The simple art of not being miserable

The simple art of not being miserableThe simple art of not being miserableInHerman HessesnovelSiddhartha,the title character and his friend leave home,disowningall possessions, to binnenseek spiritualenlightenment.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThey decide to live on the road, homeless,jurneyingawayfromthe known towards theunknown.Its not a life of ease, but it is one they embrace.Whentheyarehungry, they fast.When they are unoccupied, they meditate.When they are looking for answers, they wait.And as they move from place to place, they get more and morefixated on their goal.Eventually, however, they separate - it occurs due to their meeting with the Buddha himself.After hearing the legends about theEnlightenedOne and then seeking him out, they are both impressed with his calmpoiseand the simple profundity of his teachings.The friend, Govinda, stays behind to become his student, whileSiddhartha - although appreciating what he has learned - decides to continue on a more individualistic pursuit.This pursuit takes him through both space and time He settles down in a city, saches for a woman, and over theyears, becomes a successful businessman. This, of course, doesnt fulfill him either, so he leaves. His next stop, his final stop, is a small home by a river where he lives with a ferryman.The ferryman is a simple, quiet man, but hepossesses anunspokenwisdom thatentrancesanyone who meets him.Living in his presence, aftermany more years of unrest and suffering from all the seeking, Siddhartha eventually, in a sudden moment, finds himself at peace.At the end of his life, Govinda, who is still searching for enlightenment, hears about an older ferryman who people whisper has the answer.This ferryman is Siddhartha,who has now taken over fromhis oldmentorat the river.When Govinda tells him that he is still a seeker, his oldfriend - right before the book ends - sh ares what it is that he has learned after all these yearsWhensomeone seeks, said Siddhartha,then it easily happens thathis eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing becausehe always thinks only about the thingheis seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed withhisgoal.Seekingmeans having a goal.Butfinding means being free, being open, having no goal.The Problematic Zone ofFixationThe story ofSiddharthaand his friend is set in a world far different from the one we occupy.Its asimplerworld, one with fewer forces swaying minds.Their quest, too, is not theunhealthiestone you can pursue.Aspiring towardsfulfillmentis, generally speaking, far better than many of the things that occupy our desires in modernity - think money, status, and pleasure.The core problem, though, is the same.Its the root of allself-inflicted misery.Happiness - or more accurately,a lack of unhappiness - isa product of the relationship that exists betwee n oursubjectiveexpectationsand the objective reality.Overthe long-term,a feeling of peaceful contentmentcomes down to the objective reality giving us more than our subjectiveexpectations.Weall have some influence on what this reality has to offer,but ultimately, many things are out of our control.The only solution, then, istoadjust our expectations bymanaging our personal desires.Insome spiritual traditions,like Buddhism,the answer - broadlyspeaking - istominimize,and if possible,eliminate desire.Not just the desire of vices, but also thedesirethat leads to the unending process of seekingthat both Siddhartha and Govinda spent their livesinpursuit of.Unfortunately,the likelihood that the average person will forgo desire and find enlightenment is a small one.That said,what anyone can learn to do - which isa healthystepin the right direction - is toexpand their zone of fixation.We all have things we want, and we all have things welookto achieve.But many of these things arefar more negotiable than we make them.Sure, making more money may make your life better off, and of course, winning that prize or capturing the praise of someone you admire can be life-affirming,but ifthere is a world of people who can live completely in peace without these things - and there almost always is, no matter what it is you desire - the chances are that you can,too.When we desire something, wefixateon it.We commit ourtime and our mental energy, and in the process,we develop aone-sided obsessionthatleads tomiseryanytimereality doesnt correspond.This is as true of the desire to be more self-confidentas itis of seeking a specific pleasure.The only way not to fall into this trap is toexpand the zone of your fixationwhen the time arises.Itstoloosen the definition of your desiresso that they can accommodate the feedback given by the objective reality.And thats only possible if youre willing tostep back andlet go.To zoom out and adjust your subjective expectationis tobe free ofafflicti on.BetterQuestions, BetterLifeOne reason we fixate on thingsandthen have a hard time letting go is that we start off on the wrong footWe begin by asking the wrong questions.Almost everything that motivates you to take action starts with a question, whether you realize it or not.The simple reason is thatbefore you desire an answer, you have tofirst define what you are looking for.Most things we seek come fromborrowedideas.Depending on the culturewe grow up in, we aremolded by socioeconomic forces that shape our mindbefore we arematureenough to know better.By the timewe grow up, many of these ideas are so deeplyembeddedinto us that we dont even realize it.The question ofmeaning, for example, is one such case. In the western world, we are growing increasingly secular.Religionis on the decline.You may see that as good or bad, but either way, that opens up a questionWhat is the meaning of life?What, in fact, is meaningful at all? Why?In