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      I’ve Always Wanted To Publish a Novel—Here’s How I Finally Did It

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      I spent the majority of my 20s doing what I think a lot of young professionals do: I woke up early, went to work every morning, and dutifully put in nine hours at my cubicle—then, every evening, I came home, cooked dinner, and tried to relax while facing a crushing sense of dread at the thought of doing that again, every single day, for the rest of my life.
      Alright, that feels dramatic—but it’s how I felt, and I’m willing to bet that’s how some of you feel, too. I tried to find meaning in my work by switching industries (several times), investing in professional development, and writing freelance for various magazines, but at the end of the day, I was never satisfied, and I knew why. It was because I knew what I wanted to be doing with my life and I hadn’t yet figured out how to do it.
      I wanted to be an author.
      I’ve been obsessed with writing ever since I was six years old. I grew up writing short stories and screenplays and started trying to write my first novel at age 22, immediately after I graduated college. I’ll never forget typing out that very first sentence, feeling nervous and excited about taking one step closer to my dream—but for some reason, I kept that dream a secret from pretty much everyone in my life. I think it’s because it felt too unattainable and too embarrassing, and I didn’t want to admit to wanting something that I might never actually get. But at the same time, I felt like I owed it to myself to try.
      So, unbeknownst to most of my family, friends, and coworkers, I spent seven years of my life cranking out draft after draft after draft, pitching agents, getting rejected, and trying to break into an industry that is notoriously tough to break into. I was stumbling most of the time, trying to figure it all out as I went. I failed significantly more than I succeeded and I thought about quitting multiple times, but I never did.
      Today, almost a decade after I wrote that first sentence, my debut novel A Flicker in the Dark is an instant New York Times bestseller. It’s been out for a little over one month now and has been optioned by Emma Stone and A24 to be made into a television series on HBO Max. It was chosen as a December Book of the Month Club pick and is currently being translated into 26 foreign languages.
      These are all sentences I never thought I would write.
      If you have a similar dream, I’d like to share how I did it because I know first hand how daunting it can be and how unattainable it can feel. Below, I’ve compiled the book publishing tips that helped my dream come true in the hopes that, one day, yours can, too.

      Signing with your agent is a surreal and exciting experience. Little did I know that exactly two years from this moment, I would be seeing my debut novel on the shelves for the very first time. All photos courtesy of Stacy Willingham

      Set a firm deadline
      Maybe it’s the former journalist in me, but I am deadline driven. When I was 22 years old, I told myself that I would do whatever it took to have a book published by the age of 30. At the time, eight years felt like a lifetime, but now that I’m 31, I realize it went by fast! There’s something about the passage of time that makes life feel very urgent to me, so whether your deadlines are daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, make sure you’re committing to accomplish a specific thing by a specific date—otherwise, it becomes incredibly easy to put it off.
      PS: I hit that deadline, but damn, it was close. I sold A Flicker in the Dark at age 29 and it was published two weeks before my 31st birthday.

      Show yourself the same dedication you show your boss
      If I could give every aspiring author one piece of advice, it would be this: Prioritize and protect your dreams with the same vigor that you prioritize and protect the dreams of your boss. You show up for work every morning, don’t you? You get your work done by your due dates, right? I bet you also stay late sometimes, work weekends, and begrudgingly do tasks that feel monotonous and miserable.
      You do those things at work because you have to—there are consequences, like getting fired, if you don’t. And while it can be really hard to find the time to write a novel while still working a full-time job, going to school, maintaining a social life, and doing all of the other things that life requires us to do, try to think of the consequences if you don’t do it.
      For me, it was the thought of spending the rest of my life helping someone else achieve their dreams because I never made the time for my own.

      First pass pages are the first typeset draft of your book—or, the very first time you’re reading it not as a Word doc, but as it’ll actually look once it’s published! In this stage, the book has already been edited and proofread; now, you’re simply looking out for errors before it’s sent to the printer.

      Now, “making the time” looks different for everybody. Some writers set a weekly word goal and force themselves to meet it; others allot one hour a day every day to write as much as they can. For me, personally, I tried all of those tricks and none of them ever worked. What did work, though, was giving myself the flexibility to write when I could as often as I could and simply trusting myself to get it done the same way my boss trusted me at work—after all, I never liked a micromanager, so I didn’t micromanage myself. Instead, for about seven years, my life looked like this: On most mornings, I spent about an hour writing before work, and if I was running late, I would bring my laptop with me and write during my lunch break instead. A few nights a week, I would write for several hours after dinner until pretty late into the evening, and I spent at least one Saturday or Sunday each weekend in a coffee shop.
      It wasn’t always fun and I missed out on a lot, but then again, I figured that if I made those kinds of sacrifices for my boss, I should be making them for myself, too.

      Learn everything you can about publishing before trying to enter it
      There are so many different avenues to getting published: You can self-publish, go hybrid, work with a small press, publish digital-only, or go traditional. For me, I wanted to try to go traditional, which means I knew that in order to get in front of one of the Big Five publishing houses, I was going to need an agent.
      Literary agents are like the gatekeepers to traditional publishing: They read your book first, and if they love it enough, they’ll represent you, and it, for a commission. You catch their attention with a query letter, which is a basic synopsis of your book that is ideally personalized to each agent and will pique their interest enough to want to read more.

      Before a book looks like a book, it looks something like this. This is an ARC (advance reader copy) that was printed before the cover was finalized; there is also a later version of the ARC with the cover design. An ARC is a mostly-finished manuscript that is sent to bloggers, reviewers and other influential readers to generate buzz leading up to publication.

