Rather than resolve to do anything in the new year, I’ve decided to make a goal list.  I will stick it better than trying to follow my New Year’s resolutions.

1.  Be more patient

2.  Grow my business email list

3.  Get my first book completed and published

4.  Save more money

5.  Be more independent

6.  Spend more time with family

7.  Be more compassionate towards friends

8.  Spend more time reading

9.  Have more fun and expand my professional and social circles

10.  And become more understanding

1.  Examine the way you treat other people.  Is there any truth to your reputation?
2.  Ask opinions and recommendations from family and trusted friends.  Actively listen to their feedback.
3. If you decide you want to change, commit to it.  Change your attitude and perspective on life.
4. Apologize to those that you hurt.  Let them know you sincerely want to try to improve the relationship.
5. Perform one good deed per day.  It will shine through that you are trying to make a conscious effort to change.
6. If you are a victim of malicious gossip, go directly to the source.  Be assertive.  The person causing the gossip is probably insecure and jealous.  Remember if you confront them with anger and rage, the troublemaker will enjoy it more. 

If you exhibit any of these traits, it might be the reason you developed a bad reputation: greediness, selfishness, cruelty, obnoxious behavior, flakiness, unfaithfulness, poor hygiene, talking bad about people behind their backs, constant dishonesty and lies, and laziness.

Here are a few qualities you should aspire to achieve: listen to others, don’t make other people feel bad about themselves, try not to boast and brag, laugh at yourself, kindness, loyalty, proper etiquette, cleanliness, honesty, and discipline.

Try to be self-confident.  Make yourself happy.  Don’t let others try to taint your self-image.  You’re worth so much more than that.  If someone does make a rude comment to you, you should try to ignore it.  If you can’t ignore it, I suggest that you tell the person that has hurt you.

Warning: be aware of insecure people and jealous people.  They will just bring you down.  Develop a thick skin.  Don’t let others put you down and/ or dictate your life to you.

The first place I went - the Garden of Ono had a beautiful layout with good music, but the crowd consisted of older men and women in their fifties and sixties, which is fine for other clubs, but not for a trendy upscale neighborhood such as the Meatpacking District.

Before I met my current boyfriend, I dated half of NYC and found nothing but misogynists, playboys, commitmentphobes, damaged goods, mama’s boys, arguers, cheapskates, predictable and boring, arrogant, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, Mr. Annoying, and Mr. Smooth.  But none of these men could give me what I wanted because they were on a completely different wavelength than me – they wanted a full commitment or just wanted to casually date – when it was convenient for him. 

I met one guy who I really liked at one point, but he only wanted to see me during the week, which was fine for the first month.  But after we were dating for a month, trying to get a Saturday night date with him was almost impossible.  I know it takes time to work up to getting dates on the weekends, but it should not have required that much effort.  If he really wanted to see me, then he would have found a way to spend time with me.   This goes for everyone – it doesn’t matter how busy someone is.  If he is into you, he will make the time to spend time with you to grow the relationship.

I wanted someone who was independent, educated, successful, came from a good family, essentially someone who had his own life, but was also ready for a quasi-serious relationship.  After two years of searching all over the city, eventually I got my wish.

I hope the next time I go to Pacha, I hope the crowd is not that trashy.

By thinking about stress I’ve decided to write a post on why Americans are so stressed?  Many Americans miss meals, exercise, time with family and friends, and sleep.  These are vital components of our lives and millions of Americans are missing out on them because of stress from work.   

Many Americans say they would like a less stressful life, but is it true?  I don’t think so, especially amongst my generation (I am 28).   The more stressed out someone is, the more successful he/she appears.  This phenomenan is relatively new.  The less vacation, personal, or sick time an employee takes shows how dedicated he or she is to the job.  I am guilty of doing it myself.  I used to blame my crankiness, bitterness, and cavetching on stress.  The more I was stressed, the more it seemed acceptable to whine and complain about how bad things were in my life. 

But now that I am not a part of the corporate world and I work for myself again, all that has gone away.  I despise stress, but if I start to feel it, I will not let it consume me.  I will exercise, go shopping, or go for a manicure as my outlet.  I never want to feel that way again.

What does everyone else think?

Take a took at this list and see where you fall in. 

Source: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=IsProcrastinationHealthy&GT1=27001

I’ve noticed recently that young 22 year old college grad females saturate the industry.  I suppose many young women are attracted to the field because of how glamorous it seems.  We always see publicists like Samantha in Sex and the City working with celebrities, models, and planning extravagant events.  Yes, this is part of the job (if you work in entertainment, fashion, or beauty public relations), but what most miss is the excruciatingly long hours, very low pay, and harsh bosses. 

I think many young women join this profession because they don’t know what else do with themselves, which is the wrong reason!