Three for Thursday – Super Bowl Weekend

Hi everyone!

I hope your week is going amazing.  I am in Tallahassee right now for work – two times in two weeks – with the amazing Student Government leaders of Florida. So I’m getting pretty familiar with Florida’s capitol :)

In other news, it's Super Bowl weekend! So this week, all three of my Thursday recommendations for balance in your life are loosely related to the infamous football Sunday. 

   1.  A Super Bowl Commercial Rating System -- USA Today runs an ad meter every Super Bowl where you can track instant public reaction to the commercials aired during the game. I thought this was pretty cool and will definitely be checking to see how my reaction compares with the general public - can you imagine how intensely advertising executives must watch that during the game? You can also track your favorites and share with your friends. Check it out! It's always a fun conversation starter on Monday.

  2.   Super Bowl Recipes for College Students – if you are interested in making something for a SB party, check out this web site: http://www.cookapalooza.org. It provides quick easy recipes designed for college students (e.g. inexpensive, not too complicated, and can be made with limited cooking tools/space). 

  3. Game Plans – One of the things that interests me in sports (which is a relatively new thing for me) is the idea of a game plan. I find it amazing that the combined efforts of so many individuals on the field, coaches on and above the field, trainers, and other staff form this machine called a pro sports team.  And those combined efforts focus on accomplishing a goal. They create a game plan, practice, practice practice, develop teamwork, and then execute against adversity. I truly think that there is a lesson to be learned from that. If you don’t get anything else out of the game, hopefully you can appreciate that effort and implement that game plan for success in your life. 

Bonus – My Super Bowl pick 

My grandparents moved from Puerto Rico to a small town up north called New York City. They were one of the main reasons I wrote my book :) - going with the sentimental pick. 

New York Giants 31, New England 28. 

Three for Thursday - 3 More of My Favorite Things for Your Balancing Act

It is Thursday, which means you need to remind yourself again:

Success requires balance.

So here are this week's three things for your balancing act:

1.  Pinterest -  Hopefully, most of you have already stumbled upon this awesome site. If not, here is the gist - you get to make collages - which I recommend for goal-setting - and are able to essentially click, or pin, anything that catches your fancy online. I have loved it so far - and to my surprise - it has actually been a tool to get to know a few people in a more complete way. Also, different college organizations, like NSCS, actually have their own Pinterest accounts that you can follow.

2. Playlists that never get old - Music is inherently emotional - and is one of those things that sometimes can get me moving when it comes to a project or something that I am dreading to do. I am a well-documented Taylor Swift enthusiast - so today on the ride home from a trip to my state's capitol for my job, I revisited my favorite playlist of her songs for the long ride home. This might sound cheesy - sometimes cheesy things are true - but, don't be afraid to revisit a playlist that puts you in a good mood when you feel overworked, stressed out, or just want to unwind. The tonal quality of music might be all you need to kick things into gear.

3. www.goodreads.com - I don't know much about this site, but a friend recommended it to me this week, so I am going to give it a look. The premise is that it is essentially a site for you to suggest books to friends. I am a big proponent of everyone cutting out time in their schedule to read, regardless of how much they like or dislike doing so. If you have some free time on the computer, take a look at GoodReads, let me know what you think. I am always looking for nonfiction (and a few brain candy) titles to read - let's link up and we can recommend a few titles to each other :)

I hope your week is going fantastic! If you haven't, take a look at this week's study tips - these will be a new feature for the site this year running on Tuesdays.

Let's be friends.  
Be a leader not a follower, except when it comes to Twitter. 
Or feel free to email me at advice@communitycollegesuccess.com

Three for Thursday - 3 of My Favorite Things for Your Balancing Act

There is a reality. Success requires balance.

So I’m going to try to use every Thursday this year (in place of 2011's Weekend 4Cast) as a time to share some things that will help you balance work and play. Here are three of my favorite things this week :) 

1.     NTC – Nike Training Club – An awesome (and most importantly) free application for your iPod, iPad, iPhone, or Android. I don’t like the gym – its often hard for me to allow the necessary time commitment with my schedule. If the same is true for you, this app is awesome. It has a ton of workouts on it – it has built-in videos to show you the movements – it talks to you while you are working out and gives you tips and motivation, just like a personal trainer – and you can set your playlist to go along with your workout.  Did I mention it’s free? I wanted to use it for a month before I wrote about it – I can honestly say I have never gotten results like this before. By the way, Nike didn’t pay me for this post – or give me any free stuff. I am however dressed from head to toe in swooshes. Kidding.

2.     Book and movie combinations. Is there anything more fun than reading a book and following it up by watching the movie? I don’t think so. I did it this weekend with The Nanny Diaries. Love the book – love the movie’s ending. And Scarlett Johansson. If you are in search of brain candy, enjoy a double up. It is a great way to get your nose in a book. And make sure to tell me your favorites!

3.     Google Calendar. I know, this one doesn’t sound as fun. But, I can honestly say Google Calendar is a live-saver. If you have a Gmail account, try it out.  I use it to organize, categorize, and prioritize both personal and professional events. Most importantly, it sends you text-message alerts. If you have a calendar-based program, keep using it – if you haven’t ever used an organizational calendar, I recommend this one.  

      I hope that everyone is having an amazing week! If we haven't gotten a chance to connect on social networks, I would love to get to know you better and hear your questions and ideas. Feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook or Tweet me :)