Author: Math Expert

Math at Work Monday: Kiki the career coach

Photo courtesy of danielmoyle

So this is the year — you’re ready to launch out into a new career, start a business, get back into the workplace after taking time off to raise the kids. Rebecca “Kiki” Weingarten, M.Sc.Ed, MFA knows all about these big decisions. As an executive, corporate and career coach, she’s worked with lots of folks who want to make successful career changes with no regrets. As the cofounder of Atypical Coaching, Kiki works with corporations and individuals. She says she once hated math, but today she uses math to help her clients make solid decisions that ease their way into uncharted professional territory.

Can you explain what you do for a living?

Short answer? I work with corporations and individuals in the US and internationally to set and reach their goals, maximize their potential and fend off anything that gets in the way of their achieving that. Or as my tag line says: Motivating & Guiding Clients to Achieve Success, Focus, Productivity, Stress Management, Balance & Transitions.

Long answer? As an executive, corporate and career coach I’ve worked with people and corporations/institutions in just about every industry on the planet from education, government, finance, business, technology, science, health care, psychology/mental health to numerous industries in the entertainment and creative arts fields including theater, film and writing.

When do you use basic math in your job?

I’m a firm believer that math is part of just about everything we do. That means that I use math in my job all the time. If I’m working with clients on an business, start-up, corporation or entertainment or creative project we work with budgets, time, financial parameters of a project.

If I’m working with clients on making a career transition we work on the mathematics of finances. How much more or less money will I be making? What kinds of financial sacrifices or changes will I make? If I’m going to be making more money, how will I manage that? Will I need a financial planner?

The math is pretty important when I’m working with clients on life-work balance. How many hours are in your day? How many hours do you need to work? How many leisure hours are there?

Do you use any technology to help with this math?

I use it if necessary. When working with corporations or projects, I’ll work with the people who do the math and they use whatever tools they normally use. If it’s an individual the math part usually comes in the form of coaching tasks that I assign them to do and then we discuss the results and strategize next steps during our sessions.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

I’m aware that math is part of everything, and I embrace it as much as possible. Math is the language of time, budgets, finances and financial decisions.

How comfortable with math do you feel?

I have an interesting relationship with math. In high school I was a whiz at English and history, but I didn’t apply myself when it came to math. The year I took geometry I totally bombed one semester and decided there was no way I was going to take the Regents exam twice. So I sat down with the class math whiz and then alone for three days and studied. I totally aced the exam. That let me know that I could do it if I just applied myself. But I really didn’t love math best, so it still wasn’t my favorite subject.

An amazing thing happened in college when I was studying for my Bachelor’s of Science in Education. I had to take a course on teaching early childhood math and my professor (whose name escapes me now – sadly, because she was wonderful!) LOVED her subject and was such an amazing teacher. I came to understand math in a new way. Turns out I loved teaching it. I wish I’d loved it as much in elementary and high school.

Did you have to learn new skills in order to do the math you use in your job?

I learn a new math language with all the different industries I’ve been in and coach. For example for multi-billion dollar and over one-million person target-group government projects that I’ve directed, I use one kind of math. Venture capital and business plan math is another kind. Entertainment budgeting is another kind of math, and when I’m coaching individuals on negotiating salary and compensation, that’s yet another kind of math.

Talking about money is an entirely different language, and I wish women were more comfortable speaking it. When working with women I find it’s a language they’re not as comfortable with as the men I work with. Even women in the corner offices, C-level, business owners, leaders in the corporate and other industries just aren’t as comfortable as they should be doing the math of the worth of their work and contributions. I work with them to do the math of who they are, what value they bring to their work (whatever it is), how to measure that in dollars and how to assert their value in order to get the financial rewards that they should get. Whether it’s during a job interview or asking for a raise.

One’s knowledge of math should be an evolving knowledge. School provides the basics and you keep your ears, mind and abilities ready and willing to learn new knowledge and incorporate new skills.

I often kid around that I learned a lot about coaching by being an early childhood teacher which was my very first job. Math is no exception. I learned that math is part of every single day and most activities — shopping and spending, time, money, baking and cooking. If you pay attention to how much math is part of your daily life you’ll be amazed.

I love that Kiki talks about the language of math, because that’s what most folks are afraid of — and very good at. You’re probably an expert in your own field, whether that’s being a mom or a speech therapist or a corporate executive. That’s half the battle in using math to further (or launch) your career.

