A few of my favorite things that help me function

Cue the music... these are a few of my favorite things! Not really when dogs bite or bees sting, but when I have places to be and things to do, these are some of the things that get me through my day.

I start my mornings with The Skimm, a daily (M-F) email newsletter that hits the highlights of the news. It gives you a summary of major news stories, without the extra pontificating you get on many other sources. And it's not stuffy, either. Important news, easy and fun to read - what's better? Subscribe easily here.





Quite a while ago, while telling a friend at work about being stuck in a horrible traffic jam on the interstate because I didn't have the news on that morning, a man overheard us and told me about an app for smartphones called Waze. He has been my hero! The Waze app (it's free btw) has a real-time, user updated map that combines navigation if you need it, real-time traffic issues, even things like police, missing signage, red light cameras, and debris on the road. I have a long commute to work, and Waze makes it easy for me to see if alternate routes will be needed or what time I will reach my destination.



When I'm trying to keep up with our family's activities, events, and work schedules, I use my Tools4Wisdom weekly planner. It's similar to the Franklin Covey system, but for me, easier to use. Not only is there a weekly calendar, with each day marked off from 5 am to 11 pm in half hour increments, but each week has space to list goals and other priorities for the week and steps to complete them. Each month has a monthly overview calendar, and a page to list goals for each month. There is also a place to record yearly goals, and action steps to implement them. It even comes with its own bookmarks!