Dumb Little Man - tips for life: “How to Pack Smart for a Trip” plus 1 more

Posted: 20 Feb 2011 04:02 PM PST

With skillful packing, you can avoid checking a bag (and the fee) when you take a short trip. For longer trips, you can save money and hassle by checking only one bag.

If I travel by myself for three days or less, I bring only a carry-on. Four or more days require checking a bag, especially in the winter with bulky sweaters.

If you must check a bag, assume your luggage may be lost or ransacked. To ease the potential pain of packing, fees, and the overall frustration that gets in the way of a great trip, consider a couple of these!

Never check any valuables.
Luggage gets opened after it is out of sight; it takes just one dishonest bag handler to put your valuables at risk. Airport employees robbed celebrities Lil' Kim and Sarah Ferguson of their jewelry. I didn't think it would happen to me until it did.

Don't put cash in your luggage.
Sounds stupid—who would do that? I did once. As I walked out of my apartment, I worried that I had too much cash in my purse and I stashed half in the side pocket of my suitcase. My suitcase disappeared for nine days. Unbelievably, the money was still there, but my vacation was over.

Carry essentials on the plane with you.
Absolute essentials might include medication, contact lens solution, make-up, a clean pair of underwear. If your luggage gets lost, and is not returned to you the same day, you can avoid making a midnight run to a drugstore.

If you are traveling with a partner, discuss your joint luggage strategy.
If you must use two bags, there are two methods of packing with a partner. One, each person can pack all their clothes in their own suitcase. Two, each person can pack some clothes in each bag.

I like separate bags because I stay more organized. But, if a bag gets lost, one person will have no clothes and the other will have all their clothes. Method Two balances out the risk of lost luggage.

Conserve space and avoid wrinkles by rolling—rather than folding—your clothes.
An old navy trick, I'm told. Fold shirts, pants, and skirts in half the long way. Then roll them up tightly like you're rolling a burrito.

Stick to one base color for your wardrobe.
All my tops can go with either a brown or black base. Pants, skirts, shoes and purse should be only one of the base colors. Mix-and-match outfits will be a breeze, if you don't stray from the foundation color. White can also work as a base color.

T-shirts in neutral colors can be your best friend.
Bring at least one black and one white t-shirt. T-shirts in basic colors go with everything. Dress them up with a skirt and jewelry for the evening.

Lay all clothes you are considering on the bed before you put them in the suitcase.
Count the days you will be gone, plus the evenings you will go out. Count your outfits. The same number? Then that's too many.

Put a few things back in your closet. Wear basics several times; no one will notice. Exception: do not skimp on underwear. Always throw in a couple of more pairs than the number of days you will be gone.

If shopping is on your destination agenda, save room in your suitcase.
If you must sit on your suitcase to close it, it is too full. If you plan major shopping, consider packing an empty soft duffel-type bag in the larger bag to carry home your purchases.

Pack shoes in plastic grocery bags.
Avoid getting your clothes dirty from the bottoms of your shoes. Shoe bags can be purchased for this very purpose, but why? It seems wasteful--a reused grocery bag works just as well.

Assume that anything that can leak, will leak.
I am a fan of the Ziploc. Pack anything not solid in them, especially goopy stuff like sunscreen. I learned this lesson the hard way and I learned it many times. Once, I had an aerosol hairspray spray its entire contents inside my suitcase.

If you travel frequently, keep your toiletry bag packed between trips.
I like the cosmetic bags designed for travel, the ones unzip a bunch of different ways. With the strap, the bag can be used as a carry-on. Or remove the strap and pack it inside your luggage.

Buy duplicates—preferably miniatures—of all your necessities: hair styling product, cotton pads, QTips, etc. Use the short Ziplocs (the ones that hold carrot sticks)

Tuck a written list of toiletries in your bag
This tip sounds neurotic I know, but I swear it works. I used to forget the same thing every time I traveled. Why do I have a mental block against packing a razor? Now before a trip, I check my bag against my list and I'm done. And I never forget anything.

Pack a few remedies for unexpected ailments and accidents
My toiletry bag includes a few Band-aids, Immodium, Tums, etc. Feel good and enjoy your trip.

Written on 5/21/2009 by Kate Mortell. Kate is a graduate of Marquette University and lives and works in New York City. She writes the blog, Moonfun.net, a collection of travel journals and commentary on real estate, animal rights, gun control and whatever else might be under her skin at the moment. Republished on 2/20/2011.