a predominantly religious environment, the answer t o these questions is so obviousthateven if they occupy your mind from time to time,they dont reallycausemisery because your existing belief gives you an answer.In a secular environment,however,these questions lead many into a spiral ofnihilism, the belief that nothingmatters.Thisfixation, then, more often than not, causes a lot ofundue pain.Now,here is a third approach as formulatedbyAlan WattsIftheuniverseis meaningless, so is the statement that it is soThe meaning and purpose of dancing is thedance.By redefining the context, as shaped by the expression of thequestion, we completely negate a problem, which in this case is the potential pain of living in a meaningless world.As Watts implies,who are youto fixate on meaning in a world that is simply just here?A world that you dont even understand?Maybe the frame youre looking through is the wrong one.Maybe your brain isnt even capable of asking the right question.Questions create context context defines boundaries boundaries determine fixationfixation, then, limits or enhances your subjective ability to live in a way that either invites or repels misery.The solution to most problems isnt to fight them,buttoask betterquestions.The TakeawayBoth Siddhartha and Govindaspent their whole lives seeking enlightenment,butitwelchesnt untilthey simply stopped looking that they found it.The question they had fixated on was the wrong one, and their inability to consider the possibility that theymay have to rethink their initial premiseforced them through a path filled with years and years of the wrong answers.Humans are biologically programmed to desire things.Its encoded in the survival machine that we refer to as our body.This process of desiring, however, leads toanarrow zone of fixation that stops us from experiencing realityin a way that is conducive to avoiding misery.To fight this,we havetodevelop the flexibility toreshape the content of these desiresas we obtain more and more information from the objective world.We h ave to learn tolet go of the incompatiblesubjectiveexpectations that we rigidly anchor to realityso that we canrecastnew ones in a more suitable direction,slowly getting away from the seeking to the finding.It takes a lot of work, and even more courage,to look at yourself and decide that maybe its time you saw things from a different angle, with a different question,but itspreciselythis kind of work that is rewarded.Avoiding misery isnt easy, but it is simple.Its on you to take the right steps.This article first appeared on Design Luck.

10 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know Before Starting Their Search

10 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know Before Starting Their Search10 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know Before Starting Their Search10 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know Before Starting Their SearchStart your job search off on the right foot. Heres what you need to know. Job seeking is never fun, of course, but a well-prepared job seeker is more likely to find the process less stressful. Looking for work is leidlage a science and there are many factors that come into play, but in conducting a job search in todays current market, there are a number of things that everyone will be happier to know from the outset.1. Use your network.Lets start with something that may be out of your control. mora and more positions are being filled without being advertised. You would have a hard time conducting a job search now without hearing about networking and how important it is, and thats especially true in the market as it stands. A referral is more likely to get the position, simply because HR staff are busy and why not hire someone who already has an advocate within the company? Since informal hiring is happening on a greater scale, if youre currently looking for work, remember that you are always looking for work. That 4th of July cookout? Perhaps your volleyball gruppemate knows of an opening that would fit your skill set. Dont focus only on the old ways of looking for a job get out, get to know people, and treat every interaction as a potential opportunity2. Clean up your act on social media.Companies often Google search a candidate before hiring, and social media can be an immediate red flag. Before starting your job hunt, clean up your Facebook Many people respond to this advice defensively, feeling that its Orwellian to have your actions monitored even on social media, but the truth is, once its out there, its hard to remove it. Review your privacy settings and if its questionable, maybe leave it off the Internet.3. You are going to need a strong resume.Standards for resumes change all the time and just because it worked three or ten years ago doesnt mean your resume will work now. Since a vast majority of positions that do make it out to job boards will be using online applications, the look of your resume matters far less than the content. It certainly should still be attractive and easy to read, but color and artistic flair are just going to confuse the computer screens. In fact, some of the ATS software doesnt read serif fonts at all, so your amazing career background is not even reaching a person just because your font isnt one the computer recognizes. Keep your resume simple Content is key in the digital age, not the visual bells and whistles.4. Be mindful of the ATS.In continuing with the resume theme, another element that will impact how likely your resume is to get past the software is your use of keywords. When advice columns tell you to utilize keywords or to read the posting, they mean it If the ad states you need experience wit h x, y, and z, then be sure X, Y, and Z are on your resume if you have that experience It may