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and be entered for a chance to win $200! As 2024 comes to a close, we’re taking time to reflect on the year behind us and plan for the year ahead. At Freelancers Union, our mission is to provide you with the resources, support, and community you need to thrive as a freelancer—and we want to ensure we’re meeting your needs and advocating for you in the best way possible. That’s where you come in. Complete Our Survey We’re inviting all of our members to take our End-of-Year Survey and share your thoughts on what’s working, what’s not, and what you’d like to see from us in 2025. Your feedback is invaluable. Whether it’s about the resources we offer, the events we host, or the advocacy work we do, your input helps us shape the programs and initiatives that truly matter to freelancers like you. Here’s why your voice matters: Advocacy That Reflects Your Needs: Your feedback helps us fight for policies and protections that impact your work and livelihood.Resources Tailored to You: Want more workshops? Need guidance on taxes or healthcare? Tell us what you need so we can prioritize it.Community That Feels Like Home: Let us know how we can make our events, resources, and communications even more useful and welcoming.The survey will only take a few minutes, and every response helps us create a better Freelancers Union for all of us. You can complete the survey anonymously if you'd like, but if you provide your contact information at the end of the survey, you'll be entered to win one of five $200 value gift cards as a token of our gratitude. The deadline to complete the survey is January 31st, so don’t miss your chance to make your voice heard! Take the Survey Now Thank you for being an essential part of our community. Together, we can make 2025 a year of growth, support, and success for all freelancers. View the full article

tl;dr: RescueTime has been helping people focus and get meaningful work done for 17 years. Now, as remote work faces new challenges, so does RescueTime. We’ve launched Timesheets to help teams work smarter without the burden of surveillance, but we need your help to spread the word. Please share and support us as we push The post Remote Work Is Under Attack — But We’re Standing Our Ground appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Have you ever heard someone joke that they added an already-completed task to their to-do list just so they can check it off? Almost all of us can relate, because we’ve been conditioned to maintain a busy mindset. The more we accomplish, the better. Except, it’s not better. Busy does not equal productive, and productive The post Busy vs. productive: A mindset shift for the new year appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

With a clear overview of project dependencies, you can make proactive decisions to reduce delays, bottlenecks, and resource conflicts. Here's how to map dependencies, which software tools to use, and best practices to prevent them from derailing your project. The post How To Do Project Dependency Mapping: 5 Steps appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

EMPOWERMENT has turned into a buzzword that’s lost its meaning. We all know what being powerful—or, euphemistically, influential—looks like. But to be empowering—how clear is that? Worse than unclear, empowering is widely misunderstood. For forceful leaders, it’s seen as giving power away; giving power to your staff means giving up your power. It’s easy for forceful leaders to feel that granting power to others takes away from their own power or that they are somehow rendered “passive,” as one forceful leader put it. Power is simply a means to the end of getting things done. It shouldn’t matter whether it’s your power or “Other” power. You can grind grain into flour by your own hand using a mortar and pestle, which human beings learned to do at the dawn of agriculture. Or, as people discovered centuries later, you can spare yourself that manual labor and produce a lot more grain if you hitch horses or water or wind power to the mill. Three Types of Empowerment #1. Delegation. Delegation of authority is letting your people do their jobs. Delegation of authority is certainly not abdication. It’s taking an active role in arranging for some other source of power to be transmitted to the grinding stone. It is spooling out authority and then staying engaged to the degree necessary. #2. Taking counsel. Empowerment isn’t just granting power down. It’s also accepting power up. Because every leader is fallible—at risk of making costly errors of judgment—there is great merit in taking counsel from your people, selectively, of course. Perhaps your ego rebels just a bit, and you can’t help feeling that taking your team’s counsel on decisions that are yours to make is somehow a sign of weakness. Quite the contrary, within bounds, accepting power up actually extends your personal power. Done well, it fortifies your judgment—makes it stronger. #3. Picking strong players. To tap effectively into Other power, you must put strong, capable people on your team in the first place. You can only be as em-powerful as your people’s skills and energies allow. If you were deciding on a place to build a windmill, you’d settle for nothing less than a consistently windy place. Many leaders fail to put high-quality people on their team. Either they are poor judges of talent or, out of insecurity, they shy away from appointing the best people. Leaders may also fall down on the back end of staffing out of misplaced loyalty or being afraid to let go of people who’ve lost effectiveness or who turn out not to be good picks. To Empower Means Grappling—With Yourself Do you recoil at the idea of sharing power, thinking, “Never. I’d be a wimp?” Indeed, empowerment is sometimes viewed as “soft” and, therefore, something to be avoided if you want to be a strong leader and you want to be viewed that way. If that’s what you believe, you’ll never be good at empowerment. Likewise, if you fear that empowering others makes you a managerial weakling. That prejudice, that fear, stands in your way. To get it out of the way means grappling with yourself because it isn’t always easy to correct an entrenched belief or allay an unwarranted fear. Why not see your way clear to be both powerful and empowerful? It’s a struggle with yourself well worth waging. (For more on that subject, see my new book, GRAPPLING: Leaders Striving To Be Better, short stories that bring executive coaching to life.) Why not have both sources of power fully available to you, direct and indirect power. However naturally powerful you are—however well you take charge, make decisions in a timely way, set high expectations, and hold people accountable—it pays big-time to also be em-powerful. That way, you extend your power and amplify your impact. What’s more, you afford other people the opportunity for one of life’s deepest satisfactions—to use their powers fully. * * * Bob Kaplan is the author of GRAPPLING: Leaders Striving To Improve, a series of short stories that bring executive coaching to life. His unique style is both entertaining and offers a novel way of learning about leadership and self-improvement. The book is based on his decades of experience consulting CEOs and other senior leaders, including founders. He is the founder and president of his own leadership consulting firm, Kaplan DeVries. He invented a 360 survey, the Leadership Versatility Index, that earned a patent for its unique way of assessing leaders. He and his colleagues also take a unique approach to delivering feedback. They place unusually heavy emphasis on positive feedback—as a chance to boost the leader’s confidence. His last book was Fear Your Strengths: What You’re Best Could Be Your Biggest Problem. An honorary senior fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership, he has a B.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Becky. You can reach him at bobkaplan@kaplandevries.com * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. * * * View the full article

What you’ll find in Unito’s 15 Ways to Integrate Salesforce in Real-Time: A breakdown of the costs of developing your own integration. The challenges of using Salesforce across five functions without integrations. How integrations streamline 15 workflows in Salesforce. Get the ebook by filling out the form → Do more in Salesforce (by integrating your tools) Salesforce is understandably at the core of your sales and marketing efforts. It might be used in other functions, too, but one thing remains true: it’s rarely a one-size-fits-all tool. Whether it’s your customer support team, your developers, or your HR team, people in your organization use tools other than Salesforce to take care of their day-to-day work. Whenever that work intersects with teams who use Salesforce, someone needs to transfer data back and forth between tools constantly. Unless you use the right integration solution. But can a single integration solution really empower Salesforce admins across all their workflows? Or should they acquire (or build) piecemeal integrations for each workflow? In Unito’s 15 Ways to Integrate Salesforce in Real-Time, you’ll find 15 examples of Salesforce workflows that are completely transformed with a single integration solution like Unito. Don’t leave your teams in the lurch. Get the ebook by filling out the form → View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Nido Qubein on becoming a transformational leader: “Our team knows that the highest order of leadership is to tell the truth. Yet, that is just the beginning. You consciously and intentionally have