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You log off for the night, but your brain stays logged in. The project you didn’t finish hums in the back of your head. Your shoulders ache from hunching over your screen for hours. You’re tired, but not the kind of tired a nap can fix. That foggy, restless, emotionally drained feeling? That’s work-from-home fatigue. Working from home might look effortless from the outside, but it can wear on you in ways office jobs don’t. According to Psychology Today, the blurred lines, isolation, and irregular sleep schedule that often come with remote work can chip away at your mental health. As a freelancer, you may feel this even more intensely, as you don’t have built-in breaks, colleagues to vent to, or a boss reminding you to log off. You’re your own system, and when that system's overworked, burnout can follow fast. Here’s what to do when you’re feeling closed in by the four walls that surround you — and how you can get some relief. Understand What’s Wearing You DownSpending all day in front of a screen can take a toll on your health. Your eyes strain, your posture slouches, and your brain doesn’t get the reset it needs. Too much screen time can also make you irritable, anxious, and even mess with your sleep. Add in the lack of clear work-life boundaries, and things get even more complicated. When your kitchen table becomes your desk, it’s difficult to separate the "on" and "off" of work. Without hard stops, you're more likely to work longer, answer emails late, and feel guilty about not being “productive.” Then there's the isolation that can come from working outside of the traditional office. Freelancers may go days without a real conversation. The silence can be peaceful, until it isn't. It can be easy to lose motivation when you can’t have casual chats with coworkers. You may start second-guessing yourself, or worse, lose interest in work altogether. To cope with freelancer isolation, it may help to have a solid network of other freelancers and remember to foster your relationships with family and friends. Make Your Workspace Work for YouYour home setup shapes how you feel during the day. If your space is cramped or has uncomfortable furniture, you might feel less productive or more stressed. Having a workspace that really works for you is one of the best things you can do when you work from home. First, pay attention to what you're staring at all day. Screen fatigue is real, and poor lighting and screen glare can harm your eyesight and cause headaches, which only add to burnout. Try adjusting your screen height and taking breaks from the screen throughout the day to give your eyes a rest. Try to avoid unnecessary noise in your workspace to keep you focused. Reduce unwanted noise by installing soundproof windows, soundproofing walls and doors, and even moving furniture around to absorb noise. For example, soft furnishings, like fluffy rugs, can reduce extra noise in a room, and filled bookshelves can help lower noise between rooms.Finally, remove clutter from your room to prevent distractions. Use cable organizers to keep power cords and internet cables out of sight. Try to keep your desk clean each day and remove any clutter at the end of the week to get it ready for the next week and keep clutter from piling up.Build Breaks Into Your DayIf your day runs on caffeine and momentum, there’s a good chance that burnout is in your near future. Remind yourself that breaks are a necessity rather than a reward. Without them, your stress level is likely to spike, which can significantly lower the amount and quality of work you produce. An easy system to get in the habit of is time-blocking. The Pomodoro technique is a good process to try. It requires 25 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break. After four rounds, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. You’ll get scheduled break time while giving your brain some recovery time between work. Use your breaks wisely. Step outside, stretch your arms, or walk around the block. Movement can help you fight off the stiffness of a desk job while also boosting your energy and mood. Set Boundaries That Actually StickWhen your job lives in your home, it’s hard to know when to switch off. But it’s much easier to do when you set clear boundaries for yourself. Your working hours should be the first place you start. Choose a working window that makes sense for your energy and obligations. Then, guard it. Don’t reply to emails after hours or make edits at midnight after you’ve already wound down for the day. Having a clear endpoint tells your brain that it can start relaxing. You can also create a transition ritual to help you separate work from home life. These are activities you do every day between work and regular life to signal to your brain when you’re in and out of work mode. For example, you might take your dog on a long walk in the morning before you start work. Then, after work, you might head to the gym for your daily workout. Use your space to reinforce your boundaries. Room dividers, corner nooks, or even a specific chair can separate work zones from home space. Your room color can influence mood, too, so be mindful about the colors you use in your work area. For example, tones like blue and green promote focus and calm. Painting a wall or adding accents in these shades can subtly train your brain to associate the area with work. Know When To Slow DownIf you’re dragging yourself through each day and ignoring your own fatigue, that’s a problem. Burnout can often creep in when you don’t expect it, such as difficulty concentrating or fatigue throughout the day. Don’t brush those signs off. They could be telling you to step back from your workload, take time to reset, and reevaluate how you can improve your work-life balance. Freelancers don’t get sick days automatically, but that doesn’t mean you should push through at any cost. You can’t pour energy into your work if you’re running on empty. The goal is to build a work life that works for you and your well-being. View the full article

You log off for the night, but your brain stays logged in. The project you didn’t finish hums in the back of your head. Your shoulders ache from hunching over your screen for hours. You’re tired, but not the kind of tired a nap can fix. That foggy, restless, emotionally drained feeling? That’s work-from-home fatigue. Working from home might look effortless from the outside, but it can wear on you in ways office jobs don’t. According to Psychology Today, the blurred lines, isolation, and irregular sleep schedule that often come with remote work can chip away at your mental health. As a freelancer, you may feel this even more intensely, as you don’t have built-in breaks, colleagues to vent to, or a boss reminding you to log off. You’re your own system, and when that system's overworked, burnout can follow fast. Here’s what to do when you’re feeling closed in by the four walls that surround you — and how you can get some relief. Understand What’s Wearing You DownSpending all day in front of a screen can take a toll on your health. Your eyes strain, your posture slouches, and your brain doesn’t get the reset it needs. Too much screen time can also make you irritable, anxious, and even mess with your sleep. Add in the lack of clear work-life boundaries, and things get even more complicated. When your kitchen table becomes your desk, it’s difficult to separate the "on" and "off" of work. Without hard stops, you're more likely to work longer, answer emails late, and feel guilty about not being “productive.” Then there's the isolation that can come from working outside of the traditional office. Freelancers may go days without a real conversation. The silence can be peaceful, until it isn't. It can be easy to lose motivation when you can’t have casual chats with coworkers. You may start second-guessing yourself, or worse, lose interest in work altogether. To cope with freelancer isolation, it may help to have a solid network of other freelancers and remember to foster your relationships with family and friends. Make Your Workspace Work for YouYour home setup shapes how you feel during the day. If your space is cramped or has uncomfortable furniture, you might feel less productive or more stressed. Having a workspace that really works for you is one of the best things you can do when you work from home. First, pay attention to what you're staring at all day. Screen fatigue is real, and poor lighting and screen glare can harm your eyesight and cause headaches, which only add to burnout. Try adjusting your screen height and taking breaks from the screen throughout the day to give your eyes a rest. Try to avoid unnecessary noise in your workspace to keep you focused. Reduce unwanted noise by installing soundproof windows, soundproofing walls and doors, and even moving furniture around to absorb noise. For example, soft furnishings, like fluffy rugs, can reduce extra noise in a room, and filled bookshelves can help lower noise between rooms.Finally, remove clutter from your room to prevent distractions. Use cable organizers to keep power cords and internet cables out of sight. Try to keep your desk clean each day and remove any clutter at the end of the week to get it ready for the next week and keep clutter from piling up.Build Breaks Into Your DayIf your day runs on caffeine and momentum, there’s a good chance that burnout is in your near future. Remind yourself that breaks are a necessity rather than a reward. Without them, your stress level is likely to spike, which can significantly lower the amount and quality of work you produce. An easy system to get in the habit of is time-blocking. The Pomodoro technique is a good process to try. It requires 25 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break. After four rounds, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. You’ll get scheduled break time while giving your brain some recovery time between work. Use your breaks wisely. Step outside, stretch your arms, or walk around the block. Movement can help you fight off the stiffness of a desk job while also boosting your energy and mood. Set Boundaries That Actually StickWhen your job lives in your home, it’s hard to know when to switch off. But it’s much easier to do when you set clear boundaries for yourself. Your working hours should be the first place you start. Choose a working window that makes sense for your energy and obligations. Then, guard it. Don’t reply to emails after hours or make edits at midnight after you’ve already wound down for the day. Having a clear endpoint tells your brain that it can start relaxing. You can also create a transition ritual to help you separate work from home life. These are activities you do every day between work and regular life to signal to your brain when you’re in and out of work mode. For example, you might take your dog on a long walk in the morning before you start work. Then, after work, you might head to the gym for your daily workout. Use your space to reinforce your boundaries. Room dividers, corner nooks, or even a specific chair can separate work zones from home space. Your room color can influence mood, too, so be mindful about the colors you use in your work area. For example, tones like blue and green promote focus and calm. Painting a wall or adding accents in these shades can subtly train your brain to associate the area with work. Know When To Slow DownIf you’re dragging yourself through each day and ignoring your own fatigue, that’s a problem. Burnout can often creep in when you don’t expect it, such as difficulty concentrating or fatigue throughout the day. Don’t brush those signs off. They could be telling you to step back from your workload, take time to reset, and reevaluate how you can improve your work-life balance. Freelancers don’t get sick days automatically, but that doesn’t mean you should push through at any cost. You can’t pour energy into your work if you’re running on empty. The goal is to build a work life that works for you and your well-being. View the full article