If you have questions for Kiki, ask them in the comments section. I’ll make sure she knows they’re here!

January 23, 2012
Trim Your Spending with Percents
The first step to becoming more financially stable is writing down what you spend — and being honest about it. But what happens when you subtract your expenses from your income, and you’re in the red? Pouring yourself a stiff drink may be a first step, but it’s not going to solve the problem for you. Instead, you’re going to have to put on your big-boy or -girl pants and get down to the business of trimming your spending.

But one of the tough parts about budgeting is making reasonable assumptions about what you should be spending on any one category of your budget. Does it make sense to spend 50% of your income on housing? Should you cut your monthly savings?

Our brains are funny little organs. We can convince ourselves that we must have that huge flat-screen television set or we deserve to go out for drinks with the girls every Friday night. But the numbers don’t lie.

Math can help keep you honest about what you’re earning, spending and putting away for a rainy day, retirement or when you decide that you’d rather be a writer than an advertising sales executive.

Each family or person is different, of course, but there are some great guidelines that can help you see if you’re on track. Here are some examples:
- Housing should cost no more than 28% to 33% of your monthly gross income.
- Groceries should account for about 18% of your monthly gross income.
- You should be saving between 10% and 20% of your monthly gross income.
This is one of those situations when math can really help you lower the emotional impact of your decisions. Knowing what is reasonable to spend on these items can make it easier for you to actually make the changes.

So let’s say you’ve tallied your income and expenses and come up short. (No wonder your credit card bills are so high!) You gross $3,127 each month, and your rent is $750 each month. You spend about $650 on groceries and meals out each month, and you try to put away about $100 into savings.

Of these expenses, what should you cut? Let’s take a look. The experts estimate that your housing should cost no more than 28% to 33% of your monthly gross income:

28% of $3,127

0.28 x $3,127

$875.56

33% of $3,217

0.33 x $3,127

$1,031.91

Given your monthly income and the experts’ guidance, you should be spending between $875.56 and $1,031.91 each month on housing. Your rent is much lower that that, so unless you’re having your living room redecorated by Martha Stewart herself, you should be good to go in that category.

On to groceries:

18% of $3,127

0.18 x $3,127

$562.86

But you’re spending $650 on groceries and eating out each month. Clearly this is where you can cut some of your spending.

Finally, take a look at savings. While you could zero this out, so that you can pay off some debt, it’s probably not a good idea to forgo savings altogether. Besides, didn’t all of our parents preach about having a nest egg? (In fact, financial experts recommend that we have the equivalent of at least 4 months of our salary tucked away — just in case.) Building your savings takes discipline and time. And there’s no better time than the present to get started.

But how are you doing now, according to the expert guidance?

10% of $3,127

0.10 x $3,127

$312.70

20% of $3,127

0.20 x $3,127

$625.40

Hold the phone. With your measly $100, you’re not even close to what is recommended. Perhaps you could cut back on your clothing budget, so that you can actually retire on time or have a safety net if your job suddenly goes poof!

I’m the first to admit that these suggested percents are not the be-all-end-all of budgeting advice. Each one of us has extenuating circumstances to consider. But why not start with the math? In terms of what we’re spending, saving and earning, the numbers don’t lie.

P.S. For the really diligent among us, there’s something called the 50/30/20 budget: Must-have expenses (housing, food, insurance, etc.) should account for 50% of your income after taxes, while 30% should be “wants” and 20% should be savings. The trick here is deciding what is actually a “need” and what is really a “want.”

Using these percents, how are you doing with your monthly spending? Calculate what you should be budgeting for housing, food and savings, and then compare those results with your actual spending and savings. Tell us how you stack up in the comments section — and best of all, whether the result is surprising.
January 20, 2012

Budget basics

your New Years resolution is to save money — or spend less — most financial folks will tell you one thing: you’ve gotta have a budget. This means figuring out what you earn and how to spend those earnings. Budgets can be complex or simple. It all depends on what you are comfortable with. (Personally, I go for simple, because all of those details keep me from maintaining good finances. But if I needed to pay off a lot of debt or save a good amount of money, I might suck it up and look at every single penny.)