to bring your business, social, spiritual, and family lives together; each plays a part in who you are as a leader. When you do, your life is like a beautiful song. Its harmony influences others, it can move people, and anyone looking at you will know what kind of person you really are.” Source: Extraordinary Transformation: An Entrepreneurial Blueprint for Leaders Who Seek Transformational Growth in Any Organization Proven Lessons on How a ... and Inspired the Next Generation of Leaders II. Manu Kapur on learning and teaching actionable knowledge: “Experts see different things than novices. Novices tend to see superficial features, but experts see what is essential, the deep structure and critical features. It is seeing the deep structure that leads to understanding and powerful learning. When learning something new, it is much too easy to find the path of least resistance. It is most natural to seek the easy way out. However, making learning easy does not always ease learning. If not intentionally designed to leverage failure in the initial stages, learning tends to be shallow and inflexible. But with it, learning is deep, flexible, and adaptive. Productive Failure suggests that making initial learning more difficult and challenging, where you may struggle and even fail to solve a problem or perform a task, can be beneficial learning.” Source: Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning Through the Science of Failing * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ You might think of the best AI writing tools as a recent invention that makes everything easier for freelance writers. And you’d be correct to some extent. It’s now easy to use them for clients who may be consistent in their expectations, and the tools can make writing easier. But, it can be challenging to incorporate such tools if you’re working for different clients. So, what if you had a solution that made the writing process easier? That’s where plenty of the best writing tips and the best AI writing tools combined can help. Why using AI writing tools is beneficial?You’ll benefit significantly, especially when you use them the right way: Time-saving advantages: Many tools have really revolutionized the writing process and can contribute to a more time-efficient way to write. They do this by automating outline processes, enabling you to enter a prompt that will return information on a topic (similar to a Google search). Content inspiration: So many AI writing tools have inspired writers with unique ideas; they can really produce inspiring ideas when you ask them to do so with the right prompts. Tip for you: One popular AI writing technique that helps avoid writer's block is to enter a prompt that instructs the AI tool to produce synonyms for phrases in a blog title or variations of the entire header to make the content captivating.Optimized output: Since SEO optimization is important for any client who wants their content to rank highly, the optimization benefits of AI writing tools can be beneficial for clients and writers who share this objective. Tip for you: One of the popular AI writing techniques, in this case, is to use a prompt that requests an AI tool to seamlessly and instantly incorporate keywords into a text. For example, when writing a landing page for a digital marketing company, writers can use AI tools to instantly incorporate a few LSI keywords related to “SEO” or “content marketing.”How to write better using AI appsSo, there are many benefits to using AI apps when writing. But how can you write better quality work with them? Create a list of working prompts for AI toolsThe first tip is that you’ll be able to use the apps effectively from the get-go. You’ll need to create specific tips that tell the AI writing tool exactly what action to take. For instance, use expert copywriter landing page prompts that ask tools to analyze a draft for E-E-A-T quality on a scale of 1 - 10. But, you can also use other specific working prompts, such as instructions for improving the quality of the draft. Try these prompts with apps such as BoltAI using the Message tool, which can be very handy for freelancers to boost productivity. Image name: boltaa-prompt-screen-improved-textAvoid writer’s block with research using AI writing toolsWhat can stand in the way of excellent content is writer’s block. Seeking inspiring ideas can often be a challenge, and while a Google search can help, you often need to weed through a range of content to get it. The tip for this is to use the right keywords to search for inspiring ideas. But here’s the thing: BoltAI can also help. It can find content ideas when you enter the right prompts, and it definitely helps get the ball rolling when you have writer's block. And when you need specific content ideas, you can make the prompt more precise to discover them. Use AI tools to self-edit your workEditing is a crucial part of writing, so that’s when Plus can come in handy to write better-quality content. So, a writing technique tip is to save time by integrating such tools with the right prompts. This might include prompts such as remove repeated text, make a text more concise, or remove filler words. Now, Plus can help you correct spelling and grammar mistakes in a passage of text. Image name: plus-tool-edits-and-text-improvementAdjust flow and sentence structure with AI writing tools“How to write better quality content?” — another tip is to be aware of the flow and sentence structure. Sticking very short sentences together in one paragraph can take away the flow of your article. And using long, rambling sentences may be confusing for readers. Ultimately, you need the right mix of sentences. Varying the sentence structure is easy with Plus. This tool can adjust and tweak a draft to ensure the flow and structure are optimized. And it does this without much manual input from you. Incorporate AI writing tools to produce templates or outlinesSometimes, getting started on a blog post can be challenging because the structure is difficult to plan for. So, another writing technique tip is to make a comprehensive outline and allocate specific word counts for each section. For instance, your introduction and conclusion may have 100 words each, and the main body may have 1,100 words, which you’ll allocate to each section. There’s an AI writing tool that can automate this process for you — the ​​Elephas app. It can offer templates to write blog posts, customer service scripts…almost anything. And to do it, you’ll again rely on prompts to generate the outline instantly. For instance, use the prompt: “You are an expert in SEO-driven content creation. Your task is to design a blog outline focused on [TOPIC].” Image name: elephas-prompt-blog-outlineAI writing apps to boost writing speed and quality? Your future self will thank you Your project completion time as a freelancer matters, but so does writing quality. It’s always handy to have the right tools on hand to achieve these goals, and that’s where AI writing apps and top writing techniques can help. Trying to discover where you can access them? These great apps are all available at Setapp. See for yourself how they work with a free trial for seven days at Setapp; boost your writing speed, quality, and efficiency with these AI writing apps. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ You might think of the best AI writing tools as a recent invention that makes everything easier for freelance writers. And you’d be correct to some extent. It’s now easy to use them for clients who may be consistent in their expectations, and the tools can make writing easier. But, it can be challenging to incorporate such tools if you’re working for different clients. So, what if you had a solution that made the writing process easier? That’s where plenty of the best writing tips and the best AI writing tools combined can help. Why using AI writing tools is beneficial?You’ll benefit significantly, especially when you use them the right way: Time-saving advantages: Many tools have really revolutionized the writing process and can contribute to a more time-efficient way to write. They do this by automating outline processes, enabling you to enter a prompt that will return information on a topic (similar to a Google search). Content inspiration: So many AI writing tools have inspired writers with unique ideas; they can really produce inspiring ideas when you ask them to do so with the right prompts. Tip for you: One popular AI writing technique that helps avoid writer's block is to enter a prompt that instructs the AI tool to produce synonyms for phrases in a blog title or variations of the entire header to make the content captivating.Optimized output: Since SEO optimization is important for any client who wants their content to rank highly, the optimization benefits of AI writing tools can be beneficial for clients and writers who share this objective. Tip for you: One of the popular AI writing techniques, in this case, is to use a prompt that requests an AI tool to seamlessly and instantly incorporate keywords into a text. For example, when writing a landing page for a digital marketing company, writers can use AI tools to instantly incorporate a few LSI keywords related to “SEO” or “content marketing.”How to write better using AI appsSo, there are many benefits to using AI apps when writing. But how can you write better quality work with them? Create a list of working prompts for AI toolsThe first tip is that you’ll be able to use the apps effectively from the get-go. You’ll need to create specific tips that tell the AI writing tool exactly what action to take. For instance, use expert copywriter landing