Career & Finance

As a child, I was always quite persuasive. I could charm almost any adult into giving me an ice cream cone or letting me stay at the park for another five minutes. I seemed to have no problem asking for what I wanted, offering something in exchange (usually the promise of good behavior), and getting the goods. Life was good. I felt like I had some kind of superpower, and I loved it. 
You’d think this skill would have naturally followed me into adulthood, where I became a ruthless lawyer, negotiating anything and everything with ease and confidence. Well, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I never made it to law school. (Marketing was more my style!) And I definitely wouldn’t consider myself to be a killer negotiator today. One day at work, I was struggling to articulate why I thought I’d be great for a new project. Then, I had a realization: The idea of negotiating anything made my stomach drop—whether negotiating my starting salary at a new job or the restaurant I wanted to go to with girlfriends. What happened to all of my youthful confidence?
I decided I wanted to get my mojo back and learn how I could get better at the art of persuasion. So, I reached out to Fotini Iconomopoulos, a negotiation expert who has worked with everyone from top-level executives to new graduates. I learned her best negotiation tips, why so many women avoid negotiating, and how we can all become better at it.

Practice your skills in low-risk situations
To start off, Iconomopoulos emphasized that while most people think of negotiation in asking for a raise at work or a lower price on a car, it can extend to almost anything. She explained, “You could be negotiating with your partner about where to take your next vacation or who will empty the dishwasher. You could be negotiating for space on public transportation or with a peer about workloads. You negotiate everywhere all the time!”
This is especially true when it comes to people who interact with children. (Aha! Suddenly my childhood experiences all make sense.) “Anyone who spends time around kids knows the power of negotiating. You navigate situations with them the same way you would navigate any discussion. You go in with an attitude of curiosity and listening while setting expectations for what you need to work together,” Iconomopoulos said. In this case, trying to get a toddler to eat broccoli is not that different from trying to get a colleague to pull his weight at work. Since we’re engaging in these micro-negotiations all the time, we can practice honing our skills in low-stake situations. Therefore, we’re more prepared—and less intimidated—by the bigger things.

Be strategic
As much as we wish it weren’t true, negotiations can quickly go off the rails. When I asked Iconomopoulos what could appear in a negotiation, she highlighted that unfortunately, gender bias is sometimes still present. “Women may be perceived as greedy or aggressive when it’s unwarranted,” she said. But don’t fret—it’s not all doom and gloom! There are things you can do to combat this. It all comes down to preparation.
Approach the conversation in an assertive yet productive way. “This doesn’t mean suppressing emotions or holding back from negotiating, but using productive language and asking pointed questions,” Iconomopoulos said. She explained how asking open-ended questions and giving room for pause after speaking are parts of a master negotiator toolkit. “It also means finding allies wherever possible to help remove obstacles,” she elaborated. Add this to the growing list of reasons why you need a sponsor in your corner. Fostering connections at work is always a good idea. But it is especially key when preparing for things like raises, promotions, and responsibility changes.

Do your homework
While negotiating isn’t always about money, it’s usually the first thing that comes to mind. I’ve had some great negotiations where I went in prepared and got a sizable bump in pay—yay! I’ve also had some not-so-great negotiations where I couldn’t think properly and fumbled over my words. (AKA, I felt the opposite of confidence.)
Fotini Iconomopoulos reinforced that preparation is truly the key to success here. “Knowledge is power, so know what the market is paying, what similar companies are paying, how you compare to other candidates, and so on,” she said. When it comes to presenting a number, Iconomopoulos advocates for shooting for the (research-backed) moon. “Be aspirational in your ask. It’s easy to back off of your opening offer, but it’s harder to go back and increase the ask later if you end up regretting the original number you gave.” Take this as the encouragement you need to add on that extra 10%. You deserve it! 
Then, there’s the age-old question: Should you anchor the negotiation with your desired salary or let a recruiter or HR set the pace? Iconomopoulos recommends taking the reins. “If you’ve done your homework, don’t be afraid to anchor your expectations first. Most people worry about putting their offer on the table first, but there are advantages that you don’t want to miss,” she said. Those advantages include coming across as knowledgeable and confident. Of course, you’re also setting yourself up for a result you’ll be happy with.
In terms of how to make your ask, Iconomopoulos shared her go-to language with clients: “Based on [insert reasons why you know you would be valuable to the team] and what similar experience is paid in the market, I would expect [insert the desired salary] compensation for this role.” Then, pause to see what their response is. Try not to fill the silence by offering conditions or justifications for your ask. (That comes later if it’s needed!) I know this is the scary part. But if you’ve done your homework, you’re already in the best possible spot for success!

