Stacey Kannenberg, Get Ready to Learn Mom!

January is the time to review organization systems and add new ones (but, of course, you can do it anytime). As you think about taxes, you may realize you need to track receipts better, or a post-holiday clean up may reveal junk that piles up in one place. Find your weak spot, and then figure a better way.

But the tougher part is sticking to a new system. Don’t wait until you’ve completely fallen off the organizational wagon. Give yourself monthly organization reviews. Pick a day of the month (1st, last, the 15th, whatever works for you) and look over your to-do list, files or maybe that pile of papers on the kitchen counter. Are things handled as you planned? If not, get back on track (with help from your family) and resolve to do better.

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Many of us, myself included, make resolutions about what we would like to change in the next year. And, many of us, again myself included, have found limited success. Is it because we lack willpower? Is it because we are lazy? Is it because we decide we don’t care after a month? It’s not likely these are the actual reasons for our lack of accomplishment. For most of us, we state a general goal we want to attain or a situation or behavior we want to change, but we do not plan how to make the change happen. Of note, we spend months planning vacations, parties, and moves that are over in a day or a week but devote little time planning how we will accomplish the changes we feel are important to us. In other words, this serves as an example of how we slight ourselves by placing other activities, events, and people above our personal needs.

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Well now is your chance, as you’re setting your goals for the upcoming year, to bring focus to developing greater balance in your life. Smart Phones, laptops, and PDAs are getting more affordable; Fast internet access is pervasive, along with great tools and online services that make it easier then ever to work productively from anywhere.

Avoiding a daily commute and gaining more control over your work schedule can not only make you more productive, it can help you achieve the balance you have been longing for in your life.

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And, as we approach the holiday season and the New Year, it is a great time to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments. One purpose in doing so is to evaluate where you stand and then take the time to set or update your personal and professional goals for the next year and beyond. As part of the “Year of the Air Force Family,” personal and professional development is the focus area for the month of December 2009. I both encourage and challenge you to take the time this month to plan for your education.

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New Year Resolutions to improve your relationships suggest that there aspects of your marriage or partnership you might not be happy about. The desire to change a marriage for the better will of course involve your partner and unless your partner’s in complete agreement with your thoughts, this makes it doubly difficult to keep these kind of resolutions. If for instance you feel trapped in a relationship and you feel your marriage would be better if you had more freedom, suggesting to your partner that you want to go out more and spend more time with your friends might make them feel defensive. They may wonder whether you still care for them. Be careful, therefore, about how you approach your resolutions and think about the possible consequences. As they could cause more harm than good if tackled in the wrong way.

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oDesk recently asked one of our world-traveling providers, Jacqui Pittenger how she stays on top of things while jet-setting, and here are the holiday packing secrets she shared…

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If we were going to make this holiday season different, if we are going to make it exceptional by giving you more vitality and more energy, by making joy easier to come by, and by enlivening your intimate and romantic life – what would we do?  We need to look at strategies for staying healthy and for monitoring your stress level. 

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Make a to-do list

Good. Now, make that to-do list realistic. Cross off everything that doesn’t need to be completed until after New Year’s. You don’t really need to re-brand your company or invent something new this instant. Instead, focus on short-term goals that will keep your momentum, and prepare you for your exciting new endeavors come January.

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