For today’s post, I thought I’d just print an excerpt of my book, Math for Grownups. Chapter 8 is called “At the Bank,” and it deals with money issues (aside from shopping, transportation or housing, which are covered in chapters 1, 2 and 3).

It’s New Year;s Day, and Darrel is pondering his resolutions over a bowl of black-eyed peas. For sure, he wants to reach level 65 in Purple Heart: World at War. And he wants to ask out that cute girl in the apartment next door.

But Darrel is also sick and tired of worrying about money. He’s got a good job as a computer programmer, but for some reason, he’s still ending up with too many bills at the end of the month. Last year, he had to sell is first-edition Spiderman comic to pick up a little extra cash. He knows he needs to add a really, really boring New Year’s resolution to his list: keeping a personal finances budget.

He vaguely remembers what his high school consumer math teacher told him about budgets. At least he remembers there are three parts: income, regular expenses, and occasional expenses. His income should be greater than all of his expenses put together.

He writes the name of the month at the top of a piece of paper, January, and adds his current monthly income: $2,655.

He’s careful to put his take-home income, not his before-tax income, because that’s all he can spend.

Now he brainstorms all of his regular expenses, including his weekly comic store purchases. Some of his expenses, such as his electric bill vary a bit form month to month, but he adds up the last year’s worth and divides by 12 to get a monthly average.

Expenses
Item	Cost	Item	Cost
Rent	$800	College loans	$200
Electricity	$145	Gas	$100
Water	$21	Comics	$100
Cell	$80	Groceries	$400
Internet	$42	Entertainment	$200
Satellite	$100	Clothing	$100
Car payment	$360
Total		$2,648

So far, so good. It looks like Darrel is living within his means, but what will happen when he adds in his occasional expenses? He brainstorms again, consulting his online banking records for guidance.

Occasional Expenses
Item	Cost	Total per year
Car insurances	$450 every quarter	$1,800
Comic book conventions	$4,200 per year	$4,200
Professional association dues	$500 per year	$500
Dojo fees	$275 per semester	$550
Gifts	$170 per year	$170
Total	$7220

He divides that total by 12 to get his average monthly expense: $601.67.

Darrel adds his regular and occasional expenses together: $2,648 + 601.67 = $3,249.67. That’s more than his monthly take-home pay! He’s going to have to cut back. It takes Darrel only a few moments to recalibrate his budget. He’s going to reduce the number of comic book conventions he goes to and cut down his satellite television expenses. With that, he notices that he can put some money each month into his languishing savings account. And if, at the end of the year, he gets that raise he’s been expecting, he can put even more away for a rainy day.

This little bit of math gives Darrel a boost of confidence — enough confidence that he picks up the phone and calls his cute neighbor.

Do you use a budget? If so, what kind? And how has it helped you manage your finances?

January 18, 2012

Ready, Set, Organize!

Photo courtesy of Rubber Maid Products

When I decided to organize my junk drawer two weeks ago, I did what most folks do — I purchased a drawer divider set with a variety of different sizes. The idea is to group like things together. The pencils go in one section, pens in another. Littler compartments hold paper clips and Box Tops. And the biggest container is for my precious scissors, which seem to go missing at least once every other day.

In fact, this is the No. 1 tennet of organization: A place for everything and everything in its place. If I have a designated spot for my daughter’s erasers, they won’t be strewn around my kitchen counters or tossed into the silverware drawer. (And she won’t be screaming in a fit of last-minute homework, “I can’t find an eraser!)

At least that’s the idea.

And that idea is as old as dirt. In fact, it has its roots in mathematics, specifically set theory, which wasn’t formalized until Georg Cantor, a German mathematician, published an article on the subject in 1874. This blew the socks off of the mathematics community — mainly because he proposed that there are two kinds of infinities.

But I digress.

Kindergarteners learn about set theory, when they circle like things on a worksheet. And many parents probably wonder why this is such a big deal.

In short, set theory is the basis of our numerical systems — among many other things. Mathematics craves order. Knowing why things are alike or different can help us solve problems quickly and effortlessly. Just like knowing where my scissors go (and putting them there) makes it easier for me to find them later on.

As an example, let’s look at the set of whole numbers.

{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, … }

(Okay, just so no fancy-schmancy mathematician jumps down my throat, I have to note here that there is some disagreement about whether 0 belongs in this set. But for most of the rest of the world, that’s a point not worth arguing about.)