I’ll be honest: there are parts of my job that I don’t like. Writing my 500th article on content gap analysis because we found a new long-tail keyword to target. Listing out the features of 30 free SEO tools for…Read more ›View the full article

Getting a passport to the European Union is potentially one of the most life-improving things a traveler, nomad, or retiree can do. Whether you want to set up a new home in the Mediterranean, have dreams of wandering Europe for more than 90 days at a time, or simply want to start a new legacy ... Read moreView the full article

Table of contents How is Yoast SEO a game-changer for your Shopify store? Top Yoast SEO for Shopify Features to help maximize your Black Friday visibility Instantly generate SEO-friendly meta titles and descriptions with one-click AI SEO and readability analysis Automatic product structured data Optimize how your store appears on search and social media Other notable features Over to you… Before we know it, the winter hues will set in, and with them comes the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday. Black Friday 2024 was a goldmine for online businesses, clocking in record-breaking numbers. Online shoppers spent over $10 billion, marking a 10% jump from the previous year, and 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger. In this blog post, we’ll break down the most powerful features of the Yoast SEO for Shopify app and show you how to make the most of them. The goal? Help boost your SEO game, improve your store’s visibility, and stay ahead of the competition this Black Friday. How is Yoast SEO a game-changer for your Shopify store? When it comes to ecommerce, SEO plays a crucial role in getting your product pages in front of potential buyers. That visibility becomes even more important during high-traffic events like Black Friday, when every click counts. Let’s talk numbers: the #1 result in Google’s organic search sees an average click-through rate of 27.6%, while only 0.63% of users click on something on the second page. In short, first page converts most. This is where SEO—and more specifically, Yoast SEO steps in to boost your chances of winning those clicks. Enhancing your visibility in search results helps drive more clicks, traffic, and ultimately, sales during peak shopping seasons, such as Black Friday. Top Yoast SEO for Shopify Features to help maximize your Black Friday visibility Yoast SEO for Shopify provides the necessary tools to optimize your Shopify website, just when shoppers are searching the most. Here are the top features that make it possible: Instantly generate SEO-friendly meta titles and descriptions with one-click AI Black Friday is one of the most competitive times of the year for online stores, and your product pages need to do more than exist—they need to stand out. Optimized meta titles and descriptions can help you grab attention in search results, improve your click-through rates, and drive more qualified traffic when people are actively looking to buy. How Yoast SEO for Shopify helps Yoast SEO for Shopify makes this process fast and effortless with Yoast AI Generate. With just one click, you get multiple meta titles and descriptions optimized for search engines and the audience. You can easily pick a suggestion that fits, tweak it to match your brand tone, or generate fresh variations until you find the perfect match. It’s a huge time-saver, especially when you’re racing against the Black Friday clock. Hint: Yoast AI doesn’t have any hidden (AI) fees. SEO and readability analysis So, you’ve optimized your meta titles and descriptions and successfully caught a shopper’s attention in the search results. That’s great, but the job isn’t done yet. Now it’s time to turn that click into a conversion. Whether you’re writing fresh product copy or trying to fix an underperforming one, your product pages should answer the searcher’s intent. If your page is overloaded with keywords or dull copy, shoppers will bounce fast. That means lost sales and more abandoned carts. A well-written, easy-to-read product page could boost your search visibility and build trust with your buyers. It helps them feel confident, informed, and ready to hit that “Buy Now” button. How Yoast SEO for Shopify helps Yoast SEO for Shopify gives you real-time SEO and Readability Analyses through a traffic light system as you write. It helps you find the right balance between being search-friendly and human-friendly. With its signature traffic light system, you’ll know instantly whether your content is on track or needs work. The best part? The analysis is tailored to the type of content you’re creating, whether it’s a product page, a blog post, a static page, or even a collection. And yes, it works in 20+ languages, so you’re covered even if you’re targeting international audiences. See more: Yoast Readability Analysis feature Automatic product structured data Structured data helps search engines understand your content, and more importantly, helps your products stand out in search results. When done correctly, it can get your store featured in rich results, including price, reviews, and availability, directly in the SERPs. That kind of visibility can seriously boost your click-through rates and drive more qualified traffic to your store. For ecommerce, structured data (or schema markup) is a big deal. It tells search engines exactly what your page is about, whether it’s a product, a brand, or an offer, and helps it display that information in a more attractive and informative way. How Yoast SEO for Shopify helps Yoast SEO for Shopify handles the heavy lifting automatically. It adds clean and complete structured data behind the scenes using JSON-LD, covering essentials like Product, Organization, Website, WebPage, BreadcrumbList, Article, and Offer. And if you’re using product review apps like Judge.me, Loox, Ali Reviews, or Opinew —Yoast seamlessly integrates with them to include the AggregateRating schema, making your products look even more trustworthy at a glance. No need to fiddle with code. Just set it up once, and Yoast does the rest. See more: Yoast Structured Data feature Optimize how your store appears on search and social media Another important factor that can make or break your Black Friday traffic is how your store shows up, both in search results and across social media. With thousands of brands vying for attention, a strong, well-optimized snippet or preview can give you the edge you need to get noticed and clicked on. Your product might be perfect, but you risk getting lost in the noise if it doesn’t look compelling in Google results or stand out in a social feed. When people search and scroll with urgency on a day like Black Friday, those tiny first impressions can mean a big difference in click-throughs and conversions. How Yoast SEO for Shopify helps Yoast SEO for Shopify lets you take control of how your product pages and content appear in search. You can easily edit your title, slug, and meta description and preview how they’ll look on mobile and desktop, ensuring your Black Friday deals look as irresistible as they are. On top of that, Yoast helps you fine-tune how your pages appear when shared on platforms like Facebook and X. You get to set the title, description, and the preview image, so every share looks polished, on-brand, and click-worthy. In short, it helps your content stand out where it matters most—whether it’s a Google search result or a viral Black Friday post on social media. See more: Yoast Content Preview feature Other notable features We’ve already covered some core features that make the Yoast SEO for Shopify app a powerful tool, but that’s not where the value ends. The app packs in several other features that make your experience smoother, smarter, and way more worth the spend, especially as you gear up for high-pressure sales periods like Black Friday. Here are a few extra perks worth mentioning: Free trial: Yoast offers a 14-day free trial so you can explore all its features and see how it fits into your Shopify store without spending a penny upfront. Seamless theme compatibility: Yoast works smoothly with most Shopify themes and automatically removes any conflicting code. That means a cleaner site, faster load times, and a better shopping experience, exactly what you need when traffic spikes during Black Friday. Learn with Yoast SEO Academy: The Yoast SEO Academy gives you access to beginner to expert-level SEO courses that cover everything from ecommerce SEO to keyword research, SEO copywriting, and more. It’s a great way to build your skills while the app handles the technical side, so you can focus on selling. 24/7 support, all year round: Yoast’s support team is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Whether you’re setting things up or stuck somewhere in the middle of Black Friday madness, they’ve got your back. Over to you… With Black Friday coming up, it’s important to start optimizing your Shopify store, and SEO is one area you really don’t want to overlook. It can get tricky, especially for small businesses, but having the right tools in place can make it much more manageable. To improve your chances of appearing when shoppers search, you must cover the ecommerce SEO basics. And when you pair that with a tool like Yoast SEO for Shopify, you get a solid set of features that help you save time, avoid technical headaches, and stay one step ahead of your competitors. Also read, Holiday season SEO: 10 tips to start preparing! The post Get discovered before it’s too late: top Yoast SEO for Shopify features to outperform competitors this Black Friday appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Black Friday isn’t just a sales event; it’s a battle for attention. Whenever product, price, and promotion fight for a click, visibility becomes a battle for dominance, not just survival. Are you a WooCommerce store owner pouring your energy and budget into paid ads, but not getting the required results? But what about organic traffic? That’s free traffic, compounding over time. Does it often get ignored, just when it matters most? This Black Friday, Yoast WooCommerce SEO offers a more innovative way to boost visibility in search engines. It’s built to help ecommerce teams and SEO beginners optimize product listings at scale, improve product rankings, and get their products seen by relevant traffic without relying on developers or SEO agencies. From structured data that powers Google Shopping to auto-generated meta descriptions that convert, Yoast SEO for product pages helps you unlock visibility where it counts. 