The New Year is here and many of us are setting out to make this the best year ever. We have our goals set and we are ready to go. Here are a few tips used by high achievers that could make our year that much more successful.

Are you a snooze person? It’s not all bad. Instead of falling back to sleep and waking groggier than ever, take those 9 minutes to do a self-scan. Breathe deeply and stretch out your entire body. Think about things left unaccomplished the day before and how to finish them. Go over your plan for the day.

Deal with as much of your email as early as you can. Answer all that can be done quickly. Read the first lines of the rest, decide what needs immediate attention, and leave the rest marked unread. Next, write drafts for critical emails that demand more involved answers.  Make sure you proofread your answers, but don’t overthink. The rest can be dealt with later in the day.

Think about the top five things that would make your day successful. They can include one or two personal things. Start early in the day with your top priority. This is when your energy is highest. This task can maybe be one that’s not your favorite, so getting it done early gets it off your plate. Hold yourself accountable. If you find you have a to-do list longer than five, segment it according to due dates and priority. 

Do a smart week calendar that blocks all your time, both personal and work. Make sure to book your off time first; we often forget in this 24/7 world. Then schedule repetitive tasks and priorities. Always put in fudge time, as we know additional tasks will be added or others will take longer than anticipated.

Learn to listen. Make all your engagements everyday more personal. Make a conscious effort to ask questions and really LISTEN to the answers. People really do appreciate being listened to! More and more of our contact today is online, so we shouldn’t forget the value of personal contact. 

Decide to build a good habit. Whether it is working out, eating a good breakfast, or making your daily schedule the night before, it will take about 60 days to make it a habit. Most people that fail do so around the 3-week mark. Track your progress; this will make you more likely to reach success. Having someone doing it with you will help create accountability.

Start a gratitude journal. Every night, write down at least three things you were grateful for that day. They can be small or large. It really makes for a good frame of mind to end the day and look forward to tomorrow.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Believe it or not but Christmas is behind us for another year.  However here in Chicago our holiday festivities continue right into the following year!

Many of Chicago’s fun holiday cheer events from the past few weekends are available this weekend for you and your family to enjoy.  They include:

The City of Chicago Christmas Tree (Millennium Park, 201 E Randolph St) – The Loop

Wrigleyville Wonderland (Various Locations) – Wrigleyville

Window Wonderland (Milwaukee Ave between Ashland & North) – Wicker Park/Bucktown

Christmas Trees from Around the World (County Treasurer’s Office, 118 N Clark St, Rm 112) – The Loop

If you’re inclined to rest up this last weekend of 2019 to be rejuvenated to ring in the New Year, then so be it!  I will be doing the same!!  But come Monday, it’s time for our holiday grand finale leading us into a new year.

For those who prefer to quietly ring in their New Year, here are two events you might wish to partake in –

The Eve of the Eve Cocktail Cruise takes place on the Anita Dee II Yacht departing from DuSable Harbor (200 N. Breakwater Access) in The Loop on Monday (8:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.).  Celebrate a day early with a complimentary glass of champagne, music, dancing, and views of the city skyline!

Chicago’s Union Station (210 S. Canal St.) in the West Loop will be hosting the Eve of the Eve on Monday (8 p.m.-1 a.m.).  It’s a black-tie optional event offering partygoers an opportunity to mix and mingle, while jump starting their New Year’s celebration.  Guests will enjoy cocktails from the open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres from multiple food stations, dancing with live and DJ music, and raffles with all proceeds benefitting HighSight’s scholarship program!  It’s one of Chicagoland’s premiere holiday choices!!

And then, the final day of 2019 brings us –

The New Year’s Eve 5K will start and end at Chicago’s newly renovated Theater on the Lake (2401 N. Lake Shore Dr.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Tuesday (9 a.m.-12 p.m.).  This 5K is a scenic 3.1-mile loop showcasing the beauty of Lincoln Park and the Lakefront.  All runners receive branded swag, a finisher medal, and a full drink at the post race celebration held inside the Theater on the Lake for a Halfway to Midnight Celebration!

From dance parties to live bands to DJs and must-have midnight champagne cheers, the New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl is the perfect place to celebrate.  Check in is from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. at either Flat Iron (1565 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in the Wicker Park neighborhood or Tobacco Road (2247 N. Lincoln Ave.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.  Your evening will take you to many venues with transportation to get you there!  Your only decision for the evening will be which venue, who to have your midnight kiss with, and which cocktail you’ll be ringing in 2020 with!!

Finally, this New Year’s Eve is special as we usher in a whole new decade!  Luckily, here in Chicago you’ve got lots of options!

See You Next Year!!

If you’re still in the city and don’t have someplace to be on Christmas Day, the following restaurants have got you covered!

Longman & Eagle isn’t just for millennials and whiskey lovers anymore. Today, it’s the place for fans of Chinese takeout to go for their spin on crab rangoons, General Foie’s fried chicken, pulled pork tofu, and duck confit bao. No reservations are required! Find more information here.

Craving pizza? Chicago’s Pizza in Lakeview is open Christmas Day for delivery, dine-in, and take-out. The Ravenswood location is open for delivery only and the other two locations are closed. 

If you’re looking for a classic Christmas cocktail, look no further than Sportsman’s Club in the Ukrainian Village. This is a Humboldt Park fan favorite, where there will be good music and ever better booze from 8 pm to 2 am this evening. Try a spiced Old Fashioned for $10, play a round of checkers, and soak up the Christmas spirit. 

Can’t decide between brunch and dinner? You don’t have to at Andie’s! This Andersonville Mediterranean mainstay has a buffet all day long. One side features dinner options like ham, gyros, grilled eggplant, kabobs, and falafel. The other features brunch favorites like chocolate pancakes and greek omelettes.  

Grassroots is cooking up a delicious three-course holiday dinner. You can choose from organic Harrison Farms free-range turkey, top loin roast, fresh fish, or vegetable gnocchi. There’s also smoky cream of cauliflower soup and salted caramel cheesecake. Yum!

Artango Bar & Steakhouse has a flavor packed prix-fixe with lobster bisque, ribeye, and branzino. There will also be a live guitarist playing Christmas songs, along with Latin jazz numbers. 

There’s plenty of restaurants in the city that will make you feel at home today! Merry Christmas from all of us here at Dean’s Team!

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

My husband and I are just past 60 and we are in downsizing mode. Unfortunately, we have lived in our present home for 33 years and the accumulation of stuff is not to be believed. For the last year I have been getting rid of things, but it feels like I’ve barely made a dent. I’m going to give you some hints on not just paring down your junk, but lightening your life. This is good for everyone- not just us downsizing Boomers. 

My old thoughts on things were, “I might need this someday. If I get rid of it, I’ll be sorry! I have a big house; there’s room.” Nothing could be further from the truth. For one, I have things I haven’t even looked at in years. From clothes I don’t remember to kitchenware I haven’t used in this century. Younger people- start now; don’t get to the point where you are overwhelmed. Right now, I need to pare down a 4-bedroom house to fit into a small ranch house. Of course, it’s easy to say, “Just get rid of it!” In practice, it’s a little harder. 

If you are moving, concentrate on the space you WILL have. Four bedroom sets will not fit in a two bedroom house. A complete dining set will not work if your new house has no dining room. I have noticed much of our furniture is not even used every day. I have entire chest of drawers full of stuff I haven’t looked at in years.

The year rule is a good one. Items you haven’t used in a year are not likely to be used in the next year. Of course you have sentimental or handed down items that you don’t see every day; you can keep those. But think too, “Can someone else use these?” Perhaps a young niece would love those dolls you were hanging onto. Do you have boxes of stuff in the basement or attic? Now is a good time to go through them. You might have boxes of old tech and most of this is probably junk. Know that anything with information still on it needs to be wiped. Many of these items are considered hazardous waste, so dispose of them accordingly. 