Source: Color Joy Stock

Know how to handle bumps along the way
Once you get some negotiating experience under your belt, it’ll start becoming more natural. Then, you’ll be able to tell when things are going your way. But in the meantime, it can help to know some common concerns. The fear of damaging relationships is a common concern that Iconomopoulos mentioned. Coming across as demanding or greedy when you’re trying to project confidence is also one of the most common worries.
“But the truth is, you can conduct negotiations with diplomacy and tact and maintain, if not strengthen, relationships,” Iconomopoulos said. Respecting yourself enough to even have the conversation encourages other people to take you seriously. This is especially true when you come to the table with well-prepared arguments. (If you present yourself well in a negotiation situation, imagine what you can do when presenting to a potential client or investor!)
But what about when you do your homework, practice your pitch, and wear your best power outfit, only to end up getting the dreaded “it’s just not in the cards right now” response? “Sometimes, despite our best efforts, rejection happens,” shared Iconomopoulos. “It may bruise your ego for a while, but when handled with tact and with a backup plan in place, it’s not so terrible.” Your backup plan can include asking for non-salary perks like more time off or increased working-from-home benefits. It could also include a follow-up conversation in a few months to ask again. Or, perhaps, you ask for a title or responsibility change.
Ultimately, Iconomopoulos reassured me that the rejection “can actually bring self-confidence from asserting oneself and can help to gain the respect of others,” which doesn’t sound too bad at the end of the day. As someone who has experienced rejection during a salary negotiation before, trust me when I say that what doesn’t kill you makes you—and your future negotiations—stronger. (But some ice cream and retail therapy can help ease the immediate wound.)

Remember: It all comes down to confidence
You can have all the research, know the comparables, and have a spreadsheet a mile long with your recent accomplishments. Yet, there’s one thing that people are often missing when they enter a negotiation. “Your mindset has to be in the right place,” shared Iconomopoulos. “You can psych yourself up, or you can psych yourself out.” Now’s the time to blast some Lizzo, wear your favorite heels, and tell yourself that you deserve this. Then, believe it!
Iconomopoulos advises her clients to ask themselves two questions before they go into the conversation: “If I don’t stand up for myself and go after this, who else will?” and “Don’t I deserve what I’m going after?” These questions are powerful reminders that nobody will advocate for you if you don’t advocate for yourself. You need to believe you are deserving of more money, time off, or the vacation destination of your dreams before you can convince someone else of it.
Iconomopoulos’s final piece of advice is to channel that nervous energy into enthusiasm. “Instead of telling yourself that you’re nervous, turn that nervous energy into a more productive energy by telling yourself that you’re excited to finally get what you want. Your brain will thank you for it… and so will your bank account!”

Want a Raise? Here’s Exactly How To Ask Your Boss More

I chased the idea of finding my dream job and life for a long time—and changed my mind a lot along the way. Once I finally settled on something, figuring out how to get there was just as overwhelming. All I could find were tips for being efficient at work, setting boundaries, and providing value to your employer. And while all of these are vital for moving forward in our careers, I was looking for tangible steps to help me move closer to my dream. 
I sat down with Paige Schmidt, a certified life coach for women with 10+ years of experience, to discuss her top tips for moving forward in your career and life in a way that feels aligned with the woman you want to be. She focuses on intuitive eating, mindset and financial coaching, and all-around aligned living. Believe me. You don’t want to miss this. So, how do you move closer to your dream career and life? Let’s dive in.

