MAINTAIN YOUR BODY
Look just because summer is over, doesn’t mean it’s time to toss out the gym membership. With occasions like Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up, those extra workouts here and there are essential. Plus, maintaining your physique throughout the fall is way better than trying to lose all the weight you gained come spring.

SHOP EARLY
Depending on where you live (I’m here in Atlanta where it doesn’t cool down until the end of October) you want to get a head start on your fall and winter shopping. If you see great boots and a fabulous peacoat you know you’ll definitely wear, go ahead and get it. But only shop early for the classics – a trench coat, cardigan, etc. Trendy pieces are always available. It’s the pieces that you’ll wear for seasons to come that you want to get early. If you’re really focused, start picking up things for Christmas as well. You’ll soooo thank yourself later.

OUTLINE 2011
Just like that, 2010 is almost over. So if you know there is a trip you want to take, a party you want to throw or something that you want to do ,then move forward with. Book that flight, make that reservation and get to planning. Send out save the date cards and do whatever it takes so when 2011 does come around, you’re not scurrying to get things done. If you have the opportunity now, take advantage of the time and save yourself some in the future.

FALL CLEANING
You know the term “spring cleaning”? Well the same applies for the fall. Get your house ready for the fall and winter seasons by tidying up. Get those Christmas decorations out of storage and put them in an accessible place so you’re not suffering to do so in the middle of November. Bust out your sweaters, jackets and coats that you had stored away and put up your summer frocks. If you’re into interior design, change the color of your drapes, tablecloths and flowers to match the autumn season.

CLEAR YOUR VISION
Since we’re in the last quarter of the year, maybe there are some things you’d like to accomplish. There’s nothing wrong with creating a vision board for the end of the year. There may have been some plans you had that weren’t clear at the beginning of the year – when you’re typically “supposed” to make a vision board – that you have clarity on now. If you’ve got a mission, put it on a board and break it down. If you’ve got 3 months to lose 20 lbs for you cousin’s wedding in January, break it down to the month, then week and even the day. When you can see it, you can achieve it!

In this day and age, we all know someone who’s a publicist, manager, graphic artist, writer, or in some other field that you need. But before you hire that friend or make an “arrangement” is it wise to do business with a friend?

Look we are especially emotional with the people we love. These people usually include our friends. It’s easier to laugh with them, it’s easier to be mad at them, it’s easier to love them. When it comes to them, we tend to be hyper sensitive. This is why so many times, people say don’t live with someone you want to stay friends with. Same thing with business.

Here’s a piece of advice: emotions and money don’t mix. Especially when you’re trying to make some.

On one side, you feel like you shouldn’t have to pay someone at all or that you should be severely discounted because of the relationship. On the other side, they’re expecting to be paid regardless. Last time I checked, friendship doesn’t pay the bills. Friends usually tend to be comfortable with one another and it’s very easy to be comfortable with somebody else’s money. So when you work for your friend, you may take a longer lunch than you would if you were working a 9 to 5. You may take longer to get the job done or you may buy some extra stuff because it’s coming out of their pocket. But the question soon becomes: When did comfort and friendship become exchanged for incompetence and disrespect?

The moment you believed business with friends was a good idea, that’s when.

Why doesn’t friendship and business partnership usually work? Well because when you’re friends with someone, you usually look at them as you’re equal. It’s not like a teacher/student or parent/child relationship. The dynamic of the relationship is equality and the many things you have in common. The moment that relationship is changed to boss/employee it may start out fine. But as the days go by, it’s slowly but surely tainted by your previous (and still present) equality of a friendship. So if you’re the boss and we’re friends, I’m kind of like the boss too, right?

Wrong.

It usually doesn’t end well. Harsh words are thrown loosely and most of the time they sting. Bad. So the friendship is disbanded and you end up hiring a complete stranger like you should have done in the first place. Relationships define other relationships, so if I’m the boss and you’re the employee a lot of times it’s hard to transition back to the normalcy and sameness of everyday friendship. And if I don’t think I’m getting my money’s worth or that I’m getting paid enough to do the work I’m doing for you, our business arrangement is just a ticking time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before it explodes in our face.

Now, don’t be mistaken. It’s definitely easier or much more likely to be become friends with someone you work with or work for. When it’s this way around, the non emotional part is already established and usually nobody gets hurt. But that’s only because it was established in the beginning.

So should you do business with friends? Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.