Kristen

It's that time of year that everyone is making lists, talking about who's who and sizing up everything that happened in 2008. At the end of a year, your mind can also feed you some pretty tough questions about yourself.

Why didn’t you lose the weight? Why did you not sell those stocks and get into cash? Why are you still single?   Read more...

For about the past two years, we've been hearing that change starts with us...and it's true. Jim Wallis said recently that change doesn't happen because new presidents are elected, it happens because individuals rally behind social causes and push them to the forefront. It happened with the Civil Rights movement. It's happening with Blog Action Day (kudos to all the bloggers here participating, your stories are encouraging, touching and inspiring). And it's happening among a committed group of high school students at Manhattan's Hunter Science HS.

History teacher Kevin Froner issued a challenge to his students - register to vote, and register your friends. The result is a new non-profit called the Youth Voter Project (www.first30days.com/making-change-easier/articles/rock-the-youth-vote.html), which aims to register every 18-year-old student in the country...no small feat for a group of kids from the Bronx!   Read more...

I have stopped reading the news headlines and turning on the TV. It's disheartening to watch as desperate Republican supporters yell "kill him!" and "terrorist!" at McCain rallies across the US.

No matter what a person's political beliefs are, now is not the time to create division, hostility or fear. It's hard to watch people who are angry and scared start to lose control...in part because it's a feeling we can all identify with.   Read more...

Notice I didn't say "cheap" living...being frugal doesn't mean becoming a curmudgeonly miser, hoarding your pennies in a corner. Frugal living, especially right now, means making smarter choices so that the money you work for goes a little further than it did before.

With today's headlines reminding us that things are probably going to get worse before they get better, now is a great time to review spending habits and figure out where you can save a little more here and there. And no, it's not about cutting out all the fun! It's about using common sense when it comes to purchasing. Want has replaced need in our culture - how can we tell anymore whether we truly have to have something? Let's recalibrate and start listening to those wise voices in the finance world who know that it's all about balance and making smart choices.   Read more...

The founder of First30days.com, Ariane de Bonvoisin, shared some tips for getting through job loss with the New York Daily News that are especially timely. It's not your run of the mill "network, network, network" spiel.

Some interesting ideas include:

-Embracing transition. The next job you take may be a transitional one. Whether it's full or part time, embrace it. Every experience is a valuable one and you never know where it may lead. It's okay to freelance or find part-time work to create cash flow until you find a better position.   Read more...

Water is something we take for granted here in the US - so much so that we pay for it when we can get it for free. Instead of buying bottled water we should be focused on cutting down our own consumption and using that money instead to bring clean drinking water to nations that have for too long been taking dirty, bacteria-laden water home for cooking, drinking and cleaning because no other option exists.

Thankfully, someone is doing something about it in a big way. Charity:water founder Scott Harrison began the September campaign last year to encourage people to give much needed funds to his new non-profit rather than give him gifts on his birthday. This year, the stakes have been raised. Hundreds of people are asking the same thing of their friends and relatives. Over $800,000 has been raised - but the work isn't done!   Read more...

Change may be a big buzzword this year, but chances are you've been undergoing change - or anticipating it - for quite some time. There's a new website dedicated to helping people get through and become better at every kind of change called www.first30days.com.

There are over 60 topics to choose from, in topic areas ranging from Career to Relationships to Family and Health. Popular changes include Divorce, Making Change Easier, Improving Your Sex Life, Finding Your Dream Job and Getting In Shape.   Read more...