“How You Doin’, Resolutions?” March Style

Normally, my “check in on resolutions” post comes the first post of every month.  But last week, I chose to write about my experiences with risk-taking because it was happening at that time.  How would one more week hurt my review of my professional resolutions?  Not too much.

My website design, so far. Gotta keep up with resolution #2!

For those of you just tuning in now, first of all hello!  Second of all, this post serves as a reminder of my professional resolutions for 2010 (click here to read from December) and how I can continue to achieve these goals.  As of February, it was so far, so good. Let’s see how March is measuring up:

1. Budget: It’s ok.  I still have two savings accounts, each with a portion of my monthly income going into each.  I decided that one will be saved for traveling since it’s becoming a passion of mine.  The other is earmarked for the future.  Other than that, seems to be going well.  I don’t eat out too much.  Don’t shop as much.  Go out once in a while.  And another student loan just went into repayment this month- horray (*please note sarcasm here. Thanks*).
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: I’m really wishing that I didn’t sell back my college book for Dreamweaver now.  Tutorial books are so expensive!  Then I realized that Adobe has tutorial videos on their website for free, which is a lot nicer than $25.  So I think I might invest in a book about CSS and use the tutorials on Adobe’s website.  I have to start building a website for myself and as soon as I have a free weekend, I will do so.
3. Consistently Update This Blog: So far, so good.  I’ve kept this blog updated once a week while managing a Posterous blog about fashion, which is updated 5-7 times a week.  That one is easier to update.  Less pressure, mostly just pictures and a few sentences.  These posts require a bit more thought.
4. Travel: Just made it up to NYC in February.  I should be heading back to NYC this weekend coming up as well.  It’s just so close, how can I stay away for too long?  I’m saving all of my money for Paris on April 1 :) I’m also planning another trip back to Baltimore, a visit to DC, and a weekend getaway to Atlanta where my best friend lives.  All in the works, though.  Nothing concrete yet.
5. Continuing to Freelance: My freelance gig from the beginning of these posts still isn’t finished yet, so this resolution is going well so far.  I also might have another project with a company I used to work for.  Hopefully I’ll be able to build a website for my business (and this blog) soon, which will also be part of freelancing.

So that’s where we are in 2010!  I think I’m doing well so far.  There is clearly room for improvement, but I think writing out these posts is a great way to keep me on track with my goals.

How are your resolutions coming along?  Where are you doing well?  What can you improve on as we start a new month?

If Blogging and Twitter had a baby, it would be Posterous

Recently (by recently, I mean yesterday), I created an account with Posterous. Completely on a whim.  Here’s why.

I follow a whole bunch of Twitter accounts about fashion, New York Fashion Week, style & accessories, etc.  With Fashion Week underway, the tweets are OVERWHELMING…but in a good way.  I don’t think my followers on Twitter appreciate me retweeting every little accessory I think is cute, or what time they can watch the Marc Jacobs runway show live, or anything in between.  But I don’t know enough about the industry to blog exclusively about it.

Enter Posterous.  I’ve found that Posterous is a great in between for Twitter and regular blogging.  A blotter, if you will (blog + Twitter).  I think it’s a great way to post little things about, well, whatever you want. I use mine to post what looks, collections, and/or accessories I love at that current moment in time.

The auto-post integration with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social websites is incredible.  They really do a great job with it.  Lots of options besides the usuals! I also love that you can add a new post from your email- that’s pretty cool and really easy.

Would I use Posterous as a replacement for this blog?  No way.  Posterous doesn’t have as much options regarding customization.  The blog stats on WordPress are pretty good, where as Posterous doesn’t have as many ways to track where people are finding your posts.  But for creating quick posts- nothing that requires too much effort- I think it’s great.  That’s what some people are looking for.

What are your thoughts about Posterous- good in between or not necessary? Should we just stick to Twitter and blogging? Is Posterous here to stay?

How You Doin’, Resolutions?

So, today is February 1st. Today marks one month into the new year, my health insurance from work finally kicking in (!!!) and 2 months until I take a little trip.  In honor of this day, I decided to evaluate the first 31 days of the year to see how I’m living up to my professional resolutions I hope to achieve this year.

1. Budget: Ok, this one I’ve slacked on a bit.  But I haven’t been frivolously spending money I don’t have.  I have a few commitments that were financially straining, like being in a wedding, and aside from those purchases I was pretty good.  I generally don’t spend a lot of money going out with friends, or shopping, or anything else a 20-something girl might do.  Also, I do have money taken out of every pay check and put into two separate savings accounts just in case I need it.
2. Relearn Adobe Dreamweaver: Constantly think about it, but haven’t made any moves as of today. I hope to get out and buy a book about Dreamweaver CS4 this week.
3. 

   Image credit to my sister :)

   Consistently  update this blog: Since the new year, I’ve been updating my posts once a week.  As for upgrading the account, haven’t gotten there yet.  The wedding took up a lot of my spare time (in helping my friend get everything together), but now that it’s over, I will have more time to work on the blog…and relearn Dreamweaver…

4. Travel: I’ve been most successful in keeping this resolution.  In January, I traveled to New York City; West Point, NY; and Baltimore, MD.  And I will continue traveling as the year progresses!  Shortly after the new year started, I booked a trip to visit my sister in Paris leaving April 1. Additionally, a trip to Atlanta is in the works to visit my newly wed friend, who’s living in the area with her husband until the summertime.
5. Continue to freelance: Considering a freelance job I started in November isn’t finished yet, I’d say I’m keeping up with this one very well.  This specific project should be finished by March, though.  I also got another call about a small gig that I need to discuss this week

Writing this out tells me where I am as of February 1, what I’m doing well and where I can improve.  It’s great to see it and this post will serve as a constant reminder of what I want to achieve this year.

How are your resolutions coming along?  Where are you doing well?  What can you improve on as we start a new month?

Send A Tweet, Brighten Someone’s Day

You know what one of the most awesome things about social media is?  Connecting everyone with the click [or tap, for touch screens] of a button.

Well, duh!

Sorry for stating the obvious.  I just read a great blog post about little ways to make the world a better place, of which all the suggestions would brighten my day.  And all of which can be done via social media.  With iPhones, Crackberries, and the like, it is now more than ever possible to send those random Tweet/Facebook message/texts/etc.  And while that is already listed as a suggestion, social media can be used to carry out the other suggestions as well.

For example, the last suggestion of connecting like minds?  There are functions for that.  Just a few weeks ago, my friend suggested that her boyfriend follow me on Twitter because we’re both graphic designers.  Even Facebook has an option that faciliates connecting people with their option called “suggest friends/fans.”  You can compliment someone by positively commenting on a blog post or posting an encouraging message on another website.  Just last week I had an old professor send me a LinkedIn message, stating how proud she was of me on my first design project post-grad.  I’m tellin’ ya, that made my day 100 times better.

Commending an employee must be the easiest thing to do on this list.  A simple email [CCing the employee in question] to a superior can achieve that goal, as I have already experienced in my 6 brief weeks of employment.  Leaving a more than generous tip at a restaurant encourages the good services of a waitress/waiter- I know, I waitressed for a year in high school.

Think about those options listed above.  How have you brightened someone’s day lately?