When you know the set of whole numbers, you can determine whether or not a number is in that set. For example:

0.25 is not a whole number

60% is not a whole number

π is not a whole number

-17 is not a whole number

But: 6,792,937 is a whole number

But why do you care? Honestly, I think the biggest reason is so that you can talk about math. In this case, set theory tells us the difference between whole numbers, integers, decimals, rational numbers, etc. — even if you don’t remember what all of these are.

(And those of us who know a little bit about math also know that whole numbers are in the set of integers, which are in the set of rational numbers, which are in the set of decimals.)

So this is how math is like organizing. Both depend on set theory.

I’m not saying that you have to be organized to do math. Lord knows I’m not. But the underlying organization of math points to big clues about how it’s done. Even more basic sets, like geometric shapes can apply in our everyday lives.

The bottom line is this: If you think you can get your house or office or car organized (and I believe you can!), you can certainly organize all of what you know about math and put it to good use. That way, you’ll always know where your area of a triangle is.

How do you think about the structure of numbers or shapes or arithmetic operations? This points to your intuitive understanding of set theory. Share your thoughts in the comments section!

January 13, 2012
Getting organized bit by bit
“My house is a disaster.”

How many times have you uttered these words or heard someone else say them? You and they are not alone. Getting organized is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. But like losing weight, it’s easier said than done.

But how do you manage this daunting task? If you’re inclined to take a week off of work, with high hopes of a sparkling, organized home after five long days, you may want to reconsider. If you’re not already organized, why would you want to spend so much time cleaning out your linen closet and kitchen cabinets?

On this point, the experts agree: a little goes a long way. So most suggest that devoting only 15 minutes a day to organization can yield big benefits. Let’s take a look at the numbers.

If you devote five days, for (let’s be generous) 10 hours a day, you’ll end up working 50 hours total, right? (That’s 5 days x 10 hours or 50 hours.) And you’d probably also have a sore back and a week’s worth of vacation lost to your label maker and plastic bins and lids.

But what if you committed to 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week? How much time will you have spent?

15 minutes x 5 days = 75 minutes

75 minutes ÷ 60 minutes = 1.25 hours (or 1 hour and 15 minutes)

Gosh, I spend more time in a week figuring out what’s for dinner.

So what if you started on January 1 and stuck with it throughout the month?

There are 22 weekdays in January

15 minutes x 22 days = 330 minutes

330 minutes ÷ 60 minutes = 5.5 hours

That’s less than the time it would take for you to watch the first two films in the Lord of the Ringstrilogy!

So let’s take this a bit farther. If you managed to keep this resolution for an entire year, how much time will you have spent organizing? Let’s assume there are 250 workdays in the year. (You’re not going to organize on a holiday are you?)

15 minutes x 250 days = 3,750 minutes

3,750 minutes ÷ 60 minutes = 62.5 hours

So by devoting a mere 15 minutes a day to organizing, you can end up spending more time over the year than if you took a week off and worked on the task for 10 hours a day. Plus, I guarantee you’ll be much more relaxed.

But what can you accomplish in 15 minutes? Here’s a short list:
- Cleaning out your junk drawer
- Going through seasonal clothes and deciding what to give away, toss or keep.
- Alphabetizing your spice rack.
- Culling through your kids’ artwork and filing or scanning special pieces.
- Scanning your bookshelves for titles you’re ready to part with.
- Setting up a spot for your mail, keys, purse and jacket.
By the end of one week, you could have a tidy junk drawer, trimmed summer wardrobe, room on your bookshelves and a regular spot for your keys. By the end of the year? Who knows what you could accomplish!

Have any organizing tips to share? Post your ideas in the comments section. I’ll bet I (or someone else) can find the math in that technique!
January 11, 2012
Math at Work Monday: Janine the professional organizer

Either A&E Television is super smart or I’m easily manipulated. On January 1, the cable channel ran a marathon of Hoarders, the documentary-style television program that shows extreme hoarders getting help to deal with their illness and their (often disgustingly) cluttered and dirty homes.

I watched several episodes.

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a hoarder. But like most folks, I do have a clutter problem. Hoarders makes me feel better about my own issues, while learning a bit about how to let go of material things. And besides, professional organizing has always been a fascinating career. The process of helping someone get organized — their spaces, their collections, their time! — is akin to waving a magic wand.

