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| Contact Us |
2873 Martin Rd. #378
Dublin, OH 43017-2094
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| Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
 Welcome to a shiny new year! You're receiving this newsletter because you've commented on my Balancing Act column when it appears in the Suburban News Publications here in Columbus, Ohio, or when you've received it by email.
Reading about my struggles to balance my act, you've said, "Me, too!" Others have offered not only empathy but suggestions. Your response- along with these increasingly stressful times we face- has led to several exciting developments:
Rather than keep your wisdom to myself, I've decided to share reader tips and personal revelations in a monthly newsletter and in a book coming out in 2009: The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life.
Each month's Balancing Tips newsletter will include some tips for leashing the unruly dogs in your life. Today's elaborates on Leash Law No. 1, also known as Paper Or Plastic?. I'm also inviting you to make a Vision Board and review your holidays in my post-holiday poll. I hope you'll forward Balancing Tips on to a friend who would like a more balanced life in the new year.
New Web Page
PatSnyderOnline, my new web page, will be the go-to spot for a growing collection of stress relief resources to keep our lives balanced in the 2009 world. I invite you to share your own personal favorites there, too.
It's also where you'll find my Sunday afternoon blog, The Dog Journal, where we can exchange thoughts on surviving the various "dogs" that eat our planners and ways to leash them in.
More and more, I've been asked to speak about using laughter and humor to enhance creativity and bring relief from stress. I'm also conducting laughter sessions as a certified laughter leader with the World Laughter Tour. Now it's easy to see what I'm offering and book an appearance by going to the web page. The Column
As for my regular column, the latest will always be available under Quick Links and is now available to publications outside Columbus on a free trial subscription basis.
Finally, If you received this newsletter, you need not re-subscribe and can rest assured that your email address will not be shared. If - perish the thought - you wish to unsubscribe, there will always be a place to do that at the bottom of the page. But I would really, really miss you.
Let's stay balanced in 2009!
Pat |
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| Leash Law No. 1: Paper Or Plastic?? |
 Anyone who thinks this question just comes up at the grocery store has never been to a store that sells planners. There's the chunky paper planner or the tiny PDA. Which to choose? If the dog eats your paper planner, it's gone, at least in its original form. If the dog eats your PDA, he may be burping and chiming every 15 minutes, but hopefully you have a back-up copy on your PC.
So if you can only have one, I say get a PDA. If you can afford both, I say indulge.
I realize this is contrary to time management gurus who say to avoid two calendars like the plague. But I see nothing wrong with us paper-and-pen types keeping some sort of paper book for planning purposes and carrying around the PDA to schedule meetings, as long as they're both current. How about you? Paper or plastic?
While calendar-shopping is fresh on your mind, I hope you'll go to The Dog Journal and register your comments. |
| Belly Laugh and Funny Tales Workshops in Columbus |
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In you live in the Columbus, Ohio area, come laugh with me! In a one-night workshop January 28, "Belly Laugh to your Aha! Moment," we'll be using laughter techniques and strategies that humor writers use, to relieve stress and become more creative in project work.
Three new evening classes, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Page," (February 18, 25 and March 1) will focus on discovering and writing your own funny personal stories. Registration for both workshops, offered through the Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning Center, begins January 2. Click here for details. |
| What Made You Crazy During The Holidays? |
Maybe your holidays were picture perfect. Beautifully wrapped and tied with a bow.
Or maybe they were a little messy. Tough times finding the perfect gift. Tough times paying for it.
Maybe the food made you a little nuts. Too much work? Too many calories? Or maybe the relatives gave you indigestion.
Whatever the holiday outcome, please share it by participating in my holiday poll. It will only take a nano-second, and results will be out in next month's Tips. Meanwhile, an idea: While the season is fresh in your mind, plan next year's season for maximum pleasure by heading to your favorite coffee bar and completing personal holiday assessment. What felt good this year? What not so much? What would you like more of next year? What would you like less? Then invite input from other family members before filing your notes away till next October or so. |
| What's Your Vision for 2009? |
Do you make New Year's Resolutions each year? I used to, but by March, I lost my motivation instead of the 20 pounds I'd planned to shed.
Last year, my friend Amy Ryan Rued persuaded me and a few friends to do something different. A life coach, Amy's into making vision boards. She showed up one morning with five pieces of foam board - one for each of us - and a pile of magazines. Our job was to flip through and find pictures that "spoke" to our passions, values and goals.
Sorting through, we found pictures that showed what we wanted in our lives in the coming year and from those, we gave the year a theme. Mine was My Year of Self-Care. The idea was that by focusing our attention on our passions, values and goals, we would both draw those things - or something better - into our lives and prioritize our time to realize them. Here's what mine looked like last year (still working on 2009)
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Copyright Pat Snyder 2009
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