From analog to digital notebooks — Find the best note-taking tool for your needs. — If you were to see my office, you’d be greeted by a pile of notebooks on my desk. And that would only represent what’s visible — I have another stash of virtual notebooks on my computer. But my notebook collection isn’t random. Each notebook has a very singular purpose. And…

Don’t wander aimlessly through freelance life — start out with a plan. — It’s really easy to forget the big picture when you’re a new freelancer. You’re eager to please your clients, you’re learning to send invoices, and you’re trying to stay organized. All of those things are really important, but you need to think beyond laying the groundwork. Even if your goals…

We often don’t have words to describe the end of a friendship — We have a lot of words to describe how relationships end. Divorce. Breakup. Death. Each has a distinct connotation (for better or worse). We don’t have a similar vocabulary to describe the end of a friendship — at least, none that paints such an obvious scene in our minds. Perhaps…

Much like we have to take care of the planet, we also have to take care of ourselves and our mental health. — Like many American kids, I grew up hearing the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” I’d seen the logo plastered everywhere, watched Sesame Street segments about conserving water, and had a general understanding that throwing things away was bad. The phrase’s exact origins are unknown, but it seems to have cropped up…

Sometimes setting the bar high forces you out of your comfort zone. — One of the cardinal rules of customer support: never overpromise. I learned this very early in my career. If you overpromise, you break trust — something that can be very hard to earn back. …

I let Medium readers tell me what resonates — As a creator, I know that I have to show up consistently on social platforms. I publish on LinkedIn almost every day and tweet several times per day. I use Buffer to schedule my content but the burden is still on me to write interesting stuff. Sure, I come up…

Should women raise awareness by talking about their choices? — Since the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, there has been an outpouring of women sharing their abortion stories. I’m a frequent flyer on LinkedIn and have seen heartfelt, vulnerable, gut-wrenching, and decisive stories. Women give context: they say, “This was the situation, and this was the choice…

I need to allocate my energy between different writing projects. — Many writers feel like they’re caught in a game of tug-of-war. You have professional writing commitments that pay the bills. Maybe you’re a journalist, content marketer, or freelancer. In any case, you have a paying client and deadlines to meet. And you have your passion projects — the writing that…

We have the power to decide how we spend our time — I grew up with some very traditional views of career success. Work hard, prove your value, and rise to the top. My dad began his career as a social worker and eventually became the CEO of a nonprofit. I spent my college years working at a bank, watching smart loan…