10 features designed to help WooCommerce stores sell more! 1. Make your products pop in search with Automated Schema Markup SEO plugin for WooCommerce automatically adds structured data to your product pages, including price, stock status, and review ratings, so Google knows exactly what you’re selling. Here’s why this is essential during Black Friday: Earn more visibility with essential markups Your products become eligible for enhanced display formats in Google search and Google Shopping, like star ratings, price tags, and “In stock” labels, which catch the eye and drive more clicks. Show up in search with enhancements. Your products become eligible for rich results in Google Search and Shopping, helping you stand out with product snippets with visual cues, giving you a critical edge to gain buyers’ trust. Scale stress free during busy hours Whether you have 10 products or 10,000, the automation works across your entire catalog, giving your store a visibility boost without coding or development support. 2. Ecommerce SEO for product pages Black Friday is approaching, and you shouldn’t settle for generic Black Friday ecommerce SEO advice. Product pages must be fast, focused, and fully optimized, yet most tools fall short. Yoast SEO for WooCommerce gives you a more intelligent SEO analysis tailored to your e- commerce needs. Here’s why it matters right now: Optimize faster with checks tailored for online stores. Yoast SEO for WooCommerce knows the difference between product pages and blog posts. SEO for product pages enables ecommerce-specific analysis looks for missing GTINs, product images, short descriptions, and key product data, which impact how your listings rank and appear in search. Clean content with more intelligent optimization When your product pages meet SEO best practices, they stand a better chance of ranking, earning clicks, and converting buyers, especially during peak sales like Black Friday. Built-in guidance to tackle high-traffic periods The tool flags what’s missing, offers suggestions to fix it, and helps you complete each page with confidence, no spreadsheets, no second-guessing. 3. Keep your sale pages in the spotlight with canonical URLs When your store has filters, variants, or dynamic parameters, it can unintentionally create multiple URLs for the same product. Yoast Black Friday ecommerce SEO handles this with canonical tags, ensuring search engines focus on the most critical version. It’s an essential tool to safeguard your rankings during high-traffic periods like Black Friday. Why it matters for Black Friday: Prevents internal competition in search results Filters or variants like color, size, or other factors can generate dozens of duplicate URLs. Canonicals ensure your main product page ranks, and not identical clones. Keeps the focus on your high-converting sale URLs During campaigns, you want one clear URL driving all traffic and shares. Canonical control lets you guide the attention of search engines and shoppers to the most profitable path. Avoids SEO dilution across extensive seasonal catalogs Black Friday season sales often mean bulk uploads across many categories. Canonicals help you scale without wrecking your SEO by telling search engines which URLs to prioritize. 4. AI-Powered meta titles and descriptions Writing compelling meta titles and descriptions across hundreds of product and category pages can take up time, especially during Black Friday. Yoast SEO’s generative AI tool relieves pressure by helping you act fast and stay consistent. Why it matters for Black Friday ecommerce SEO: Instantly creates five optimized options per page. No more starting from scratch. Whether you have 10 or 1,000 products, you’ll get fast, relevant, SEO-friendly, and conversion-focused suggestions. Let’s you inject urgency and seasonal phrases automatically. You can easily add terms like “Black Friday Deals,” “Only Today,” or “Hurry—Ends Soon” into your metadata so your listings match the season’s tone and urgency. Reduces writing time and boosts consistency When every product needs a compelling meta description, AI speeds up the process while keeping branding and tone aligned. Help your online store stand out!Get this and much more in the Yoast WooCommerce SEO plugin! Get Yoast WooCommerce SEO »Only $178.80 / year (ex VAT) 5. Increase shoppers’ engagement with internal linking suggestions Intelligent internal linking isn’t just good for SEO. It boosts time on site and nudges shoppers toward more purchases. Yoast SEO automatically recommends links to related products, categories, or promo pages while editing, so you never miss a chance to cross-promote during a high-traffic season. Why it matters for Black Friday: Recommends relevant internal links Link high-traffic Black Friday products to similar deals or bundles to increase cart size and page views Improves site structure and shopper retention A clear internal linking strategy guides users deeper into your store, helping them discover more of what they want Distributes SEO value to priority pages Funnel link authority toward your most profitable or seasonal categories without manual planning 6. Polish every share with social preview customization First impressions on social media can make or break a click. Yoast SEO lets you control how every product or sale page appears when shared on Facebook and X. You can customize your posts without relying on a designer. Why it matters for Black Friday: Customize how each page looks when shared Align visuals and messaging for your most significant sales to match the tone and urgency of your ad campaigns Prevent broken or off-brand previews Avoid the risk of blank images, awkward text cuts, or generic-looking links that lower CTR Make every page share-ready, instantly Eliminate the need for external tools by handling everything within WordPress 7. Eliminate broken links with the Redirect Manager During seasonal updates, product URLs change, stock rotates, and categories shift. Yoast SEO’s Redirect Manager keeps your store agile and error-free by prompting for redirects when you move or delete a page and letting you manage them in bulk for larger campaigns. Why it matters for Black Friday: Prompts for redirects automatically Stay ahead of 404 errors when product pages are removed or consolidated during your Black Friday refresh Prevents lost traffic in live campaigns Ensure shoppers don’t land on dead ends from searches, ads, or email links Bulk manages redirects at scale Easily import/export rules so you can update entire catalogs in one go 8. Prioritize what matters with a WooCommerce optimized sitemap Yoast SEO generates a lean, clean XML sitemap that emphasizes your key products and categories so Google can quickly find and index the right pages. Why it matters for Black Friday: Excludes non-essential elements Keep bots focused on pages that convert, not test products or expired deals Prioritizes core product/category pages Surface your highest-converting listings sooner in search Boosts crawl efficiency during rapid updates Frequent product additions or updates? No problem. Your sitemap stays updated and focused 9. Reach the right shoppers with multilingual & regional SEO Black Friday is global, but search intent varies by country. With Yoast SEO, your WooCommerce store can automatically serve the correct language and regional content, ensuring each shopper lands a relevant, localized experience. Why it matters for Black Friday: Directs users to the correct language or market page Auto-detects delivers region-appropriate content for better engagement Reduces bounce from mismatched traffic Avoid shoppers clicking away due to currency issues or unfamiliar language Supports UK, US, and international targeting Essential if your campaign runs across multiple storefronts or regions 10. Stay search-ready with built-in best practices Black Friday ecommerce SEO campaigns move fast, and so do SEO rules. Yoast SEO keeps your store aligned with the latest Google guidelines in real time, so you don’t have to double-check every tag, title, or markup under pressure. Why it matters for Black Friday: Updates in sync with Google’s changes Trust that your store is optimized even as algorithms evolve Prevents technical errors during fast changes Launch flash sales, new landing pages, or content tweaks without risking SEO slip-ups Maintains quality under pressure Even during high-stress periods, you’ll ship content that performs well in search Ready to make this your best Black Friday yet? Don’t wait until the last minute. Install and configure Yoast SEO for WooCommerce now and start optimizing your store with robust, scalable tools. From automated metadata to intelligent internal linking, everything is built to save time and boost results. With Yoast, you’re not just keeping up, you’re staying ahead. Start now, as the sales surge, and you will find your store miles ahead. Help your online store stand out!Get this and much more in the Yoast WooCommerce SEO plugin! Get Yoast WooCommerce SEO »Only $178.80 / year (ex VAT) The post 10 Yoast WooCommerce SEO features to boost Black Friday rankings and revenue appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

