The start of a new year prompts me, like most people, to reflect on what I’ve accomplished over the past 12 months and to set goals for the year ahead. Most people set personal goals – lose weight, pay off debt, relax more – but it’s also a good time to set some professional goals and resolutions. After all, who couldn’t stand to be a better manager, leader, colleague, or employee?

The following is a guest blog post by Adam Smith, Chief Technology Strategist for Agile Enterprise Software LLC and technical consultant to Hobnobia.net.

If you attended NCURA AM52 a few weeks ago, you learned that NCURA is now on Twitter and is actively exploring how to use this and other social media networks as a way to get information out to research administrators. And of course, you know that your favorite resource for what's hot in the world of research administration is also active on Twitter. In fact, every blog post on Hobnobia is automatically "tweeted", or announced on Twitter.

Surprised to learn that Twitter is not just for Justin Bieber fans? In fact, Twitter can be a very useful tool in your job as a research administrator. With Twitter, you can:

• learn about new legislation and changes in agency policies that affect the way we do our jobs,
• learn about funding opportunities the moment they're released,
• learn about webinars and seminars relevant to the field of research administration, and
• build your professional network.

...and of course, a whole lot more! Twitter is a great way to connect with colleagues in your field and share ideas.

Read on to find out how to get started using Twitter, and get the most out of your Twitter experience.

Feng Shui is used by millions of people all over the world to bring energy, luck, and wealth into their lives. With a history dating back to ancient China, Feng Shui was first used by farmers in deciding where to plant their fields and where to build their houses. Today, its principles are used to design interior and exterior spaces which promote the flow of positive energy. But, Feng Shui can also be applied to the energy we project when communicating with others. Lifehack.org offers 12 suggestions for achieving good Feng Shui of the mind and ensuring balance, flow, and harmony when interacting with others: