Technology used to benefit our self care can make a huge difference in how we organize and plan.

1 1/2 years ago when I changed from carrying a separate cell phone and palm pilot to ONE Palm Treo that served both for me, it was the best thing I could have done! I had always utilized various systems to help me organize - Franklin Covey, Day Planners, the Palm Pilot – but the Palm Treo helped me take it one step further and really helped me be more efficient throughout my week.

The fact that I have all my contacts in one place makes it easier to update/revise and/or access my contact information. It was cumbersome to maintain when I had three separate places for my contacts: my pda, my cell phone AND my contact software on my laptop. Now it’s all in once spot, saving me time, energy and sweat! With the extra time, I do a little more yoga or walk my dog.

TAKE ACTION! CHALLENGE:
Life does not have to be hard work. Instead of working hard to maintain technology, let technology work hard for you.
How can you improve your daily “system” to incorporate technology for you to enhance your life, to “upgrade” life?

Another example would be my coffee maker. I purposely bought a coffee maker with the brew timer. It’s easier for me to set up the coffee the night before and have fresh brewed coffee ready for me in the morning when I wake up! Now I just have to get someone to bring it to me in bed. . .

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

I’m rounding out the month’s “Tips for Vacation” with some ideas for inexpensive, fun activities. Whether you’re traveling alone or with a family, vacation activities often can be costly. Here are some things you can do that are easy, fun and inexpensive!

1. Museums and Cultural Events. Most cities have a museum or host cultural events throughout the year. These are fairly inexpensive to get in and can entertain you for the whole day! My recommendation is to pack a light lunch so you do not have to spend money on the food and drink, which could get expensive here as well.

2. Go outdoors! Look for public parks in the area – even if you’re in an urban setting, you will find parks for picnicking, hiking, fishing and even camping! These are inexpensive activities fun for the whole family!

3. Go indoors! With Game Day! I remember a trip to Costa Rica with my husband, we were rained out of the surf, so we spent a couple days inside with our beer, cards and board games. It was so much fun! If you’re with a group of people, try an “Olympics” with the different games you have access to. A little healthy competition livens things up!

Hope the tips throughout the last weeks have helped with your vacation planning. Maybe it’s even inspired you to plan your NEXT vacation! For right now, however,. . .
What ideas do you have for some fun, inexpensive vacation activities?

Next month, look out for me featured in the Compass MAP(TM), “Taking Care of Self.” In it, I will lead you through some ways to achieving better balance, improved health and happiness! This is definitely a Self Care program you do NOT want to miss!

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: inexpensive activities, travel, vacation, museums, outdoor activities, indoor activities, family vacations, travel tips

A friend, who also happens to be a mortgage specialist, sent me her newsletter with some great information, “How to Select a Pet Sitter.” I believe the original information came from a site called RISMedia which has various information for professionals in the Real Estate industry.

This information was very pertinent to me because I have a dog and a bird and when I go away for more than a few days at a time, I’d like to make sure they have someone reliable to care for them. They’re a part of the family and I want to make sure that they not only get their food and water, but they get the playful attention and exercise they need.

Here are the 10 steps they mention (in summary):

1. Ask friends, neighbors and family for suggestions. Sometimes a reliable and trustworthy sitter is right under your nose.

2. Ask local professionals such as pet-groomers, veterinarians and pet clubs. They are a great source of information.

3. Ask other professionals you hire, such as a housekeeper or landscaper. They may know someone OR they may be willing to do some side work and take care of your pet while you’re away. If your pet already has a good relationship with this person, it’s an added bonus!

4. Follow Up Recommendations. Word of mouth recommendations often indicate that the Pet Sitter is good, so follow up on others’ referrals.

5. Interview your potential pet-sitter and keep an eye on how they interact with your pet(s). These first signs can be a vital sign to you as to how they treat your pet while you are away.

6. Observe YOUR pet(s) reactions to the potential pet-sitter. Is your pet happy? Agitated? Angry? Calm? Skittish?

7. Ask questions. You deserve to know the level of expertise and experience of your pet-sitter. Some sample questions include: Have you done pet-sitting before? For what type of pets? Do you have other pets you are currently sitting? Do you have a set time for visiting pets that you care for? How long do you spend? Do you understand the dietary requirements of my pet(s)?