Getting organized is one of the most common New Years resolutions, so I’ve invited professional organizer Janine Adams, who owns Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis, Missouri. Not surprisingly, she uses math in her work. Here’s how.

What do you do for a living?

I help people create order in their homes and their lives. I specialize in working with folks who are overwhelmed by clutter and for whom getting organized is a lifelong challenge. Though no two clients are alike, I typically help in the area of decluttering, then creating systems to help people function smoothly in their homes. My special skill is in gently guiding people who have a special relationship with their things so that they can let go of stuff and feel okay about it.

When do you use basic math in your job?

When someone has too much stuff to fit into their space, we sometimes have to figure out what percentage of their things they might need to part with in order to be able to store everything. So the client might agree that he or she needs to part with three of a particular type of item for every one kept, for example. When creating storage systems, I typically try to subdivide spaces using bins, so I use simple math to figure out how many bins will fit on a shelf, for example. When working with clients on creating habits and routines and time management, we break down the day into small increments and try to figure how long things will take and what can actually get done in a given amount of time.

Some organizers do a lot more space planning than I do (I’m spatially challenged, so I don’t do space planning). I imagine they use more complicated math!

On the financial side of my business, I use math all the time, calculating my fees (I typically charge by the hour) as well as in calculating what I owe my subcontractors. I pay sales tax on any items I buy wholesale, but sometimes I round up or down to a whole number when I’m charging the client. Then, for bookkeeping purposes, I have to calculate the base price and the sales tax on it so that they equal the whole number.

Do you use any technology to help with this math?

I use the calculator on my iPod to check my math when I’m calculating what I’m owed (or owe subcontractors). I want to make sure I get it right. I also use a calculator when I’m figuring out sales tax. I use Quickbooks to help me with my bookkeeping and appreciate its math functionality.

How do you think math helps you do your job better?

If I didn’t know how to do basic math, I wouldn’t be able to run a business. I think it’s that simple. I feel like I’m constantly calculating fees, expenses, time available. Math is essential!

How comfortable with math do you feel?

This is very basic math. I’m comfortable with it!

What kind of math did you take in high school?

I was in an accelerated math program, but stopped at second year algebra, in 10th grade, because I didn’t enjoy it very much, to be honest. But I felt pretty good at it. I also took accounting classes, which have helped me in my two businesses (writing and organizing) and with home finances. What’s interesting to me is that I’m much better at basic math (the kind I use in every day life) than my husband is and he majored in applied mathematics in college.

Do you have questions for Janine? Ask them in the comments section. And be sure to come back on Wednesday and Friday. I’ll show you exactly how you can use math to help yourself get organized.

January 9, 2012
One Little Word, One Big Clue

you’ve read a women’s magazine or watched one of Oprah’s weight loss shows, you know a thing or two about how to shed those pounds. Move more, eat less, right?

You probably also know how easily we can be fooled by diet companies and nutrition labels. One of those bags of chips you buy at the gas station between errands? The package may claim 250 calories per serving, but the bag may actually contain 2.5 servings.

It’s that tiny little word — per — that screws us up. It’s so little, you might not even notice it. But it can make a big difference between reaching your weight goal and wearing a muumuu on the beach this summer.

If you think back to your elementary or middle school math classes, you may remember your teacher explaining that per means each. And if you think even harder, you might remember the operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) that is indicated by the word per.

Yep, it’s good old division. Think of it this way:

Charlie has six Star Wars figures, and he’s playing with two friends.
“But I want all of them,” he screams. To which you calmly reply, “I know, but that’s not fair. How can we be fair?”
“They can have none, and I can have all of them,” says Charlie, stubbornly.
This is why we teach kids division, you think.

In that situation, you know without a doubt that dividing the Star Wars figures evenly between Charlie and his two friends is not only fair but easy: Because there are six toys and three friends, each friend gets two figures. In other words, there are two figures per child.

You did that in your head, but the math works out.

6 toys ÷ 3 friends = 2 toys per friend

Now, look more carefully at the above statement. Toys per friend translates to 6 ÷ 3 or 2, right? And that means that per means to divide.

Got it? Good. Now you can apply this any time you see the word per. In fact, this is precisely what I did on Wednesday, when I was figuring out how long it would take me to lose 25 pounds.