be more work, yes, but sending out a resume to be rejected by a robot isnt an effective use of your time, either.5. Focus on your accomplishments.Another resume tip If you are applying for a position as a nurse or as a sales manager, we all have a basic understanding of your job description. Sending in a resume with a generic list of nursing or sales responsibilities isnt going to make you stand out. Why are you the perfect nurse? What makes you different from the other 200 sales managers applying for the position? The answer is simple accomplishments. Did you create a new training module for new nurses on HIPAA compliance? Was your sales team the first to tap into that challenging market? These are the key points to focus on in your resume. While the job description details can hit the keywords, they should not be the meat of your resume. What makes John Smith different from Joe Jones? Joh n was the first sales manager in the region to secure a contract with Google. Thats worth noting6. Get a feel for the company during the interview.So youve gotten your resume updated and its working. You started getting interview calls The first interview you go on if youve been out of the job hunt for a while may feel very different. First of all, you may be expecting to go in and meet with one person, only to be greeted by an entire department. Team interviews are more common because its not just about the job. Its also not about how you do with one person, but how you fit with the team. Work is collaborative, so why would interviews not be? This can take some getting used to, but remember, no matter how badly you want or need this job, if you dont feel comfortable with the interview team, do you really want to work there long-term?7. Be patient post-interview.The interview is done. Theyll call in a week, right? Very likely, they will not. Not only will it take a while to hear bac k if you do but the interview process takes longer than it used to take. If you go into the interview thinking that will be it, you may be surprised when they tell you the next step is another interview and then there are three or four more steps. In fact, companies are often now having candidates and finalists come in for trial periods. Sometimes its an hour and sometimes its a full day of shadowing. It may feel time-consuming, but in the end, the goal is that you have found something you will be able to do for a while, and the company has found someone who will want to stick around.8. Keep an open mind.The hard truth is that this is a terrible job market for job seekers. The salaries are lower in general and more positions are being reduced to freelance or part-time. The work you have always loved may not have the same title and may be shared by a team now. Instead of viewing this as a negative, though, consider the opportunities. Maybe you like sales, but always wanted to do s ome consulting. With the market as it is, you may be working harder, but you will also be able to open yourself up to new things. And new things bring new skills and connections. The lower salary is an adjustment, but less hours means volunteer work or pursuing that entrepreneurial idea youve had. In the end, that may be a blessing.9. Keep it all in perspective.Another difficult reality is that this means its even more competitive. Its not unheard of to show up for an interview and realize youre interviewing with other candidates for the same job. You may think you are one of five who was called for an interview, only to discover they are interviewing 100 people out of 500 applicants. Keep it all in perspective, but again, chances are if you dont get the job, another position just opened when the candidate they selected left their position for this one.10. Its not personal.The final thing its helpful to know, and probably the most important, is that its not personal. Its very hard not to get discouraged. You may go on hundreds of interviews, send out thousands of resumes, and still be waiting for that call. Friends and family will offer advice and say things like, The right job will come along, but it is hard to believe it sometimes. Youre not alone and the truth is that it only takes one. For every rejection, remember its just not the right fit. Its not you. Someone suggested keeping a tally every application or every interview thats a no, mark it down. When you reach 100, start over, but chances are, as much as it may seem endless, its unlikely you will reach 100 without an offer. It will feel like its inevitable, but the job is out there. Somewhere a hiring manager is looking for someone just like you. Jobs arent that different from dating, though, and all those frogs you have to kiss? Theyre the interviews that dont pan out for whatever reason. This is the hardest piece of advice to believe, but its imperative because some days, it does seem like theres no end. If it gets really hopeless, allow yourself a day off from the search to do something that makes you happy. Then dust yourself off and get back out there.Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique todayRelated Articles

3 Key Tips to Customize Your Resume

