Productivity @ Home

Survival Guide Offers Work @ Home Tips

Every Monday, I share my thoughts on Working @ Home.

While I haven't read the book yet, CNN has a great article today featuring tips from the newly released Working Mom Survival Guide. I'd contend that the suggestions offered in CNN's excerpt Working from Home -- and Getting Things Done are relevant for all of us, not just moms. 

The excerpt shares five common pitfalls faced by those who work @ home, and offers some great suggestions for avoiding these traps. This one has great relevance for me personally:

Gadget addiction

You may find yourself constantly checking your gadgets to stay in the loop. The problem is, that urge can spill into family time, leaving you less connected with the ones who matter most.

What to do: Take e-mail breaks. Let colleagues know that you won't be checking your inbox while you work on a project and that they can call you if something comes up.

I've been working over the past few months to carve out more "protected time" for my faith life, my family, and frankly for fun too. I still find that having my office in the heart of my home tempts me all too frequently to not keep healthy work/life boundaries. I love the fact that my commute is nil and that I can completely set my own schedule, but I do find that sometimes being my own boss means that my supervisor all too often has "issues"!

Take a look at Working from Home -- and Getting Things Done - what challenges on this list can you relate to and what would you add to the list? Also, be sure to check out Working Mom Survival Guide and find more information on the book here. 

 

Take a Christmas Light Walk

On Saturdays, I share my thoughts on Health and Fitness.  

Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the year in my hometown of Fresno, California. Every year, we Fresnans are treated to "Christmas Tree Lane" -- a longstanding tradition of one major street in town decorating their houses with major lighting displays.

Honestly, the traffic on the lane has grown so crazy that most December nights, I steer clear of that entire area of town. The "Lane" is filled with bumper to bumper traffic. But on the first Saturday of December, it's my favorite place to be. Christmas Tree Lane is closed to car traffic and people from all over town flock to the area to walk the Lane. It's an extra treat for me because my son's jazz band provides musical ambiance for the night.

Out hear in California, we had nights that are still warm enough to make a "Christmas Light Walk" a real treat. Somehow, in the glow of decorations with family and friends nearby, I don't even notice that my heart is getting a workout. I enjoy it so much that I've started taking "Christmas Light Walks" in other areas of town that are known for nice decorations.

If you don't have a Christmas Tree Lane of your own, or if the weather outside isn't conducive to walking, consider a very early morning walk at your local Mall before it opens for business or a trek around your local Christmas tree farm. Those of you in snowy areas likely also have great options for skiing and skating in places that afford you a unique and lovely view of the season's finest.

What types of fitness activities do you enjoy during the winter months?

Lisa Likes: Game of Your Life -- Family Movie Night

Every Friday, I blog about stuff I like in my Lisa Likes feature. 

I was lucky enough last week to have a sneak preview of Game of Your Life, the newest installment of Family Movie Night which will be airing Friday, December 2nd at 8/7 pm on NBC.

Like many of the other Family Movie Night features, Game of Your Life has something for the whole family. The characters are compelling, the story will draw you in and the gaming-related technology featured in this film is sure to please the “wired” members of your household. Here’s the blueprint:

When industrious high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a prized scholarship to the prestigious Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD), his future breaks wide open. The opportunity to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and alongside the country’s most creative minds will certainly propel him into a successful career as a video game designer. That is, if he can pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates more than half of the class within the first three months. Paired with brilliant yet socially awkward teammates Phillip and Donald, the trio persuades Sara Ramirez – a determined and striking team leader with whom Zach has a history (and possibly a future) – to join their team. Working off-campus in the teched-out Lincoln Alley loft, the four set out to involve the entire campus in a quirky new social interactive game. But as the group becomes entrenched in the project, Zach learns that his father Billy, a widower, is facing growing financial woes at home. To help out, Zach accepts an opportunity to work directly with Marcus Bentton on a secretive side project that seems too good to be true. The effort requires nearly all of Zach’s time and energy, which he should be devoting to the project. Struggling to keep it together, Zach is torn between his responsibility to his team, his admiration for Bentton and a chance to help his father. Everything comes to a breaking point when Zach’s team threatens to remove him from the group and the deceptive truth behind Bentton’s project comes to light. With the guidance of Professor Abbie Lambert, Zach must make a decision that not only affects his future, but the lives and livelihoods of the people around him as well. It’s a revealing story that recognizes the magnitude behind the choices we make and the importance loyalty plays in making good decisions.

As a geek, I loved the concept of the film and the fantastic performances turned in by a great team of actors. Lea Thompson, looking better than ever as Dr. Abby Lambert, and the duo of Nathan Kress and Adam Cagley are bright spots in a cast filled with super performers. The pace of the story will keep you tuned in, the product placements were less apparent to me than previous FMN installments, and once again the story leaves you not only with a great morale, but a desire to further interact with these characters. Like several of the other Family Movie Night features, I would love to see this plot expanded into a series.

Be sure to tune in Friday, December 2 at 8/7 pm to NBC. Learn more about the film here and catch up on more Family Movie Night series news atwww.FamilyMovieNight.com.  

 

A Fraud's Advice on Protecting Your Finances

Every Thursday, I share my thoughts on Family Finances.

For those of us who work @ home, we often rely on other professionals to aid us with financial advice, bookkeeping, tax preparation and other financial transactions that are the lifeblood of our family or small business. A recent article at CNN entitled "Confessions of a Con Artist" spells out just how easy it is for us to unwittingly be sent into financial ruin if we're not paying attention.

In the article, convicted felon Diann Cattani spells out just how easy it was for her to start ripping off her employers:

It was a startup, so the owners relied on me to take over the company's business functions. I automated the bookkeeping systems, contracted with all of the vendors and basically did everything that it took to set up the company's infrastructure. I never established systems with the plan to steal from them, but the fact that I implemented everything made things a lot easier.

Cattani's story and her warning to "trust, but also verify" is an important reminder in times when many small business are simply a few bad transactions away from financial ruin. 

Do you employ a contract bookkeeper or business advisor in your small business or family finances? What steps have you taken to ensure oversight of those services?