page prompts that ask tools to analyze a draft for E-E-A-T quality on a scale of 1 - 10. But, you can also use other specific working prompts, such as instructions for improving the quality of the draft. Try these prompts with apps such as BoltAI using the Message tool, which can be very handy for freelancers to boost productivity. Image name: boltaa-prompt-screen-improved-textAvoid writer’s block with research using AI writing toolsWhat can stand in the way of excellent content is writer’s block. Seeking inspiring ideas can often be a challenge, and while a Google search can help, you often need to weed through a range of content to get it. The tip for this is to use the right keywords to search for inspiring ideas. But here’s the thing: BoltAI can also help. It can find content ideas when you enter the right prompts, and it definitely helps get the ball rolling when you have writer's block. And when you need specific content ideas, you can make the prompt more precise to discover them. Use AI tools to self-edit your workEditing is a crucial part of writing, so that’s when Plus can come in handy to write better-quality content. So, a writing technique tip is to save time by integrating such tools with the right prompts. This might include prompts such as remove repeated text, make a text more concise, or remove filler words. Now, Plus can help you correct spelling and grammar mistakes in a passage of text. Image name: plus-tool-edits-and-text-improvementAdjust flow and sentence structure with AI writing tools“How to write better quality content?” — another tip is to be aware of the flow and sentence structure. Sticking very short sentences together in one paragraph can take away the flow of your article. And using long, rambling sentences may be confusing for readers. Ultimately, you need the right mix of sentences. Varying the sentence structure is easy with Plus. This tool can adjust and tweak a draft to ensure the flow and structure are optimized. And it does this without much manual input from you. Incorporate AI writing tools to produce templates or outlinesSometimes, getting started on a blog post can be challenging because the structure is difficult to plan for. So, another writing technique tip is to make a comprehensive outline and allocate specific word counts for each section. For instance, your introduction and conclusion may have 100 words each, and the main body may have 1,100 words, which you’ll allocate to each section. There’s an AI writing tool that can automate this process for you — the ​​Elephas app. It can offer templates to write blog posts, customer service scripts…almost anything. And to do it, you’ll again rely on prompts to generate the outline instantly. For instance, use the prompt: “You are an expert in SEO-driven content creation. Your task is to design a blog outline focused on [TOPIC].” Image name: elephas-prompt-blog-outlineAI writing apps to boost writing speed and quality? Your future self will thank you Your project completion time as a freelancer matters, but so does writing quality. It’s always handy to have the right tools on hand to achieve these goals, and that’s where AI writing apps and top writing techniques can help. Trying to discover where you can access them? These great apps are all available at Setapp. See for yourself how they work with a free trial for seven days at Setapp; boost your writing speed, quality, and efficiency with these AI writing apps. View the full article

SEO has changed significantly over the last decade, largely because Google has continuously updated its algorithms to improve search results. These updates aim to better understand user intent, reward high-quality content, and discourage manipulative practices. From foundational changes like Panda and Penguin to more recent updates like the November and December 2024 core updates, each has shaped how websites rank and how we approach optimization. Below is a look at some of Google’s most impactful updates and what they mean for SEO today. Table of contents 2011 – Panda 2012 – Venice 2012 – Penguin 2013 – Hummingbird 2014 – HTTPS/SSL 2015 – Mobile Update 2015 – RankBrain 2018 – (Mobile) Speed Update 2018 – Medic 2019 – BERT 2021 – Page Experience Update 2021 – MUM (Multitask United Model) 2021 – Product Reviews Update 2022 – Helpful Content Update 2023 / 2024 – A mix of updates 2024 – Site Reputation Abuse Google algorithm updates: What’s next? 2011 – Panda The Panda update marked a shift in SEO by targeting low-quality content and spammy practices. It penalized sites with thin content or those created solely to manipulate rankings, such as affiliate-heavy pages. Over time, Panda became part of Google’s core algorithm, reinforcing the need for meaningful, high-quality content that provides real value to users. 2012 – Venice Google’s algorithm update Venice was a noteworthy update, as it showed that Google understood that searchers are sometimes looking for results that are local to them. After Venice, Google’s search results included pages based on the location you set, or your IP address. 2012 – Penguin The Google Penguin update focused on eliminating manipulative link-building practices. It penalized sites with spammy or paid backlinks, shifting the focus to earning genuine, high-quality links. By 2016, Penguin became part of the core algorithm, emphasizing the importance of ethical and relevant link-building strategies. 2012 – Pirate The Pirate update addressed copyright infringement by penalizing sites with repeated DMCA takedown requests. It aimed to reduce the visibility of websites sharing unauthorized content, ensuring legitimate sources were prioritized in search results. This update highlighted the importance of respecting intellectual property online. 2013 – Hummingbird The Hummingbird update improved Google’s ability to understand the meaning behind search queries. Rather than focusing on individual keywords, it considered the entire phrase to deliver more accurate results. This shift encouraged natural, conversational content and reduced the need for over-optimized keyword stuffing. It also laid the foundation for advancements in voice search and semantic search technology. 2014 – Pigeon Another bird-related Google update followed in 2014 with Google Pigeon, which focused on local SEO. The Pigeon update affected both the results pages and Google Maps. It led to more accurate localization, giving preference to results near the user’s location. It also aimed to make local results more relevant and higher quality, taking organic ranking factors into account. 2014 – HTTPS/SSL Google introduced HTTPS as a ranking signal to encourage secure web connections. Sites using HTTPS gained a slight ranking advantage, promoting better data encryption and security for users. While initially a minor factor, it signaled Google’s growing focus on user safety and set the stage for security becoming a standard expectation online. 2015 – Mobile Update Known as “Mobilegeddon,” this update prioritized mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results. As mobile usage surpassed desktop, Google aimed to ensure a better experience for users on smaller screens. While the immediate impact wasn’t drastic, it marked a clear shift toward mobile-first indexing, emphasizing the importance of mobile optimization for long-term SEO success. 2015 – RankBrain RankBrain introduced machine learning to Google’s algorithm, helping the search engine interpret unfamiliar or complex queries. It analyzed past searches to predict the most relevant results, even for terms it hadn’t encountered before. While you can’t directly optimize for RankBrain, creating clear, helpful, and user-focused content ensures your site aligns with its goal of improving search relevance. 2016 – Possum In September 2016 it was time for another local update. Google’s algorithm update ​Possum update​ applied several changes to Google’s local ranking filter to further improve local search. After Possum, local results became more varied, depending more on the physical location of the searcher and the phrasing of the query. Some businesses, not doing well in organic search, found it easier to rank locally after this update. This indicated that this update made local search more independent of the organic results. Read more: Near me searches: Is that a Possum near me? » 2018 – (Mobile) Speed Update The Speed Update made page load time a ranking factor for mobile searches, building on its previous importance for desktop. Slow-loading sites were more likely to see a drop in rankings, especially on mobile devices. This update reinforced the need for fast, seamless user experiences, encouraging site owners to prioritize performance optimization. 