3 Key Tips to Customize Your Resume3 Key Tips to Customize Your Resume22In an era in which you can send off 100 resumes in just a few minutes, Im always getting the question, Do I have to customize your resume to each job application? Sorry folks, but the answer is yes. Here are three ways to customize your resume each and every time.Hiring managers get so many resumes that they will easily discard the resumes that dont meet their specifications exactly. Fortunately, though, you dont have to reinvent the resume wheel every time you apply for a new position. Follow these simple tips for a perfectly targeted resume.How to customize your resume.1 Match the language in the job descriptionPluck out the keywords in the job description such as initiative, teamwork, and creativity, and intersperse these throughout a new version of your resume. The hiring organizations applicant tracking system will zero in on your resume because it contains the words and phrases the system was instructed to look for.2 Remove irrelevant experienceIf you are lucky enough to have a wealth of work experience and/or a long career, pick and choose the jobs you include in your customized resume. Your first job as a waiter, for instance, may not apply to a potential new role as an engineer- even if it taught you critical transferable skills. Remember, you want the hiring manager to be able to assess, in a few seconds, why you are a natural fit for the job based on your trajectory thus far.3 Put the requested skills front and centerLook again at the job description. What skills does the company say are must haves? Work your Microsoft Word magic and move your information around until those exact skills- and the results achieved through application of those skills- are listed first on your resume. This is especially important if you are seeking a new role that isnt exactly like your last one, and a chronological presentation of your prior experience doesnt make as much sense. (For instance, its i n a different industry or type of organization.)Readers, what are your favorite tips to customize your resume and stand out from the crowd?

How to Tailor Your Resume to Impress Hiring Managers

How to Tailor Your Resume to Impress Hiring ManagersHow to Tailor Your Resume to Impress Hiring ManagersHow to Tailor Your Resume to Impress Hiring ManagersWhen you apply for a job, there is a good chance that your resume could end up in an inbox with hundreds of other resumes. That means that the hiring manager has to sort through a slush pile of similar documents looking for ideal candidates. So, theyve come up with ways to scan resumes to weed out candidates who arent viable. Whether they use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or they scan the document themselves in a few seconds, the technique hinges on one thing how well a professional resume matches certain keywords.Thats why it is important to tailor your resume to the job description. Because thats how your resume gets the keywords it needs to impress the hiring manager. Heres how to find the right keywords and how to add them to your resume to your advantage.How to Mine a Job Description for the Right Keywords in ResumeStar t by marking experience you can find in the job description. You may need to highlight entire phrases. These are the keywords that the hiring manager wants to see.To tailor your resume you are going to place behauptung keywords throughout your resume so that you can beat the ATS software and so that a hiring manager can easily find them.But how do you know how to edit resume? What skills are the most important?Try dropping your job description into a free, online cloud generator.The tool will show you which words are the most prominent based on how often they appearin a text. If the word communication is the biggest, that means its probably one of the most valuable qualities for the job.Next, find a couple of similar job descriptions and see if any skills match those in your job description.These are probably mora important as well.Finally, jump on LinkedIn and look up professionals in your field.If their profiles repeat any smarts from your job description, youre on to something.Co mpile a list of these repeated and the most prominent skills from your word cloud, and rank them by putting the most frequently used at the top of the list.Heres How to Tailor Your Resume by Adding KeywordsAnother way to prioritize skills is to rank them based on their type. There are three typesJob RelatedTransferableAdaptableJob-related skills are any of the concrete you need to do the job like driving or using a particular computer language.These should be featured prominently on the top part of your resume so a hiring manager can see them right away. Put them in your resume summary, your experience section, and in your skills section.Transferable skills are universal and can translate from one job to another.For example, your ability to use Microsoft Office. Because transferable skills are commonplace, they can go in your relevant places in your experience section.The last type adaptable skills, are more abstract social or soft skills.You use to adapt to your environment and th e people around you. Adaptable skills include things like communication, leadership, and the ability to work on a team. Choose those that you feel the strongest about and that you find repeated across job offers. You will put these in prominent places on your resume as well. A particularly good place for them is in your resume summary.Draw Attention to Strategically Placed KeywordsNow that youve tailored your resume by peppering it with keywords, youll want to draw attention to them. The best way to do that is to add numbers and details.Numbers pop out on the page and are easy to see. If you dont have numbers to back up your smarts, use details that will give the hiring manager a tangible sense of what value your use of that skill will bring to the company. By being specific, youve just demonstrated how youve used this expertness in the past and how you can use them in the future.For example Spearheaded a team of 15 people to help Company XYZ transition through global rebranding.Key TakeawayTailoring your resume to the job description is arguably the most important thing you can do to give your resume a fighting chance. By taking the time to think about which skills are important and where to put them on your resume, you are taking your documents from passive to strategic in a few minutes.

