Sunny Surprise in Florida
Although my job sometimes has its challenges (see: only sleeping in my own bed two nights a week), there are some definite perks as well. One of my favorite is our "in lieu of travel" policy. Basically, since my company expects to fly me from home to Dallas every week anyway, I am allowed to fly somewhere else instead for the weekend, as long as the price of the flight is the same or cheaper. (The only catch is that the price of the flight is then treated as taxable income, so I pay about $100 out of pocket when I use this privilege.) Still, $100 is a small price to pay for getting to travel! I can be pretty frugal about some things, but I value travel very highly and that's what I spend most of my discretionary income on. This weekend, I needed to be in Dallas on Saturday afternoon. However, I didn't have any plans after 4pm Saturday, and since I'm trying to spend as many weekends as possible in Denver so that I can really settle into my new home, I decided to combine two away-from-home things into one weekend - and I hopped on a 5:30pm flight to Florida. Specifically, to Palm Beach, where one of my best friends from college lives. I hadn't seen Kelli since we met up in … [Continue reading]
Links I Love: April 13
Want to stay in bed longer? Here’s what I’ve been loving, laughing, and getting intrigued by all week long. Now cozy up with your laptop/iPad and enjoy :) CAREER Why Fostering a Culture of Compassion in the Workplace Matters. (Hotel News Now) Is Girl Speak Holding You Back? (Elle Magazine) "Equal Pay Day" was celebrated this week, so I read a lot of interesting articles on the topic: Former Bank Executive: Women, Ask For A Raise! (NPR), Why Women Don't Ask For More Money (NPR), Moving Past Gender Barriers to Negotiate a Raise. (New York Times) How to Balance Your Life as a 20-Something Professional. (Under 30 CEO) Great podcast on what it means to be a manager. (Quick and Dirty Tips) Brilliant: A Simple Exercise Every Manager Should Do. (Levo League) Are your employee friendships getting in the way? (Peter Bregman) PRODUCTIVITY/SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY How To Motivate People – 4 Steps Backed By Science. (Barking Up the Wrong Tree) You’re Not As Busy As You Say You Are. (Slate) How To Leave Work At 5 P.M. And Still Get Everything Done. (Forbes) 3 To-Do List Mistakes (and how to fix ‘em!). (A Life Less BS) No Work Emails After 6pm? No One Wants … [Continue reading]
Apps I Love: LastPass
I am by no means an expert on internet security. However, I do feel confident that I know more about the topic than my delightfully un-tech-savvy mother. Here's an example of a GChat conversation we had when she first learned about the "In Case of Emergency" feature on her phone. Mom: Wow, I don't have in case of er set up. Guess I should me: it was an option right on my phone; not sure if it's on yours Mom: yes, I just set a note on Personnel Info under In case of emergency to call me me: um, that's not what it means me: you are supposed to put someone ELSE me: so if you have an accident, someone grabs your phone and knows who to call Mom: right I put my name and said to call (her cell phone number) if found. Mom: so they call someone else? how would they know my name? Mom: no sense putting my home phone cuz it doesn't work...I got to do something about that me: I don't think you need to worry about your landline, since no one else has landlines, but for now let's focus on this. me: I would like you to understand this concept: me: in an emergency, when they find you and pick up your phone, you are already right there me: they want to call someone ELSE who can take … [Continue reading]
It’s Princess Night!
Instead of flying home to Denver tonight, I'm sticking around Dallas. However, as this week progressed, I realized that I didn't yet have any plans for tonight. Rather than trying to find another poor planner who wasn't booked in advance, I decided it was high time that tonight I do something that I always try to do but never actually end up doing. It's Princess Night! When was the last time you took a night to do whatever you wanted, without feeling guilty about doing so? (That last part is key... I'm certainly not trying to say I never have fun, but when I do something purely for pleasure, there is that little voice in the back of my head reminding me of all the other things that I should be doing.) There are never enough hours in the day, and whenever I do have free time, I either immediately fill it with something from my to-do list, or I feel guilty that I'm "wasting" that time instead of getting things done. But there is nothing wasted about recharging your batteries, both physically and emotionally! And this is where the concept of "Princess Night" came from. You block off a night from all other obligations, and instead of using it to get more work done, see … [Continue reading]