Whatever you expect to lose in a week, the math is simple:
total weight lost goal ÷ loss per week = number of weeks
25 pounds ÷ 1 pounds per week = 25 weeks
So if you think you can lose 2 pounds per week, it’ll take you 12.5 weeks to lose 25 pounds:
25 pounds ÷ 2 pounds per week = 12.5 weeks

Remember, I also wanted to convert the number of weeks to months — because that’s how my brain works:

I already figured out that I can probably reach my goal in 25 weeks. To find out how many months that is, I can just divide by 4 (the number of full weeks in a month):
25 weeks ÷ 4 weeks per month = 6.25 months

This works for a variety of calculations you may make when embarking on a plan to reach your fitness and weight loss goals. If your trainer says you should exercise for 5 hours per week, you can divide this in a variety of ways:

5 hours ÷ 5 days = 1 hour per day

5 hours ÷ 4 days = 1.25 hours per day

5 hours ÷ 6 days = 0.83 hours per day (or 50 minutes per day)

And so on.

If you practice this skill, you’ll find yourself doing it all over the place — translating miles per hour to your estimated time of arrival, figuring out how many cheddar cheese goldfish are in a half-serving, calculating the exact number of stickers each of your triplets get from the package, and so on.

So get on with your bad self. Use per to your advantage and don’t let servings trick you into eating more than you wanted to.

When do you use division (and per) to help with your fitness and weight loss goals? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

January 6, 2012
Watching the Weight Go Down
I suspect I’m not alone in one of my New Years resolutions: to eat better, exercise more and lose weight. (Ack! Did I just write that out loud?) Like other women in their mid-forties, I have found my metabolism screeching to a halt and my weight creeping up and up. So last night, I launched my most recent — and hopefully last — attempt at getting into better habits.

But I’m not fooling myself. This is a long process with a lot of little steps, some forwards and a few backwards. My issue is staying motivated. I do well for a while, and then I slip up — and eventually give up. So, I’ve got a good plan that should allow me to make incremental changes and leave lots of room for mistakes. And to accomplish this, I’ve got both measurable and soft goals.

Sure, I want to eat better (I can count each serving of veggies I eat or glass of water I drink.) And I want to exercise more. (I can count my hours at the gym or steps I take from my car to the grocery store.) But for me, those are big changes that will include a lot of frustrating missteps. In order to stay focused, the real measurement will be my weight.

My goal is to lose 25 pounds. And I’ll track this by weighing myself once a week.

So how long will it take me to lose the weight? This is where the math comes in. Here’s what I know:
1. I want to lose a total of 25 pounds.
2. I will probably lose between 0.5 and 2 pounds each week.
Does this mean I’ll be sitting on a beach in a string bikini in August? (That’s a joke. I’ve never worn a bikini in my life.) Let’s look at the math.

A half pound and two pounds is a pretty wide spread, so based on past experience and my inclination to be more conservative, I’m going to estimate that can lose about a pound each week. So I can reasonably expect to lose all of the weight in 25 weeks.

Whatever you expect to lose in a week, the math is simple:

total weight lost goal ÷ loss per week = number of weeks

25 pounds ÷ 1 pounds per week = 25 weeks

So if you think you can lose 2 pounds per week, it’ll take you 12.5 weeks to lose 25 pounds:

25 pounds ÷ 2 pounds per week = 12.5 weeks

But there’s one more step I need to take. I don’t think in terms of weeks. My brain focuses on months. How many months will it take me to lose the weight?

Again, I’m going to estimate. While there are approximately four weeks in each month, that’s not an exact figure (except in February during a non-leap year). But since I’m not measuring out medication or figuring out how much to send into the mortgage company or solving problems for my eighth grade math teacher, I don’t have to be exact. So I’m going to go with four weeks in a month.

I already figured out that I can probably reach my goal in 25 weeks. To find out how many months that is, I can just divide by 4 (the number of full weeks in a month):

25 weeks ÷ 4 weeks per month = 6.25 months

Ta da! I can reasonably expect to lose this weight in six months. That means if all goes well, I should be at my goal by June.

Like me, are you hoping to lose weight in 2012? Do the math to see when you’re likely to reach your goal. And if you want to share, feel free in the comments section. (It’s scary, but you can do it!)Save
January 4, 2012
Turning Over a New Leaf
2012 is just around the corner, and people all over the world are making promises to themselves and others that they may not keep. Yep, it’s New Years resolution time.