How Do You Handle the Salary Question

How Do You Handle the Salary QuestionThe Salary QuestionHow Do You Handle the Salary QuestionPenelope Trunk has a nice post this week on her Brazen Careerist blog on a difficult issue all job interviewees face Discussing your potential salary, should you take the job. Her basic message, which I agree with, is to stand your ground and avoid being the first to offer a figure. I cant help but agree, and offer the following additional techniques for handling this question from potential employers.Early in the interview process, interviewers have little knowledge of a candidates experience and talents. Candidates want to delay stating a salary number until the company has a strong interest in making an offer. Giving a salary number too early in the process can only hurt an applicants chances.So, here are some techniques for responding to the salary question.1) First, say you would rather not give them a specific number Second, communicate that youre interested in the position, and Third, tell them that all youd like them to do is make you the best offer they feel comfortable with. Putting it all together, it can sound like thisRegarding salary, Id rather not give you a specific number right now. Im very interested in this position, and I expect that youll make me the best offer youre comfortable with at the right time.2) Say that youre happy to discuss salary at a time when there is strong interest in your background. It could sound like thisId be happy to discuss my salary expectations after we have both decided that there is strong mutual interest in possibly hiring me.3) Ask them what the salary range is for the position. When they give you the salary range, you can say that your salary expectations are in line with the higher end of the range, assuming this is true.4) State the followingWhen considering a position, several factors are important to me. Salary is only one factor, but not the most important. More important factors include quality of the position, g rowth opportunities, quality of the people I work with, company culture, and location.5) If youre faced with a question such as, Whats your current salary?, answer this waySay, I am (was) paid well and in line with job market conditions. Communicate that youd be happy to discuss your specific salary later in the hiring process.State that you can also provide salary verification documentation.Say youre interested in the opportunity and youd like them to make the best offer theyre comfortable with.Putting it all together, itcan sound like thisInterviewerWhat is your current (most recent) salary?You Regarding my most recent salary, I was compensated very well and in line with job market conditions. Id welcome the chance to discuss my compensation later in the process when weve decided Im the right person for this opportunity. Id also welcome the chance to provide salary verification. When weve decided Im the right person for the job, Id like you to make the best offer youre comfortabl e with.Remember, as Penelope states in her post, the first person to give a number is at a disadvantage. You want to discuss salary only when the hiring manager is absolutely convinced the company cant live without you. It is at this point when you have negotiating leverage, but not until then.Craft a response that feels comfortable for you and practice saying it.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Resume Words

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Resume Words New Questions About Resume Words Expert Stay away from the term expert, if you dont truly are, states Bensusen. Marketing is quite a common career alternative for many men and women. Training isnt only for students yet its additionally helpful for workers and job searchers. Employers arent permitted to ask for that type of information, and you need tont offer. Resumes ought to be targeted effectively at the particular sort of marketing job applied for. Hiring Managers are almost always interested in knowing how far youre in problem solving. They want to hire positive people, elend complainers. Thinking from the box is the principal core of creativity. If youre asking for work, I am assuming that youre hard-working and that you have goals, you dont have to set them on your resume, Case states. Finding a means to find attention from recruiters without excluding key parts of information or revealing too much can help you receive an interview. The peak of your resume should includecritical search phrases and a fast snapshot of your core strengths, Leavy-Detrick states. When the list is used up, then comes the job of making them elaborate. Whether you want to open an unaffiliated krpermassage therapy practice or work for somebody elses business, writing your resume is a significant step. Possessing the solution accessible, you will need to understand how to do it and what steps must implement it. Just upload your resume in their system then paste the whole job description to begin the comparison. For bringing about solutions its mandatory to collect information concerning the issue. The very first case in point is extremely clumsy. Resume Words Since there are lots of modern resumes templates readily available online thats best for you, you do not need to waste time creating one from scratch. Once you have selected your perfect resume template from our selection, follow our absolut ely free expert guidance about ways to craft the ideal modern resume. There are lots of free resume templates readily available on the web but sometimes it can be very hard to decide on the best one that is most suited to you. Our creative templates permit you to stick out from the crowd. Top Resume Words Secrets Make certain youre highlighting the most relevant and topical experience essential for the position. From the info you are able to gather here, you will binnensee it isnt as challenging to understand how to compose a resume as you might have thought. Bear in mind, the majority of the distinctive skills that you place on your resume needs to be job-related skills taken from the work description and your best transferable skills. Your resume can allow you to get your foot in the door, even if do not have any former massage therapy job experience. What Has to be Done About Resume Words Before It Is Too Late If your language is the very same as everyone elses, it is go ing to be difficult for you to stand out. Hyphen Use Here is a timeless hyphen test. There are a number of better words out there which youre able to utilize. There are far better words to use Resume action verbs may have a beneficial and memorable influence on the readers memory. Be certain to be thoughtful once you use action verbs. If you dont are in possession of a great reason to enlarge your variety, the below success verbs can cover most bullets you are able to think about. The most suitable action verbs also get rid of the demand for adverbs, and in some instances, adjectives. The action word extracted, on the flip side, carries far more power. Irrespective of how a resume is being submitted, it has to be keyword rich to work. The solution may not be got a day. The active voice sounds more energetic and makes a crystal clear image of the action in your thoughts. Lets have a peek at the very best action words you may put on your resume while putting in an applicati on for an analytical job. By way of example, say youre applying for the job of dump truck driver. Use the thorough call center job description to aid you with call center resumes. There are only a few jobs which dont involve working with somebody else. Be as creative as possible, because boring resumes arent considered in many entities.

Apps, Tools, and Sites for Freelancers

Apps, Tools, and Sites for Freelancers A version of this article previously appeared on Skillcrush, an online education program for creatives, thinkers, and makers that gives total tech newbies the tools to make major career changes. Taking the plunge into freelancing is both an exciting and anxiety-ridden prospect for most working professionals. Being your own boss certainly has its perks, but how do you make sure youre prepared to run every aspect of a companyalone? Fear not, for in the age of the internet, anything is possible. And theres totally an app for that.While its true that even modern freelancers need to be flexible to fulfill many roles, they can also work smarter, and more efficiently, to maximize their strengths with digital tools. I hunted down the tools that make freelance pros lives easy breezy, so that you dont have to.Maximum ProductivityMinimum HeadachesYou know it, I know, we all know itkeeping track of the time is hard. Even if youre expertly employing pomodoro breaks and timeboxing every bite of your lunch hour, we all have days where time just gets away from us. The tools here range from agile-type software for tracking projects on platforms that clients can join to sites specifically for small-business owners that are more about keeping all your contracts, jobs, and timelines, in one place.Toggl is a productivity device that tracks your time on projects, helps you figure out how to better manage that time, and provides progress reports for you to fill out as you work.Price Starts at $9/month and offers client review features, progress tracking for your projects, and reporting on how well you utilize your day-to-day time.Trello also helps you organize your goals by providing easy flow charts where you can break down projects into to-do lists and track progress.Price The free plan gets you unlimited boards to work off of and the ability to link projects to outside platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox.Freedcamp is what you need if youre routinely working with larger teams. Keeping tasks private? Check. Gantt chart options so you can see the overview of larger projects? You got it. Collab-friendly? Totally.Price the free plan offers unlimited storage, time tracking, and a messaging board, among other features. Got a bigger company? Just level up to one of the larger plans.Notion has one of my favorite designs of any of the