This month marks the one-year anniversary of The Dog Ate My Planner.  That ornery canine has led me on a merry chase - to speeches and workshops and laughter events - where I've met the most marvelous people and heard the most interesting stories.   

Since the dog is a metaphor for all those things - from computers to kids - that complicate our overbooked lives, I expected to hear stories about life rocking out of control.  Not so much. Instead, I heard about the indiscriminate appetites of dogs who had wolfed down everything from Advil to Fendi bags. Oops.

 It seemed only right that we celebrate The Dog's birthday with a contest for the best true story (up to 350 words) of  those unplanned dog feasts. Read contests details below, and enter your best!  Even if you don't win, spinning the tale will be fun. As this week's Dog Journal points out, failure is not actually a four-letter word.   

 In a more serious vein, I was privileged this month to study with two amazing coaches during training for a new aspiration of mine: working with lawyers to improve the balance in their lives.  A lawyer myself, I know what an important issue this is.

Coaching, I learned, is all about asking powerful questions, so I'm offering a few  questions below that might be empowering to ask yourself.  Also, if you're game to test-drive a coaching experience, I'm offering a free 30-minute sample session on life balance to the first 25 (lawyers or not) who respond. 

Want to sell your boss on job-sharing? Your partner on co-parenting? Check out some ammo you might use in the form of a new Norwegian study. And finally, a few thoughts on dinner parties and people who give them.




                                            Pat