Confession time: I’m not so great at keeping resolutions. And apparently, I’m not alone. According to a 2010 study, 60% of all Americans have made resolutions at some point in their lives, and 41% did so in 2011. Unfortunately:
1. Only 23% surveyed indicated that they had made “significant, long-term” change in 2010
2. 29% said they had made a “minor change”
3. Approximately 49% made no change at all
So there’s no point in making resolutions, right? Based on this research, isn’t your chance of failure greater than your chance of success?

Mathematically speaking, it doesn’t work out that way. That’s because events like success or failure of a New Years resolution are not random.

Rolling a die is random. (You have just as much chance of rolling a 3 as a 5.) Picking a certain card from a full deck is random. (You have just as much chance of choosing the queen of hearts as the two of spades.) And flipping a coin is random. (You have a 50/50 chance of the coin landing on heads.)

But you can’t judge your success or failure in making resolutions based on the research that is done on others’ experiences. Whether you keep or break a resolution is not random.

In fact, there’s tons of research out there that shows why some folks are able to keep their resolutions, while others are not so successful. Here are some suggestions:

1. Keep it simple.  When you make huge lists of resolutions and complex plans for keeping them, it’s likely that your brain just can’t keep up. In fact, willpower is the first thing to go.

2. Believe in yourself.  People who believe they can meet their goals actually do!

3. Get support from others.  When you’re made accountable for your actions, it’s easier to stick to your plans.

4. Be specific. Think of your long-term goal as a series of smaller steps and focus on each one individually.

5. Remember that change is a process.  Setbacks will happen. It’s what you do with those little failures that make a difference in your ultimate success.

For the next month, we’ll take a week-by-week look at New Years resolutions — and how math can help you meet your goals. Stay turned!

P.S. If your New Year’s resolution has anything to do with saving money, losing weight or learning new hobbies — but the math around those goals is frustrating at best — Math for Grownups could be a big help!

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Why or why not? How successful have you been in the past? Care to share this year’s resolutions?
December 30, 2011
Best posts of 2011

It’s been a mere eight months since this blog launched. And it’s been only six months since Math for Grownups (the book) hit the shelves. What a crazy time it’s been!

In reviewing the posts that you dear readers loved most, I came up with this list. And in case you missed anything, I thought I’d share these posts again. Happy New Year!

Math Secret #2: You Were Born This Way

Nope, you weren’t born without a math gene. In fact the opposite is true — you were born with a natural instinct for mathematical concepts. Really!

Top 10 Highest Paying Degrees

“Holy crap!” That’s what I indelicately exclaimed when I saw the list of 10 highest-paying degrees, as determined by the PayScale College Salary Report. I didn’t expect to see American Literature or Elementary Education, but I also didn’t expect this.

When Journalists Get the Math Wrong

One of the most eventful weeks of my year was when USA Weekend profiled my book — and got the math wrong. The really interesting part, though, were the responses. Apparently making math mistakes in public is unforgivable to some. No wonder people are afraid to do math!

There’s More than One Way to Skin a Math Problem

The more I talk to people about math, the more I hear this refrain: “I don’t like math, because math problems have only one answer.” Peshaw!

Summer Session: What your rising first grader should know

Math for Grownups blog readers tend to fall into two camps: grownups who are not parents and really hate math (or think they’re not good at it), and parents who are worried that they’re going to pass along their math anxiety to their kids.

Are there any topics you’d like to see covered here at Math for Grownups next year? Share them in the comments section or shoot me an email.

December 28, 2011
$Math at Work Monday: Best of 2011$

Math at Work Monday: Best of 2011

Math for Grownups readers love Math at Work Monday. And here are the top 10 interviews of the year.

Mary Ellen the FBI Profiler

In her book, Dangerous Instincts: How Fear Can Betray Us, Mary Ellen O’Toole, PhD, puts these experiences to work everyday life. And in this interview, she reveals how she uses math in her work.

Melissa the Speech Therapist

Lots of people think of speech therapists in the school setting, working with kids. But my sister, Melissa, works with adults, who are critically ill or recovering from an injury or illness in rehab.