      First impressions are everything in life, and introducing yourself to an agent is no exception. You only have a few sentences to catch their attention, so once I finished my manuscript, I made a list of every single literary agency in New York City. Then, I went to every single website, chose one agent per agency, and entered them into a spreadsheet with their name, email address, and query guidelines. I chose each agent by reading their Publishers Marketplace profile and Twitter profile to see who they already represented, what genres they liked, and what they were looking for. I also read the Acknowledgements pages of some of my favorite authors to see who their agents were, knowing that my plot and writing style might be similar.
      At this stage in the process, the biggest mistake you can make is querying too soon. Take your time learning about the industry and how it works. Be strategic when targeting agents and really perfect your query letter and synopsis before you send it out.
      Your perfect agent is out there—but you only have one chance to convince them of that. Don’t rush it.

      About a month before publication, you get to see your hardback for the very first time. It’s an emotion that’s hard to describe, and in many ways, it feels like the long-awaited reward after years of hard work.

      Learn not to take rejection personally
      Remember when I said that I thought about quitting multiple times? That’s because when I hit the querying stage, I almost did.
      I spent three years writing my first novel, squeaking out sentences and full chapters whenever I could find the time. Once I had a manuscript that I was proud of, I spent another two years meticulously selecting agents, perfecting my query letter, and sending them out—only to get rejected by over 100 of them.
      I never found an agent for my first novel, which means that A Flicker in the Dark, while it is my debut, is technically my second book.
      The idea of starting over from scratch—of literally filing away an entire novel, opening a blank Word document, and writing another 100,000-word manuscript from the beginning—kind of made me want to burst into tears. But at the same time, this is where the importance of deadlines comes in again: At that point, I was 27 years old. Thirty felt like it was looming, so I knew that if I had any shot of meeting that deadline, I needed to just buckle up and try again.
      In the beginning, those 100 rejections hurt like hell, and the idea of putting myself through that again was incredibly daunting, but here’s the thing: After a while, the rejections kind of lose their bite. A writer’s worst nightmare is pouring their heart and soul into a story, sharing it with others, and having them not like it—and that happened to me over and over again, day after day, for two entire years. By the time I decided to abandon my first book and start another one, I had already lived my worst nightmare—being rejected—and I realized that it hadn’t killed me.

      A few weeks before publication, boxes of books start arriving at your door. These books were all signed and sent to bookstores around the country so they would be ready to be displayed on publication day.

      I still loved to write. I still felt creative. I still wanted to try.
      I signed with my current agent less than two weeks after finishing A Flicker in the Dark, a stark contrast to my first attempt. But while I was celebrating the idea of not having to face another agent rejection again, what I didn’t realize is this: The rejection never stops.
      Now that A Flicker in the Dark is out in the world, I’ve experienced a whole different type of rejection. It isn’t gone just because I’m published; if anything, it feels louder and more personal than ever. Before, “a rejection” meant getting a polite email from an agent saying “thanks but no thanks,” which I could simply file away in my inbox and never look at again. But now, “a rejection” comes in the form of a very public one-star rating from a reader with 10,000 followers. It comes in the form of a less-than-flattering Instagram post with hundreds of likes that magically appears in my newsfeed (thanks, algorithm). My point is: Even after “succeeding,” I still get rejected by people multiple times a day every day, over and over again, so I’m actually glad I got those 100 rejections before because now I feel prepared. Now, I’m able to look at these rejections with more of a clear head. I’m able to let the positive reviews and enriching conversations drown out the negative ones, and in the end, I remind myself that everything in life is subjective, so it’s a waste of time trying to please everyone.
      You will experience a lot of rejection on this journey, and if you’re anything like me, it might tempt you to quit. But please, please remember: One person’s opinion cannot invalidate an entire work of art. It’s a battle you’ll be fighting daily and one that still knocks me down sometimes—but as long as you get back up, you’ll be stronger for it.

      While all of this is happening, you’re also working on your next book! About five months before publication, I sent the first draft of my second book over to my editor. It’s now in production and slated for publication in January 2023.

      Ask for (and accept) help.
      In the beginning, writing a book feels like you’re doing it alone—and for a while, you are. But slowly, you’re going to need to start getting comfortable asking for and accepting some help.
      At first, asking for help looks like letting a few people you trust read and critique your story—for me, that was my sister and my parents (who still to this day are the only people I let read my first drafts). Once you’re agented, asking for help means listening to and taking their professional advice. The same goes for your eventual editor, marketing team, publicity team, copy editors, proofreaders, and so on.
      You’re the expert on your story, but remember that they are the experts on the industry in which you now work. The first few years are a solo sport; once you’re in, you’re a part of a team.

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      The Productivity Tip You Need To Hear, Based on Your Enneagram

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      If you’re wondering what your enneagram has to do with productivity, it turns out: a lot. When it comes to productivity, you may think of hustle culture where the grind never stops. Productivity is often tied to the idea of more: more work, more action, more money, more results. But what if we’ve been looking at productivity all wrong? While there are many viral tips on how to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently, perhaps the biggest key to success has been overlooked: you. By understanding your core motivation, mental blocks, and roadmap to the highest version of yourself, you can adjust your workflow to create less stress and more ease. 
      The Enneagram helps you gain a clear understanding of yourself and what you need to tap into your genius zone. The truth is, everyone requires different things when it comes to getting into their flow state: What method or structure works for one person might not resonate the same with another. If you’re struggling to sharpen your focus during the workday or feeling a general lack of inspiration, read on for the productivity tips most aligned to your Enneagram type.

      Learn when things can be “good enough”
      Ones are naturally hardworking and disciplined. Just as much as their eye for detail and strive for excellence can be a strength, it can also be a weakness when it interferes with knowing when a project is finished. In the eyes of a One, nothing is ever quite good enough, which can cause a great deal of stress and tension. A good tip for Ones is knowing the difference between “perfect” and “good enough.” Decide which tasks are worth your time and energy and which ones don’t require your full capacity. For example, you probably don’t need to reread that email you wrote to your boss 10 times before hitting send. This will free up more time for things that actually matter, so you can become more focused on goals that matter.