2018 – Medic The Medic Update was a broad core algorithm change that heavily impacted “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) websites, such as health, finance, and legal sites. It appeared to prioritize expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) in content, especially for topics affecting users’ well-being. While it wasn’t exclusively aimed at medical sites, it underscored the importance of credible, accurate, and user-focused information. Keep reading: Google’s Medic update » 2019 – BERT The BERT update (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) enhanced Google’s ability to understand the context of words in a search query. By analyzing words in relation to the ones around them, BERT improved how Google interpreted natural language and intent. This update particularly helped with more conversational or complex queries, making search results more accurate and relevant. For content creators, it emphasized the value of clear, natural writing that directly addresses user needs. Read on: Google BERT: A better understanding of complex queries » 2021 – Page Experience Update The Page Experience update introduced a new ranking signal combining existing factors like mobile-friendliness and HTTPS with Core Web Vitals. These metrics measured real-world user experience, focusing on loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. While content quality remained the top priority, this update emphasized the importance of delivering a smooth and user-friendly browsing experience. Keep on reading: Page experience: a new Google ranking factor » 2021 – MUM (Multitask United Model) Announced in 2021, MUM introduced a powerful AI system capable of processing information across multiple formats and languages. It can analyze text, images, and videos to deliver more comprehensive answers to complex queries. For example, MUM can combine insights from various sources to provide layered, context-rich results. This update signaled Google’s focus on deeper understanding and more diverse content delivery in search. Read more: Google’s MUM understands what you need: 1000x more powerful than BERT » 2021 – Product Reviews Update First run in April 2021, these updates prioritized detailed, insightful product reviews over thin or generic content. Google rewarded reviews that showed expertise, included real-world usage, and helped users make informed decisions. It’s a key update for affiliate and e-commerce sites focused on providing genuine value. The update ran multiple times over the years. 2022 – Helpful Content Update The Helpful Content Update targeted low-quality, unoriginal content designed primarily to game search rankings. Instead, it rewarded “people-first” content—material that genuinely answers user questions and provides a satisfying experience. Sites with lots of unhelpful or shallow content saw declines, while those focused on creating valuable, user-centric content were prioritized. This update reinforced the importance of writing with the audience in mind, not just search engines. Keep reading: Google to launch Helpful Content Update to diversify search results » 2023 / 2024 – A mix of updates Between 2023 and 2024, Google rolled out a mix of core and spam algorithm updates to enhance search quality and combat manipulative practices. Core updates focused on refining how content is evaluated, rewarding pages that provide high-quality, relevant, and trustworthy information. At the same time, spam updates targeted tactics like keyword stuffing, spammy backlinks, and low-quality AI-generated content. These changes reinforced Google’s priorities: surfacing helpful, user-focused content while penalizing manipulative SEO strategies. 2024 – Site Reputation Abuse Google is cracking down on site reputation abuse, including parasite SEO. This tactic involves using trusted domains to host unrelated third-party content, like payday loans or casino reviews, to manipulate rankings. Sites caught violating this policy risk manual penalties, which require removing or noindexing the problematic content to recover. Legitimate uses of third-party content, such as syndicated news or user-generated material, are still allowed when properly managed. Google algorithm updates: What’s next? Google continues to refine its search algorithms with a growing focus on AI-driven search experiences. Recent advancements, such as Google AI Overviews, show a shift toward providing users with more intuitive and context-rich results. These tools combine AI to summarize complex topics, pull insights from multiple sources, and answer broader questions in a concise way. Looking ahead, we can expect updates to further enhance understanding of search intent, prioritize high-quality content, and improve how information is presented. At the same time, technical factors like site speed, mobile usability, and security will remain essential. For website owners, the key is to stay adaptable by focusing on creating helpful, accurate, and user-centered content while keeping an eye on emerging AI trends in search. Read on: Should I follow every change Google makes? » The post A brief history of Google’s algorithm updates appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Using a template to create a work breakdown structure for your project can save you a ton of time, help you get your project up and running quicker, and reduce errors and inconsistencies. Download our free template and get started right away! The post Free Work Breakdown Structure Template [Download] appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

With the new Yoast SEO Dashboard, you can see how your site is doing at a glance. Instead of hunting through pages, you’ll find all your key metrics in one place. It’s easy to spot which posts need attention, see where you can improve, and figure out what to tackle first so you can spend more time refining your content and less time searching for data. We know it can be challenging to improve your content when you have to dig through every post and page. That’s why we created a dashboard that instantly shows your site’s SEO Performance. It streamlines the process so you can focus on what matters: making your content shine. What you get from the Yoast SEO Dashboard: Top-level overview of your SEO: see critical insights at a glance without hunting through individual pages Filterable views of SEO and readability scores: quickly spot where you can make the most significant improvements Designed for clarity and direction, our dashboard makes it easy to check in, prioritize your next steps, and enhance your content strategy immediately. It’s straightforward, efficient, and all about helping you work smarter. How to access the Yoast SEO Dashboard: To access the Yoast SEO Dashboard, you just need to: Ensure your Yoast SEO plugin is up-to-date: In your WordPress admin area, go to “Plugins” and update Yoast SEO to the latest version Navigate to the Dashboard: Click on “Yoast SEO” in your WordPress sidebar to land on the dashboard, or click on “Dashboard” Explore your insights: Review the overview, filter your scores, and start working through your task list Ready to see how much simpler managing your SEO can be? Get Yoast SEO today and let your new dashboard guide you toward better performance. The post Get instant clarity on your SEO with the new Yoast SEO Dashboard! appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

If you don't properly prioritize the resources that are available to you and your project, you'll run into delays, unnecessary work and rework, and low productivity from the team. Here's how to get this crucial aspect of resource management right. The post Project Resource Prioritization Process: 5 Key Steps appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

The project ramp down is more than just checking deliverables and tasks off the list. It's important to gather feedback, celebrate success, and keep the team motivated for future projects and challenges. Here's how to land the plane with a successful project ramp down. The post How To Do A Project Ramp Down: 5 Key Steps appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

Two months ago, I joined a virtual writing workshop. Every Friday morning, a group of strangers gathered online to write furiously for 45 minutes. At first, it didn't feel like much, but over time, those sessions added up. Now, we have a body of work to show for it. It got me thinking: How often do we pause to recognize all we've achieved? Take a moment to reflect on everything you’ve done this year. Big wins, small victories, or even just showing up: chances are, you’ve done more than you give yourself credit for. Hit reply and share one thing you’re proud of from this year. I’d love to hear about it! Cheers, Vic Our Favorite Articles 💯A Third of Remote Workers Are Working Two Jobs (Newsweek)"With no rush-hour traffic or endless watercooler chats, remote workers have found extra hours in the day—and they're cashing in." ​Read on​. AI Thinks Differently Than People Do. Here’s Why That Matters. (HBR)AI runs on data and looks to the past—but it’s people who dream up better futures. ​Read more​. Top 5 Industries For Remote Jobs In 2025 (Forbes)If you can email it, crunch it, or Zoom it, you’re in the right field! ​Learn more​. Work From Home Is Here To Stay, Says Harvard's Ethan Bernstein (CNBC)Remote work was declared 'dead' countless times in 2024, yet Professor Bernstein had this to say: ​Watch​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Too many emails? Declutter your inbox with Meco. Your home for reading newsletters. Try it for free -no card required. Try it for free ↗️ Remotive Jobs 💼Is this job for you? 👉 ​iOS Developer at nooro​ (USA) 👉 ​​​​Backend Engineer at Clerkie​ (USA) 👉 ​​​​Migrations Engineer at Discourse​ (EMEA, UK) 👉 ​Senior Backend Developer at Mimo GmbH​ (EMEA, UK) 👉 ​Senior Unreal Engine Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Business Intelligence Engineer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) Free Guides & Tools​Public Job Board​We curate 2,000 remote jobs so you don't have to! ​Find your remote job →​ ​Exclusive Webinar​3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking For A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead) ​Register for free →​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely ​Check it out → Join the Remotive newsletter Subscribe to get our latest content by email. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email address Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit View the full article

