Paula Rizzo's Blog, page 36

Topping Everyone’s Bucket List Is….

A few weeks ago I teamed up with skinnyscoop.com to do a Bucket list contest. Now the results from the competition are in! The winner of the contest has been notified but the fun doesn’t stop there. I wanted to share the top ten items from everyone’s list:

So what do you think? Are these items on your bucket list too? To help your goals become a reality I recommend starting with a vision board.

It’s helpful to think about what you want from the upcoming year and specific goals you have in mind....

Cute Animals Can Increase Your Productivity

I love animals, I even have a whole Pinterest boarddedicated to cute animal pictures. As much as I love them however, I wouldn’t have considered them to be a productivity tool. Little did I know that researchers at Hiroshima Universityhave proved me wrong. Their study shows that looking at cute pictures or videos of animals triggers care giving impulses, which may actually improve your work performance. That’s because you’re more likely to be attentive and careful.

So next time your struggling...

TalkTo App is Now Path Talk

I’ve written a lot about TalkToon this blog and on social media. It’s the app allows you to text local businesses.

Well, the TalkTo app no longer works… the company joined forces with another and the app is now called Path Talk.

Unfortunately the interface is a bit different and takes a little getting used to. I’ve been testing it out the past few days.

When you download the new app you’ll notice that contacting businesses has now moved under the “Places” tab. The Path Talk website says the app...

Letters to My Future Self

One of my favoriteassignmentsI was given in elementary school was to write letters to our”future selves”, a few years in advance. The principal kept the notes and distributed themwhen we got to the designated grade. We wrote down what was important to us then, what we thought we wouldbe doing when we opened the letter, our fears, hopes, etc.

I really enjoyed the exercise and I found myself thinking about it again last weekend at Oprah’s Life You Want Tour. Her famous saying”you become what you...

How to Take a Break and Get Stuff Done

(Photo Credit: www.shutterstock.com)

Most days I’m so concerned with my lists and getting things done that when I do have some down time, I freeze. I think, “Shouldn’t I be doing something? There’s got to be something I can do right now.” I forget that it’s OK to just do nothing and not have something planned out for every second of every day.

On this blog I talk a lot about taking regular breaks. However, when you’refeeling busy and rushed off yourfeet — I get that it can be tough to take a mo...

I Spent My Weekend With Oprah!

As soon as tickets for “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” went on sale – I snagged two tickets for my mother and me. I knew we had to be in the audience and I’m still beaming from our experience. The tour visits eight cities including Newark, NJ, which is where we were this past weekend. We were given workbooks, which you know I love! And special bracelets that lit up with inspiration. The tour included Oprah and her handpicked trailblazers: Mark Nepo, (who btw also published a book with my...

Fab Find: Wear Your To-Do List

List makers take notes everywhere – on receipts, sticky notes, napkins, envelopes or even on the back of our hands. Anything that can be written on, will be. However all these scrap pieces of paper can be difficult to keep track of.

I’m bringing back “Fab Find”because I found the perfect solution on KnockKnockStuff.com. Wearable wrist bands!I think they are great for anyone who is constantly losing their lists!Just write on the band, wrap it around your wrist, and voilà—your to-dos are literal...

Need More Friend Time? Unique Ways to Catch up

photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you were younger spending time with your friends was as easy as going to their house after school. But now coordinating schedules with our friends becomes more of a challenge. Making time for them is important not just because they make you happy, but friends can also provide positive encouragement and hold you accountable to reach your goals.

Here’s a unique list of ways you can spend more quality time with your friends:

Start a wine club – A wine club is...

Buzzwords Your Boss Hates

If you workin a office your probably familiar with cringe-worthy business buzzwords like ‘deep dive’ and ‘crunch time.’ When you spend all day in a business environment it’s normal for these words to slip into our vocabulary, but it could be harming you more than you think.

New research from the staffing service firm Accountemps reveals all the common phrases your boss is sick of hearing:

“Out of pocket”
“Deep dive”
“Forward-thinking”
“Dynamic”
“Let me get back to you.”
“Pick your brain”
“Employee en...

Why I’m Getting the iPhone 6

If you know me you know I can’t live without my iPhone. It has made me a much more productive person and I’m excited the new operating system, iOS 8, is now available to download in preparation for the iPhone 6 release. Apple has put a focus onproductivity this year, with many of the new features geared towards helping you get more done.

Here’s a breakdown of some the changes that will boostyour productivity:

Keyboard-The new update makes typing much faster,because as you type, you’ll see choic...