A reader recently sent me ​a Substack post​ they thought I might like. “I bought my kids an old-school phone to keep smartphones out of their hands while still letting them chat with friends,” the post’s author, Priscilla Harvey, writes. “But it’s turned into the sweetest, most unexpected surprise: my son’s new daily conversations with his grandmothers.” As Harvey continues, her son has adopted the habit of stretching out on the couch, talking to his grandmother on a retro rotary-style phone, the long cable stretching across the room. “There’s no scrolling, no distractions, no comparisons, no dopamine hits to chase,” she notes. “Instead he is just listening to stories, asking questions, and having the comfort of knowing someone who loves him is listening on the other end of the line.” The post’s surface message is one about kids and technology. Harvey, defiantly pushed back against the culture of weary resignation surrounding our youth and phone use, and discovered something sacred. But I think there’s a more general idea lurking here as well. The telephone, in its original hard-plastic, curly-wired form, is an example of what we might call an additive technology. Its goal is to take something you value—like talking to people you know—and make this activity easier and more accessible. You want to talk to your grandmother? Dial her number, and her voice fills your ear, clear and immediate. The phone seeks strictly to add value to your life. Now compare this to Instagram. The value proposition is suddenly muddled. You might enjoy aspects of this app: the occasional diversion, the rare update from a cherished friend. But with these joys come endless sorrows as well. The scrolling can become worryingly addictive, while the content tends to devolve into a digital slurry—equal parts mind-numbing and anxiety-inducing. Unlike the straightforward benefits of a landline, it soon becomes clear that this tool doesn’t have your best interests as its primary goal. It’s using you; making itself just compelling enough that you’ll pick it up, at which point it can monetize every last ounce of your time and data. It’s what we might call an extractive technology, as it seeks to extract value from you instead of providing it. ​My philosophy of techno-selectionism​ builds on a simple belief: we must become significantly more critical and choosy about the tools we allow into our lives. This goal becomes complicated when we filter our choices based solely on whether something can plausibly offer us any benefit. Nearly everything passes that low bar. But if we distinguish between additive and extractive technologies, clarity emerges. The key is not whether that app, device, or site is flashy or potentially cool. What matters is whose interest it ultimately serves. If it’s not our own, why bother? Life’s too short to miss time on the phone with grandma. The post On Additive and Extractive Technologies appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

A reader recently sent me ​a Substack post​ they thought I might like. “I bought my kids an old-school phone to keep smartphones out of their hands while still letting them chat with friends,” the post’s author, Priscilla Harvey, writes. “But it’s turned into the sweetest, most unexpected surprise: my son’s new daily conversations with his grandmothers.” As Harvey continues, her son has adopted the habit of stretching out on the couch, talking to his grandmother on a retro rotary-style phone, the long cable stretching across the room. “There’s no scrolling, no distractions, no comparisons, no dopamine hits to chase,” she notes. “Instead he is just listening to stories, asking questions, and having the comfort of knowing someone who loves him is listening on the other end of the line.” The post’s surface message is one about kids and technology. Harvey, defiantly pushed back against the culture of weary resignation surrounding our youth and phone use, and discovered something sacred. But I think there’s a more general idea lurking here as well. The telephone, in its original hard-plastic, curly-wired form, is an example of what we might call an additive technology. Its goal is to take something you value—like talking to people you know—and make this activity easier and more accessible. You want to talk to your grandmother? Dial her number, and her voice fills your ear, clear and immediate. The phone seeks strictly to add value to your life. Now compare this to Instagram. The value proposition is suddenly muddled. You might enjoy aspects of this app: the occasional diversion, the rare update from a cherished friend. But with these joys come endless sorrows as well. The scrolling can become worryingly addictive, while the content tends to devolve into a digital slurry—equal parts mind-numbing and anxiety-inducing. Unlike the straightforward benefits of a landline, it soon becomes clear that this tool doesn’t have your best interests as its primary goal. It’s using you; making itself just compelling enough that you’ll pick it up, at which point it can monetize every last ounce of your time and data. It’s what we might call an extractive technology, as it seeks to extract value from you instead of providing it. ​My philosophy of techno-selectionism​ builds on a simple belief: we must become significantly more critical and choosy about the tools we allow into our lives. This goal becomes complicated when we filter our choices based solely on whether something can plausibly offer us any benefit. Nearly everything passes that low bar. But if we distinguish between additive and extractive technologies, clarity emerges. The key is not whether that app, device, or site is flashy or potentially cool. What matters is whose interest it ultimately serves. If it’s not our own, why bother? Life’s too short to miss time on the phone with grandma. The post On Additive and Extractive Technologies appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

If you’re feeling disoriented as summer ends, you’re not alone. Summer is a memory-making season, and a lot of that is because we let things slide. My kids’ bedtime became fluid when we were busy catching lightning bugs or watching The Parent Trap (for the 18th time). My work schedule wasn’t necessarily specific days and The post Post-summer reset: How to rebuild routines without overwhelming yourself appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Buying a home in paradise is often pursued as the ultimate escape. But what if there was a way to live in a home in paradise indefinitely, get rich, and keep the freedom of a traveler? Spoiler alert: There is. If you’re enjoying life abroad and, like a responsible adult, considering home ownership, you’re on ... Read moreView the full article

