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(BPT) - The changing seasons create a great opportunity to rethink your habits to keep your “always on” routine at its freshest. With some quick, consistent changes, you can refresh your daily routine and form better habits with minimal effort required. Here are five easy tips to feel confidently fresh and always on as you go about your day.


Prep the night before. Have you ever been late in the morning because you weren’t organized for the day ahead? Take 10 minutes before bed to pack your bag for the next day. After all, the more you rush, the more likely you are to forget something important. Gather your essentials in advance — whether gym clothes, lunch or handbag basics — so you don’t miss anything in the morning. Anticipating the day’s needs will make you feel more confident come morning knowing you don’t have to worry that you’ve forgotten anything before heading out the door.


Eliminate the snooze button. It's tempting to hit the snooze button when the alarm goes off, but that is no way to get ahead. For a better start, set the alarm for the time you truly need to be up and then place it somewhere that requires you to get out of bed to turn it off. This will make it easier to wake up the first time. Then use those extra few minutes to eat breakfast, shower or apply makeup — the possibilities are endless. Give it three weeks and you won’t miss your snooze button at all.   


Freshen up your beauty routine. Do you really need a dozen bottles of half-used moisturizers and a purse full of last season’s lip and nail colors? Refresh your beauty cabinet and makeup bag to keep your essentials easily accessible. Every woman has her list of must-haves to keep on hand and in her bag — dry shampoo, hand sanitizer and daily panty liners. Try Always Xtra Protection liners to feel shower fresh all day long. These thin and flexible daily liners are super comfy and keep you 5 times drier as you go about your day. It’s extra convenient that they are individually wrapped, so you can toss some in your gym bag, purse, desk and bathroom for that always on, always shower fresh feeling anywhere you go.


Travel essentials to stay shower fresh. In your 24/7 life, you never know where the day will take you. From morning meetings in the office to last minute business trips, you always want to feel your best. There are certain items that are portable and easy to keep around to refresh without taking up too much room in a carry on. Deodorant, daily panty liners and eye drops are a smart travel top three. Deodorant will keep you smelling sweet and can also be used to prevent blisters from unforgiving shoes, eye drops can refresh dry eyes or take redness out of a zit and 50 percent of women agree that wearing a liner on a long flight would keep them feeling fresher, according to a 2013 Always online study. From take-off to touch down, you’ll not only have finished reading your latest book club selection, you’ll also feel as fresh as when you started. 


Find time to refresh daily. Whether near or far, at home or at work, burning off some steam (and even some calories) with exercise or a night out is a great way to refresh your body and mind. Don’t let any 9-5 obligations keep you from finding time for yourself! Carving out a little “me” time is an important way to keep you feeling your freshest day in and day out. To make it easier to fit it all in, try creating calendar appointments for your workouts and social plans to make them feel like more of a priority. Also, keep your personal essentials (make up, panty liners, deodorant) handy to seamlessly transition from one thing to the next, proving that an “always on” woman can do it all and still feel her freshest!


Try these easy tips to help refresh and reorganize your daily routine for the next few weeks and see how simple it is to change your habits.

(BPT) - A beloved hobby can feel like a mini vacation from everyday life. Whether it's gardening for relaxation, photography as a creative outlet or computer coding to exercise the brain, hobbies serve as an escape from stress and boredom.

What if rather than a hobby being your escape, it was what you did for a career?

"When you do what you love, it doesn't feel like work. However, people are intimidated by the idea of transitioning a hobby into this type of dream," says Jim Salmon, vice president of business services at Navy Federal Credit Union. "Becoming a successful entrepreneur doesn't have to be difficult with the right drive and passion."

Navy Federal Business Services has helped thousands of people turn their dreams of owning a small business into reality by providing expert guidance and financial support through Business Services products. Here are some of Salmon's expert tips based on best practices he's observed through his close relationship with entrepreneurial clients:

1. Take your time.

Becoming a successful entrepreneur doesn't mean you have to drop everything and devote all your time to starting a business. In fact, research shows the opposite: People who keep their day jobs while starting companies are a third less likely to fail than those who abandon their full time jobs. Instead, they're tinkering, researching and cautiously testing things out to see if their idea is a viable business venture and if there is a market for their product or service.

2. Set a timeline.

Is there a season where it would make sense to test out your business venture? Or perhaps there's a transitional time in your life where you'll be looking to open a new chapter. For example, transitioning your hobby into a viable business venture a great option for active duty military personnel and veterans because they naturally begin to think about what their second career will be after retiring or leaving the Armed Forces.

3. Decide on time commitment.

Decide how much time you are willing to dedicate to your new venture in the beginning. Being an entrepreneur means being your own boss which affords you unprecedented flexibility, but the effort you put in directly effects what you get out. Keep in mind, entrepreneurship isn't just for full-time professionals. Turning a hobby into a career is a great option for military and stay-at-home parents who require flexibility in regards to working hours and location, but they may have more open time to dedicate to the transition.

4. Create a business plan.

Transitioning a hobby into a profession is a lot of fun, but it's also serious business if you want to be successful. That means creating a business plan that includes goals and plans for attaining them. This will serve as the foundation for how you strategize and build a successful business today. Plus, when it comes time to finance your budding business, a solid business plan will give you a leg up and direction for the future.

5. Find financial backing.

Depending on what type of business you want to pursue, you may need some additional funding beyond what you can afford. Establishing a relationship with a financial institution like Navy Federal Credit Union will help you learn more about small business loans and lending products that will help your small business grow. Bring your passion and your business plan - potential investors and financial institutions alike will want to see both before they make a decision.

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