      Prioritize and set boundaries 
      Twos are the types of workers who love to stay connected and pitch in wherever they can. In fact, they feed off of being seen as helpful and appreciated, which may contribute to them taking on too much. While Twos often don’t mind bearing the burden for others, this can harbor deep resentment over time. It’s good practice for Twos to create a list of the biggest tasks they need to prioritize each week so they can work through those first before chipping in to help others. It’s also important for Twos to set healthy boundaries when it comes to their work. For example, try turning off your notifications when you’re focusing on a task and only offer to take on more when you’ve finished everything on your plate. 

      Check in with your goals
      Threes are known as “The Achiever” for a reason: They have a clear vision of their goals and what they need to accomplish them. But sometimes, Threes can fall into the trap of working from the outside-in rather than the inside-out. This can mean shifting their image to be whoever they think they need to be to fit the mold of success. For this reason, it’s important for Threes to check in with their goals often so they work toward the things that are right for them and don’t waste their energy on what’s not. If you’re a Three, try vision boarding or working with a coach so you can identify your long-term goals, and then create micro-goals to get to where you want to go. When Threes are clearly rooted in who they are, their productivity soars and their capacity for greatness expands.

      Create a morning routine
      As the Individualist, chances are, you don’t take a liking to tried-and-true formulas of productivity because you’ve always felt a little different. However, having a routine can greatly benefit both your productivity and well-being. Because you can get swept away by your emotions, it’s important to start your day in a clear and grounded headspace. Setting daily intentions can allow you to take control over any negative emotions and change the tone of how you approach your day. Intentions are a powerful visualization technique that helps guide your energy to focus on the areas that matter. This can help you work through creative blockages and empower you with the energy you need to reach your goals. 

      Take breaks to get out of your head
      When it comes to productivity for Fives, their head is in the game—sometimes too much in the game. They can become so engrossed in a task that time passes and they haven’t moved or taken a single sip of water. Or maybe they will make a whole strategy to be productive yet struggle to actually complete things. You may think that productivity is all mental, but a lot of it depends on the integration of our three brains: the head, the heart, and the body. Fives are in the head center, so they naturally resort to analytical thinking. But for Fives to fully reach their potential, they need to “wake up” their body center. If you’re a Five, try taking walks or stretch breaks whenever you feel yourself getting stuck or over-analytical. This will help reshuffle all of those great ideas you’re sitting on. 

      Create a comforting environment
      Sixes benefit from familiarity and routine, meaning their work setup can have a profound impact on their productivity. It’s important for them to feel safe and secure so they can fully relax and let their strengths shine through. If you’re a Six, consider what you need to thrive in a work environment. For example, if you work from home, you may need a comfy chair and the right tools on hand. If you work in an office, perhaps you bring cozy elements to your workspace where you can make it feel more like home (think: hanging photos of friends, family, or pets or decorating your space with candles, plants, and art prints). This way, you’ll be at ease and fully equipped to take on any challenge with courage and confidence. 

      Slow down and work in time blocks
      A Seven’s curiosity and hunger for new opportunities make them work quickly and tenaciously. While this can be a strength, it can also cause them to rush through tasks, become scattered, or focus on future opportunities rather than the tasks at hand. If you’re a Seven who finds it hard to stay present at work or you’re working so fast that you get exhausted or miss little details, take that as an indicator to pause and take some deep breaths. Then, restructure your day to create more flexibility and room to breathe. Try working in time blocks where you dedicate a specific amount of time to a specific task. This will help you streamline your focus, take breaks in between, and then approach another task with fresh energy.

      Put your problem-solving hat on
      Eights love to feel in control of their tasks and move things along efficiently. Decisive and strong-willed, they are also great problem-solvers who aren’t afraid of a challenge. They are quick to find flaws or gaps in a plan and come up with a better solution. When Eights rely on these strengths, they can not only get more done but also inspire others to take action too. Since Eights can act on impulse, approaching their tasks from a problem-solving lens can help them reflect on the bigger picture. If you’re an Eight, practice approaching your work by identifying a problem and brainstorming several workarounds to it. If you can, it might also help to talk things out with your colleagues or someone you trust so you work through your ideas. 

      Choose your daily tasks
      Peacemaking Nines own their power when they take action on their goals. The secret to their productivity is feeling like they are the ones in the driver’s seat. While they can get carried away fantasizing about their dreams, one thing Nines can take ownership of is what they do each day. Because Nines crave harmony and connection with the people around them, sometimes they struggle to separate what’s important to them versus what’s important to others. Nines can regain control by choosing small, daily tasks to accomplish. Of course, there may be obligatory tasks as part of your day-to-day, but choosing to do things like cleaning out your inbox or educating yourself about a new industry trend can be rewarding and motivating—both in the short term and the long term.

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      Unmotivated at Work? These Quick Wins Will Help You Feel Accomplished

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      Have you been feeling unmotivated at work lately? Because I know I have. The tasks that you used to fly through feel like they take three times as long. Your previously undivided attention is now pulled in five different directions. You’re feeling burned out and checked out.
      It’s common to hit slumps like this throughout your career. Sometimes they last a day, sometimes a week, and sometimes even longer. No matter why or how long you’ve felt unmotivated, one thing is for sure: You eventually have to find a way to get your job done. So the next time you find yourself struggling to cross anything off your to-do list, try these quick wins.

      Send That Email
      You know the email I’m talking about—the one you’ve been putting off for days. Often, tasks tend to feel bigger and more difficult the longer we put them off. But chances are, if you dedicate the time to focus and craft a reply, it’ll be easier than you think. I promise you’ll feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of your shoulders once you hit send, and it’ll probably take less time than you think. You might even feel motivated to knock out a few more emails while you’re at it.
      To get started, set a timer for five minutes. Commit to no distractions and 100% focus on the email at hand for those five minutes. If you don’t complete the email when your timer goes off, feel free to move on—no need to be hard on yourself. But if you are able to hit send, take a moment to celebrate! Get up and grab a cup of coffee, text a friend, or hit “add to cart” on that item you’ve been eyeing. After all, you sent that email. You deserve it!