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to set up an integration that will sync Smartsheet rows with HubSpot work items through an automated 2-way flow from Unito. Since Unito is a completely customizable platform with a no-code interface, you can set up this integration without any support from your technical teams. No need to troubleshoot complex automations or rely on expensive consultants, either. More of a visual learner? Check out this video tutorial for a very similar integration. By the end of this guide your Smartsheet-HubSpot integration will: Create new Smartsheet rows automatically based on HubSpot work items. Create new HubSpot work items synced with Smartsheet rows. Update fields in real-time with a two-way sync when you work in either tool. In this article: Connect Smartsheet and HubSpot to Unito Choose a flow direction for new work items Set rules to sync specific Smartsheet rows and HubSpot work items Map fields between Smartsheet and HubSpot Launch your Smartsheet-HubSpot integration Step 1: Connect Smartsheet and HubSpot to Unito Sign up for Unito if you haven’t already. Navigate to the Unito app and click +Create Flow. Click Start Here to connect Smartsheet and HubSpot. Click +Choose account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Choose the HubSpot work item you want to sync. Unito’s HubSpot integration can sync tasks, tickets, and deals. Click Confirm. Connecting tools to Unito for the first time? Here’s an in-depth guide. Step 2: Choose flow direction for rows and tickets With flow direction, you choose where Unito automatically creates work items to match those you create manually. You have three options: 2-way: Both Smartsheet rows and HubSpot work items are automatically created by your Unito flow to match items you create manually in each tool. 1-way from Smartsheet to HubSpot: HubSpot items will be automatically created by Unito to match Smartsheet rows you create manually. Unito won’t create new Smartsheet rows. 1-way from HubSpot to Smartsheet: Smartsheet rows will be automatically created by Unito to match HubSpot items you create manually. Unito won’t create new HubSpot items. Here’s a more detailed guide to how flow direction works. Step 3: Build rules to sync specific work items Unito rules can do two things: Filter out work items you don’t want synced. For example, you could create a rule that only syncs HubSpot tickets opened after a certain date. Automate certain actions. For example, you could create a rule that automatically assigns a new Smartsheet row to a certain person your team. To start building your rule, click Add a new rule, then choose a trigger and action. You can learn more about setting rules here. Step 4: Map fields between Smartsheet and HubSpot When you map fields, you pair fields in Smartsheet with fields in HubSpot so data always goes right where it needs to be. Unito can usually map most fields automatically, whether they’re exactly the same (Owner→Owner) or just compatible (URL→Text). You can also choose to map fields manually to fully customize your flow. Here’s what you’ll see when Unito maps your fields automatically. You can add a field mapping by clicking +Add mapping, then Select a field. When you choose the field you want to map in one tool, Unito will automatically recommend compatible fields in a dropdown under the other tool. Some fields have a cog icon. They can be customized further once they’re mapped. For example, a Status field can be customized so its options match those in another field. Step 5: Launch your Smartsheet-HubSpot integration That’s it! You’re ready to launch your flow. Unito will automatically keep Smartsheet rows and HubSpot work items in sync. This will allow your teams to collaborate more effectively without copying and pasting data or jumping back and forth between tools. Ready to optimize your support workflow? Meet with our team to see what Unito can do for your workflows. Talk to sales What’s next? Need to integrate Smartsheet or HubSpot with other tools in your stack? Check out our other guides: Syncing Smartsheet with Asana Connecting HubSpot to ServiceNow Integrating Smartsheet with ServiceNow Integrating HubSpot and Jira Connecting Smartsheet with Azure DevOps Syncing HubSpot and Google Sheets View the full article

The solution is compatible with most enterprise Wi-Fi vendors, Helium says. The post Helium becomes ‘the Uber of telecoms’ as Helium Plus invites you to share your Wi-Fi, build coverage, & earn tokens appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in August 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month. Scaling Innovation: How Smart Companies Architect Profitable Growth by Madhavan Ramanujam and Eddie Hartman The brutal truth: most startups and scale-ups don't fail because of bad products. They fail because they never figure out how to grow fast―and profitably. Some chase market share at all costs, burning cash on customers who won't pay enough to sustain the business. Others over-monetize too soon, pushing away the customers they need to reach scale. Still others obsess over customer loyalty, missing larger markets and monetization potential. And then there are those who assume a great product will sell itself, only to realize too late that pricing, packaging, positioning and value selling matter just as much. The true winners take a different approach. They adopt a Profitable Growth Mindset, refusing to choose between market expansion and monetization―instead, they dominate both. Instead of relying on instinct or momentum. Confident by Choice: The Three Small Decisions That Build Everyday Courage by Juan Bendaña What if you could summon genuine confidence anytime you need it? Being happier, building better relationships, overcoming fear: the missing link between you and everything you want to achieve is self-confidence. The problem? Confidence is hard to build, and even when we do, it often feels temporary and forced. After years of research and working with over 250,000 individuals, Juan Bendaña uncovered the four myths about confidence that actually cause and reinforce self-doubt. Confidence is not linked to genetics, extraversion, insecurities, or competence. To combat these myths, Juan Bendaña developed the Confidence Cycle, a repeatable flywheel that will help you gain and sustain confidence in every aspect of life through three key decisions: Decision #1: Micro-Energy, Decision #2: Micro-Courage, Decision #3: Micro-Action Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly by Les Csorba Great leaders don’t just see the path ahead—they see themselves clearly first; mastering self-awareness is the difference between thriving at the top and blindly leading toward failure. Great leaders aren’t just skilled strategists—they’re deeply self-aware. In Aware, Les Csorba, reveals how identifying blind spots and having the courage to address them can determine the success or failure of a leader and their organization. Drawing from decades of experience as a Partner with Heidrick & Struggles, the worldwide recruiting and leadership consulting firm advising top executives and Fortune 500 corporate boards—and his time serving as Special Assistant to the President in the White House —Les shares how self-awareness, paired with bold action, separates exceptional leaders from those who fall short. Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions by L. David Marquet and Michael A. Gillespie Be yourself. Be fully present. Be in the moment. This is a message we hear constantly. While this may be beneficial some of the time, the biggest obstacle to making wiser decisions that actually drive lasting success is ourselves. Being fully immersed in our own limited point of view biases our decisions toward defending our previous actions and maintaining our self-image. We need to exit our me-here-and-now self and get an outside perspective that sees us and the situation we are in objectively. We need a coach. This book shows us how to become our own coach by using a mental technique called psychological distancing. Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know by Angus Fletcher Tap into your hidden intelligence and transform your life. How are some people so much smarter than the rest of us? Where do visionary creatives and savvy decision-makers like Vincent van Gogh, Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Maya Angelou, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Wayne Gretzky, Warren Buffett, and William Shakespeare get their extraordinary mental abilities? In 2021, researchers at Ohio State’s Project Narrative, renowned for collaborations with NASA, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley, announced they had the answer. They named it Primal Intelligence. And they published scientific proof that Primal Intelligence was impossible for computers—but could be strengthened in humans. Intrigued, U.S. Army Special Operations developed Primal training for its most classified units. The Army then authorized trials on civilian entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, managers, salesforces, coaches, teachers, investors, and NFL players. Their leadership and innovation improved significantly. They coped better with change and uncertainty. They experienced less anger and anxiety. Finally, the Army provided Primal training to college and K-12 classrooms. It produced substantial effects in students as young as eight. For bulk orders call 1-626-441-2024 * * * “You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.” — Paul Graham, Y Combinator co-founder * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. 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. Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter on cultivating a mental focus: “As Al continues to advance and become more integrated into our working lives, it’s likely to further exacerbate the challenges posed by our already-distracted and data-filled environment. This new reality needs—no, demands—a proactive stance. Leaders who want to be successful today and tomorrow must commit to a more rigorous practice of cultivating inner stillness. They need to develop a deliberate, meaningful approach to managing the inner game of leadership—which starts with the mind. Actively cultivating a mind that is clearer and more spacious prevents leaders from being consumed by this relentless flow of data and enables them to make wiser, more informed decisions.” Source: More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead II. Jennifer Moss on eating lunch together: “Working remotely doesn’t have to be a barrier to building relational energy. Just take lunch with you and away from your desk. Call a friend or meet a friend. Go outside if you can. Eating lunch with others pays off. One study found that participants who ate together were more cooperative and trusting compared to those who did not. Eating with others also improved tenure and enhanced overall work group performance.” Source: Why Are We Here? Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants * * * 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