programs listed hereIm a sucker for a sparse, clean layoutbut its more than just aesthetically pleasing. Notion will link everything from Github to Trello all in one place, so that your projects are organized in easy-to-read lists.Price The free plan gets you 600 blocks (one block could be a to-do item, a line of code, an embedded file, etc), unlimited mobile blocks (when you use the app on your phone), and offers priced plans for larger companies who want more space and features.Marketing Like a ProOkay, your time is being managed, but thats not particularly useful if you cant get your name out there and then turn your audience into customers. Heres some easy solutions.Mailchimp drastically cuts back your time spent marketing, with easy-to-automate services like email campaigns, and provides feedback on who your customer base is, what theyre buying or interacting with, and how you can better capture their attention.Price The free plan offers you a 2,000 subscriber limit, and the option to send up to 12,000 emails per month.MeetEdgar is a social posting management system that you can back load content into, and then let run across however many platforms you want. As much as we all love scrolling on Facebook, wouldnt you rather someone else take care of all that posting?Price $49/monthwith a 30-day trial periodgets you a library where you can add as much content as you like, schedule it across all your platforms, and post however often youd like.Ghost is an open source application for blogging, which means that the users have the power to customize the code for their pages. For those of us just looking to write and post content, there are also publishing tools to help insert logos, play with text, and back load content.Price $10/month for a personal blog with access to hundreds of free themes, automatic backups, and access to a Slack community of over 10,000 other users.Business Building BlocksWhen youre working for yourself, you have to be on top of everything from scheduling meetings with qualifikation clients to making sure those clients remember to pay you. Take some of the pressure off your administrative duties with these apps, so that you can focus on doing what you love instead.Honeybook is a all-in-one project management system that presents beautiful, easy-to-follow pipelines for both clients and collaborators, from the initial inquiry, to the final invoice. Save time, impress your clients with beautiful contracts, and take a load of work off your plate.Price $20/month (or $17 if you pay the annual fee) gets you monthly income reports, client questionnaires, invoicing templates, e-sign options for payment.Zervants invoicing software has customizable templates, and gives you the opportunity to keep track of your finances with free reports. Its less comprehensive than Honeybook, but it certainly gets the job done when it comes to accounting.Price Free. Send as many invoices as you want, track your clients, and even export your data to your accountant.The Day-to-Day GrindMonthly bills rolling in are usually enough to keep us all at the daily grind, but when youre in the trenches, its okay to admit that a little pick-me-up each day goes a long way. Keep your workspace (and headspace and body space) comfortable with support from tools that keep you energized, healthy, and upbeat on even the toughest of tough workdaysThe Lumo Posture Corrector is a small clip that goes on your collar and gently vibrates when you slouch, to encourage good posture. Trust me, your spine will thank you for this kind of Pavlovian training.Price $7 9.99Move reminds you to do just that by sending your phone reminders throughout the day to engage in simple stretches, yoga poses, or more intense spurts of activity, depending on the setting you choose. Adjust to your arbeitszimmer setting and let it ride.Price Free wit the option for in-app purchasesSpotify doesnt just offer you access to thousands of songs, it also curates custom playlists based on your listening history. Follow friends profiles and jam with them throughout the day, no matter how remote your work isPrice $9.99/month for a premium plan that gets you unlimited access to all your favorite tunes.Nature Box is that snacking service you keep hearing sponsoring all your favorite podcasts. Choose from an array delicious, healthy treats, and mix-n-match your favs for the ultimate snacking experience.Price Pricing depends on your selectionInvest wisely in your freelance set-up, and youll be rolling out projects before you know it. And remember, if something feels unconquer ablewhether its learning a new business skill or dusting off an old technique to deal with a finicky clientyou arent alone. Reaching out to a member of the freelancing community, or taking a minute to research if there is an easily downloadable service to get you over the hump, will go a long way towards making sure your freelance career is one that lasts.Related Articles Around the Web Best Freelance Tools - Bonsai 5 Essential Freelancer Tools for 2018 20 top tools for freelancers Creative Bloq Aki Merced