Coach’m Up Boni: CT Style – WTNH.com

I’ll be describing a tool that has worked to keep my assignments and papers under control.

First of all, if you think that you can do everything over the weekend and be just as efficient as if you were splitting up tasks over the week, you’re mistaken.  You may jeopardize your grades.

In fact, by working long stretches of time over the weekend, you will become less efficient, more ineffective, and you will try to get stuff done just to get it done and not to get it done right. Sound familiar?

So what are you supposed to do and how do you save time on the weekends for family and household tasks?  By Chunking.

A chunk of time is a short span of time (like 15-30 mins) and can be found anywhere during the weekday, weekend, whenever.  Use chunks of time to do chunkable tasks.

Chunkable tasks are things that:

• take up only 15-30 minute blocks of time such as reading sections in your textbook that have already been subdivided for you;
• writing short sections for short papers and discussion boards;
• solving a few problems in a problem set when it doesn’t have to be done all at the same time.

Now, what does this leave for the weekends?

On the weekends you should do tasks that reward long uninterrupted spans of time.

Things like:

• reading information that has to be read all at once;
• project and problem solving that should be done in long spans of time;
• writing longer papers that require sustained effort.
• Meeting with your study groups to go over what you have accomplished during the work week.

In Summary to save your weekends:

1. Realize that you cannot do all of your work over the weekend.
2. Use the process of chunking to put more of your assignments into the work week.
3. And finally, reserve for the weekend those tasks that reward long and sustained effort.

PepsiCo Announces their Women 5G Network

I had a wonderful time at my first Blogher conference in NYC.  There were many great moments but one that stood out to me was attending PepsiCo’s “Sofa Summit” and the launch of their Women5G Network.

Only 30 bloggers were invited to this intimate breakfast to discuss women as leaders, and I was very excited to be one of them.

It was moderated by award winning journalist formerly of CNN and NBC Campbell Brown, and included three of PepsiCo’s female leaders, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Chief Marketing Officer, Gatorade; Julie Hamp, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, PepsiCo; and Dondeena Bradley, Vice President, Global Design and Development, Nutrition Ventures.

How cool was this?

A highlight of the conversation was having each woman discuss their path to success.  Some tokens of wisdom were:

Know your roles and responsibility in your career and home life.

Attend nontraditional conferences and find more niches for yourself.  Provide a broader platform of understanding.  (Meaning don’t sell yourself short or pigeon-hole yourself into one area.  Honor your passions.

Stay true to yourself and to your values.

Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.

When I heard Dondeena Bradley say that she reinvented herself many times, I was intrigued.  I couldn’t wait to ask a follow up question to her statement.  When I had the chance I raised my hand.  This was the best thing I did because I was only 1 of 4 women who were able to ask their question on camera due to time constraints.

My question was: “Dondeena, you touched upon the concept of reinventing yourself earlier.  I meet so many women who are afraid to do just that.  Can you give us your top 3 tips to help women overcome their fears?

Dondeena’s Answer:

Lean on your network: Dondeena wrote 10 letters to high level women in her company and other companies she worked with through the years.  She focused on what she admired about them and kept in touch on their career movements.  A woman from her network helped her land her current position at PepsiCo.

Create a community, so that women can network and reach out.  Focus on building relationships.

Listen and collect information in your area of expertise and distribute knowledge to others.  Be a resource.

Additionally, other pearls of wisdom given were:

Lead confidently: many times we create our own barriers around ourselves.

Be aware of the leadership around you.  Model their behavior, because change starts with you.

Speak up!  Say it in a way that doesn’t offend others but gets your point across.  Get your voice out there.

Adopt a “Who Cares” attitude and don’t be afraid to be provocative.

After the great Sofa Summit, a woman from PepsiCo’s PR firm approached me and asked if I would like to be interviewed on camera along with the PepsiCo leadership at their blogcast studio in the exhibit area.  Now ladies, let me give you a visual.  I was dressed in a t-shirt, flip-flops and no makeup.  I was dressed for schlepping through the conference, not to have an on-camera interview.  But you know what?  I said yes.  Always say yes.  Next thing I know, I’m on the 3^rd floor of the Hilton being placed on a beautiful white sofa with a PepsiCo leader on either side of me and getting makeup put on my face.  Ready for my close-up?  Not really, but I was so excited I didn’t care.  I put my game face on and did my interview as if I was wearing a $1000 suit and hot Louboutin heels.  It was a great opportunity and it taught me a lesson to always be prepared and feel my best because you never know what is going to happen next.