Hybrid work continues to reshape professional landscapes around the globe, and as a result, companies are increasingly recognizing the need for effective hybrid meeting technology to support seamless collaboration between remote and in-office employees. Hybrid work offers numerous benefits to businesses, from employers to employees and all the way down to a company's consumers. View the full article

The holiday season is a whirlwind of joy, celebration, and—let’s be honest—chaos and stress. Between gift shopping, festive gatherings, family drama, and year-end work deadlines, it’s no wonder many of us feel pulled in a thousand directions. Productivity often takes a backseat as we juggle work and personal obligations and try to soak in the The post Tips for Productivity During the Holidays appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The holidays are approaching, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling to wrap up projects before taking a break. What should be a time for winding down and holiday parties becomes a sprint to the finish line, bringing a calendar full of meetings, shifting priorities, an overflowing inbox, and a voice in your head whispering, “just one last email before you log off…” That’s when mounting pressure gives way to the stark realization that you’re running out of time, and we start to hear a familiar phrase: “Let’s circle back on that next year.” As the end-of-year crunch fast approaches, Atlassian partnered with YouGov to survey 6,000 knowledge workers across six countries (US, France, Germany, UK, India, Australia) to unpack the circle-back phenomenon. Spoiler alert: On average, 1 in 5 projects (19%) will be pushed to 2025. One-third of those unfinished projects will be abandoned entirely in the new year. Why do teams circle back? The end-of-year scramble can be tough on everyone, and our research shows that “circling back” has become a collective coping mechanism. Sixty-eight percent of knowledge workers say at least some projects will go unfinished, with shifting priorities (34%) and unexpected challenges (32%) serving as the main reasons why. Avoiding burnout is a big motivator too, but one person’s blessing is another’s burden. While 18% of knowledge workers push projects back and pick them up in the new year to avoid year-end burnout, 22% say they avoid those kinds of delays to ensure a lighter January workload. Yet workers seem to be missing a bigger opportunity. What if instead of scrambling to complete a laundry list of tasks, we use this as an opportunity to evaluate what really matters? Mark your calendars We’re calling it: December 17 is World Circle Back Day! By mid-December, 71% of workers will either have all tasks wrapped up or push them into 2025. Circling back or spinning wheels? Related Article Shared understanding: finding the “why” behind the “what” By Ingrid Blake In Leadership For many, the notion of “circling back” brings a deceptive feeling of relief. But pushing out projects – while an inevitable reality for some items in the December dash – might not result in the intended outcome. When it comes time to actually circle back, a mere 26% feel confident they can easily resume postponed projects in the new year. Most workers have the best intentions for picking up their stalled projects, but it’s harder than it sounds. Who can remember an important action item shared verbally in a one-off meeting from last year? Or a small but mission-critical piece of client feedback in an email that’s now buried deep in your inbox? Without documenting these decisions and touch points, teams work slow at best and ill-informed at worst, or end up running fast at the wrong priorities. And those tasks left on the back burner in December can quickly start to feel overwhelming in January, leading to delays – or worse, projects that drop entirely. When important projects fall off the radar, it not only disrupts the flow of work, but also negatively impacts team trust and accountability. Suddenly your December dash turns into wasted output for the entire team. Circling back(wards) It’s hard to pick back up where you left off. Part of the problem is that workers tend to say they will circle back on EVERYTHING this time of year, instead of using it as an opportunity to get super clear on your team’s priorities and realistic about what does (or doesn’t) move the needle. Some projects struggle to regain momentum after the holiday because they don’t have a big impact in the long run. These projects can feel tedious – we often call them “zombie projects” – technically “alive,” but failing to progress, draining resources and morale. The reality is that it might be time to scrap those zombie projects altogether. And that’s okay! The end of year is a great time to reevaluate your priorities, get clear on what matters, and come back prepared to make a meaningful impact with great focus (just make sure your team knows you’re scrapping it, too!). So what about postponed projects that are mission-critical and worth circling back on? There are ways to set yourself up for success so your future self will thank you. Disrupting the spin cycle Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication A little time getting organized now can make a big difference in the new year. To pick up where you left off, teams need to document their important work, including up-to-date statuses and easy-to-find sources of truth with important context about each project. These information sharing practices – often called asynchronous work – not only help you pick up where you left off, but make it easier to disconnect knowing your team has what they need to move work forward without you. This is especially useful during the holiday season, when mismatched PTO schedules, competing priorities, and fluctuating energy levels can make it tough to coordinate, risking delays or stalled progress. And no one wants to be on the receiving end of an angry ping asking where something is while on a holiday break. what is asynchronous work? Asynchronous work is teamwork that happens without needing everyone present, online, and available at the same time. Teammates can move work forward when it’s convenient for them, as long as the work is clearly documented, context is readily available, and there is clarity on expectations and deadlines. Try these async work practices this circle-back season so your team can pick up right where it left off in 2025: Capture context now for clarity post-holidays: Async work requires clearly documenting progress, decisions, and next steps in accessible formats like written documents, videos, or voice notes. Before you head out on PTO, publish a Confluence page (check out this OOO plan template) or record a Loom video that provides updates, suggested next steps, and context so team members can make progress while you’re out. Doing so means you can disconnect knowing you set your team – and your future self – up for success. Time is of the essence, so think async first: When the pressure to complete projects mounts, it’s easy to default to scheduling a meeting. But meetings are time-consuming, and often not as productive as intended. Before scheduling a meeting (or accepting one!), think about what you’re really trying to accomplish. If it’s a status update, relaying information, or an FYI, keep it async and send your teammate a Loom instead. If it’s not worth circling back on, scrap it now: Most people try to do too many things at once, which slows them down and lowers the quality of their work. Use this moment to let go of low-impact projects and focus on the work that truly matters. For tasks deemed circlebackable, reflect the new deadline on your planning pages, Jira tickets, and shared calendars so everyone is on the same page. Be realistic about your calendar: As the year’s end approaches, timebox your calendar to make sure you have enough focus time to get your most important work done. Pick a few important things to see over the finish line (rather than trying make a little progress on everything). pro tip Record a “Loom to my 2025 self” to help jog your memory on where you left a certain project and suggest where to get started when you are logged back in. New Year’s resolution: Work on what really matters While this time of year can feel overwhelming, it’s also an opportunity for a fresh start. The beginning of the year is a great time to reevaluate your priorities, set new intentions, and get reenergized about your work. If teams can change their mindset, they can turn the chaotic year-end rush and sluggish start to the new year into a seamless flow of highly effective teamwork. Breaking the circle-back cycle can be challenging, but the rewards – renewed focus, a smoother transition into the new year, and greater impact on team goals – are well worth it. Visit the Atlassian Community to take part in the circle-back challenge! Join the discussion Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post Happy circle-back season, to those who celebrate appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The holidays are approaching, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling to wrap up projects before taking a break. What should be a time for winding down and holiday parties becomes a sprint to the finish line, bringing a calendar full of meetings, shifting priorities, an overflowing inbox, and a voice in your head whispering, “just one last email before you log off…” That’s when mounting pressure gives way to the stark realization that you’re running out of time, and we start to hear a familiar phrase: “Let’s circle back on that next year.” As the end-of-year crunch fast approaches, Atlassian