SavvySugar

Savvy Tip: Create a Yearly Bucket List

SavvySugar — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:25:30 PST

Bucket lists are a great way to set goals and daydream about grand plans, but it's easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you hope to see and accomplish in your lifetime. To make your bucket list more manageable, divide it into parts and give it a yearly spin: "12 Things to Do in 2012." Choose one item to tackle each month and be realistic with your picks, setting aside the loftier ideas for a separate "someday" list.

Committing to just one item a month is reasonable enough, and when one fresh experience leaves you reenergized, you'll feel inspired to continue with the rest of your list. Not sure where to start? Here are 10 fun and doable bucket list ideas:

Go to a museum in your city that you've never visited.
Volunteer for a cause that means something to you.
Visit a restaurant or attempt an intimidating recipe you'd usually avoid.
Go all out and host the dinner party or birthday bash you've always imagined.
Run a challenging race that requires regular training.
Save $100 a week for four weeks and put the money toward a dream vacation.
Do the thing you're always talking about but have been too scared to try.
Take a beauty or fashion risk.
Sign up for a class - fitness, language, etc. - that interests you.
Spend a month focusing on your space and decorate in a way that inspires you.

What's on your bucket list? Share your ideas in the comments below!

5 Ways to Take the Sting Out of Monday

SavvySugar — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 05:00:57 PDT

Coming back to work after a fun, restful weekend is never easy, but it doesn't have to be quite so hard. Check out these five ways to turn your least favorite day of the week into one worth looking forward to.

Set manageable goals: Rather than staring at your massive to-do list and feeling overwhelmed, set lots of little goals for yourself throughout the day. It’ll make it easier to stay focused and on track, and you can give yourself kudos each time you reach a goal.
Reward yourself: Each time you do reach one of your set goals for the day, give yourself a reward! It can be as small as a walk to the kitchen to raid the candy dish, or as big as a 30-minute break to enjoy some fro yo in the sun. Providing your own incentives throughout the day can be a strong defense against a case of the Mondays.

Three more tips for a better Monday after the jump!

11 Golden Rules to Live By

SavvySugar — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:05:15 PDT

Working hard and being smart with your money aren't things you just should do because they seem virtuous - these behaviors ultimately allow you to get more enjoyment out of life. You'll have no regrets when you're able to accomplish what's important to you because of your savvy ways. These are 11 golden rules that I try to live by; click through and then make a list of your own.

What's Your Fall Fitness Goal?

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:06:35 PDT

As Summer winds down, now's the time to start thinking of switching up our routines. Whether it's joining a gym or trying a new fitness class, from the changing of the weather to the back-to-school vibe of the season, Fall is all about fresh starts.

Have you thought about how you'll be switching up your workout? Take our poll and share your new fitness goals below!

Poll Shows People Have Less Faith Than Ever in 20-Somethings

Emily Co — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:54:18 PDT

It's a little depressing to hear that the majority of Americans have little faith in Gen Y. The only people that seem hopeful about our prospects are, well, the 20-somethings themselves. Just 44 percent of respondents believe that people in their 20s will have a better life than their parents, according to a Gallup survey. Compared with past results, that's the lowest since 1983 and the first time it has reached below 50 percent.

Perhaps it's a combination of rising school loans and recessionary pessimism. Or maybe it's due to the fact that Gen Y-ers are taking even longer to settle down with steady career paths compared to the previous generations. Many SavvySugar readers have chimed in and said jumping from job to job is really a mandatory result of the economy, and not because they are eager to explore job opportunities out there.

Do you think you'll be more successful than your parents?

Have a Fun, Productive, and Savvy Weekend With These Tips

SavvySugar — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 03:05:17 PDT

It's the start of the weekend, and hopefully all of you have at least some time to relax and unwind. Recharge yourself for the week ahead - sorry for mentioning it! - with these savvy ways to make the most out of your free time this weekend.