The inspiration for this blog post came when @MsLatina tweeted this post , so we could see her face and recognize her at Blogher 2010.  After her great profile shots she writes, “Because sometimes it’s all about ME!”  She is absolutely right; sometimes it has to be all about you.

Ladies, when you become as driven and passionate about yourself as you are for your children, spouses, friends, family members, co-workers . . . then you will become unstoppable at reaching your dreams and everyone around you will benefit.  You will inspire and motivate your circle by being a living example of true love.

For my fellow Believers, you were made in God’s image and loving yourself is a reflection of loving your God.  So take pictures of yourself like @MsLatina did, and shout out with a smile, “it’s all about me!”

2.  Don’t just list your job description and tasks in each job. Describe the goals and reasons you were hired and how you achieved them.

3.  Liz Ryan, workplace expert and in demand speaker says to avoid, “corporate speak” such as “results oriented individual”, “excellent communication skills” and other stock phrases and replace with a human voiced summary and résumé. It should read as if you are speaking to the recruiter. This is a world of difference from what we have been taught.

4.  Don’t be afraid to use “I” in your résumé summary. When describing your abilities in a particular industry or job family. Describe why you enjoyed the work and your long term career goals.

5.  Customize your résumé to the company you are applying to. Yes, this may take extra work on your end but it pays large dividends. Do your homework on the organization and describe the exact department you would like to be a part of.

6.  Include volunteer positions in which you held a leadership role or accomplished something significant. This is especially helpful if you have large time gaps in your résumé due to childrearing, economic layoffs, or switching careers.

7.  If you are successful at social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or others list them in their own social media section in your résumé. Highlight this area if you have found a lot of success. Feel free to include your blog if it relates to your career.

Update:  May 17, 2010 -  Here is a link to another great article by R. Slager on EHow on how to keep your résumé to 1 page. Check it out here, http://www.ehow.com/how_4481961_write-one-resume.html.

]]> http://coachmup.com/2010/05/resume-2-0-seven-ways-to-upgrade-your-resume/feed/ 9 http://coachmup.com/2010/02/9-weeks/ http://coachmup.com/2010/02/9-weeks/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:56:25 +0000 Coach'm Up Boni http://coachmup.com/?p=235

St. Thomas sunset

Here is a quick update on my workout plan for St. Thomas.  We have 9 weeks to go and I have lost 2.5 pounds and 2 inches off my waist.  I am very proud of myself and am motivated to keep it going.  My husband has lost 4 pounds and 3 inches.  He is looking better than ever!  I have been using Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred video and my hubby has been hitting the gym.  We both have been taking snacks with us during the day and eating more vegetables.  My secret weapon is “The Soup Girl”, a new company here in CT.

Besides having great personalities, they make delicious homemade soups and sell them from a soup truck, so they are right outside of my office door.    They also offer free delivery to the Greater New Haven Area.  It’s a great way to comfort yourself on these cold winter days and also get your vegetables!  Visit  them on www.thesoupgirl.com!

I’m excited for these next 9 weeks and look forward to posting new exciting results.

My husband and I have challenged ourselves to get healthier in 12 weeks. We have a caribbean wedding to go to in April and this is our motivation.   I have more pounds and  waist inches to melt away but we are both supporting each other on this quest.

We have yet to think of a reward for who loses the biggest percentage of weight loss but I’m sure it will be good.  Maybe he’ll mop the floors and do laundry for a month and I’ll get my nails done and a bigger shopping allowance.  Any reward suggestions for winning this challenge are welcome.

We will be weighing-in on Sundays and taking our measurements.  He has already been joining me for workouts and that helps me stick with them.  In the end, the biggest reward is a healthier body, but looking great in my jeans again won’t hurt.

I have been there.  For almost two years after my daughter was born, I focused solely on her, my husband, and my job.  I threw myself into the role of working mother and began comparing and judging my success based on my mother, grandmothers, and previous generations.

My mother and mother-in-law were both working moms who came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico in the ’60s.  After they got married and had children they continued to work, many times doing multiple jobs, outside of the home to help their hardworking husbands make ends meet.  They kept many Puerto Rican traditions of food, music, dance and family — including taking on all of the responsibility of work inside the home.  They did it all. Todo. Without one complaint or day off.

I looked up to these Superwomen and used them as my standard. I compared my cooking, cleaning, and childrearing to them.  Little did I know, they secretly were overworked, depressed, ignored their health and felt pressure to be perfect because of tradition.

For too long, I did the same thing. I didn’t think twice about where my next breath was coming from because I really didn’t appreciate that each breath is a gift.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

To change things for myself, I started to think about what my family and I truly deserve.  Shifting my logic helped me kick into gear a healthier lifestyle.

I acknowledge that my body has not been pushed to its fullest potential with exercise and that I have not made sure that it rests.  Like a neglected child, I have not spent time loving my body. I never saw exercise and rest as serving my family when it actually does.

My daughter deserves an energetic and happy mother. I really notice a difference when I play with my daughter after taking some time for myself and find that I am more focused, energetic and loving towards her.  Because my needs are met, I am in a better position to meet hers.

My husband deserves a fun, happy, sexy wife. I am more loving towards him after I had been more loving towards myself.

I deserve to show myself off and be proud of who I am.

I want to project a positive self-image to other women and girls.

It’s time to come out of my shell and declare that I am a strong, energetic, beautiful and amazing woman.

I am strength

I am love

I am me

So are you.

There was a need for a durable, portable, cool looking, organizer for mothers.  Driven by the lack of a solution and one year of extensive research later, momAgenda^® was born.  The first run of products sold out within three days to 120 stores.  At that moment, Nina knew she had struck a chord with women all over the country who had the same desire to bring some order to their hectic lives.

This product is exactly what I was looking for to organize my household.  It is designed to keep track of mom’s activities and up to four children and it features weekly and monthly views to make it easy to plan ahead.  A complement to a mother’s style, they come in various fun colors such as Amethyst, Tickled Pink, Caribbean Sea, Sterling Silver, and Mochaccino.  No need for rushing around last minute, you now have a tool at your side.  You will always know what you have to do next and never miss an appointment, play date, school activity, or party again.

Check out the momAgenda website to find the product that fits your life.  You will find a vast range of organizational products, many inspired by its loyal devotees.  Nina gets immense joy out of helping the pieces of everyone’s personal puzzle – family, career, home and social life – come together.  For a limited time receive free shipping on your orders, click momAgenda for details.

Mornings can be rather hectic for me and my daughter Luna Taina. It usually ends up with one of us melting down, just as we start our day. As I proceeded to think about how to make the mornings more relaxing and happy for her, I discovered solutions that produced calm in me as well. As a working mom, I found that I had my own inner toddler who needed soothing. Following these 5 strategies will bring comfort, energy and order to your mornings.

• Prepare the night before. Do as much preparation as you can the night before so there is no scrambling in the morning. I found myself so stressed out trying to remember everything I needed to do like: prepare the diaper bag, grab lunch and snacks, bring toys, prepare my work items and finally choose what Luna and I were going to wear that day. You may think this sounds like a no-brainer but when you are tired at the end of the day, and you finally lay your child in the crib to sleep, the last thing you want to do is prepare for the next day.

o  To help, I started preparing as soon as I got home. I have a dry/erase board in my kitchen so when I get  home I go through the diaper bag to see what items/food/clothing need to be replenished and I write them on the board, along with any items I need. I use this list when preparing our bags while she is playing or eating.

o  Toddlers allow for some freedom because they are mobile (less carrying) and they like to help. Have your toddler help you place items in their diaper bag and choose her clothes for the next day. Lay out a complete outfit for you as well.

o  Place the diaper bag, toys for daycare/babysitter, your work items, and your keys ready by the door.

• Unwind with a nice warm bath. After your toddler falls asleep, it’s your turn to take a relaxing bath. Bring out your bubbles, bath beads, and light candles if you have them. You’ll be amazed at how doing this will quickly calm your mood.

• Cuddle. You cuddle with your toddler often but seldom with yourself. After they are asleep and you have had your bath, it’s your turn. Cuddle up with a good book, cup of decaf tea, music, or your favorite TV program. Add some self-care to your evenings; you deserve it.

• Get enough sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep. I find we both are cranky and emotionally sensitive when we have not had enough sleep. Your toddler should be getting 12-14 hours a day and you should be getting 6-8 hours. Make it a priority.

• Create a morning routine. Just like my toddler, I get upset when I don’t know what is coming next. I end up randomly reacting (mostly emotionally) to circumstances.

o  Plan out how your morning will run. Is it easier to have your child fed, dressed, and ready first and then you get ready or vice versa? Sometimes this means you waking up a few hours earlier so you can take your time getting ready and be finished just as they are waking up. Whatever routine you choose, be consistent. You should both know what is going to happen next. Finally, because you have prepared your items the night before, your routine should run smoothly.