Katie the Costume Designer

As a costume designer and technician, Katie Curry worked for the Berry College Theatre Company and the Atlanta Shakespeare Festival. She recently started her own venture called Nancy Raygun Costuming that caters to folks who are into cosplay and conventions or just want a fun costume.

Jennifer the Retail Buyer

Merchandise at your favorite store doesn’t magically appear on the store shelves. In fact, there’s a lot of planning that goes into the number and types of candy bars that fill checkout-line racks. And that’s where Jennifer Cassara comes in.

Graham the Fish Hatchery Technician

Graham Laing is my brother, and I don’t think he’d be offended by my telling you that some of us in the family were a little worried that he might not amount to anything. But that’s another story for another day. Today, he’s afish hatchery technician, which basically means he raises trout — “from eggs to eating size,” he says.

Tiffany the 6th Grade Teacher

I know what you’re thinking. “It’s so obvious how a 6th grade teacher would use math! She’s teaching fractions and division and percents!” But there’s always a lot more to teaching than the rest of us may think.

Brette the Cookbook Author

When my friend and fellow writer, Brette Sember let me know that she has a cookbook coming out, I jumped at the chance to feature her here. It should be no surprise that math is a critical ingredient of all recipes. The Parchment Paper Cookbook is no exception.

Shana the Jewelry Designer

Art and math are diametrically opposite, right? Wrong. Shana Kroiz is a Baltimore-based, acclaimed jewelry designer and artist, whose work has been shown in the some of the country’s most esteemed galleries and museums, including The Smithsonian and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.

Kim the Copywriter

If you’ve ever visited the website of a prescription medication or picked up a brochure from your doctor’s office, you’ve seen the kind of work that Kim Hooper does. And she’s proof that math and writing are not mutually exclusive endeavors.

Ron the Web Designer

Ron S. Doyle is both a web designer and a freelance writer. In fact, he’s found a particular niche in developing web sites for other freelance writers. He’s also got a wicked sense of humor and uses math in his work.

I’m planning for the New Year. Who would you like to see interviewed for Math at Work Monday? Share in the comments, or shoot me an email.

December 26, 2011
Using Math to Wrap Gifts

My shopping is done. I’ve got no more baking to do. And save one, all of the great holiday parties are wonderful memories.

But I still have this stack of gifts to wrap.

I figure there are two kinds of people in the world: those who painstakingly dress each gift with crisp paper and color-coordinated bows; and those who haphazardly slap on some paper and call it a day. I’m not so precise about most things, but you can put me in the first camp as far as gift wrapping goes.

Still, I’m mighty lazy. I don’t measure out paper or use double-sided tape. Instead I use a little bit of geometry to get my gifts just right. It’s not hard at all.

The trick to a perfectly wrapped gift is to have just enough — not too much and not too little — paper to cover the package. And to do that, use a box, if the item is oddly shaped.

Now consider the width of the box. Line the box up on one end of the paper, like this:

And then turn the box up on the left edge, over onto the other large side and up again on the last edge, like this:

You want to have some left over paper on the left. This will overlap so that there’s no gap in the seam.

Now you can look at the length of the package. This is where things get a little tricky. You need a little more than half the height of the package. (I just eyeball it, but you can be more precise, if you want.) You’re ready to cut.

So your paper is cut. (Did you notice that throughout that easy process, you thought about the width, length and height of the box? That’s the geometry at work here, folks.) It’s time to start wrapping. Turn the box upside down onto the paper. This way, the seam will be on the bottom of the box.

Wrap one of the long sides of the paper over the box and secure with tape.

Do the same with the other side, making sure that the paper is tightly wrapped around the box.

Now it’s time to address the sides of the gift. Fold down the top paper, so that it’s flush against the box. If you’ve eyeballed your measurement correctly, the paper won’t be too long or two short. Then fold in each side of the paper, making little angles. Crease each one with your fingernail. Then fold the last flap up, so that it looks like an envelope. Use tape to secure that flap.

The other side is much easier, because now you can put the box up on the side you just wrapped.

Once everything is folded and taped up, use your fingernail to make sharp creases along each of the edges of the box. Add a bow — I like using wired bows made of fabric, because they’re easy to manage, and I can reuse them again next year. Ta-da! The perfect gift!

Do you have a gift-wrapping technique to share? If so, tell us in the comments section.

December 23, 2011