrance into any given event is your chance to shine and make an impact. Will it be good or will you be standing on the sidelines? Take more chances. Be not afraid!
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
This is a great time to make some really amazing goals and dreams. It is the beginning of a new decade, 2010. We get to not only plan for the new year, but how about planning for the next ten years. Some goals take more time, the really big ones, to achieve. This is the perfect opportunity to break goals down to the year, over the next three years, the next five years, and to the next decade.
We are at that time of year when so much is going on. Preparing to spend time with family and/or friends over a meal giving thanks for the year that has come and gone, then time with family and/or friends to exchange well-thought gifts, and then a new year is quickly upon us. Spending the last couple of months thinking about and doing things for others. New Year’s is your time. Time to celebrate you and what you’re going to do to make your mark, that leap, those changes.
During November and December, I look back on the year to remember what I have done, the people I have met, what I have accomplished, and what I haven’t accomplished. It’s a time to evaluate or re-evaluate what is important to me, what I want, and the people I share my life and time with. Asking myself:
- What people and things came into my life that I appreciate that were unplanned?
- What people and things came into my life that I appreciate that were planned?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my health/fitness?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my career?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my relationships?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my free time/recreation time?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my community?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my finances?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my home/family?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my education?
- What did I achieve and what would I like to achieve with my personal area/social life/networking?
- The first thing to do is write out how you see yourself in ten years. Write it as a story. It really does put you in the picture. Use all your senses. What do you smell, taste, feel (physically and in your heart), hear, and see. Make it vibrant and interactive, involving the people you want in your story with you.
- With the amazing life you see yourself at in ten years, write down everything you can think of without filtering in five minutes. It could be a list of 25, 50, or 100.
- Then take each item and indicate a number 1, 3, 5, and 10, indicating years that you see yourself achieving it.
- Then in each timeframe, 1, 3, 5, and 10, pick your top 3. Or, pick one thing for each part of your life; health/fitness, career, relationships, free time/recreation time, community, finances, home/family, education, and personal area/social life/networking.
That’s the easy part.
- With your vision of perfection ten years from now, take the goals you have selected and work your way back. It’s about taking the end result and figuring out the steps it will take you to get to that goal.
- Break down each goal and list the resources and tasks it will take to accomplish the goal.
- Once you have researched what it takes to reach that goal, create benchmarks on your calendar of when you want to reach each goal. Don’t forget to assign the one task that you will do each day, week, or month that gets you closer to your nearest benchmark.
It sounds like a lot of work, but a well-thought out plan allows you to track your progress, and putting it on your calendar places it as an important task that must be done like any other important appointment.
What’s interesting about goals is that we can’t account for everything. Our goals may change along the way as circumstances in our life changes and evolves. We may find something that we like better or the goal may morph into something more. We may be faced with challenges that may alter the direction or timelines of our goals.
The point is, the better life that you create for yourself, the better you are able to be for those who are important to you. And the people in your life will change. Cherish those who support and encourage you, relieve yourself of those who discourage you. Everybody should have their Success Support Group or biggest fans.
Now is a great time to plan who you want to be in ten years. Start creating your own life now, don’t let other people determine who you are and what level of success you are able to achieve. Do them for yourself, that’s the only person that matters. We are all unique and gifted. What is important to me, would not be necessarily important to you. That doesn’t matter. Design your roadmap and make your dreams come true.
I’m cheering for you!
Goals are important. We all may believe we have goals or is it just wishful thinking? Goals are the ultimate destination, objectives are the actions we take to get there. Are you taking the necessary steps to get where you want or are you just managing what’s coming at you? Are you determining your destination or are you letting life and circumstances control you?
Goals have a roadmap. Here is your reminder of the steps that truly constitute a goal. Are you ready? Here we go.
- A goal must be demanding. Give yourself motivation to stretch yourself, to reach out of your comfort zone.
- A goal must be achievable. This is the other end of the spectrum. Be realistic in your quest. There is nothing more frustrating than a goal that causes you frustration and crushes your confidence. Each goal achieved can set you up for that unattainable goal or “pie in the sky.” I’m a personal believer in “reach for the stars, shoot for the moon.”
- A goal should be specific and measurable. This is where you don’t speak in vague generalizations. Elaborate with specifics that include the action it would take to achieve that goal. For example, “I will get at least a 3.8 GPA at the end of this semester” is general. Stating, “Spend at least one hour a night studying, join and participate in a study group, sit at the front of the class, and take notes in class” gives specific details and gives you guidance to your success.
- A goal must have a deadline. Establishing a deadline creates the sense of urgency and a method of tracking your progress.
- A goal should be agreed to by those who must achieve it. You want everyone “on board.” Everyone should feel a sense of ownership in the progress and ultimate success of the goal. Reaching for a goal can be frustrating when dealing with a “weak link.”
- A goal should be written down. Writing it down makes it real and permanent. If it is not written down, the statement and intention of the goal may morph. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who participated in the same event as you, but remembers it differently? Sometimes our mind has a way of remembering something a little altered over time. Write it down.
- A goal should be flexible. There are some things that are completely out of our control. Be flexible and don’t be so crazy hard on yourself. Some adjustments may be required along the way. On the one hand, to hold onto something that is no longer possible or may no longer apply to the overall scheme of what you are trying to achieve. On the other hand, don’t necessarily be too quick to lower your goal when negative circumstances seem to arise. You may need to make some adjustments, but there is always another way to get to the other side of a wall – not just through it. You may need to go at it from a different angle. When you are faced with a challenge, evaluate or re-evaluate to determine your next course of action, whether to continue to pursue, go at it differently, or it no longer applies.
As much as I love the “dreamer,” I have great respect for the dreamer who does things that move him in the direction of his dream. I may think “a little crazy,” but definitely worthy of respect.
I hope this inspires you to make a special goal today and wish you great success.
Also, please leave your comments if you find this helpful or would like to share that helps others who stumble upon this posting, and thank you so much for stopping by.
