You learn something new here everyday

I just figured out how to add a blog feed to my page.  Is that what we're calling this?  You just go to Live! News and add the url and bam!  The blog's feed appears on your page.  I think that is waay cool.  It keeps me from repeating what I've written on my other blogs on this site.  I like to keep things original.  That usually means I wind up writing a lot.

Your kids step mother is not your enemy

This has been eating at me for a while and I've got to get this off of my chest so that I can be the positive person that I need to be to get stuff done.  If you are in a blended family situation understand that your kids' stepmother is not your enemy.  Most of the times the stepmother has the kids best interest at heart just like you do.  It will make things so much easier if the two of you can come to a consensus on rules and discipline so the kids can't play the (Well we can't do that at House A, but we can do it at House B game.) I'm going through that right now with my step kids.

Their birth mom has different rules at her residence than we do and it is creating chaos in the kids' lives.  Hopefully we can sit down and talk and come to some kind of consensus soon.

I figured out what I'm going to do with this blog.

I figured out what I'm going to do with this blog.  I am a step mother and a birth mom (I gave my daughter up for adoption). I don't really have a place online where I feel comfortable talking about those things without getting flamed.  So this is where I'll express my feelings about what's going on with my complicated mommy story.

Are You Content With Your Time Management Skills?

Are You Content With Your Time Management Skills? 7 Reasons Why You Must Have a To-Do List
By DeAnna Troupe

As an entrepreneur with ADHD, I often struggle with staying on task. One way I combat this is by making lists. This strategy can help people without ADHD stay on top of things as well. This article lists 7 things to remember about to-do lists. I know you've heard time and time again that you need to make lists. Here's why it's important to have a to do list.

1. It will help you to remember what you have to do today.

Small Business owners often wear a lot of hats. You usually find yourself with a kazillion and one projects going on at once. When you have a to-do list, you won't have that, "Now I know I was supposed to be somewhere." thing happen to you as often.

2. A to do list keeps you on task.

Sometimes you get distracted by things such as forums, games, or shopping when you're supposed to be finishing a project. One surefire way to combat that is to keep that to do list in front of you to serve as a gentle reminder before you go to that non business related forum and spend hours reading the posts.

3. When you complete the items on your to do list you feel a sense of accomplishment.

I don't know about you, but I get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I can scratch items off of the to-do list. Even when I have completed a "small" task it makes me feel good to know that there's one less thing that I have to do.

4. A to do list should be recorded somewhere. It doesn't count if the list exists in your head. You are guaranteed to forget something.

Write it down, put it on your pda, use outlook, do whatever you have to do to get your to do list recorded. I use http://www.plaxo.com and my pda to stay organized. Basically plaxo is an online version of outlook. It has a section that is a calendar and there's a place for your tasks for the day. The great thing about using plaxo is that it's on the web so even if your computer crashes, you still have access to your calendar.

5. A to do list is never set in stone.

It's just a guide for the day, week, month or year. You should always allow room for the unexpected to happen. You could get sick or there could be a dire emergency with one of your clients. You may have to work overtime on your job. You could get stuck in traffic. Always allow a cushion for these sort of things.

6. Your to do list should be realistic.

If you work a full time job and are running a business, don't put too many things on your daily to do list or you'll feel discouraged when you don't get all of the things accomplished on your list.

7. Make sure to include some time for fun in your to-do list.

You should always schedule at least one hour of "me time" on your to do list. This could be your time to exercise, read, write in your journal, or stare at your bellybutton. It's important to have down time so you don't get stressed out.

When you manage your time well, you can focus more on marketing yourself.

For more help with time management, use a virtual assistant.  Virtual assistants can do the tasks you hate to do so you can focus on the tasks you love to do.  For more information about my virtual assistant service go to http://www.deannaspencer.com