1. Explore what you want
When trying to figure out what your dream career is, you might focus on figuring out your “purpose” or “passion.” They’re the buzzwords we’ve heard our entire lives, but finding them is way easier said than done.
Schmidt takes a more simplified approach. She recommends we shift the script. The words “purpose” and “passion” can feel daunting. What if we changed those? What if, instead of beating our heads against a wall to find our “true life calling,” we instead focused on what is meaningful and fun? By replacing “purpose” with “meaningful,” and “passion” with “fun,” we open an entirely new world for ourselves to explore.
By doing this, we are removing the pressure we have put on ourselves to find the one thing we were meant to do. We are removing the pressure to get it “right.” Instead, we can explore what lights us up. Ask yourself: What would you do for free? What would you do until 2 a.m. just because you want to? Then, do that.
The proof is in the pudding. Paige Schmidt’s coaching business was born from her love of blogging which she stumbled upon while going to school for nursing. By following her joy for blogging and sharing, she started connecting with women and, over time, realized she wanted to do that more by coaching one-on-one.

2. Visualize what you want
It’s time to take it a step further. Once you’ve relieved the pressure and allowed yourself to explore, it’s time to visualize. Whether you just figured out what lights you up or you’ve known all along, visualization is a key piece to the puzzle. According to Schmidt, one of the most important steps to your dream career is to visualize who you are as the woman you want to be. 
Before she became a coach and built her business, Schmidt visualized what that would look like. She saw the exact pens, the computer bag, and folders she would use for her clients. Then, she went out and bought those things so that she could, over time, become the person she wanted to be.
So, grab your beverage of choice, get cozy, and dive into the world of your dreams. With a pen and paper, get detailed on what it is you want. What is your future self wearing? What does her hair look like? How does she feel? Write it all down. As you’re doing this, let go of the judgment of others and of yourself. (Remember: People will always judge no matter what you do.) Explore without limits. 
After years of experience and bringing her own visualization to life, Schmidt believes that the reality of what we can achieve is immensely greater than what we can see for ourselves. So, dare to dream big. Remove your limits. If you need somewhere to start, check out this guided visualization which is one of Schmidt’s most highly rated tools!

3. Become the manager of your future self
Once you define what you want your future to look like, it’s time to take serious action. You must make a choice to become the woman you want to be. And you must decide that you are capable of becoming her. 
It’s not that you must have all the answers to get started, but you must commit to figuring it out along the way. Once you’ve committed to not giving up, you need to be the manager of your future self. Do this by organizing and planning your days to set yourself up for success. So, how do you go about that? Here are the steps Paige Schmidt took in her own journey and what she coaches clients on today:

Source: Monstera | Pexels

1. Write out a list of what you need to do. 
For Schmidt, this list included what exact pens and folders she needed and also the first steps she’d need to take to make her dream happen. This doesn’t have to be insanely detailed. In fact, one of the largest roadblocks she sees with clients is that they think they must know every single detail in order to begin. Write down the first three things you need to do. Then next week, add three more. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

2. Add the list to your calendar.
It’s important to physically add these items to whatever form of organization you use. We all know how easily to-dos can get lost when they’re not our main source of income or part of our normal routine. So schedule in time—even if it’s just 15 minutes each week!

3. Take these commitments seriously.
Just as she wouldn’t bail on a friend or not show up for a workday, Schmidt honored herself by prioritizing what she wanted. Don’t let yourself down by not prioritizing these tasks. Make the time and stick to it.

4. Over time, prioritize more of these commitments as you learn to free up your schedule.
Give your future self the time you deserve. Schmidt started by dedicating three hours one day a week to coaching. As she got more comfortable and was able to free up more of her time, it turned to two days, then three, and so on. It doesn’t have to be all at once. Take it one bite at a time.

5. Keep your income from your “normal” job—and find the good in it!
Sometimes, if there is pressure to make your dream career your only income, the creativity that comes from doing what lights you up can get lost. If possible, it’s important to keep income coming in from elsewhere as you build your dream or as you apply for your dream job. This will alleviate some of that pressure and allow you to see where your creativity takes you.
Equally important is finding gratitude in your day job while you build what you ultimately want. It’s easy for many of us to lose sight of the “good” in our jobs when we know we want something different. But being disengaged causes clutter in your life, and sooner than later, your job will feel like a burden. This can cause negative energy that’s not good for your creativity! In order to continue to engage in your job, Schmidt recommends finding even one thing you enjoy, or that’s helping you for your future. Then, lean into that as much as possible to find that gratitude.