Photo Credit: mararie

How to Gain Respect and Make Professional Connections

Posted: 20 Feb 2011 08:42 AM PST

No matter how talented or smart you are, if you can't communicate effectively with others it will be difficult to get a job, retain clients, and have productive relationships. It's a delicate process. Communication can be a hectic two-way street with messages coming and going between sender and receiver. If you aren't paying attention, you'll miss a queue and in turn, send a response that isn't ideal.

Listen, some people are born with that 'gift'. They can pick up on something and jump into any conversation whenever they want. Most people aren't built that way. Let's dive in and look at a few ways to improve. The goal is not to be the Anthony Robbins of your office, but perhaps with some work, you can take your game up a notch.

Here's how to make professional connections.

Focus on first impressions and non-verbal behavior
Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. We don't only send messages with words, but also with our behavior, expressions, and tone of voice. When making a first impression, be sure to have good posture, shake hands firmly, use a clear and confident tone of voice, and make eye contact.

Nonverbal communication is the real key to gauging what someone is thinking and how they are feeling, so make sure you're sending the right message from the get go.

Adapt to match their behavior and emotions
To make a connection with someone, be aware of their state of mind and personality. Matching and mirroring others characteristic no-verbal behavior is a wonderful way to build rapport. When some mirrors our expressions, such the way we sit and move, it can feel like they're similar and relate to us.

This offers a feeling of comfort and safety, where it becomes easier for the other person to open-up and act natural.

In general, gauge how the other person is feeling from their expression, posture, or tone of voice, and try to connect on their level.

For instance, have you ever been extremely tired and someone with boundless energy comes around talking a mile per minute? It can be irritating and obnoxious.

We simply like people who we connect with and who are like us. Building rapport through non-verbal behavior is a key to building trust and getting positive results from others.

Mutual Respect is Crucial
Learning to be assertive is very important for healthy relationships. Assertiveness is a way of communicating with mutual respect. We show respect to others while at the same time not compromising self-respect. Don't get aggressive and belittle others, and similarly don't be a passive pushover and accept disrespectful treatment.

Here's how to get our needs meet while still respecting the needs of others.

Learning how to organize assertive statements
Use "I" statements rather than "you" statements
Be willing to listen and stay calm
State the facts and focus on the problem
Express personal thoughts, feeling, and opinions reflecting ownership
Use clear direct requests or commands when you want others to do something rather than being vague or indirect.

Consider assertiveness in your everyday life and start practicing. Who do you have trouble being assertive around? What is happening during these times? How do you usually respond?

We all have a personal bubble
Understand people have different boundaries. Everybody has a comfort level of how close they are willing to get to others emotionally and physically. Some people have more rigid boundaries and are not open to getting close to people they don't know. Someone with rigid boundaries may be difficult to get to know or seem uninterested, but in the long-run these can be very loyal friends and colleagues.

Other people have very open boundaries and are willing to get close and be more personal. These people have no problem being open and expressing their personal feelings.

Understanding these differences can be helpful in dealing with people in professional situations. If you have very open boundaries be careful not to offend others. You may want to test the waters and be a little more reserved at first.

Similarly, if you're a little closed off, you may need to work on being more assertive and staking your claim if you desire to network and expand your influence.

The goal is to be balanced. First learn to understand your own boundaries and know what you feel comfortable with. Then approach others with their personal bubble in mind.

Find similarities and know people's interests
Find what you have in common with people in order to build rapport and establish a relationship. This helps to navigate the numerous social interactions we have each day, and helps to stand out as someone who considers and pays attention to others.

For instance, by remembering peoples' interests you'll know that:

Pam is the music lady, Rob loves talking about astrology, and Frank is always focused on sports.

You get the point. By knowing what others are interested in, you can make it about them and get them to open-up and start connecting. Everyone enjoys talking about themselves and their interests, so make it about others.

Don't forget to be real
It's never advised to try and be someone you're not, however at times we must adapt and utilize our social intelligence in order to build relationships and manage conflict.

When incorporating the above ideas don't forget to be authentic. If you seem unnatural, all the focus will be drawn to your awkward behavior instead of making a natural connection. Start practicing the tips and little by little they will become more natural.

Similarly, it's important to actually care about talking to others and have a positive attitude in process. Take a sincere interest in others, show respect, and act natural, and you'll be making connections and networking in no time.

Written on 2/20/2011 by Joe Wilner. Joe is an entrepreneur and career coach who runs the personal and professional development website Shake off the Grind. Subscribe to his blog via RSS.

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon