AMERICANWAY

ESSAY zero or a five. I'm sure "normal" people glance at the final cost and collect their receipt with- out taking a second glance. But to me, there are few things more annoying than walking away from a gas pump that has stopped at something like $36.72 or $39.97. I have to squeeze the gas handle a few more times until it reaches $36.75 or $40.00 before I can walk away a happy camper. While all that spare change is eventually bound to add up to a significant amount, you can't put a price on a minor act that saves you from major stress. Alarm clocks are a different story. I put a lot of thought behind this process and pur- posely set my alarm to blast Luke Bryan at random times that make zero sense to anyone but me — and perhaps to my fellow control freaks. For example, if I want to get up at 5 a.m., I set my alarm for 4:57 a.m. Waking up is eas- ier when I know I have a three-minute win- dow to mentally prepare myself before the clock starts ticking on my morning routine. Ultimately, my habits result in me spending a few more cents on gas and losing a few extra minutes in the morning. But I'm in control. And that's perfect. 2. Become BFFs with your mobile cal- endar, planners (yes, plural) and to-do lists. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," has become one of my favorite quotes. Perfection- ism requires planning — like mapping out your weekend brunch plans for the next three months or planning what to wear for your cousin's wedding even though it's a year away. (BTW: I recommend color-coding your closet — when you need something, you'll know ex- actly where to find it.) I had an ex-boyfriend who was terrible at planning and became notorious for telling me an hour ahead of time that he was coming over or that we were going out to dinner. That's why he's an ex. We live in a digital age where we can con- trol every area of our life from a smartphone that sits in the palm of our hand. At work, it's rare that my mobile device leaves my side. A s I bounce bet ween back-to-back meet- ings, I rely on my trusty phone to send text messages to my team, check emails, or most importantly, refer to my digital calendar for updated meeting times and locations. I like to use my phone's calendar exclu- sively for work pur poses, so I a lso ca r r y around a personal planner that I mark up w ith socia l events, a f ter-work f unctions, 5 0 D EC E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY The five-star Sonesta Ocean Point Resort recently opened its doors to guests, embracing a contemporary Caribbean style within a luxury, adults-only, limitless all-inclusive vacation experience. The 129 all-suite spectacular "resort within a resort" features three pools, three bars and the modern Mediterranean Azul restaurant while a 24-hour room service and wellness treatments are complemented by exemplary service from personal butlers, all culminating in the most uniquely designed hotel that Sint Maarten has seen. DESIGN AND LUXURY ELEVATE THE LIMITLESS ALL-INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE SONESTA OCEAN POINT RESORT ŐāċĈĂāċĆąĆċăāĀĀđ1-800-SONESTA sonesta.com/oceanpoint @sonestaoceanpointresort @oceanpointresort @oceanpointsxm STYLE & DESIGN ARRIVE IN SINT MAARTEN Proudly using Ask about our new Development Incentive, which may provide $30k/unit in savings.*

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