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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

recommended reading 2

44 Ways to Kick-Start Your New Year

(taken from SUCCESS Magazine)

What are you going to do now to make sure you have your best year ever? What one thing will mean the difference in actually achieving your goals rather than chalking them up to yet another year’s unfulfilled resolutions? What can you do to enhance an aspect of your life that you’ve neglected in your single-minded pursuit of that elusive brass ring? Think about it.

We asked a host of experts, readers who follow SUCCESS on Twitter and Facebook, and our SUCCESS staff what they will do to kick-start 2010.

1 – Expand your thinking with new experiences.

2 – Write letters to three people in your life to let them know what they mean to you.

3 – Start a business plan.

4 – Write a 101 Life-Goal List.

5 – Make a commitment to fitness.

6 – Find a volunteer opportunity at Volunteer.org.

7 – Invest in a bright financial future.

8 – Build value every day.

9 – Practice the ONE-A-DAY principle.

10 – Sign up for a birthday/anniversary reminder service.

11 – Increase your awareness of your thoughts.

12 – Write a personal mission statement or mantra.

13 – Schedule family time.

14 – Lose other people’s opinions.

15 – Stop using the “bad thing” label.

16 – Find a mentor.

17 – Take stock and charge forward.

18 – Reach my financial goals.

19 – Get a whole new hairstyle or haircut.

20 – Keep friends close.

21 – Get a leg up.

22 – Create an environment fostering your success.

23 – Write your top 10 goals for this year and post them where you can see them.

24 – Increase productivity.

25 – Take daily steps toward achieving my long-term vision.

26 – Refresh your network.

27 – Automate bill payments.

28 – Reconnect with family.

29 – Do something that scares you.

30 – Be a student of all you do.

31 – Have gratitude.

32 – Stop smoking.

33 – Review your expenses as a couple.

34 – Take a dance or fitness class.

35 – Slow down to speed up.

36 – Cut up credit cards.

37 – Plan a trip to a place you have always wanted to go.

38 – Write a not-to-do-list.

39 – Clean out your closet and donate unwanted clothes to charity.

40 – Schedule a regular date night on your calendar with your spouse.

41 – Schedule all doctor and dentist appointments for the year.

42 – Say “yes” when you want to say “no.”

43 – Communicate and connect.

44 – Lower your blood pressure.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Blogging: An excellent Value for Business -- presentation on Wednesday evening, 12/16

The Southwestern Ohio Society for Technical Communication invites WOCASTD members to join us for our December meeting. This meeting focuses on the factors and content--of supreme importance to technical communicators--that create a great blog, such as:

  • Understanding Your Goals
  • Defining Your Audience
  • Generating Readers
  • ROI of Blogging
  • Blog Etiquette

Our speaker is Michelle Lentz

Michelle maintains four weblogs, including an award-winning blog on wine (http://www.wine-girl.net) and is, by her own admission, over-connected in social media. Michelle is also a contributing technology writer to Brian Solis's Bub.blicio.us social economy blog. You can find Michelle online at

Blog: http://www.wine-girl.net

Blog: http://bub.blicio.us

LinkedIn: http://www.l inkedin.com/in/writetech

SlideShare: http://www.s lideshare.net/writetech

Michelle launched her company, Write Technology, in 2003. She specializes in social media, instructional design, and social learning. Through Write Technology, Michelle offers customized, instructionally sound courses on everything in social media, including blogging, Twitter, Creative Commons, and personal branding.

For several years, Michelle was director of training at Trivantis (Lectora). She has presented at national training and development conferences since 2000, as well as at countless local events. She recently served as vice president of technology for the Greater Cincinnati ASTD and is on the National Planning Committee for the ASTD TechKnowledge 2010 conference in Las Vegas.

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Agenda:

  • Networking: 5:30 - 6:00 p.m.
  • Dinner: 6:00 p.m.
  • Program: 6:45 p.m.

Menu: A variety of sandwiches, salads, and beverages

Cost::
  • Members: $15
  • Non-members: $25 (in advance via PayPal only)
  • Students: $12
  • Program only: $5 for members and students; $15 for non-members
Click here for instructions about Pay Pal payments.
No shows will be billed.

Registration Deadline: Monday, December 14, 2009, by noon. To register, send an email to program@stc-swo.org.

Please include your name, email address, membership status (member, non-member, or student), and how you will pay (cash, check, or Pay Pal).

Non-members must pay in advance via Pay Pal. All no shows will be billed.

Location:

Indiana Wesleyan Cincinnati Education and Conference Center

Directions:

  • From I-75 Take the Union Centre Boulevard exit (#19).
  • Turn west (right if south-bound on I-75; left and across the overpass, if north-bound)
  • Go to Mulhauser Road (first stop light).
  • Turn left (south) onto Mulhauser
  • Go to Schulze Drive (first left).
  • IWU is straight ahead, on the right, next to the new Hampton Inn.