      Set a Bite-Sized Goal
      When you’re working on a big project that’s scheduled to take weeks or months to complete, it might feel like you’re barely making progress. But you don’t execute on a big, lofty goal all at once. You take small baby steps to get there. Instead of focusing on the large task at hand, pick one task you can complete today that will move the project forward.
      Take a moment to write down all the tasks you need to complete for your current project. By getting everything out of your head and onto paper, you can then decide which bite-sized task you want to tackle first. Once you check that item off your list, give yourself a five-minute break, then come back and pick another item to knock out next. Before you know it, you’ll have worked your way through your to-do list.

      Move Your Body
      Feeling unmotivated can drag you down both mentally and physically. So in order to shake up your routine and add some motivation back into your day, sometimes you literally have to shake it up. Get up and move your body. Go for a walk without any distractions like your phone or a podcast. Let your mind wander and see what it finds. If you only have a few minutes in between meetings, stand up and do a few squats. Movement helps get your blood and creativity flowing, so you can reignite your motivation.

      Treat Yourself
      Some work tasks simply suck. Since they’re not fun on their own, you need to find a way to make it fun. That’s when it’s time to treat yourself. Tell yourself that if you work on a presentation for an hour, you can take a break to check social media or that once you get through a meeting, you’ll reward yourself with your favorite coffee. Because sometimes work is just that: work. And you have to find the light at the end of the tunnel to keep you going.

      Get Ready
      If you’re working from home, this tip is especially for you. If you find yourself rolling out of bed and getting straight to work, it’s understandable that you don’t feel motivated for the day. You haven’t taken the time to get ready, whatever that means to you. Take five minutes at the start of your day to get yourself ready to work. Do your makeup, make yourself a cup of coffee, write in your journal, or change out of your sweatpants. When you feel the part, you perform the part.

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      Catch Up with a Coworker or a Friend
      We’re social creatures. Even if we enjoy being alone, we still need human interaction to thrive. Take five minutes and schedule a time to catch up with a coworker, give your work bestie a quick call, or make plans for after work. Spending a few minutes to connect with a colleague gives you a much-needed brain break. Even if you’re not talking to the person now, you’ll have something to look forward to later.

      Create a “Done” List
      We all have to-do lists, but do you have a “done” list? When you’re feeling unmotivated, it could be because you don’t feel like you’re accomplishing anything. But if you take stock of all of the things you did that day, I bet you’d be surprised. Start a “done” list of all the work you complete to help you visualize where your efforts and time are spent. It can help give you the boost of motivation you need to tackle your to-do list tomorrow.

      Quick wins at work, no matter how small, lead to big wins later. So the next time you’re feeling stuck in a motivation rut, remember that you’re armed with these tips to help you go from unmotivated to inspired.

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      This Is The Very First Thing You Need To Do When You Become a Manager

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      For many of us, career progression means taking on more responsibility and eventually leading a team. Becoming a manager for the first time can be intimidating. Suddenly, you’re responsible for your own work and success—but that success is achieved through the contributions and talents of a number of other people! Whether your team is big or small, there’s one thing you should do the second you take on your new title: start a listening tour.
      While it may be your first instinct to jump into the role and start to put your mark on things, the best leaders know that shaping a team takes time. And your own management style truly can not be best developed until you deeply understand what your team’s goals, objectives, and needs are.
      It can be easy to dismiss the idea of a listening tour, especially if you are promoted from your same team into a leadership position. You may think that you have a great understanding of the work, team culture, and exactly how your peers operate. However, your new role has completely changed the team dynamic, and many of your relationships will now need a recalibration as you operate from a new place of leadership on the team. 
      If you’re completely new to a business or group, then the listening tour is even more important. Starting out with a blank slate and engaging with people individually and in groups become the foundation for your leadership agenda and set the expectations for how your team culture will evolve. 

      Source: Color Joy Stock

      OK, So What is a Listening Tour? 
      A listening tour is as simple as it sounds—but it takes a lot of active planning to effectively execute. Within the first 30 days of settling into your new management role, you will want to set up some individual one-on-one time with all of your direct reports. This effort is essential, even if you feel like you know these colleagues as peers. Take this time as an opportunity to open a new chapter of communication, setting new boundaries and objectives in your work relationship. 
      These one-on-one meetings can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (more than that, and the energy will start to wane). You also want them to have some structure because they’re serving the dual purpose of creating a first impression for your team on how you will perform in the role while also giving people a chance to communicate their needs to you.
      Spend some time thinking about a few key questions you would like to ask to get people talking. What was the most impactful project they worked on last year? How would they change the business in the next 90 days if they were in your shoes? What are the things about the team that should definitely continue? What motivates them? How do they like to receive feedback? While you don’t want this conversation to be an interrogation, you will want to have thought through enough decision pathways to carry the discussion in a few different directions.

      Source: Karolina Grabowska | Pexels

      Your end goal for these meetings should be to have both extracted some great insight about the colleague as an individual contributor and also to be gathering ideas about how you could start to support your team in reaching new goals. This early focus on receiving people’s ideas and being attuned to listening will pay enormous dividends as you begin to settle into this role.
      It’s also OK to start to socialize ideas you may be forming—you have great instincts for management; it’s why you got the job! What you want to avoid, however, is using these meetings as a platform to present a pre-structured plan. The best way to begin to present these is through open-ended questions that invite good commentary and consideration. “I’ve been thinking about some ways we can modernize the data and visualizations we use for client reporting. What are your thoughts on how our client reports work today?” You may even be surprised to get feedback that is highly aligned with your ideas, or, even better—you may start to get a deeper view that better shapes your plan. 