Here is a selection of Posts from July 2025 that you will want to check out: 4 Lessons on Selecting the Right Leader for Your Organization from Guardiola and Silva by @BrianKDodd King's Legacy Continues to Serve by @jamesstrock Our Founders' Humanity Renders Their Example Compelling The Power of Self-Reflection: Transform Your Life from Within via @lifehackorg Leon Ho What is The Foundation of Achievement? 3 Leadership Lessons from Ichiro Suzuki’s Hall of Fame Speech by @BrianKDodd BREAK THE PLATEAU: How High Performers Raise Their Game When the Spark Fades by @AlanSteinJr Don’t Let Five Bad Minutes Steal Your Day by @TheDaily_Coach Our ability to pause, reframe, and reset during a bad five minutes—before an inconvenience becomes a mood, and before that mood becomes your message—is critical When to Ignore the Critics by @KevinPaulScott How To Lead When Your Team is Smarter or More Experienced Than You by @PhilCooke How (and Why) to Think Like an Entrepreneur by @brucerosenstein When the Growing Gets Tough by @Julie_WG If a Leader Had Only One Question They Could Ask via @AdmiredLeader The Leaders Who Say the Least: No Speech Needed via @TheDaily_Coach Everlasting Epilogue by @James_Albright Struggling to Write Consistently? 8 Proven Ways to Maintain Your Momentum! by @WallyBock The Lopsided Truth: Why Writing Your First Book Isn’t as Easy as It Looks by @WallyBock Why Some People Are Clutch via @AdmiredLeaders For America 250: The Theodore Roosevelt Center for American Citizenship from @jamesstrock Why Resistance to Change So Often Defies Logic by Greg Satell @Digitaltonto Is Your Book a Secret? Turn Marketing Into a Habit, Not a Chore by @WallyBock Culture is Everything by @XPastorOnline Kevin Stone July 4th: A Moment for Humility by @jamesstrock Things Could Have Turned Out Differently Why Your Crisis Could Be The Key To Your Creativity by @PhilCooke What Does Leadership Growth Really Look Like? 3 Clear Signs by @WScottCochrane See more on Twitter. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

When you need to integrate your tools, you have more than a few options. Robotic process automation, workflow automation, two-way sync, and native integrations are just some of your options. So what are native integrations? When should you use them? What is a native integration? An integration is a piece of software that bridges the gap between two other platforms, allowing for the transfer of data between them. A native integration is built right into another tool, empowering users to push data from that tool to another without any extra software. These integrations have different levels of functionality, with some only giving you a snapshot of what’s happening in another tool, while others can actually sync data back and forth in real time. Key characteristics of a native integration Built directly into the tool to be integrated. Developed by the original software vendor. Accessible through the application’s standard interface. Range of functionality, from read-only views to two-way synchronization. The benefits of native integrations There are many integration solutions out on the market, from two-way sync platforms to automation tools and robotic process automation. With native integrations just being one option among many, why use them at all? They’re easy to set up: Native integrations are built specifically for your tool by the team who built that tool. That means they’re usually easier to deploy than other integration solutions. They’re a strong choice for a first integration: If your team doesn’t have any integrations and knows they need one, native integrations are a great place to start. They might be enough for your needs: For some teams, a snapshot of data from another tool is more than enough. Think of project managers who just want a look into how software development projects are progressing. They’re often cheaper: Many native integrations are built right into existing subscriptions for other tools, meaning you don’t have to pay for any additional licenses to use them. The disadvantages of native integrations While native integrations come with some marked advantages, they aren’t always the best solution for your needs. Before you consider your options, here are some disadvantages of native integrations to keep in mind. They’re typically more limited: Native integrations are typically created for a very specific purpose, such as Jira’s native Confluence integration, which puts documentation from Confluence at the fingertips of developers in Jira. That means these integrations don’t always support everything you need to do. They don’t scale: Native integrations can handle light, recurring tasks well, but they can rarely serve as the backbone of your workflows. If you need an integration that can support heavy cross-tool workflows, native integrations might not be your best bet. They don’t integrate everything: With native integrations, you’ll be limited to the tools the integration’s provider has built. Unlike third-party integration solutions, which typically benefit from having a broader array of integrations, native integration providers offer a more limited range. They lock you in: As long as you’re using the platform that has the native integration you learn to rely on, this shouldn’t be an issue. But as soon as you need to migrate away from that platform, you’ll need to find a new integration. 5 examples of native integrations Native integrations have seen a massive growth in popularity. That means just about any tool you use probably has a few already. Here are a few examples of native integrations, what they look like, and what they can do for your workflow. Slack apps Slack apps give users extra functionality without leaving Slack. Some of them are built by the team at Slack while others are provided by third parties. With dozens of apps available, the exact level of integration you get can vary widely, but they all have one thing in common; you can use them without leaving Slack. Some of the most popular Slack apps include: Google Drive, which pushes notifications from Drive to Slack. Google Calendar, an app that lets you check your schedule and respond to meeting invites. Zoom, with which you can create Zoom meetings without leaving Slack. Jira, an app that gives you notifications and previews for Jira issues in Slack. GitHub’s built-in Jira integration GitHub and Jira are two of the most popular tools for software teams, so it’s no surprise that GitHub would offer a native integration that brings the two together. With this integration, Jira users can get quick previews of any work happening in GitHub, while GitHub users can actually interact with Jira issues without leaving their tool. These interactions range from closing Jira issues to updating time-tracking fields. Microsoft 365 native integrations You might not think of your Microsoft apps as being integrated, but they’re actually a perfect example of native integrations. You can embed PowerPoint slides in Word, explore Excel documents in a Team meeting without sharing your screen, and more. Because you don’t have to add any extra software for these tools to work together, they count as native integrations. Trello’s native Jira integration This Trello Power-Up lets Jira and Trello users collaborate on their work without jumping back and forth between the two tools. You can add a snapshot of a Jira issue in any Trello card with just a few clicks, giving project managers visibility on what’s happening in your software projects. Asana’s native Jira integration This native integration creates a two-way sync between Asana and Jira, so that Asana tasks become Jira issues and vice versa. That means teams in Jira can work with their issues populated with data from Asana, and Asana teams can work with data from Jira. Trello’s GitHub Power-Up GitHub is one of the most popular version control tools in software development. This native integration lets Trello users get a look at what’s happening in GitHub. Salesforce AppExchange integrations Salesforce provides native integrations with marketing automation, customer service, and analytics platforms directly through its AppExchange marketplace. How to use native integrations Now that you’ve seen what native integrations are like, here’s how you can make sure you deploy one the right way. Identifying your needs Just like all integrations aren’t created equal, your teams’ needs aren’t all equal. For some teams, a simple snapshot of data from another tool is more than enough to collaborate effectively. Others need a full two-way sync to get things done. Make sure to get an accurate read on a team’s needs before you pick out an integration solution for them. Setting up your native integration One of the advantages of native integrations is how easy to set up; they can usually be added to your tools in just a few minutes. But those few minutes add up. Before you deploy any integration, you need to check whether they can be deployed across everyone’s tool at once or you’ll have to plan things out more thoroughly. Leveraging your integration effectively Picking the right integration and setting it up are important, but that won’t guarantee it’ll get used properly. Make sure the people who’ll be using the integration have the proper training to use it correctly. Take the time to show them the time and productivity benefits they’ll gain from using it, and help them find opportunities for implementing it. When should you use native integrations? FeatureNative integrationsThird-party platformsSetup timeMinutes to hoursHours to monthsCustomizationLimitedExtensiveCostOften included with existing subscriptionAdditional license costSupportSame as existing toolDedicated supportScalabilityApplication-dependentEnterprise-gradeSecurityVendor-managedThird-party Native integrations can be a perfect fit for some needs, while not being as perfect for others. Here are the ideal scenarios for using native integrations: Your operations are still small: Whether you don’t rely on that many tools or you don’t have much data to integrate, native integrations can work for you. Basic data connectivity between a handful of applications is where native integrations shine. Limited technical resources: If your organization doesn’t have dedicated IT or engineering resources to build and maintain an integration platform, then native integrations might work best for you. One-way data flow or automation: While some native integrations support two-way syncing between tools, most don’t. They’ll give you a read-only view of one tool, push new work items from one tool to another, or automate field updates in one tool. If that’s all you need, then these tools might be enough. When should you not use a native integration? While native integrations are easy to set up, simple to use, and more than enough for some teams, they’re not always the best solution. Here are some situations when you should be looking for an alternative. When it isn’t available While most tools you use will have at least a few integrations, they may not have the ones you need. Some tools, especially, only have a few integrations available. If that’s the case, don’t wait for a native integration; start looking for another option. GitHub, for example, doesn’t allow you to natively export issues to other tools in easily transferrable files like CSV. When you need more Most native integrations have limited functionality, meaning they’re not going to suit every team. When a native integration isn’t cutting it for you, don’t just make do. When you want your tools to feel seamless Native integrations are great for setting up a simple connection between two tools, but they don’t make working across tools feel seamless. If that’s what you’re looking for, a native integration isn’t going to cut it. So what should you do? What other integration options are there? While native integrations might be the easiest to access — and they’re usually built into an existing subscription — they’re not always the best solution. Here are some of your other options. Building integrations If you have the resources, you can have development teams or engineers build an integration specifically for your needs. You can do this completely from scratch, usually by accessing information pulled from a platform’s API. You can also use third-party integration tools that centralize these APIs, accelerating your technical team’s work. Note that integration development is often the most expensive option, in both time and money, but it leads to a solution specifically tailored to your needs. Automation platforms Automation platforms like Zapier and Make can use actions you take in one tool as triggers to automate actions in other tools. For example, if you create a Jira issue, an automation platform can automatically create a matching record in ServiceNow. It might also update a field in a ServiceNow record when you update a matched field in another tool. Depending on your needs, these tools can get expensive, but not as much as building your own version. Two-way sync solutions Two-way sync solutions create relationships between work items in two software systems and keeps them up to date automatically. These integration platforms will automatically create new items to match the ones you create manually, as well as keeping fields up to date in both tools. These platforms are the best way to work seamlessly across tools, migrate at your own pace, or build reports that are automatically updated with the latest data. Want to know the best two-way sync solution for enterprise teams? Unito: The best alternative to native integrations The best integration solution should find a balance between being as easy to use as the tool it’s integrating and handling all your team’s needs. Native integrations don’t fit that bill. Most integration platforms on the market don’t either. Only Unito does. Unito is a new approach to two-way syncing with some of the deepest integrations for the most popular tools on the market. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and most Unito users start syncing data in 12 minutes or less. Ready to optimize your workflow? Meet with our team to see what Unito can do for your workflows. Talk to sales View the full article

