Tips for Creating a Work From Home Schedule

While working from home might feel like a dream…at least at first, there can also be innumerable challenges. As someone who’s worked from home since 2012, I can say that creating a schedule has been a complete game-changer, and is something that I always recommend for those who are new to working from home.

Define Your Working Hours

Depending on your working arrangement, this might already be set by your employer or client, however, if it’s not, make it a priority to do this yourself. If you work directly with customers, clients, or team members you might find that typical 9–5 hours work well for you. …

1. Look At Life As a Series of Experiments

It’s hard to be confident when you’re not doing anything. A big part of being a 20-something is experimenting and trying new things. At first you might feel awkward, and that’s normal. However, a positive side effect is that the more you experiment, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more confident you become in yourself.

When we think of life as a long series of small experiments, this allows us to take risks, and try new concepts or projects, with less fear and trepidation.

This allows us to lower the stakes. Abandoning a project because it’s not a good fit or because it doesn’t work out, doesn’t mean anything about you as a person. …

If you’ve ever found yourself spending years (or decades) with a singular focus on your career, then you’re certainly not alone. However, like many of us, you want more. Whether it’s thriving in your relationships, seeking new hobbies, your health, or all of the above, we need more than our work.

As someone who has consistently read about 1 book per week for almost 15 years, I’ve read A LOT of books, some great, some good, and some bad. The 4 that I’m about to describe are personal favorites, ones’s I’ve gifted and also those that I’ve re-read.

If you want to learn more about yourself, and improve any or all areas of your life, these 4 books will help you do just that, I know, because that’s exactly what they did for me. …

You can’t control all of your circumstances, but you can control two things, your mindset, and your reaction.

I started 2021 feeling the least motivated that I’ve felt in a long time. After losing my Grandmother days before, I just wasn’t interested in setting big goals or taking massive action.

However, after a few days of wallowing, I knew that I needed to get back on track. If you’ve ever been in a situation like this, you’ll know that “getting motivated” is easier said than done.

While I’m still learning, here are 4 tips that are currently improving my life for the better, and helping me stay motivated, one day at a time. …

Have you ever thought, “Wow, I’d LOVE to learn a language but I just don’t have the time?” I get it, life is busy, and learning a language can be overwhelming.

But, what if I told you that you could learn a language without studying for hours a day and completely changing your daily routine…

Using my tips below, you can start practicing a new language, and fit learning into activities that you already do every single day.

1. Listen To a Language Podcast While Exercising, Walking, or Doing Household Chores

If you’re already doing at least one of these activities, just add some language learning into the mix.

Typically, I HATE doing chores like doing the dishes or cleaning the kitchen. But, adding in a fun podcast can make the time pass by so much faster. …

The past few months have been exhausting and tiring for me.

And if you’re reading this, you can probably relate.

But day by day, I’m doing my best to work my way out of it.

I’m not an expert or a doctor, I’m just an everyday girl doing my best, this is what’s been working for me.

Admit that something needs to change

We can keep doing the same thing over and over again, but until we recognize that change is necessary, we’ll stay stuck on a never-ending treadmill.

It sounds simple but is not easy to admit to ourselves.

It’s easier to tell ourselves that we just need to hustle a little harder. …

After learning Mandarin for a few years, “Jiā Yóu” is my favorite idea and one that I can apply every day to my personal and professional life.

I’ve said “Jiā Yóu” to my husband when he’s working on a big project or studying for an exam.

I’ve used “Jiā Yóu” to encourage my Chinese speaking clients.

I even taught my 90-something Grandma to use “Jiā Yóu” when her memory fails her, and she’s having a hard day.

The beauty of “Jiā Yóu” is that it can crack a smile and keep us going, even when we feel like we have nothing left to give. …

Last month was one of my busiest months of the entire year.

I took a coding workshop.

I maintained my full-time freelance work.

And I even managed to read 9 books.

This is what I did to make it all happen.

Set Monthly Priorities

While I never officially wrote this down, I can see looking back that each week I would mentally prioritize my priorities before making a weekly to-do list.

These were my priorities in order:

1. Paid editing work
2. Coding workshop
3. Side hustles (teaching, Medium, freelance writing, etc.)
4. Reading

Even if you’re in a hectic season of work, make the time for at least one hobby that you love, for me, that’s reading. …