      Source: Color Joy Stock

      What To Do With What You Learn
      Listening tours are effective for new managers if they’re prepared to do all of the follow-up work that results. Oftentimes, these one-on-one meetings will be a forum where your colleagues feel comfortable now sharing with you challenges they’ve faced or things that they’re hoping you can solve. It is important to start to build trust with your team by letting them know what you’ll do to act on what they share. That doesn’t mean you need to have an immediate solution for everything that is brought up, but you should be taking copious notes and ensuring that you wrap up these meetings restating any expectations or deliverables that may result. 
      The next step of leveraging these meetings is going over all of your notes and ideas that surfaced and reframing them into some shared team issues. Did everyone raise the need to rethink the weekly meeting structure? Tackle that first! Some quick wins that are meaningful to a large share of the team can make a big difference in getting buy-in for other ideas.
      Now, you’ll also be more prepared to engage your new boss, being able to appropriately represent the voice of your team. While you’ll want to be thoughtful and have discretion around what you share, nothing is more credible than pointing to the conversations you’ve had with your colleagues about priorities, goals, and challenges. You’ve now set yourself up to have a strong start in your new management role.

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      How To Build a Better Relationship With Your Boss

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      Your boss: Like it or not, they play an important role in your professional life. Why? Well, if you want to continue to climb the career ladder and make forward progress in your career, your boss’s favorable opinion is (very) important. Plus, when you spend so much time working with someone, it’s only natural to crave at least a decent rapport between the two of you. However, you don’t need me to tell you that establishing and fostering a positive relationship with your superior isn’t always so easy. It can be tough to walk that line between overly professional and a little too comfortable.
      Yes, striking that balance can be a challenge, but it’s definitely still doable—as long as you take the right steps! Use these six tips to improve, grow, and strengthen your relationship with your boss.

      1. Be a great employee
      Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? You can be the friendliest, most outgoing person in the entire office, but if your work is sub-par and you refuse to offer any sort of contributions to your team? Well, getting your boss (and your coworkers, for that matter!) to think highly of you is going to be pretty much impossible. Your first step is to ensure you’re an awesome employee that’s truly adding value to your organization. Do your best work. Chime in with constructive ideas in team meetings. Stay far away from office gossip. Your attitude and high-quality work will be a constant reminder to your boss of why exactly they hired you in the first place.
      It seems basic, but a positive reputation will lay the groundwork for a better relationship with your colleagues—especially your boss!

      2. Ask for feedback
      All bosses are different, but one rule holds true across the board: All managers love an employee willing to take initiative. Proactively asking for feedback from your supervisor is a great way to demonstrate that you’re constantly looking for ways to grow and improve. Of course, you don’t want to take this concept to the extreme. Your boss will likely only grow annoyed if you check in for constructive criticism after every single email you send. However, setting up a time to discuss your performance every few months—or after the completion of a large project or presentation—should be enough to show that you’re interested in evolving without being a pest.

      3. Communicate effectively
      Communication is key in any relationship, but it’s definitely crucial when it comes to relationships between superiors and subordinates. Your boss needs to be in the know about what’s happening! At the same time, though, you don’t want to overwhelm them with constant updates and unnecessary information.
      It’s for this very reason that it’s a great idea to get a handle on how exactly your boss prefers to communicate. Do they like to have weekly or monthly meetings when you can update them on your progress and any roadblocks? Are they someone who relies heavily on email because they’re frequently out of the office—meaning they prefer you send sporadic notes when you complete something or need more information?
      I know that this can be a little challenging to discern, particularly if you’re somewhat new in the office. However, pay close attention to how your boss interacts with you. It’s human nature to communicate with others in the same way we’d prefer to be communicated with, so this can be a revealing clue you can utilize to bolster your communication skills with your boss.
      If nothing else, don’t be afraid to set up a quick meeting to talk it out with your manager. Getting on the same page about preferred communication right from the get-go will only make both of your lives easier and your relationship even stronger!

      Source: Colorjoy Stock

      4. Make small talk
      There’s no official handbook that dictates what exactly the relationship with your boss should look like. Some people have very formal and professional relationships with their superiors, whereas others are much closer and more casual. Some never see each other outside of the office, while others follow coworkers on Instagram and frequently hang out at work happy hours.
      Regardless of your current relationship, there’s never harm in making small talk with your boss. Whether it’s about weekend plans or a half marathon you know they’re training for, chit-chatting about personal tidbits can help strengthen the relationship with your boss by making things a little more friendly and a little less rigid. No, you don’t want to waste precious work hours jabbering on and on about the latest episode of Yellowstone, but a few minutes of friendly conversation in the break room won’t hurt!

      5. Offer to help
      Your boss might seem like they’re always on top of everything—they never make a mistake and never lose their cool. However, we all find ourselves in situations when we could use a little bit of help, so it’s important to note that your boss may not always be willing to admit it.
      If your supervisor seems stressed and overwhelmed, go ahead and step up to the plate and offer to help. Perhaps they mentioned a client report that they’re trying to get out the door even though they’re pressed for time. If you have the know-how to take care of it, explain that you’re happy to handle a portion for them so they don’t have so much on their plate. Even if they end up turning you down, the fact that you were willing to reach out and offer help will carry a lot of weight.

      6. Practice empathy
      Often, it’s all too easy to jump to conclusions and assume your boss is just out to get you. That daunting project, tight deadline, or dreadfully boring conference call—they’re all your boss’s attempts to punish you. But that’s not always true. 
      It’s important to take a deep breath and always give your supervisor the benefit of the doubt, even when things get tough. Remember, your boss isn’t only responsible for their own pieces of the puzzle—they’re also in charge of ensuring the quality of work produced by you and your coworkers. Having to manage others can be a tough job—remind yourself that your boss is only human. That sense of understanding alone is enough to shift perspective and drastically improve your relationship with your manager.
      All in all, we want great relationships with our bosses. It certainly helps in making those 40+ hours you spend in the office each week that much better! But sometimes, fostering a positive bond with your boss can involve navigating murky waters. Put these six tips to use, and you’re sure to notice improvements right away!