8. Ask for references. Contact or meet their references if possible.

9. Test your own feelings. Did YOU feel good with the sitter? Do you feel you can trust this person with your pet? Trust your instincts. If you are not pleased, keep looking.

10. Agree on a fair price. This is not the time to haggle. Be aware of the going rate for pet-sitting in your area and be prepared to pay it. Some may charge more for quality care, but in return, you can ask for a written confirmation of obligations the pet-sitter must meet.

Once you’ve found your pet-sitter and you feel confident, before you leave, prepare a checklist of daily tasks that the pet-sitter can check off each visit. This will help ensure they remember each step, particularly if there is medication or special dietary requirement involved.

Hope that helps with your search.
If you have some other tips to find pet-sitters, let us know. Simply comment on this blog to share.

Next week, I’ll share “Tips to Save Money on Vacation”

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: finding pet-sitter, taking care of pet, vacation, tips for travel, resource, information

July 2, 2008 Show:
“Talk Story with SCORE” Where We Support Akamai Business.
Maui’s ONLY monthly radio show that offers an informative half hour of business information and resources in the state of Hawaii focusing on the county of Maui. Hear business advice and shared experiences from local business resources, SCORE counselors, and business owners who have successfully started a business with the help of SCORE.

July 2, 2008
Host: Susan Kim, SCORE counselor and Life Coach/Professional Trainer
Guests: David Fisher of Hawaii Small Business Development Center

Click on “Audio Programs” to hear the previous months’ shows.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
At least for those of us who live in the United States and celebrate this holiday. Other than the freedoms and the patriotic feelings I get as a proud American, I also think of summer, sunshine, BBQ’s and VACATION!

Last year I wrote an article, “Get Lost - Vacationing with Intention“about the importance of intention and getting the most out of your vacation. I still consider this relevant and encourage you to check out that article to put you in the right mindset for your time off.

However, this month I’m going to focus on various vacation tips I want to share with you so you can prepare, plan and make your vacation as painless and pleasurable as possible.

In the coming weeks, you can learn about:
Tips to Finding a Pet Sitter
Tips to Save Money on Vacation
Tips to Inexpensive Activities

Come back throughout the month and visit to get the most recent Tips update.

Today, however, I’ll share how I prepare for my vacations. The first step for me is to create a checklist of: (1) what I need to do NOW, before I go, (2) what I want to do DURING the trip and (3) what needs to be taken care of while I’m away. This gives me an opportunity to organize my thoughts and even dream a little about my vacation.

(When I was planning for my New Zealand trip, it gave me a chance each evening to do a little online research about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see. That was a fun process!)

TAKE ACTION TOOL!
Here are some steps to organize and prepare for your trip.
A. List out the To-Do’s that are on your mind and everything you need to plan your time.
B. Separate them into 4 categories:

(1) VACATION :
Things you want to do during your time away - sight-seeing, restaurants, tours, etc.
My recommendation is to keep the whole list, but prioritize the activities and make sure you plan your top #1 and #2 activities. In the long run, it will also help you on your vacation because you will have already decided what is important to you to do. Include your whole family on this exercise so you’re all on the same page.

(2) PACKING:
Everything that you ABSOLUTELY need on the trip.
Remember, most places that you’re traveling to will have things like shampoo and conditioner, which can add weight to your luggage (which you might have to pay for now!). My recommendation is to pack light, leaving extra room for things that you want to bring home, like souvenirs!

(3) HOME:
Things that need to be taken care of BEFORE you leave, like holding the mail, stopping the newspaper delivery, putting the sprinkler on a timer, etc.
The checklist is handy to keep for when you RETURN and want to resume service.

(4) WORK:
Things that need to be handled BEFORE you leave as well as preparing for project maintanence while you’re gone.
Most people prepare their work fairly well before a trip, but oftentimes will check voicemail or email while on vacation. As an added challenge, prepare as if you will be out of communication with the office for your entire trip. You might be amazed at how well you can prepare for your own absence. . . AND it will also give you a totally work free vacation - isn’t that what a vacation is about anyway?!?!

Organizing and listing thing out helps to plan and prepare so you can fully enjoy your time off. Also, it can help to keep you positive with a little vacation dream in sight each day.

