Running on fumes?

I just read an article posted on Forbes Entreprenuer a few months ago by Maureen Farrell titled "How To Run On Fumes."


While focused on what do do when you have more on your plate then seems doable, the main take-aways were around the health factor and the importance of eating healthy, working out and sleeping (although apparently working out means you need less sleep).


In my experience, in addition to the healthy factor, there are a few things that really help.

1. Get focused. Figure out what in and what's out in your life and make the tough decisions. In my case, I was involved at a detailed level in several businesses. Getting focused meant I had to decide what my level of involvement was going to be and did I even need or want to be involved. One business was moved out of a storefront to completely online which dramatically reduced all kinds of distracting overhead (money and time) and significantly improving my ability to focus on other things.
2. Delegate. Employees can't grow and learn if you keep doing all the work. Or as I like to say, "No one can step into a spot you are already occupying." On the home front, figure out if you can get a housekeeper or use an errand service. These things are often much more affordable then you might think and they free you up to spend time on more higher value things. I have personally gone back to using a housekeeper and this has reduced my worry about the basics around the house tremendously. Now, if someone would only come in and do my laundry I'd be set!
3. Create routines and rituals. Wherever possible, create routines and socialize them with the appropriate people in your life. On the home front, having the kids go through the same bedtime routine at the same time every night greatly reduces the normal "run and chase" that is normally associated with the process. On the professional front, setting up repeatable tasks with assistants and employees starts creating good habits and make sure the critical things get taken care of without your constant babysitting. On the professional front, small rituals, such as 5 minutes listening to music and thinking of nothing, can greatly reduce stress and improve your feeling of well being.
4. Keep in touch with friends. For me, this always seems to be the first thing that gets "cut" from the list. I can't always do "girls night out" but I can keep in touch with friends thanks to technology. A quick cell phone call, a "how are you" SMS text message, and email or even a 5 minute IM session keeps me in touch and from feeling isolated from my friends.
5. Just let go. Give yourself a break. You can't do everything. Be sure to ask for help from others. Somethings are just going to have to slide... either cancel them or postpone them. But don't try to do it all at once. Sometimes laundry just has to wait.

"My purse was stolen from my gym locker..."

I received the following email from a good friend of mine last week. She really provided some very important tips and tricks so I wanted to share it with everyone.

"Since I’m a big-believer in 'the power of information,' I wanted to send you all an email. My purse was stolen this past Sunday night at the 24 Hour Fitness in Carmichael. I had my purse in a locker with my pad lock.

While I was working out, someone cut the lock with bolt cutters and stole my purse. The purse was a Coach purse and I had my new Blackberry and blue tooth inside as well as Chanel sunglasses, a nice wallet, my keys, my checkbook, make-up, etc. No one saw anything and 24 Hour will not take responsibility for any lost or stolen items.

I’ve been dealing with getting everything cancelled and replaced for the last couple of days. Although I quickly cancelled everything, the thieves got a $500 charge on my debit card from a card room/casino in Citrus Heights. I will eventually get that reversed.

Please pass this email along to anyone you know. Thanks, Amber.

Few helpful hints I learned from this experience:

• Don’t EVER lock your purse in a locker room. Locks can easily be caught. Keep your purse at home. Don’t lock it in your trunk either. They’re watching you do that.
• Don’t carry your checkbook. I usually don’t, but I had just written a check for someone and kept it in my purse. I cancelled all of my checks and closed my checking account, but now the thieves can try and produce fake checks with my information.
• Don’t carry your social security card in your purse. I’m pretty sure we all know this one!

If your purse is stolen:

• Cancel your debit card, gas card, and credit cards immediately. I knew these 1-800 numbers by memory so it was easy to call. If you don’t know them, keep the numbers and account numbers handy at home. Remember to cancel other memberships (AAA, health insurance card, video rental memberships, etc.)
• Write down everything you had in your purse.
• Close your checking account if they took your checks. They have your account number on the bottom of the checks.
• Turn your cell phone off.
• File a police report! If there ever is identity theft, this is your proof that your items were stolen.
• Call the three credit bureaus (see below) and place a fraud alert on ALL bureaus. Even if they tell you they’ll alert the other bureaus for you, call anyhow. They will contact you if someone tries to apply for credit in your name. I’m going to get the Lifelock monitoring ($10/month) on my identity so I’m notified of every inquiry, and I can check my credit reports at any time.
• Credit Bureaus:
• Experion 800-397-3742 Experion.com
• Transunion 800-680-7289 Transunion.com
• Equifax 888-766-0008 Equifax.com
• Take sure you have an extra set of car keys and that someone has your house key. I was able to call my friend Katie to come pick me up since she has my house key.
• If you’re a homeowner, you have homeowner’s insurance for this kind of stuff. If you’re a renter, get renter’s insurance! It’s only $25 or $30 a month. This incident is covered under my policy, so I will get some costs replaced. Keep receipts for big purchase items (purse, phones, sunglasses, etc.). This makes the value of items easier to prove.
• Keep your old cell phone if it still works. I had my old phone in a drawer and was able to activate it yesterday at no charge. Now I can wait until I get some insurance money before buying a new phone.
• KEEP NOTES about everything you cancelled, replaced, the name of every single person you talked to, the date, the phone numbers, account #’s, claim #’s, etc. I have a notebook with all of this information in it.
• If they took your house keys, get your locks changed.
• Go to DMV and get a new license.
• Count yourself lucky. It could have been worse. I’ve dealt with some “not-so-great” people these last couple of days, but I’ve also dealt with some really kind, compassionate people that helped me quickly. "