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

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      You’re going to ask for a raise. Did your stomach just leap into your throat at the sight of that sentence? I can’t blame you—anybody will be quick to admit that asking for a pay increase is anxiety-inducing at best. As with anything, the key to making this conversation run smoothly is preparation. The more groundwork you can lay ahead of time, the less panicked you’ll feel when you need to look your boss in the eye and make that request. So, where should you start?

      Ask yourself these four questions before even knocking on your manager’s door:

      1. What specifically have I achieved in the past six months to one year?
      There’s a big difference between wanting a raise and deserving a raise. And if you really want to make a strong case for yourself, you need to prove that you fall into that second category. What have you done recently that has contributed to your company’s success? Pick at least three key accomplishments that you can point to. Whether you planned a company golf outing or took the lead on a major presentation, having those wins and accolades in your back pocket will make it easier to show your boss that you’ve actually earned a pay increase.

      2. How can I quantify those achievements?
      You’ve probably heard a lot about quantifying your achievements in terms of the job hunt—it helps to have hard facts and statistics on your resume. But the same holds true when you’re asking for a raise. While you’re not looking to secure a new position, you are still aiming to prove why you’re worthy of something (in this case, more money as opposed to a job).
      Take another look at the achievements you outlined in the previous step and see if there are any important numbers you should be highlighting. Did that golf outing include 250 participants and over 20 sponsors? Did that big presentation lead to $5,000 in additional revenue? It’s hard to argue with data, so work it in wherever you can.

      Source: Social Squares

      3. How much of a pay increase do I want?
      You know you want a raise. But that alone isn’t enough. Chances are, your manager is going to ask you exactly how much you’re looking for. You don’t need to give a super exact number here, but you should at least be prepared with a range. Exactly how much you ask for is up to you. But if you’re worried about seeming unreasonable, asking for a 3-5% increase is pretty normal. You can also do some research on competitive salaries in your area to get a better grasp on what you should be asking for. Knowledge is power.

      4. Is now a good time to ask?
      Timing matters. There’s a good time to ask for a raise and a not-so-good time to ask for a raise (and I’m not just talking about before your boss has had her morning cup of coffee). Is your company in a period of transition? Have there been recent layoffs or other instability? Have you only been there for a few months? Were you just given a raise not that long ago? Those are all indicators that you should probably wait on asking for a pay increase—unless you’re someone who looks forward to rejection.

      Source: Social Squares

      How To Ask Your Boss for a Raise
      When this conversation can be so incredibly nerve-racking, what do you need to do to approach your boss in a way that’s polished and professional? Here are a few key tips to keep in mind.

      1. Set a meeting
      This is a serious conversation that’s worthy of the full attention of both you and your manager, meaning it’s not something you can say in passing when you’re both grabbing coffee refills. The most common time to request a raise is during your performance review. But if you don’t have one of those coming up and feel like you need to ask for an increase now, set a meeting with your boss so you both have some quiet, uninterrupted time to have a productive discussion.

      2. Focus on results
      Everybody wants a raise, but why do you specifically deserve one? As we touched on above, your request is most impactful when you can highlight results that your efforts have achieved. Don’t fall into the trap of emphasizing your own emotions as justification for your request, and instead keep the spotlight on how you’ve served your company. You’ll make a much stronger case for yourself.

      3. Rehearse (yes, seriously)
      Admit it: You’ve done your fair share of practicing in front of your bathroom mirror before job interviews. You can do that very same thing before asking for a raise. This is an important conversation, and your nerves are going to be running high. Talking through what you want to say and any other possible scenarios beforehand will give your confidence a boost.

      4. Prepare for rejection
      In an ideal world, your boss would respond by saying of course you deserve a raise and that she’s thrilled to be able to offer you exactly what you’re asking for. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always work that way—which means you need to know how you’ll move forward if your ask is met with a “no.”
      Is there something else you’d want to ask for, like more vacation days or a more flexible schedule? Will you simply respond to your boss by thanking her for her consideration? Nobody wants to think about worst-case scenarios, but being prepared is one of the best things you can do when you’re entering any sort of negotiation.

      Asking for a raise is enough to inspire sweaty palms and shaky knees. However, remember that you are your own best advocate in your career—nobody is going to ask for this pay increase for you. So take a deep breath, rely on these questions and tips, and prepare to approach the conversation feeling calm, cool, and collected.

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      20 Productivity Hacks To Make Your Day Easier

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      We are all looking for that one golden nugget of wisdom that will make our days run effortlessly and smoothly. Between navigating through all of our various roles in life working and as daughters, mothers, friends, partners—and just our own individual contributions—there is always a long list of things to do. While the truth is that there is no one single path to being productive, there are a lot of productivity hacks we can build into our lives to advance our journey.

      1. Use Your Commute Productively
      Commutes may still be a little unpredictable as we move between remote and in-office work. But for most of us, there are still a few minutes in many days where we’re in that “in between” space of not at home but not quite settled into the days’ business. How can this time work for you? Is it a quick call to check in on a parent? Or 5 minutes of listening to a new podcast and some deep breathing? Even if this time is short, using it intentionally is a satisfying way to start and end the day.

      Mark & Graham
      Tech Commute Clutch
      Keep your laptop and tech essentials organized with this functional (and highly stylish) carrying case.

      2. Clean Out Your Email
      Yes, clean it out. All the way! Get rid of half-done replies, drafts that won’t go anywhere, and holiday sales notifications you didn’t happen to shop your way through. Even just 30 dedicated minutes on a Friday morning of filing, unsubscribing, and getting responses off your plate in both your personal and work emails will send you into a weekend feeling refreshed.