Much of our house clutter is paper. You need to keep hard copies of certain things, like social security cards and birth certificates, but most everything else can be digitized and stored in the cloud. This will eliminate a large amount of clutter. Deal with your daily paper clutter; mail should be dealt with immediately. Shred anything like credit card offers and recycle most everything else. CDs and DVDs can be digitized also. Think of the space you can save! 

Do realize that even with merciless purging, you may still have more stuff than you have space for. There are many space saving organizers on the market now, from under-bed storage to different styles of closet organizers. Perhaps a section of a spare room can be made into a makeshift closet. Use the space behind doors for hanging shoe storage. Add shelves and hooks for coats, gloves, and hats in the mudroom or entryway. 

So lighten up for the New Year! Remember, the junk man is your friend. For less than you think, they will come and dispose of anything you point to. Most of them will recycle and donate to lessen your footprint in the landfill. They are invaluable for us busy people- it’s there, then it’s gone!

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

This is it Chicago — your last weekend before the holidays are here!  Let’s all get in the spirit and take some time to enjoy ourselves.  You can finish your holiday shopping on Monday!!

This holiday season, the Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St.) in The Loop will present (in the Owen Theatre) The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris.  Chicago favorite Matt Crowle makes his Goodman debut in a solo performance as the strapped-for-cash struggling actor who takes a job as “Crumpet the Elf” at Macy’s Santaland with his hilarious observations which are more naughty than nice!  This is a must see for those who prefer their eggnog spiked!!

Vicki Quade, creator of the smash hit Late Nite Catechism, invites you to get into the holiday spirit with her hilarious new show Christmas Bingo: It’s a Ho-Ho-Holy Night at the Royal George Theater (1641 N. Halsted St.) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.  Be sure to brush up on your Yuletide trivia as this is a uniquely interactive show where you’ll be playing for actual prizes!  Mrs. Mary Margaret O’Brien, the bingo caller and a former nun, will have you in stitches as she tackles the wackiest myths and most outrageous facts about Christmas, which include old St. Nick’s origins and where candy canes come from.  But she’ll also send disobedient bingo players (including you) to stand with their noses to the chalkboard!!

Laugh Out Loud Chicago (3851 N. Lincoln Ave.) in the North Center neighborhood will be hosting The Ha-Ha-Holiday Show this Saturday with two performances (7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.).  Watch Santa guess what the actors want for Christmas or sing along with an improvised carol about the worst presents you ever received.  It’s simple, you provide the inspiration and the actors provide the laughs to get you through the holidays or at least the end of the night!  BTW, the early show is family-friendly while the later show is anything goes!!

For 18 years, the American Blues Ensemble has treated Chicago audiences to a live 1940’s radio broadcast of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago at Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont Ave.) in the Lakeview neighborhood.  The incredible cast recreates the entire town of Bedford Falls with Foley sound effects, an original score, and holiday carols.  Each actor tackles multiple roles, with the cast of eight creating the 30-plus characters who populate the fictional town.  And, after each performance, milk and cookies are served by the cast!  It’s the second longest-running holiday play in Chicago and not to be missed!!

Finally, this Saturday (4:30 p.m.-10 p.m.) take the Chicago Holiday Lights Tour which begins at O’Shaughnessy’s Pub and Grill (4557 N. Ravenswood Ave.) in the Ravenswood neighborhood.  You, your family and/or friends will board a deluxe motor coach with a variety of drinks and food for a 5-hour tour exploring all of Chicago’s Christmas and Holiday light displays.  Along the journey, there will be prize giveaways, free prizes, raffles, and nothing but fun and excitement!  In addition, this event is kid friendly!!

Hope You’re in the Holiday Spirit Now!  Best Wishes!!