4. As cheesy as it sounds, believe in yourself
Hands down, the biggest thing Schmidt sees holding women back is their confidence. You must believe you can become the woman you want to be and step into your dream career in small steps. In other words, you must show up as her as much as you can today. 
It is easy to see people on social media or elsewhere that have done your dream career or other careers telling you that there is one perfect way to do it. But the truth is, there is no right or wrong way. As long as you move forward into what you want, that is all that matters.
You must learn to trust your inner self and follow what you want. Coaching was not a “normal” career when Schmidt started. It was not easy to give up pursuing nursing in order to step into the unknown. But she did it, and you can do it too.

5. Bring it all together
If you’re ready to take the next step and finally go for what you want or explore what exactly that is, take it one step at a time.

Explore what lights you up.
Visualize who you want to be.
Become the manager of your future self.
Trust yourself and stay grateful.

Unsure where to start? Grab a cup of coffee (or wine) and check out Paige Schmidt’s free visualization to see where your imagination takes you. And remember, go toward what makes you feel on fire. Keep going until you get there. Be resourceful and figure it out along the way! 

How I Made the Leap From Full-Time to Freelancer Without Going Broke More

As we head into the fall, you might find that it’s the perfect time to revamp your work routine. Around this time of year, many of us swap PTO and summer vacations for meeting-heavy days and crunched deadlines as we strive to meet our year-long goals. When you add sending the kids back to school or kicking off a new college semester, it’s no surprise we might feel in need of a new, refreshing routine. 
Here’s the good news: With the help of time management coach Anna Dearmon Kornick, you can craft a productive and fulfilling fall work routine. Kornick told us that workers are the most productive during the last four months of the year—but how do you manage that level of production without crashing and burning? Here are Kornick’s best tips for resetting after a vacation-filled summer and finishing the year off strong.

1. Head into fall with a fresh perspective on your routine
Fall tends to signal the start of a busy work season across industries and roles. With only four months left in the year, the pressure is on to get through daily to-do lists and year-long goals before the holiday season. “One of the first things that come to mind about heading back to work in the fall is Parkinson’s Law which states that work expands to fill the time allotted,” Kornick shared. We enter a bustling season to make up for the slowness of summer. We adopt a sense of urgency at work, which can be overwhelming and exhausting.
Kornick’s advice: “Go into this busy season with a fresh perspective on your routine. What served you well in the spring and summer may not necessarily set you up for success in the fall.” Some areas to start thinking about improved routines in are your pre-work routine, your lunch break, and your recurring meeting schedules.

Source: Vlada Karpovich | Pexels

2. Adjust your workday around the time change
It’s easy to dread the time change—unless you’re lucky enough to live in a place that doesn’t practice daylight savings. An easy way to combat feelings of dread and anxiety is to use the change to your advantage. “Turn the change into something positive. ‘Fall back’ is a good time to transition to an earlier bedtime because of the light shift. Consider letting natural light in through your windows in the mornings,” Kornick said.
As you adjust your personal routines around the time change, think about how to navigate it at work. The reality is that it’s a tough time for everyone. What can you do to help your coworkers and yourself adjust? “During the week surrounding the time change, be mindful that the change is coming. Shift your meetings later in the day to be kind to your team and yourself,” Kornick suggested. (I’m making a mental note to shift all my meetings by at least one hour that week.)

3. Plan your schedule around your chronotype
If you Google “chronotype,” you’ll stumble upon different biological chronotype models, all of which speak to each person’s unique circadian rhythms. For every season, but particularly as work picks up in the fall, Kornick said knowing your chronotype is a game changer.  “Knowing which chronotype you are can help you decide how you spend your time during the day and what you put into your work schedule. It also helps managers and team members know not everyone feels the same way at the same time of day,” Kornick said.
Not sure which chronotype you are? We covered Daniel Pink’s chronotype model in a recent article. Find out if you’re a morning lark, third bird, or night owl. Then, revamp your fall workday routine accordingly.

4. Understand what you need versus want in your routine
Fall is an excellent opportunity to shift into a new routine. Before making any changes, Kornick recommends identifying your needs and wants. Then, reverse-engineer your schedule. Below are some questions to ask yourself:

What do I need to do every morning?
Kornick said to think of these actions as the “non-negotiables” for a successful morning. For example, do you need to get up and have a cup of coffee to function throughout your workday? Do you need to wear real clothes for your Zoom calls to avoid uncomfortable conversations with your manager about your attire? Do you need to send your kids off to school each day?