Check back for more TIPS in the coming weeks.

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: independence day, travel, vacation, tips, saving money

Wednesday, July 2nd at 12noon.
KAOI 1110am Radio
Monthly Radio Show highlighting business information and resources on Maui.
July’s guest will include David Fisher of the Hawaii Small Business Development Center.
He will share information on business planning and starting a venture on Maui.

For Information email: mauiscore@gmail.com

How do you find balance amidst all of your responsibilities and duties?
How do you lead effectively without overwhelm?

The answer not only has to do with self care and balance, but in a large part has to do with leadership - a positive style of leadership.

The first step is to learn how to recognize your personal threshold and say “No.”

Think of “Jody.” She owns her own successful business. She is a member of three different business networking organizations, where she is highly involved. She also believes in community, so voluteers her time on a number of different boards and serves as President for a non-profit organization. She wants to do it all, because it is ALL important. She is often late to board meetings, leaves early and tends to check her blackberry during meetings. She has so much going on, sometimes it’s hard to keep track of details. The other board members find her behavior rude, notice that there is little progress on action items and questions her commitment.

Does this scenario sound familiar?

Everyone has a different threshold, but notice when you feel overwhelmed or you are not as effective. Listen to feedback. This is the time to prioritize and start saying “No” and commit to what is most important.

Spreading yourself too thin is a sure way to overwhelm yourself while diluting your ability to lead and build loyalty.

Once you’ve said “No” the next steps are the VIP of Positive Leadership: Vision, Influence and Prototype.

Create a Clear VISION:
The Vision focuses you, as the leader, focuses the team and makes your life easier.

Creating a clear vision enables the leader to stay focused, take ownership of what needs to be done and makes leading easier. It also serves to inspire and energize your team to stay “on purpose” by keeping them organized and on target.

INFLUENCE through Encouragement and Support:
Give more than you expect to get from your team. Listen to what they have to offer. Encourage and support each member as individuals.

A sense of loyalty naturally comes forth when a team is encouraged by their leader, their ideas and feedback are heard and they are supported with sincerity. By being an encouraging and supportive leader, you are able to leverage your time and energy on what is important because your team is “effected” and inspired to move forward.

Be a PROTOTYPE :
When you build a strong foundation upon which to emulate, it empowers your team, who then becomes energized to created the next “model” of success.

When you lead by example, people respect you. When your successors improve upon your foundation, this is the ultimate compliment. Being a prototype means you don’t have to know it all - you can learn and grow through the process with your team. Doesn’t that make life easier - to know that you do not have to know it all? What a relief!

Leadership and self care are intertwined in many ways.
Being a great leader empowers your team.
It also enables you to lead a lot easier with less stress and more confidence.

Wishing you a Life with Joy and Ease,
Susan

Technorati Tags: leadership, vision, influence, prototype, role model, stress, confidence, self care

Sometimes the internet can be OVERWHELMING!

Online searches can often bring up hundreds of links to websites for almost anything (and I mean anything). Google is a terrific resource for searching the web, but you can get lost there too. Have you ever started a web search and 3 hours later realized that you’ve clicked yourself away from your original search? It can be fun, but certainly time consuming and confusing!

Here are some websites that will help you navigate the web, as well as some sites that I find interesting and noteworthy. Some have inspired me, while others have just made me laugh.

SEARCH ENGINES:
www.google.com - this is my favorite, more out of habit and ease. Every once and while, click on “I’m feeling lucky.” Doing this will direct you to what Google thinks is the site you’re looking for, based on your search parameters.

www.dogpile.com - this is a compilation of multiple search engines, combining the search results from Google, Yahoo!, LiveSearch, Ask and others.

www.goodsearch.com - this search engine donates 50% of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by the user, YOU! It’s cool, check it out.

INSPIRING SITES:
www.teamhoyt.com - this website is for Team Hoyt. The story about Dick and Rick Hoyt is absolutely amazing. Dick has pushed his disabled son, Rick in over 85 marathons and has completed multiple ironmans with Rick. It’s an amazing story of love and commitment. Read the story and watch the video: http://cjcphoto.com/can/

www.lifeischange.com - this is the official site of inspirational comedian, Judson Laipply. His “The Evolution of Dance” video is a classic and has made the email rounds quite a number of times. If it doesn’t inspire you to dance, it will at least bring a smile to your face.