partnered with YouGov to survey 6,000 knowledge workers across six countries (US, France, Germany, UK, India, Australia) to unpack the circle-back phenomenon. Spoiler alert: On average, 1 in 5 projects (19%) will be pushed to 2025. One-third of those unfinished projects will be abandoned entirely in the new year. Why do teams circle back? The end-of-year scramble can be tough on everyone, and our research shows that “circling back” has become a collective coping mechanism. Sixty-eight percent of knowledge workers say at least some projects will go unfinished, with shifting priorities (34%) and unexpected challenges (32%) serving as the main reasons why. Avoiding burnout is a big motivator too, but one person’s blessing is another’s burden. While 18% of knowledge workers push projects back and pick them up in the new year to avoid year-end burnout, 22% say they avoid those kinds of delays to ensure a lighter January workload. Yet workers seem to be missing a bigger opportunity. What if instead of scrambling to complete a laundry list of tasks, we use this as an opportunity to evaluate what really matters? Mark your calendars We’re calling it: December 17 is World Circle Back Day! By mid-December, 71% of workers will either have all tasks wrapped up or push them into 2025. Circling back or spinning wheels? Related Article Shared understanding: finding the “why” behind the “what” By Ingrid Blake In Leadership For many, the notion of “circling back” brings a deceptive feeling of relief. But pushing out projects – while an inevitable reality for some items in the December dash – might not result in the intended outcome. When it comes time to actually circle back, a mere 26% feel confident they can easily resume postponed projects in the new year. Most workers have the best intentions for picking up their stalled projects, but it’s harder than it sounds. Who can remember an important action item shared verbally in a one-off meeting from last year? Or a small but mission-critical piece of client feedback in an email that’s now buried deep in your inbox? Without documenting these decisions and touch points, teams work slow at best and ill-informed at worst, or end up running fast at the wrong priorities. And those tasks left on the back burner in December can quickly start to feel overwhelming in January, leading to delays – or worse, projects that drop entirely. When important projects fall off the radar, it not only disrupts the flow of work, but also negatively impacts team trust and accountability. Suddenly your December dash turns into wasted output for the entire team. Circling back(wards) It’s hard to pick back up where you left off. Part of the problem is that workers tend to say they will circle back on EVERYTHING this time of year, instead of using it as an opportunity to get super clear on your team’s priorities and realistic about what does (or doesn’t) move the needle. Some projects struggle to regain momentum after the holiday because they don’t have a big impact in the long run. These projects can feel tedious – we often call them “zombie projects” – technically “alive,” but failing to progress, draining resources and morale. The reality is that it might be time to scrap those zombie projects altogether. And that’s okay! The end of year is a great time to reevaluate your priorities, get clear on what matters, and come back prepared to make a meaningful impact with great focus (just make sure your team knows you’re scrapping it, too!). So what about postponed projects that are mission-critical and worth circling back on? There are ways to set yourself up for success so your future self will thank you. Disrupting the spin cycle Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication A little time getting organized now can make a big difference in the new year. To pick up where you left off, teams need to document their important work, including up-to-date statuses and easy-to-find sources of truth with important context about each project. These information sharing practices – often called asynchronous work – not only help you pick up where you left off, but make it easier to disconnect knowing your team has what they need to move work forward without you. This is especially useful during the holiday season, when mismatched PTO schedules, competing priorities, and fluctuating energy levels can make it tough to coordinate, risking delays or stalled progress. And no one wants to be on the receiving end of an angry ping asking where something is while on a holiday break. what is asynchronous work? Asynchronous work is teamwork that happens without needing everyone present, online, and available at the same time. Teammates can move work forward when it’s convenient for them, as long as the work is clearly documented, context is readily available, and there is clarity on expectations and deadlines. Try these async work practices this circle-back season so your team can pick up right where it left off in 2025: Capture context now for clarity post-holidays: Async work requires clearly documenting progress, decisions, and next steps in accessible formats like written documents, videos, or voice notes. Before you head out on PTO, publish a Confluence page (check out this OOO plan template) or record a Loom video that provides updates, suggested next steps, and context so team members can make progress while you’re out. Doing so means you can disconnect knowing you set your team – and your future self – up for success. Time is of the essence, so think async first: When the pressure to complete projects mounts, it’s easy to default to scheduling a meeting. But meetings are time-consuming, and often not as productive as intended. Before scheduling a meeting (or accepting one!), think about what you’re really trying to accomplish. If it’s a status update, relaying information, or an FYI, keep it async and send your teammate a Loom instead. If it’s not worth circling back on, scrap it now: Most people try to do too many things at once, which slows them down and lowers the quality of their work. Use this moment to let go of low-impact projects and focus on the work that truly matters. For tasks deemed circlebackable, reflect the new deadline on your planning pages, Jira tickets, and shared calendars so everyone is on the same page. Be realistic about your calendar: As the year’s end approaches, timebox your calendar to make sure you have enough focus time to get your most important work done. Pick a few important things to see over the finish line (rather than trying make a little progress on everything). pro tip Record a “Loom to my 2025 self” to help jog your memory on where you left a certain project and suggest where to get started when you are logged back in. New Year’s resolution: Work on what really matters While this time of year can feel overwhelming, it’s also an opportunity for a fresh start. The beginning of the year is a great time to reevaluate your priorities, set new intentions, and get reenergized about your work. If teams can change their mindset, they can turn the chaotic year-end rush and sluggish start to the new year into a seamless flow of highly effective teamwork. Breaking the circle-back cycle can be challenging, but the rewards – renewed focus, a smoother transition into the new year, and greater impact on team goals – are well worth it. Visit the Atlassian Community to take part in the circle-back challenge! Join the discussion Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post Happy circle-back season, to those who celebrate appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Looking to boost your digital asset management skills? This list covers the best certifications, including details on cost, focus, and ideal candidates for each. The post 6 Best Digital Asset Management Certifications For Upskilling In 2025 appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

With a clear picture of how much work your team has on their plates, you can keep resource allocation and utilization in check. Here's how to calculate utilization rate and use this data to prevent team burnout and keep your project on the path to on-time and on-budget delivery. The post How To Calculate Resource Utilization Rate (With Formula) appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe Compare a morning when you slept through your alarm, rushed out of bed, and barely made it to your desk in time to one when you had time for a brisk walk, a healthy breakfast, and some leisurely coffee-sipping. You’ll quickly realize your morning routine sets the tone for your entire day. Think an effective morning routine is out of your reach? We have good news: It’s a learnable science, no matter how much chaos you’re met with when you open your eyes. After analyzing the advice and morning routines of numerous well-known business leaders and productivity experts, we’ve pinpointed common practices of successful people for your most productive morning. 