What do I want to do every morning?
After you’ve determined what you need to do every morning, consider what you want to incorporate into your routine. Adding 10 minutes of reading, a visual meditation, a light workout, or a morning walk can be invigorating ways to start the day. 

Source: ANTONI SHKRABA | Pexels

Once you’ve made a list of your needs and wants, reverse-engineer your schedule to determine when you should wake up. Suppose you must be at work (in-person or online) at precisely 8:00 a.m., and you plan to shower, make breakfast, read for 20 minutes, and do yoga before your workday. Then, you’d figure out what time you need to wake up to accomplish all of those items by 8:00 a.m. Additionally, ask yourself if there are any tasks you can cut, condense, or move to another point in the day. 
Exercise is a priority for me, especially during busy seasons at work. In my pre-pandemic life, I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and went to Pure Barre before heading to work for the day. My workdays look different now that I work from home, but initially, I tried to force that same 5:00 a.m. exercise schedule. However, after doing Kornick’s reverse-engineering exercise,  I realized I could adjust my schedule. I bumped my workouts to 4:30 p.m. (immediately after work) and built a new routine.

5. Set goals for Q4 and try quarterly planning
We tend to think about our year in terms of the 12-month calendar. It’s not uncommon to set yearly goals at work as businesses work toward company objectives. However, Kornick said, “It can be easy to lose sight of our goals when we think about the year as a whole. We lose things in the ebbs and flows over a year.” 
Since fall is a fast-paced work season, Kornick recommends shortening your goal-setting timeframe. Lean into quarterly planning when shaping your routines. “Shortening your timeframe and thinking about your work, life, and goals every quarter is a game changer. The three-month quarters coincide with the changing seasons of the year, which makes it easier to reset your routines with the changing seasons,” Kornick shared. 
We build our routines around our goals and priorities. Therefore, it can be challenging to commit to a routine when our goals feel unclear. I recently adjusted my work routine to set aside focused work time every other Friday and avoid attending meetings unless I have to. Had I not been clear on what I planned to use this time for—which is deep work for my active projects—I likely wouldn’t have stayed committed to my no-meeting schedule.
When revamping your routine this season, identify and understand what you need to accomplish before the holiday season. Be realistic with the amount of time you have and what you need to get done. Consider moving non-urgent goals and priorities to the first quarter of next year. 

9 Work Hacks That Will Make Your Job So Much Easier More

I consider myself a human doing rather than a human being. I’m much better at constant movement and productivity than rest. Most of the time, this type of productive lifestyle is beneficial. The clothes are always clean, the work is always being worked on, and the to-do list is consistently managed. But, there comes a point when too much of a good thing is indeed too much. 
This begs the question, “is it possible to be too productive?” And the answer is yes. It’s called toxic productivity. So, what is toxic productivity and what can you do about it? Let’s dig in.

What is Toxic Productivity?
First, let’s set one thing straight. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being productive. Productivity makes the world go round. It’s what allows us to get things done. But productivity becomes toxic when what once was healthy and helpful becomes hurtful. Let me explain.
Toxic productivity is when the constant need to “do” negatively impacts your physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s the dark side of the mindset to always be doing something, and it can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and even burnout.

Source: Color Joy Stock

How to Identify Toxic Productivity
If you’re wondering what this looks like in everyday life, picture this. You’re vying for a promotion at work. You’ve been diligently working to exceed expectations for the past six months. You’ve volunteered to take on extra projects and responsibilities to hone your skills and show your commitment to your career. 
But, because you’ve been so focused on your work, you’ve let some things slide. You’ve started missing workouts so you can log on early. You work an extra hour or two and have to cancel your evening plans. You skip lunch breaks and catch up on work on weekends. At the moment, these seem like small sacrifices to help you achieve your goal of a promotion. But now, six months in, you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and on the verge of burnout because your focus has been on being productive and being the best employee, not being a rested, healthy, and happy professional.
This is an example of how toxic productivity can present itself at work. But toxic productivity doesn’t only apply in the workplace, it can show up in many facets of your life, like on your fitness journey, in your relationships, and even while you rest. 
If you’re wondering how to identify toxic productivity, here are four signs of how it may present itself in your life.

