With all the serious blog posts about resumes and interviewing tips lately, today I decided to share a personal story. I have a feeling many young entrepreneurs have experienced something similar.

I had a bit of an emotional melt-down this week. It was one of those weird mid-twenties moments where you feel the need to evaluate your life from every aspect.  Your career.  Your relationship. Your financial situation. Not sure where the hell this came from, but it came and hit me hard.

So I called my two most influential personal advisers: my parents.  And I made them take me out to dinner because it is way cheaper than therapy. 

My parents are very successful entrepreneurs.  They’ve worked together as a couple their whole career.  Somehow they are still very happily married after 27 years.  They are the masters at “making shit happen.” 

My Dad provided me one very clear takeaway which was so simple, yet so huge:

Stop getting so caught up in all the details.

Huh? !

So then I’m like, “Yeah whatever Dad.  Anyways, here’s an idea I want to put into play in my business…(enter detail, after detail, after detail).” And he kept interrupting. And I was annoyed.  And then after interruption 179, I started to see what he meant.

He broke everything down into SIMPLE action steps.  He’d say, “Write this down!” and tell me 3 things to do this week, instead of the 50 on my list.

My Dad was lucky enough to graduate high school.  Yet I’d bet money that he is a better business man than most MBA’s out there.  Why?  Because he keeps it simple.  Now I see why they say that people who get C’s rule the world.  They don’t overthink everything. 

His advice?

• Not sure how much to charge for a product or service?  Pick a number and adjust from there.
• Want to start making freelance income?  Then do it, don’t just read about it.
• Not sure about all the details of what your clients might need?  Ask the 100’s people that email you every week-  they’re right in front of you! Then start taking on clients and adjust from there.
• You are already in business but you’re too busy thinking about it to notice it.

Perfectionism is an entrepreneur’s death sentence. 

Shit.  This must be why I’ve started several projects but rarely finish them because I always find something to improve, analyze or change.  Um hello- have you ever heard of version 1?  You can always make version 2, 3 and 4 of your product or service later. 

My “entrepreneurial perfectionism syndrome” theory is seconded in this awesome post about perfectionsim on Zen Habits.

What do you think?

• Are psychological barriers holding you back from your entrepreneurial aspirations? 
• Is it really a lack of education or is it a lack of simplicity? 
• Are you trying to re-invent the wheel rather than trying something simple and seeing how it goes?
• One of my trusted advisors (@mattchevy) recently taught me, “start small, think big.”  What order are you thinking in? Big or small first?

Routine: boring or amazing?

I always thought it was boring.  Lately I think it’s amazing. 

This is the perfect time of year to take an honest look at your routine.  You probably have some goals for 2010.  Maybe you want to lose 15 lbs, save $5,000 or pay off $3,000 in credit card debt.  Our daily habits become our reality.  How are your daily actions moving you towards or away from your goals? 

Here are a few honest examples from my own life. 

1. My money seems to run away from my wallet like a bat out of hell.  Where the hell is it going? And why the hell do I still have credit card debt?  I stopped carrying my credit card all together and now operate on the Grandma system: I only use cash.  When it’s gone, it’s gone.  I’ve been allocating cash to different envelopes, and guess what?  I haven’t used my credit card and I haven’t over spent.  Hmm.  Apparently I needed to change my routine of carrying and swiping plastic (even if it’s my debit card) every where I go.

2.  My blog posts were starting to be inconsistent and mood driven.  Adding Monday Must-Reads and Tuesday book reviews has given me structure and guarantees that I start the week off right with blogging.  Now it’s just part of my routine, I don’t even have to think about it.  Blogging on Monday and Tuesday means I’m likely to blog on Wednesday and Thursday as well.

3. Although working out has always been part of my life, lately I cannot STAND it.  I will think of any excuse to avoid it.  About 6 weeks ago, I started going to a Monday night kickboxing class. I hate it.  But it has become part of my routine, so I go.  Entering the gym on a Monday helps me go on other days.  This week I’ll be adding class two to my weekly routine.  I’m working up towards going a consistent 4x per week.  Baby steps, baby steps.

4. My new office has a McDonald’s in the building.  FML.  I never really liked McDonald’s, but then I discovered their freaking breakfast burritos.  The past few weeks (OK, month+) I’ve been eating those damn burritos 2-3 times a week.  Time to break this habit before it gets ugly.  I like math, and math doesn’t lie.  X calories times 3 visits per week + crappy processed toxins= not good. Today I brought Oatmeal with Flax seed and a bunch of yogurts to leave at work, need to change the routine up for my health.

You get the idea.  We all have our weaknesses, but have we stopped to recognize them? 

In the fast paced world we live in, it’s really easy to swipe your plastic, skip the gym, run to McDonald’s, and operate on a “when I feel like it” schedule.

Do you feel that our bad habits are conscious ones, or have they just become part of our routine?

Managing your routine means putting yourself in the drivers seat and driving towards your goals rather than around and around in circles.  I didn’t say that routine is always fun or glamourous, but I know for a fact that it works. 

What parts of your routine could you re-design in order to improve your life? 

How annoying is it when you are super excited to upload your pictures from the weekend, and then you can’t find your stupid cord ANYWHERE?  I hate it.  I also hate the times when I avoid uploading pictures for weeks at a time and then have to deal with organizing them and waiting for everything to load.