So, to clear up the confusion, I’ll show you the key metrics that really matter, explain how to make sense of them, and show you how to do it all with one free, privacy-friendly tool that’s ready for the AI…Read more ›View the full article

This guide will teach you how to set up an integration to sync ServiceNow records with Jira issues using an automated 2-way flow from Unito. Since Unito is a completely customizable platform with a no-code interface, you can deploy your first integration without an IT team. You also won’t have to troubleshoot complete automations or work with expensive consultants. More of a visual learner? Check out this video tutorial for syncing ServiceNow and Jira. By the end of this guide your ServiceNow-Jira integration will: Create new Jira issues automatically based on ServiceNow records you create. Create new ServiceNow records synced with the Jira issues you work on. Update fields in real-time as you work in both tools. In this article: Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time Setup in Jira Step 1: Connect ServiceNow and Jira to Unito Step 2: Choose flow direction Step 3: Build rules to sync specific work items Step 4: Set field mappings between ServiceNow and Jira Step 5: Launch your ServiceNow-Jira integration Before you sync You need to connect a ServiceNow account with CRUD rights (create, read, update, and delete) for the records and tables you plan on syncing to Unito. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your ServiceNow admin for guidance. Connecting ServiceNow to Unito for the first time A ServiceNow admin needs to set up the initial connection between Unito and your ServiceNow account. From there, you can authorize Unito to sync data out of ServiceNow using OAuth 2.0 or a username and password. Make sure you have the following information on hand to connect your account: ServiceNow Domain URL: https://INSTANCENAME.service-now.com OAuth 2.0: An OAuth Client ID and Secret Username: Your ServiceNow username and password Setup in Jira If you’re connecting Jira to Unito via OAuth2, then simply follow the on-screen instructions when adding your account for the first time: If you’re not using OAuth 2 to connect to your Jira Cloud workspace, you’ll need to do the following: Set your Jira contact email visibility to anyone in your Jira profile page. Set up an application link in Jira to sync your issues to ServiceNow. If you’re connecting an on-premise Jira Server instance to Unito, you’ll need to follow this guide. You can also use ngrok to connect Jira Server to Unito. Step 1: Connect ServiceNow and Jira to Unito Sign up for Unito. Click +Create Flow in the Unito app. Click Start Here to connect ServiceNow and Jira. Click +Choose account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Choose the type of ServiceNow record you want to include in your flow. Unito supports all record types, including requests and incidents. Choose the ServiceNow table and Jira project you want to sync. Once that’s done, click Confirm. First time connecting tools to Unito? Check out our in-depth guide. Step 2: Choose flow direction With flow direction, you determine where Unito automatically creates work items to match those you create manually. You have three options: 2-way: Both ServiceNow records and Jira issues are automatically created by your Unito flow to match the items your team creates manually in each tool. 1-way from ServiceNow to Jira: Jira issues will be automatically created by Unito to match ServiceNow records you create manually. Unito won’t create new ServiceNow records. 1-way from Jira to ServiceNow: ServiceNow records will be automatically created by Unito to match Jira issues you create manually. Unito won’t create new Jira issues. Here’s a more detailed guide to how flow direction works. Step 3: Build rules to sync specific work items Unito rules can do two things: Filter out work items you don’t want to sync. For example, you could create a rule that only syncs records set as High priority. Automating certain actions. For example, you could create a rule that automatically assigns new Jira issues to a specific user. To start building your rule, click Add a new rule, then choose a trigger and action. You can learn more about setting rules here. Step 4: Map fields between ServiceNow and Jira When you map fields, you pair fields in ServiceNow with fields in Jira so data always goes right where it needs to be. Unito can usually map most fields automatically, whether they’re exactly the same (Assignee→Assignee) or compatible (URL→Text). You can also choose to map fields manually to fully customize your flow. Here’s what you’ll see when Unito maps your fields automatically. To add a new field mapping, click +Add mapping then Select a field. When you choose the field you want to map in one tool, Unito will automatically recommend compatible fields in a dropdown under the other tool. Fields identified with a cog icon can be customized further once they’re mapped. For example, a Status field can be customized so its options match those in another field. Step 5: Launch your ServiceNow-Jira integration That’s it! You’re ready to launch your flow. Unito will automatically keep ServiceNow records and Jira issues in sync. This will allow your teams to collaborate more effectively without copying and pasting data or jumping back and forth between tools. Ready to optimize your workflow? Meet with our team to see what Unito can do for your workflows. Talk to sales What’s next? Need to integrate ServiceNow or HubSpot with other tools in your stack? Check out our other guides: Syncing ServiceNow with Asana Integrating Jira with GitHub Connecting ServiceNow and Google Sheets Syncing Jira with Smartsheet Integrating ServiceNow and Azure DevOps Connecting Jira with Salesforce Syncing ServiceNow and Zendesk View the full article