1. You constantly feel the need to be doing.
If you feel the pull to be productive at all times, even when you don’t want to be, you may be experiencing toxic productivity. Say you’ve had a busy day and you’re finally starting to wind down for the night. You tell yourself you’re going to go to sleep in one hour, so you want to use that hour to decompress. Toxic productivity could look like choosing to read a professional development book to help learn skills to further your career or turning on the tv to watch your favorite show but only half paying attention and catching up on emails on your phone. In neither of those scenarios are you truly unwinding because you’re focused on still using your time productively. Doing this for one night may not be an issue, but if this becomes your norm and you never allow yourself time to rest, you’re going to be on the road to burnout.

2. You feel guilty for not being productive.
You’re out to dinner to celebrate your friend’s birthday, but you feel awful that you didn’t knock out your to-do list first. Or you finally book that vacation you’ve wanted to take but you can’t help but bring your laptop with you just in case something work-related pops up. That guilt you feel is toxic productivity. We all feel accomplished barreling through our to-do list and we may even be lucky enough to have a career that energizes us, but when you start to feel the negative emotion of guilt and feel like you’re doing something wrong by not being productive, it becomes a problem.

Source: Vlada Karpovich | Pexels

3. You’re deprioritizing your physical, mental, or emotional health.
If you’re choosing work over workouts or meetings with your manager over meeting with your therapist, this is a huge red flag of toxic productivity. You’ve heard the expression, “you can’t pour from an empty cup,” right? Well, toxic productivity is known to drain your cup and then some, and when your cup is empty, everything else is impacted. When you schedule a workout or another form of self-care, you’re making a commitment to yourself. Missing one barre class or meditation session is completely normal. Deprioritizing your health over an extended period of time because of work commitments, that’s a recipe for disaster.

4. You only focus on tasks with a clear objective
When’s the last time you did something solely for enjoyment? Like taking a walk in silence without forcing yourself to listen to a career-related podcast or taking on a hobby just for fun without trying to monetize it. People who suffer from toxic productivity often have unrealistic expectations about what needs to be accomplished. Sometimes what needs to be done is nothing. It’s okay if not everything you do has a clear purpose. Rest and relaxation are productive because they allow you to come back refreshed and ready to tackle your next project.

How to Avoid Toxic Productivity
Now that you know what toxic productivity is and how to identify it, what can you do to avoid it? Like I said before, productivity is a good thing. But, everything in moderation. It’s more than possible to maintain healthy productivity levels, get everything important done, and also protect your health and rest along the way. Here are three ways to do just that.

1. Set boundaries
Setting boundaries can be easier said than done, but when it comes to avoiding toxic productivity, it’s critically important. Plan for zero productivity time during the week. Things will pop up during the day, so it’s OK to set the expectation that you may not have non-productive time every day. But a few times a week, plan for a non-productive activity. Take a walk with a friend or family member simply because you want to enjoy their company. Watch a movie and actually watch the movie instead of scrolling through your phone. Read a book for fun. You owe it to yourself to have sacred time where nothing needs to be accomplished.

Source: Social Squares

2. Commit to rest
How many times have you planned to rest and relax only to begin making a mental list of everything you need to do and then you end up feeling more exhausted? The next time you plan to rest and take time to reset, actually do it. It’s simple in theory but more difficult in practice. It’s easy to think, “Oh, I’ll just do one more thing and then I’ll sit down.” But to maintain healthy productivity levels, you need to find a balance between doing and being. If you booked that day off of work to enjoy your time with friends and family, actually do it. Be present at the moment and relish the time when the only thing to be done is nothing at all.

3. Be mindful
There will always be tasks to do, people to see, and conversations to be had. But before you stress yourself out trying to power through everything at once, stop and think about what you actually need to get done. Will working through lunch help knock things off your plate or will you benefit more from taking a 30-minute break to clear your head so you can dive in refreshed in the afternoon? Do you really need to listen to a professional development podcast that you know will add more items to your career checklist or can you drive or walk in silence or listen to music instead? Be thoughtful about what’s actually productive for your stress levels and mental health. 
No one is going to hand you a trophy for being the most productive person. There is no prize for checking everything off your to-do list. The only thing you earn from toxic productivity is stress, burnout, and overdue time off. Finding a healthy mix of productive and non-productive time will always be a balancing act. There will be ebbs and flows throughout your work day (and week) and your career. But being aware of when you need to be productive and when you can chill is an invaluable skill that will serve you well throughout your career.