Turn your brain off. Listen to this career expert's advice to save the professional think tanking for a specific time and enjoy your time with your friends and family without feeling guilty.
Relax on the cheap. Savvy readers know that relaxing doesn't have to mean an expensive day at the spa. Sometimes all you need is a good magazine or book or an afternoon at the thrift store to clear your mind.

For three more tips on staying productive this weekend, just

A Reader Shares Her Fitness and Health Goals For 2011

Fit Community — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:10:14 PDT

Enter to win our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway by completing any challenges you may have missed! Proving that it's never to late to start, FitSugar reader Jennyanne completed the first challenge of our contest and shared her health and fitness goals for the year.

My fitness goals for the year include cutting out most processed foods and sticking to natural sweets (fruit instead of cake). I also would like to start running again and would like to try a 5K. I now do cardio at the gym, mostly elliptical, but would like to take advantage of the great outdoors more.

You, too, can enter to win our weekly prize of a $100 New Balance gift card and our fabulous grand prize - a four-day fitness boot camp in LA. Complete any of the previous challenges in our Get Fit For 2011 community group. The more you participate, the greater your chances of winning!

Flickr User PannPhotos

A Reader's Get Fit 2011 Goals

Fit Community — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:45:13 PST

Meet Sugar user Mandipants and check out the fitness goals she posted in our Get Fit For 2011 community group. By doing so, she entered our weekly giveaway!

This is my first post ever so I guess here goes nothing. I've never liked running. Well maybe when I was younger but not since I can remember. My favorite means of working out are dancing, Pilates, walking, and rollerblading. I decided that this year I want to run in a 5k. This probably doesn't sound like a very significant goal but for me it's HUGE! I've been working on my endurance and once I've built that up I'll focus on running faster. I've been eating healthier and reading some great blogs. It's been really inspiring and motivating. I can't wait until the day I can say "I'm a runner and I love it!"

Share your fitness and health goals for the New Year in the Get Fit For 2011 community group and enter to win our weekly prize: a $100 Nike gift card. We're also giving away a fabulous grand prize fitness package!

Have You Been Sticking to Your Healthy Resolutions?

Michele Foley — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:40:04 PST

We're less than two weeks into 2011, and I'm already failing at my New Year's resolutions to eat out less and go to yoga more. I started the year off with four consecutive yoga classes, but a week-long illness made keeping that up pretty hard. As far as curbing my habit of eating out, I have no excuses - I just haven't made an effort. The good news is that there are 50 weeks left in the year to make good on these promises to myself. I'll be getting my yoga on this weekend at the Yoga Journal Conference: San Francisco, and it's never too late to start brown bagging it to lunch.

How are you doing with your 2011 healthy resolutions - working hard or hardly working? Join our Get Fit For 2011 community challenge and giveaway for some extra incentives to stick with your goals. If you want to talk more about your 2011 healthy resolutions, join us for a live Twitter chat this Thursday. We'll be fielding questions and dishing up advice on how to stick to your resolutions all year long.

Source: Flickr user lululemon athletica

Good Luck Charms Actually Work: Court Serendipity in 2011

LearnVest — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:00:09 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Learnvest story here on Savvy!

When we wish you a happy new year filled with lots of good luck, we’re being literal: Grab that pair of lucky socks you wore when you scored your first high school soccer goal and listen up. Studies have shown that good luck charms actually work. When the tasks at hand require some sort of skill, hard work, or fortitude, good luck charms have been proven to actually increase the rates of success. Some test subjects in a study were told that golf balls were lucky, and some weren’t. The recipients of “lucky” balls performed 35% better than the control group.

If At First You Don’t Succeed… Try, Feel Lucky, And Try Again.

Although we might be tempted to slack off and let the magic of luck do its work, special charms tend to make people feel more confident and work harder for the things they want, since they’re more convinced of their potential to succeed. This is effect, which has been noticed in world-famous athletes like Serena Williams, has been shown in both physical tasks like golf putting and mental tasks like memorization and spelling. Suffice it to say, our minds are powerful tools. Regardless of whether the charm is really magical, that reassurance tends to help people open up and face risks, which translates to bigger successes.

Keep reading for additional tips.