1. Wake up at YOUR right time Related Article Night owl or early bird? Discover your circadian personality By Tracy Middleton In Productivity “Morning people” are supposed to be the high achievers. The early bird catches the worm, right? But a successful morning routine isn’t necessarily synonymous with an early morning routine. Sure, some people who wake up early are more productive, and some studies do associate waking up just one hour earlier with lower depression rates. But if you personally dread early-morning wake-up calls, any potential benefits you get from peeling yourself out from under the covers at an unreasonable time will likely be overpowered by your misery. Oprah Winfrey never sets an alarm and Google CEO Sundar Pichai describes himself as “not a morning person.” Take a cue from them and pay attention to your own ultradian rhythms – your body’s natural cycles that repeat throughout the day and cause those peaks and dips in your energy levels. Doing so helps you find the times of day when you’re most focused and productive (known as your biological prime time). If you determine that you’re at your best in the afternoon or evening, there’s no reason for you to join the 5 a.m. club. As Mike Vardy, productivity author, speaker, and podcaster, wrote, “Look, I’m a night owl — and proud of it. Why? Because despite having many say that my sleeping habits make me less likely to achieve, I prove them wrong.” So forget the pressure to pop out of bed at the crack of dawn; stay focused on what works best for you. 2. Prepare the night before Many successful people spend their evenings preparing for the next day. Their reasoning: It leaves mornings free for an earlier start on important work (and breakfast). Giving “future you” the favor of adequate preparation doesn’t just free up your time – it frees up some brain space. We have a limited amount of willpower and decision-making ability. Too many decisions in the morning slow you down and can drain your brain for the rest of the day (it’s known as decision fatigue). Whether you pack your lunch, lay out your outfit, or create the next day’s to-do list, even five minutes of evening prep work can help you start your morning off on the right foot. Former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault likes to end his evenings by simply writing three things he wants to accomplish the next day. For many, a successful morning routine actually starts in the evening. 3. Focus on what matters Related Article How to embrace the human side of leadership By Atlassian In Leadership Erik Fisher is the voice behind the Beyond the To-Do List Podcast. He points out that if you analyze productivity experts’ morning routines, you’ll find a few things in common. Most focus on big-picture goals, gratitude, and planning for the day. Here are a few examples: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins starts her day by reading tweets from the Canva community (which motivate her) and writing in a gratitude journal. Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, intentionally drags out her morning commute to give herself quiet time to think and plan before the chaos of her day sets in. John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder of Patrón tequila and Paul Mitchell hair products, spends five minutes each morning quietly reflecting on what he’s grateful for. Of course, plenty of morning routines include journaling and mindfulness. But don’t feel guilty if you don’t have the time (or quiet space) for a lengthy meditation routine. Even a short walk can help you focus your thoughts and identify your desired outcomes for the day. 4. Move around and hydrate Many successful people start their mornings in motion, and you can follow their lead for a morning routine that’s equal parts healthy and helpful: Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, does a daily 20-minute HIIT session on the treadmill. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Block, Inc., walks to work every morning. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi power walks before work. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary gets on his elliptical or exercise bike. Multi-board member Frits Dirk van Paasschen runs 10 miles every morning. Keep in mind that you don’t need to run a marathon to start your day well. According to one study, even some moderate exercise in the morning (like a brisk walk) can boost your brainpower for the rest of the day. While you’re moving, remember that what you put in your mug matters. There’s nothing wrong with a morning cup of coffee, but you should also drink plenty of water in the morning to stay hydrated and give you lasting energy. Research shows that adequate hydration improves your cognitive performance. Jeff Sanders, author of The 5 AM Miracle and host of the podcast with the same name, says his favorite morning habit is to drink one liter of water within the first 45 minutes of bouncing out of bed. “Hydration is incredibly important, especially after waking up. I always find that this larger quantity of water provides incredible energy and prepares my body for the day ahead.” 5. Eat the frog first thing in the morning Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, bases his morning philosophy on a quote from Mark Twain. “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.” The “frog” is that one important task you’re dreading the most because it’s large and looming over you. Doing your biggest task first can help you start your day with a sense of accomplishment. Can’t quite manage to jump into the day (pun intended) with the big frog on your list? Even tackling some smaller tadpoles can help. Whether you manage a big or a small win in the morning, that gratification can propel you into the rest of the day with greater motivation. That’s the progress principle in action. Mornings matter: Create a better morning routine for a more productive day Your morning sets the tone for the entire day. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are still plenty of factors (like kids, pets, last-minute emergencies…the list goes on) that can influence exactly how your morning shapes up. The good news is that you’re not going for perfection here – and you don’t need to overhaul your entire routine. Even trying out one or two of the above tips can help you approach your mornings with a little more intention. As the old saying goes, if you win the morning, you win the day. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 5 tips to find your best morning routine appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe Compare a morning when you slept through your alarm, rushed out of bed, and barely made it to your desk in time to one when you had time for a brisk walk, a healthy breakfast, and some leisurely coffee-sipping. You’ll quickly realize your morning routine sets the tone for your entire day. Think an effective morning routine is out of your reach? We have good news: It’s a learnable science, no matter how much chaos you’re met with when you open your eyes. After analyzing the advice and morning routines of numerous well-known business leaders and productivity experts, we’ve pinpointed common practices of successful people for your most productive morning. 1. Wake up at YOUR right time Related Article Night owl or early bird? Discover your circadian personality By Tracy Middleton In Productivity “Morning people” are supposed to be the high achievers. The early bird catches the worm, right? But a successful morning routine isn’t necessarily synonymous with an early morning routine. Sure, some people who wake up early are more productive, and some studies do associate waking up just one hour earlier with lower depression rates. But if you personally dread early-morning wake-up calls, any potential benefits you get from peeling yourself out from under the covers at an unreasonable time will likely be overpowered by your misery. Oprah Winfrey never sets an alarm and Google CEO Sundar Pichai describes himself as “not a morning person.” Take a cue from them and pay attention to your own ultradian rhythms – your body’s natural cycles that repeat throughout the day and cause those peaks and dips in your energy levels. Doing so helps you find the times of day when you’re most focused and productive (known as your biological prime time). If you determine that you’re at your best in the afternoon or evening, there’s no reason for you to join the 5 a.m. club. As Mike Vardy, productivity author, speaker, and podcaster, wrote, “Look, I’m a night owl — and proud of it. Why? Because despite having many say that my sleeping habits make me less likely to achieve, I prove them wrong.” So forget the pressure to pop out of bed at the crack of dawn; stay focused on what works best for you. 2. Prepare the night before Many successful people spend their evenings preparing for the next day. Their reasoning: It leaves mornings free for an earlier start on important work (and breakfast). Giving “future you” the favor of adequate preparation doesn’t just free up your time – it frees up some brain space. We have a limited amount of willpower and decision-making ability. Too many decisions in the morning slow you down and can drain your brain for the rest of the day (it’s known as decision fatigue). Whether you pack your lunch, lay out your outfit, or create the next day’s to-do list, even five minutes of evening prep work can help you start your morning off on the right foot. Former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault likes to end his evenings by simply writing three things he wants to accomplish the next day. For many, a successful morning routine actually starts in the evening. 3. Focus on what matters Related Article How to embrace the human side of leadership By Atlassian In Leadership Erik Fisher is the voice behind the Beyond the To-Do List Podcast. He points out that if you analyze productivity experts’ morning routines, you’ll find a few things in common. Most focus on big-picture goals, gratitude, and planning for the day. Here are a few examples: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins starts her day by reading tweets from the Canva community (which motivate her) and writing in a gratitude journal. Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, intentionally drags out her morning commute to give herself quiet time to think and plan before the chaos of her day sets in. John Paul DeJoria, the co-founder of Patrón tequila and Paul Mitchell hair products, spends five minutes each morning quietly reflecting on what he’s grateful for. Of course, plenty of morning routines include journaling and mindfulness. But don’t feel guilty if you don’t have the time (or quiet space) for a lengthy meditation routine. Even a short walk can help you focus your thoughts and identify your desired outcomes for the day. 4. Move around and hydrate Many successful people start their mornings in motion, and you can follow their lead for a morning routine that’s equal parts healthy and helpful: Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, does a daily 20-minute HIIT session on the treadmill. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Block, Inc., walks to work every morning. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi power walks before work. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary gets on his elliptical or exercise bike. Multi-board member Frits Dirk van Paasschen runs 10 miles every morning. Keep in mind that you don’t need to run a marathon to start your day well. According to one study, even some moderate exercise in the morning (like a brisk walk) can boost your brainpower for the rest of the day. While you’re moving, remember that what you put in your mug matters. There’s nothing wrong with a morning cup of coffee, but you should also drink plenty of water in the morning to stay hydrated and give you lasting energy. Research shows that adequate hydration improves your cognitive performance. Jeff Sanders, author of The 5 AM Miracle and host of the podcast with the same name, says his favorite morning habit is to drink one liter of water within the first 45 minutes of bouncing out of bed. “Hydration is incredibly important, especially after waking up. I always find that this larger quantity of water provides incredible energy and prepares my body for the day ahead.” 5. Eat the frog first thing in the morning Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, bases his morning philosophy on a quote from Mark Twain. “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.” The “frog” is that one important task you’re dreading the most because it’s large and looming over you. Doing your biggest task first can help you start your day with a sense of accomplishment. Can’t quite manage to jump into the day (pun intended) with the big frog on your list? Even tackling some smaller tadpoles can help. Whether you manage a big or a small win in the morning, that gratification can propel you into the rest of the day with greater motivation. That’s the progress principle in action. Mornings matter: Create a better morning routine for a more productive day Your morning sets the tone for the entire day. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are still plenty of factors (like kids, pets, last-minute emergencies…the list goes on) that can influence exactly how your morning shapes up. The good news is that you’re not going for perfection here – and you don’t need to overhaul your entire routine. Even trying out one or two of the above tips can help you approach your mornings with a little more intention. As the old saying goes, if you win the morning, you win the day. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 5 tips to find your best morning routine appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Is your task list overflowing with things to do? Struggling to sort out what needs to get done vs what you can skip? Here are my hacks for prioritizing the items on your to-do list and getting more time back in your day to add real value to your projects. The post Prioritization Tips: 8 Ways To Hack Your To-Do List appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

It’s the festive season! Or it’s nearly Valentine’s Day, or the start of summer, or… You get the drift. People love to celebrate, which is why seasonal content tends to do well during those periods. So, should you put effort into creating content for the holidays? We think so! But you should be smart about it. Here are five tips to help you create good-quality seasonal content. Why should you create seasonal content? A big benefit of creating seasonal content is that you’ll stay top of mind. After all, your customers are probably looking for content to give them ideas for gifts, services, or events. By participating in the trend, you’ll show your audience that your business is relevant. Of course, by having seasonal content, you’ll also be able to boost your brand’s visibility and traffic. Especially if you have content optimized for seasonal keywords! In short: most people get swept up by the holiday season, so it’s good to join the hype. Tip 1: Create evergreen seasonal content Good news for busy people! You don’t need to create a new piece of seasonal content every year. It’s way better to create one excellent Christmas post, for example, that you optimize every year. Preferably, you optimize it a month or two before the event or holiday takes place. This will save you time, and increases the likelihood of your content actually ranking (since that usually takes a while). So, avoid adding years to your content. Don’t write a piece about: Best recipes for Hanukkah 2024. Just delete the year from the title, and you’re good to go. If you do want to include the year in your title, don’t include it in your URL. That way, you can update the post and title each year without having to constantly create new posts and redirect the old ones. Our Black Friday post has a year in the title, but not in the URL What if you already have multiple content pieces about the same holiday? If your posts rank well for different keywords and they get a decent amount of organic traffic, keep them. But if there is overlap in the keywords they’re ranking for and they get okayish traffic, it’s better to merge them into one big post. Just make sure the post’s content still makes sense. Our tip would be to use the URL of the post that is performing the best. For the other posts, make sure you redirect them to the optimized post so people won’t hit a 404. Tip 2: Do keyword research Whether you want to write a new post or optimize an existing one, it’s good to do research. First, start with keyword research, so you know what your audience is searching for during specific events or holidays. Tip: you can always look for variations of your core keywords! For example, you can add “holiday” or “guide” or “summer/winter” to them. Just don’t create content for content’s sake. Only write content if you’re sure that your audience is looking for this information. At the end of the day, you want your audience to feel that your site has added value. Tip 3: Do competitor research Once you’ve picked out a main keyword, it’s good to search for that keyword in Google, for example. Analyze the top results. Are they blog posts or category pages? If they’re blog posts, what kind of articles are they? For example, if all the top posts are how-to guides then you probably have the best chance of ranking if your article is a how-to guide as well. Just make sure to write something different from what’s already out there. Tip 4: Plan well ahead of time It’s good to remember that people often search for gift ideas or tips for activities or recipes weeks in advance. This means you’ll need to have your seasonal content ready before the actual holiday! That’s why it might be a good idea to have a content calendar for your posts, so you won’t forget. Plus, it’s good to publish new content early so it has time to rank. After all, once the event is there, you want your content to be findable by your audience. That’s why it’s also a good idea to make sure your content meets Google’s helpful content and E-E-A-T guidelines. Tip 5: Keep your seasonal content updated Even though you’ve created evergreen content, make sure to update it at least once a year—preferably a couple of weeks before the event or holiday itself. Let’s say you have a new tip, or one of your products is no longer being produced. By updating your content, you’ll ensure that your content is always relevant and helpful. Which your audience and Google will both like! Don’t forget to republish your content as new! Once you’ve updated your content, don’t forget to change the publish date. This way, people (and search engines) will know it’s been updated. Of course, if you have a feature on your site that shows both the publish and updated date, then this isn’t necessary. So why should you republish or update your content? Again, it shows that your content is relevant and current. Because let’s be honest, how would you feel if you read a blog post with Tips for a perfect summer vacation and the date said 2018? You’d think it was outdated, right? Tip: Our free Duplicate Post plugin allows you to easily rewrite and republish your posts! With the plugin, you can edit your posts without taking them offline. You can access the Rewrite & Republish feature via the WordPress toolbar or from the post overview Seasonal content: the gift that keeps on giving If you’ve got a solid post that you can update every year, you’ll ensure that you’ll give your audience helpful content. Plus, you’ll gain more traffic during seasonal events. Just make sure to update or write your content weeks in advance, so it has time to rank. All that’s left then, is to promote your content, for example on your social media channels or via email marketing. Good luck! The post 5 tips on how to create good seasonal content appeared first on Yoast. View the full article