FUN SITES:
Here are some sites that are just for fun and when you have a spare moment or just need a little get away. I am convinced these help with hand-eye coordination.

Penguins - with the click of your mouse, Big Foot swings the bat and the penguin flies! See how far you can get the penguin to go.

ESCAPA! - another fun game of movement and creativity and memory! The longer you keep at it, the better you get.

www.funnyordie.com - this site was developed by Gary Sanchez Productions, which is made up of Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy. If you like comedy, this is definitely a site worth checking out to exercise your laugh muscles.

www.eepybird.com - you’ve probably seen the Mento’s and Diet Coke fountain videos. Here are more fun videos of people with amazing skills and interesting ideas. Watch out, some can be quite silly.

USEFUL SITES:
www.timeanddate.com - with daylight savings time on March 9th (in the USA), it’s nice to have a resource that will give you the exact time, no matter where you are in the world.

www.about.com - provides information for just about anything you’re curious or concerned about. Experts contribute articles to share their wealth of knowledge.

FOR MORE SITES TO CHECK OUT, VISIT MY WEBSITE’S BLOGROLL.

Wishing you Happiness, Inspiration and Laughter,
Susan

Technorati Tags: resources, websites, inspiration, laughter, games, fun, goodsearch, google, expert, information

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
12noon (Hawaii Time)
KAOI 1110am Radio

Do you own, work for or want to start a business on Maui?
Join me, Susan Kim and other business counselors, each month, as we share information and resources to start and grow your business.
SCORE will help you understand how to make the most of business.

Tune in every month at 12noon on the first Tuesday of the month on KAOI 1110am radio for “Talk Story with SCORE” where we support akamai business.

Technorati Tags: radio, akamai, business, counseling, SCORE, information, resources

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Love is in the air. . . and I’m not referring to the heart shaped candy boxes or the long stem roses that we often see around this time of the year. The “love” I am thinking of is toward our neighbor, our friend, our family and our fellow human being.

This year is the 10th Anniversary of V-Day (www.vday.org), a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of Playwright/Founder Even Ensler’s award winning play “The ‘V’ Monologues.”

Two years ago I had the honor of being a cast member of the V-Day production on Maui, Hawaii. The experience opened my eyes not only to the terrible abuse toward women and girls that already exists in our world, but also showed me the love and support available to victims of violence. The performance united people of different race, religion and political association. Talk about non-partisanship! This year I am volunteering by helping with the production and fundraising for V-Day 2008 on Maui (www.vdaymaui.com). The magic is happening again. We have our public servants and administrators from both parties, contributing to the performance and reading for the event.

Two things I want to point out:
1. Throughout the violence and destruction that we often see and read about in the world today, know that at the same time there is also the birth of love and support that shows up just as strong, if not stronger.

2. A common purpose, that comes from love and support, can unite even the most steadfast opponents.

Silence empowers violence and creates victims.
Awareness and Action empowers victims to become Survivors.

Some ways you can Take Action!

1. Find a local event.
Visit http://events.vday.org/search.php to find an event near you.

2. Spread the word.
Share your local event with your family, friends and colleagues. Just by spreading the word, you can save a life and help support someone to survive. Also, participate in the “V to the Tenth” event on April 12th, 2008 in New Orleans.

3. Get the facts.
Violence is an issue that plagues all women and men in every part of the world. Here are some statistics about rape, incest, battery, FGM, sex slavery/trafficking. Also for more information, here is an Anti-Violence Resource Guide (http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/).

4. Organize a V-Day event.
If you would like to host a V-Day event in your College, Community or High School, you can find out more and register here: http://v10.vday.org/take-action/organize-a-local-group

5. Get help.
If you are in need of immediate medical attenton or police assistance in the United States, dial 9-1-1 on your telephone.
If you or someone you know has experienced violence in the United States, call:
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN): 800-656-HOPE (4673)
For assistance in other countries or to learn more, please visit the Anti-Violence Resource Guide (http://www.feminist.com/antiviolence/)

Wishing you Love and Happiness,
Susan?

Technorati Tags: VDay, Vagina Monologues, life coach on Maui, Hawaii events, stop violence