      3. Prioritize Your Tasks
      Prioritization sounds easy, but it isn’t always simple. To really prioritize, don’t just make a list of tasks that need to be done and pluck off the “biggest,” “hardest,” or even “easiest.” Instead, think of your day as a set of building blocks that all need to fit together. Where’s the causality? What needs to be done first to make the rest of the day or week move better? Using this more connected method of prioritizing also helps us overcome some of the resistance we have around tough tasks.

      4. Use the Pomodoro Method
      These little tomato timers and their “work then break” method are a fan favorite for a reason! It’s proven that our brain feels more refreshed and focused when we can work in bursts. Set a timer, pick a mini project or a task, and then shamelessly give yourself the built-in breaks to recharge and come back strong.

      Amazon
      Time Management Cube
      2022 can be the year you finally embrace block scheduling with this handy desktop timer.

      5. Ignore Your Email in the Morning
      If this one feels uncomfortable, try it boldly for just one week and see what it does for your productivity. It’s a natural inclination to want to respond and jump on tasks when we see an email. Starting your day diving right into the piles of emails you have means that your inbox becomes your prioritization list—in control of you instead of the other way around. Consider blocking an hour to check emails a little later in the morning, and instead, start your day with your priorities.

      Source: Boris Jovanovic | Stocksy

      6. Understand Your Work Zones
      Matching the type of work that needs to be done with where you do it is a huge productivity hack. Do you do your best number crunching at a structured desk or the kitchen table? Or maybe your best creative ideas come to you when you’re on a walk and can let your mind reset. Either way, knowing when and where you are at your best for all of your various tasks can be a real productivity boost and help with your work-life balance.

      7. Strategically Leverage Your “OOO” Message
      Who says the Out Of Office email is just for vacation? Get creative with this autoresponder and use it for targeted projects. “I’m on a special project right now, and my mornings this week (9-12) will be dedicated to that effort. Please contact me outside of those hours for the most timely response.” Push the boundaries by setting some of your own.

      8. Scope Your Day the Night Before
      “Scoping” your day is different from planning. When you’re scoping your day, you’re mentally preparing yourself for the various waves of energy and effort you’ll need throughout the day. Can you shift an important call to the morning when you’re feeling a little more fresh? Should you see if a friend can help with after-school pick up if your meeting runs over? Being able to do this assessment the night before a full schedule gives you more options to manage and rearrange the day.

      9. Reduce Small Distractions
      Every little ping, buzz, and blink takes us away from our full mental focus. Get in tune with what nudges kick you out of your zone each day. Is it a blinking instant message? Set a few hours of Do Not Disturb. Does the buzz of the office floor catch your ear? Headphones, please! You may even find that a dimmed-out room (and some blue light glasses!) helps you zone in on a key project or task, without other visual distractions.

      Amazon
      Blue Light Glasses
      An editor favorite, these blue light blocking glasses are chic and will help keep headaches and eye strain away.

      10. Set Up a Social Media Blocker
      There are all kinds of useful apps and sites to help us control our social media consumption. Almost more important than helping corral its use is to figure out when and why you turn to it during the day. Do you find yourself reaching for a “scroll” when you’ve hit a tough part of a task? When you’re lacking some motivation? Or when you’re burned out and need a break? Understanding your “why” will do an even bigger job of helping you reorient to productive mode.

      Source: Social Squares

      11. Book Time for Self-Care
      While a daily massage would be just the self-care that a lot of us would love, there are many other mini ways to fit this into a day. This could look like treating yourself to a whole tea ritual in the break room, complete with a fancy teapot you keep at the office, or a full walk around the block doing a walking meditation. The point is to identify new hobbies or the thing for you that yields maximum good feelings for the highest value cost and effort to help ensure you keep it up.

      12. Find Ways to Set Up “Habit Stacking”
      Habit stacking was made popular by the book Atomic Habits, which helps you link new things you want to accomplish to existing habits to up the chances of getting them done. You’ll start to view your new habit goals in a whole new way when you think about the small ways you can link them together to be more productive.

      Amazon
      Mini Elliptical Machine
      With eight different resistance levels, this mini under-the-desk elliptical machine will help you burn calories while you’re in endless Zoom meetings.

      13. Know Your Personal Bandwidth Triggers
      We all know what our personal “running on empty” looks like. The hack is to know how to recognize it before it completely sneaks up on you and rewire. Do you start rubbing your eyes a little more? Do you get distracted and start poking through your old photo reel? Whatever your personal trigger is, that means you’ve hit top capacity on your bandwidth—become friends with her, and watch out for her more regularly.

      14. Make “No” Your First Response
      This may be another counterintuitive approach to productivity, but starting with “no” means that you get to say “yes” to a whole host of other things that are your personal priorities. When someone comes to you with a new project or need, start to think through the lens of putting the burden of effort on them to explain why it is worth your time and should be tackled before the long list of other priorities you have in train.

      15. Trust Your Own Natural Rhythms
      Some of us are morning people. Some of us are not. No matter how many mini vlogs we watch with a fresh-faced gal bouncing out of bed for her green juice and jaunting off to yoga, we may just never be the person who is their best self in the morning. Know your own rhythm for when your tasks best match your energy throughout the day and hack accordingly.

      Amazon
      Mug Warmer
      Place any hot beverage on this mug warmer and it will automatically keep your beverage nice and warm.

      16. Find A Planning System That Works For You
      Productive never happened without a system. That doesn’t mean that you have to string together some ultra high-tech collection of apps, trackers, and planners. It does mean that you need a consistent way to organize your life tasks so you can get to the goals that matter to you. Whether that’s through a gorgeous paper planner that feels more like a journal or a minimal but comprehensive app to tackle your to-do list, find your sport.

      The Everygirl x Day Designer
      30-Day Challenge Planner
      Our 30-Day Challenge Planner will help you prioritize your goals and take the leap into becoming the best version of yourself.