Well fret no more!  Technology just keeps getting cooler and cooler.  Check out the eye-fi: a new way to wirelessly upload pictures and videos to your computer (Mac or PC) or favorite photo sharing community (like Flickr, Picasaand over 25 others) as long as you are within range of a wi-fi network.  The Eye-fi share is $59.99-79.99.

No worries, the whole world won’t see your pics.  You can easily change your privacy settings to your liking.

To make this product even cooler- and perhaps creepier- the Eye-fi Explore ($99) is also capable of  “geo-tagging” your photos.  In other words, it can tell you WHERE you took the pictures!  No, it’s not equipped with a GPS system the size of a tiny memory card.  Instead it uses WPS technology- which is Wi-fi positioning.  It locates you based on the wireless networks surrounding you. 

Awesome!

You can “cut the cord” for as low as $49.99 with the Eye-fi Home (uploads photos only to your home computer). 

And for you iphone people, there is a free iphone app when you own the Eye-fi too.  (I mean what ISN’Tthere an iphone app for, right?!)

Has anyone tried this yet?  I’m tempted to get it!

 By, Jessica Lawlor

As a student and future career woman, it’s extremely important to learn the fine art of organization.

Here are the three main ways I stay organized:

1. Planner- I write down everything in my planner: school assignments, meetings, appointments, weekend plans. I check each item off as I complete them. My planner is weekly, so I am able to look at the entire week ahead. I use my planner as an overview of everything I need to accomplish in a week.

2. “Everything” notebook- I have a medium sized notebook that I carry everywhere with me that I have fondly named, “my everything notebook.” Each week, I create a detailed to-do list with absolutely everything that needs to be accomplished before the week ends. I love the sense of accomplishment when I cross an item off the list. My to-do list differs from my planner in the fact that my list is more specific. I also write down possible blog ideas, story ideas, and general notes to myself in the notebook.

3. Google- I can’t even express how much Google has simplified my life. I am obsessed with my Gmail account, and use it to keep my e-mail organized. Gmail allows users to create labels for different activities or tasks. For instance, I have a label for homework, PRSSA, PRowl Public Relations, internship, and sorority. When an e-mail comes in, I tag it with a label, and if I ever need to find that e-mail again, I know exactly where to look.

I also love the ‘archive’ feature. I leave everything in my inbox, until I’ve replied or done whatever the email is asking, and once I’m finished with it I archive it. If there is something in my inbox, it means its unfinished business or I need to reply.

Also, the Google calendar feature is a heavenly application that allows you to color code activities, meetings, or events and place them on a calendar.

These are only three small methods I use to stay organized, so I took to my Twitter account to find out how some of my followers keep their lives together.

@daydreamwriter says, “A planner and a desk calendar.”

@mattsnod says, “My life exists on my iPhone. I’m so forgetful, I’d be lost without my iPhone synching my life.”

@jamielovely says, “Color coded tags in Gmail saved my life! It’s the only way my inbox stays somewhat organized.”

@courtney903 says, “There is ALWAYS a to-do list on a dry erase board in the house. That way I can erase and add and it never looks overwhelming.”

@jennips says, “I started using a DayTimer planner last year. I’ve been using it & it helps me keep track of things better so I get less sidetracked.”

@tomokeefe1 says, “Calendar, stickies, bookmarking, writing things down, and periodically cleaning everything up! Oh, and having a good memory.”

@heatherhuhman says, “Organization is all about knowing what you have to get done and by when – prioritizing is key.”

@kpricester says, “I keep a constantly updated calendar on iCal that I keep synced with my smartphone. And I plan every minute of my day, including TV.”

@jesshatchigan says, “I use Excel to track progress/action on multiple ongoing projects, and make daily to-do lists.”

What are the ways that you stay organized?

Jessica Lawlor is a public relations student at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She is currently the Director of Public Relations for PRowl Public Relations, Temple University’s first and only student-run PR firm, and serves on the executive board of Temple’s PRSSA chapter.

Follow her on Twitter: @jesslaw
Check out her blog: PRowl Public Relations blog

Happy Monday!  Today is the start of the last full week before many of us go out of town for the rest of the year, which means it has to be a super productive week at the office.  I’m sure many of you feel the heat of hitting Q4 goals, tying out the year end financial statements, or dealing with clients who need extra attention at this time of year. 

Thanks to a few of my Twitter friends, here are some tips to help you rock your week so you can enjoy the Holidays without feeling guilty.  Thanks Zach, Allie and Jessica! 

·        Take some time to plan out this week’s task and project list on Monday morning so you have a clear vision for the week.  Clear up any issues from last week so you have a fresh start.

·        Avoid spending too much time on high maintenance clients who are a detour to your productivity.

·        Put your Crackberry away.

·        Take advantage of Tuesday.  It is said to be the most productive work day of the week.

·        Don’t check your personal email first thing in the morning.  All those forwards, you tube videos and interesting articles may end up wasting hours of your day without you even noticing.

·        Work your day in blocks.  Close your email and send calls to voicemail if possible to focus on the tasks at hand.  Give yourself a limited amount of time to finish a task and move on.  This is especially great if you work well under pressure or have a case of ADHD like me!  You can look forward to the small break after that time period is up and be proud of yourself for actually finishing something before jumping around to the next.

·        Have a great attitude.  Research shows that productive workers are happy workers.  You will feel much better when you just get it done than you will when you put things off.