Genuinely Apologize for Your Mistakes

At work, you're going to mess up sometimes.  You might forget to meet a deadline, or complete a project incorrectly, and there's always a learning curve when you start a new job.  But when those "mess ups" happen, make sure you're acting graciously and genuinely when you apologize.  Always follow up your apologizy with a committment that you will do better next time and exactly how you plan to do that.  This holds true whether you're an intern, an associate, in management, or an executive.

In your personal life, you're going to hurt someone's feelings.  It might be your significant other, it might be a friend, and it might be your family.  You might have upset the person because of something you said, or didn't say or because of something you did.  No matter what, if the person you hurt is honest with you that you have upset them, be honest back with them about how you feel about the situation.  You actually may not be sorry, and they might be upset because they just don't agree with the situation.  But if you are sorry, make sure you work to make amends.  Have empathy for how the other person is feeling.  Don't take anyone in your life for granted.

Hold the Elevator Door

...except for the rude people who run at a completely full elevator of people and stick their hand in at the very last second and squeeze in with everyone (they usually smell bad too).  But generally, it's a nice idea to just hold the elevator door for people behind you.  Don't always be in such a rush that holding the elevator door would make that much of a difference in your day time-wise.

Have a Healthy Disregard for the Impossible

Robert Sheehan, author of "Mission Impact," a leader in the nonprofit consulting world, and my professor, has embraced the idea that a successful organization and/or leader is one that has a heathy disregard for the impossible. It's a quote, and one that Larry Page, Co-Founder of a little corporation you might have heard of, Google, has quoted in commencement speeches. It's interesting, and even a little scary, to dream bigger than big, and take risks that might end up failing miserably. But, it's a guiding principle I intend to keep in the back of my mind as I move up and forward in this life. A healthy disregard for the impossible. Steve Jobs had it. Larry Page had it. Benjamin Franklin had it. And, let's get some women in there: Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and even crazy Sarah Palin, who has motivated a base of people unlike many other politicians I've ever heard of. It's starting to seem like the people who have this healthy disregard are the ones changing the world. I'm going to be one of them.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

I'm starting to realize that you can't always leave things on good terms: jobs, relationships, the nice guy who sits at the front desk some mornings before I've had my coffee, and the not so nice lady who is there when he's not and I totally know she's judging my every step from the elevator through the 50 people walking their dogs before work that I'm glaring at for getting hair on my black pants...okay, I digress. But really, things don't always end well. So, in the spirit of keeping positive because life is just too short to be upset, I'm learning to leave things better than when they started. It's cliche but attainable. I think this lesson relates to the notion that you never know what people around you are going through, so you should always carry some level of empathy with you.

Share Your Talents

I'm a member of a great, new, exciting all-volunteer nonprofit which started in 2009 in the DC area. We're trying to increase our fundraising goal and efforts this fall, and I was invited by the board to join a conference call on the topic this evening.

I realized that people all have unique talents that can play off of each other to improve a situation. It was awesome to chat with ladies who have their own strengths and come up with a plan of action together. It's important to recognize your talents and volunteer to offer them when the need arises. Don't sit and wait for an opportunity to be utilized comes along--seek opportunities and share your talents! The reward far outweighs the time you spend sharing them.

Join and Love Pinterest

If you haven't been invited to Pinterest yet, you're probably not cool. Kidding, but it's the newest most innovative but simple internet concept I've seen since Facebook! You actually "pin" virtual little square pictures onto various "boards" that you keep under your name. You can follow your friends, keep adding to your own, and basically waste every free second of time you have.

Pinterest makes me think, though, that it's valuable to aggregate all of your thoughts, ideas, hopes, dreams (even if those dreams are to bake those two-ingredient pumpkin cupcakes, or make that magnetic make-up board for your bathroom), and revisit them every once in awhile. I like the idea of getting inspired by others' "pins," and inspiring myself with my own "boards" of inspiration.

As Pinterest, says, "Happy Pinning!" Go sign up--it's awesome. http://www.pinterest.com/

Tell Yourself that It's Okay

I used to read Glamour Magazine when I wasn't busy reading as much news as possible, microeconomics, statistics, nonprofit management, program evaluation, case studies, legislation and policy research during my free time.

Ahh, those were the days.

Glamour always had a page at the end of the magazine that said, "Hey, it's okay..." ...if you ate a donut instead of muesli with fruit...if you still secretly hate your BFF for never giving back your favorite sweater, etc. Now that my days are completely full, I want to thank you Glamour Magazine! I've realized that "Hey, it's okay..." that I didn't run this morning, or tonight, and am not going to tomorrow either. It's okay that I have dishes in my sink and that I have quite a bit of laundry piling up in the closet. And It's definitely okay that I still haven't gotten around to organizing all of the random papers I've collected since post-college. I'll get there.