      Source: Social Squares

      17. Tie Your Long-Term Goals to the Everyday
      Goals aren’t happening unless they’re broken down into mini-objectives and addressed in small pieces. Think about the ways you can take your longer-term hopes and move toward them even in tiny ways every day. Running a marathon for your next birthday? Great. Even a quick 10-minute jog today puts you on the path to achieving that goal.

      18. Communicate Your Productivity Objectives
      We all do better achieving our productivity goals when we’ve shared them with someone else. This can be formal, as in telling your boss or colleagues what you’re up to this week, or it can just be chatting with a loved one about what’s on your plate lately. Externalizing what we’re doing and what we need to get a job done is a huge part of productively working through our task list.

      19. Slow Down
      Quality almost always wins over quantity. Whenever you find yourself moving speedily through a task and buzzing on to the next thing, think of that as your trigger to slow down. Not only are we likely to make mistakes that will just take more time to correct in the long run, but we’re also training ourselves to overpack our days and often times not communicating that timelines may be unreasonable or that we need more resources. What do you need to get a great job done, not just a quick one?

      20. Define Your Own Personal Productivity Metrics
      On that note, productivity isn’t about doing more, faster. We could define productivity with a little more nuance and say that it’s about doing the best job, at the right time, with the right resources, and for the right objectives to get to the best outcome. When that’s the case, “how much” we checked off our list doesn’t matter as much as how productively we used our energy in a day, matching it with the things that matter the most.

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      10 Places to Job Hunt That Are Not LinkedIn

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      With so many job openings on the market right now, it is a great time to start your job hunt or just get a fresh perspective on what new opportunities might be out there. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 10 million job openings on the market. But when it comes to figuring out exactly how to find jobs, it can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But searching for the perfect new job doesn’t have to be a daunting task; there are all kinds of creative places for everyone on the hunt for a new job.
      For many professions, it may feel easiest to start with LinkedIn, in part because social media does some of our heavy lifting and tees up jobs from our network and their own jobs page. But that doesn’t have to be the only place you start scouting. Whether you have a niche expertise, are just getting started in your career, or are ready to level up to a bigger role, there’s a platform and place for you to start exploring.

      Particularly useful for tech experts and design aficionados, Upwork can be a great place to build your portfolio and snag interesting freelance opportunities. On this site, your profile and your portfolio presentation are key. You’ll want to spend some time building out work samples or a compelling bio and resume that give you the edge to create a polished proposal. Finding your niche here is also important. Focus on a few key skills or specific audience to up your chance of getting the right work matches.

      Ladders is known for its high-paying roles—jobs listed here offer salaries of at least $100,000. Jobs posted are from high-paying firms that also have to pay to list their jobs on the site. That generally means that you’re getting a better set of quality opportunities. Ladders also boasts a rich set of content, with a lot of tips to help you advance your job search and put your best self forward.

      A really rich search interface with a number of useful filters make Indeed a great jumping-off point to start your job search. A wide variety of industries, job titles, ranks, and roles post on Indeed, giving you the opportunity to quickly scope and rescope your initial interests. Search by salary, industry, or even experience level to get a sense of what may be interesting to you.

      Glassdoor is a great tool to make you a well-informed job seeker. It’s known for its company reviews, interview reviews, and salary information posted for certain roles, and you can use all of this information to get a very clear picture of your job possibilities at a company. Creating a profile on the site is a great place to start—it streamlines the application process, and after that, you can apply for roles with just a few clicks.

      Scouted couples talent and technology through an AI algorithm and platform that helps early to mid-career candidates match with the right job. Their methods de-emphasize traditional methods like where you went to school or your GPA and consider a number of different aspects of your personal interests and professional profile to find you the right fit. Scouted is best for non-technical business roles.

      Source: Social Squares

      One of the original job hunting platforms, Monster has come a long way in building out its career resources as well as its tools and opportunities. Most notably, its slick app is easy to navigate, meaning you’re more likely to frequently hop on and search around for new roles that are a fit for you. Years of being in the market with job hunters means that Monster has a wealth of insight on how people land new roles. Check out their sections of popular job titles, locations, and searches to get inspired for your own search.

      FlexJobs manages to centralize what almost all of us are looking for this year–more location flexibility and interesting remote or freelance opportunities. FlexJobs does have a paid option that is worth considering if you’re really focused on the hunt. And since remote is their speciality, their content section is especially useful even if you’re just looking for ways to make your existing job a little more WFH-friendly.

      8. Alumni Associations
      Whether you’ve just escaped campus life or it’s farther in the rearview mirror, our alma maters have a lot to offer on the job front that is often overlooked. You can play either the short or long game here on the job front. First, check if your school keeps a career portal or hosts any hiring events for alumni. Second, be sure you’re signed up for any local mixers—even if you’ve since relocated—and stay on top of online communities or networking events to connect with future employers.

      9. A Search Firm
      Working with recruiters may seem like something that’s just available to the most senior among us. But the help of new technologies and a hot job market has increasingly opened up this avenue for talent of all types to consider leveraging a recruiting resource. Recruiters or search firms work best, however, when you are at least at a mid-career level, have a good number of years under your belt, or have a highly specialized technical talent. Be prepared to go through some research and meet and greets to find the right fit. Most recruiters are paid by the company that hires you, so it just costs you your time and effort to explore this path.

      10. Your Network
      You know a lot more people who can help in your job hunt than you may think. The most useful networks are those that span a lot of industries, demographics, and interests because that diverse set of expertise and capabilities gives you the widest range for exploring new possibilities. And remember, your network doesn’t live on a specific platform—it is the collection of your connections, past managers, people in your community, church, and friend group that may be positioned to help you think about a new role. It’s also best practice to deeply build your network long before you want to hit people up for help regarding a new job, so it’s also worth considering what you can give to your contacts (even a new introduction!) as you make the rounds.

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