7 Ways To Actually Set Boundaries at Work More

Staying focused is a skill most of us have worked on our entire lives. We learn to read and write at a desk. We receive lectures and ponder new information at a desk. Yet, once it’s time for most of us to stay on track at our jobs, we often struggle. At my first out-of-college desk job, my excitement quickly turned sour when I realized I was in charge of keeping myself on track. I vividly remember thinking that there was no way I would ever be able to get through the day while staying focused. Since then, I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, and I’ve had a lot of trial-and-error experiences. Finally, I have a system that works for me, and I’m excited to share that system with you all. Let’s dive into the eight desk essentials that actually help me stay focused.

1. Blank Notepad
When inspiration strikes, you need a place to jot down your ideas. I often get distracted if I have to get up and search for a piece of paper. But the process of putting pen to paper and sketching out a concept, or listing out a to-do list, is essential for me. If you are not a pen-and-paper girl, then an iPad works wonders for note-taking. No matter your preference, having what you need on your desk is helpful in not disrupting your focus.

2. Hourglass Timer
Where are my ADHD girlies at? This one is for you. If you struggle with just “getting started,” then I cannot recommend this one enough. Grab an hourglass timer. Whenever I’m having trouble starting a daunting task, I simply flip this timer over. The sand gradually falling creates a sense of urgency. I often don’t need to flip it again because once I’ve started a task, there is no stopping: I will become completely invested in getting it done.

3. Productivity Planner
Productivity planners can be quite helpful if you work from home or work alone. I love being able to see what I have accomplished in real-time. They help set realistic expectations for yourself and help you better communicate your progress with your coworkers or managers. Another benefit to using a productivity planner is the ability to look back over old ideas to help spark creativity in new ones.

Intelligent Change
Productivity Planner
An undated daily and weekly planner that helps you prioritize tasks and make the most of each day.

Academic Planner
Students: this academic planner will help you bring order to the chaos that is your school schedule.

4. Candles
Everyone loves a good candle. The flickering light and calming scents make us feel good. With fall right around the corner, a candle is essential for my desk. I love the environment it creates, which in turn, makes me want to stay at my desk for as long as possible. See where I’m going with this? Not wanting to leave my desk equals increased productivity!

Capri Blue
Volcano Candle
A citrus and sugary candle to bring a calming, tropical feel to your desk.

Homesick Store
City Candle
A candle based on the city of your choice to help you stay centered throughout your workday.

Kobo Candles
Himalayan Candle
If your happy place is a cozy cabin, this earthy candle will bring you calm as you cross off your to-do list.

5. Standing Desk
My space doesn’t allow for a standing desk, but I’ve used one in a previous office, and my goodness, they are so helpful. When I feel myself getting antsy or losing concentration, I raise that desk to its standing height, and my brain starts to recenter immediately. There is something so refreshing about standing on your feet when working–it feels more natural. Standing also often reduces any back pain I get from sitting in one spot for too long.

Source: Color Joy Stock

6. Coffee Mug Warmer
Coffee is essential for me, especially in the morning when I start my day. I am notorious for getting distracted and forgetting about my morning cup, which results in me pouring it out and getting more. This leads me to my point: Get a coffee mug warmer or an insulated coffee cup. Not only does my coffee mug warmer keep my coffee at the perfect temperature, but it also makes such a cute addition to my desk decor.

7. Whiteboard
I have always wanted a wall whiteboard to go behind my laptop, so I can quickly write small notes to keep me on track. I currently use sticky notes and have them everywhere around my desk, but a whiteboard will achieve the same function and clean up my workspace. Less clutter equals better focus. Plus, this will make my notes and reminders a lot more fun!

8. Focus Apps
I’ve found a few apps that have been helpful for my productivity. The first is Lifeline, which uses a technique—similar to the Pomodoro Technique—on your browser and schedule breaks for you to take to ensure you set healthy boundaries, which will result in increased productivity. The second app that I love to use is this Distraction Dimmer. This dimmer helps you stick to the task at hand and stay on track.

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