One of the most challenging parts of freelancing is figuring out what you’re going to do about healthcare. Unlike traditional workplaces, which provide employees with healthcare plans, freelancers typically do not receive insurance plans from their clients. This can often leave freelancers in a precarious position, forcing them to pay high out-of-pocket prices for health insurance plans, relying on a partner’s employer healthcare coverage, or in certain cases, forgoing insurance entirely. New legislation seeks to change this, clearing barriers for clients to disperse money into an independent worker’s account to use for healthcare and other benefits like time off. These accounts would then stay with the worker throughout the rest of their gigs, accumulating money from different sources, and as such are known as portable benefits. This could have enormous potential for freelancers who struggle to build a safety net — however, it must be done correctly, and with workers’ needs put first. The bill that’s been introduced is called Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act, written by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as part of a legislative package created with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-SC) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Under the bill, companies could invest in benefits like healthcare of their independent workers, but it can also shield them from misclassification lawsuits. Some labor experts see it as a way for companies — particularly Lyft and Uber — to side-step classifying their workers as employees, and allow them to abscond from paying the costs associated with a full-time worker, like unemployment insurance and workers comp. Plus, the ability to opt into these programs is completely voluntary, and a pilot program in Pennsylvania saw DoorDash workers seeing only minimal gains from such an account. “These proposals would make it easier for large corporations to misclassify workers as independent contractors, in order to avoid paying them decent wages and decent benefits. These bills are not about giving workers the freedom to work,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told ABC7. The senator has introduced his own bill, Pensions for All, to help those without retirement plans gain coverage. Freelancers Union executive director Rafael Espinal appeared on NY1 to assess the current opportunities and challenges that portable benefits present. “Republicans have a history of putting corporate interests first, which is why I want to see Democrats step up to the table and start advocating for the needs of the workers,” Espinal said. If you want to ensure that portable benefits puts your interests and needs above that of corporations, we encourage you to reach out to your elected officials and ask them what their stance is on portable benefits, and what they plan to do about it. This could be a huge opportunity to move forward the conversation on workers’ rights — but it all depends on who’s speaking. View the full article

One of the most challenging parts of freelancing is figuring out what you’re going to do about healthcare. Unlike traditional workplaces, which provide employees with healthcare plans, freelancers typically do not receive insurance plans from their clients. This can often leave freelancers in a precarious position, forcing them to pay high out-of-pocket prices for health insurance plans, relying on a partner’s employer healthcare coverage, or in certain cases, forgoing insurance entirely. New legislation seeks to change this, clearing barriers for clients to disperse money into an independent worker’s account to use for healthcare and other benefits like time off. These accounts would then stay with the worker throughout the rest of their gigs, accumulating money from different sources, and as such are known as portable benefits. This could have enormous potential for freelancers who struggle to build a safety net — however, it must be done correctly, and with workers’ needs put first. The bill that’s been introduced is called Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act, written by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as part of a legislative package created with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-SC) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Under the bill, companies could invest in benefits like healthcare of their independent workers, but it can also shield them from misclassification lawsuits. Some labor experts see it as a way for companies — particularly Lyft and Uber — to side-step classifying their workers as employees, and allow them to abscond from paying the costs associated with a full-time worker, like unemployment insurance and workers comp. Plus, the ability to opt into these programs is completely voluntary, and a pilot program in Pennsylvania saw DoorDash workers seeing only minimal gains from such an account. “These proposals would make it easier for large corporations to misclassify workers as independent contractors, in order to avoid paying them decent wages and decent benefits. These bills are not about giving workers the freedom to work,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told ABC7. The senator has introduced his own bill, Pensions for All, to help those without retirement plans gain coverage. Freelancers Union executive director Rafael Espinal appeared on NY1 to assess the current opportunities and challenges that portable benefits present. “Republicans have a history of putting corporate interests first, which is why I want to see Democrats step up to the table and start advocating for the needs of the workers,” Espinal said. If you want to ensure that portable benefits puts your interests and needs above that of corporations, we encourage you to reach out to your elected officials and ask them what their stance is on portable benefits, and what they plan to do about it. This could be a huge opportunity to move forward the conversation on workers’ rights — but it all depends on who’s speaking. View the full article

Hybrid meetings have become the norm, allowing teams to collaborate across the entire globe. However, this blend of in-person and remote participants can often present challenges, from ensuring everyone feels equally involved to capturing every crucial detail. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful game-changer, transforming hybrid meetings from logistical hurdles into highly equitable, accessible, and productive collaboration hubs. View the full article

Writing the right SEO title or meta description can be time-consuming, especially when unsure what works best. That’s where Yoast AI Generate comes in. Now, all Yoast SEO users can try it with 10 free Sparks. What does Yoast AI Generate do? Yoast AI Generate suggests SEO titles and meta descriptions based on your content and keyphrase to help your content stand out in search results and attract more visitors. It analyzes your post and offers tailored suggestions that are clear, relevant, and optimized for search, without starting from scratch. Use Yoast AI Generate to: Speed up your workflow Improve your search snippet quality Feel more confident about what you publish You stay in control: review, edit, or regenerate suggestions before applying them. Here’s why you’ll love this opportunity You can try Yoast AI Generate with 10 free Sparks You don’t need to create an account You don’t need to upgrade or share credit card information The free sparks do not regenerate; this is a one-time offer. Why we’re offering this Not everyone can experience the effectiveness of our AI tools, especially if you’re using the free plugin. This offer makes it easy to try Yoast AI Generate immediately and see the value for yourself, without needing to commit. It’s a simple way to explore what smarter SEO can look like in your workflow Read how to use Yoast AI Generate in your Yoast SEO and start optimizing. The post Try AI-powered SEO with 10 free Sparks. appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Table of contents Choose what AI sees Why this matters Built for the future of SEO AI tools are changing how people discover your website, and not always in the way you’d want. They might surface old blog posts, low-priority pages, or content that no longer reflects your brand. That can confuse users, damage trust, and dilute your expertise. That’s where llms.txt comes in. And now, you can personalize it. Choose what AI sees The llms.txt file points large language models to the content on your site that deserves attention. With the latest update, you’re in control: Manual mode: Pick the exact pages you want to include. Automatic mode: Let Yoast handle it by prioritizing cornerstone content. Updated for you weekly. Easy toggle: Turn the feature on or off anytime. No coding, uploads, or extra tools. Why this matters AI is already influencing how people experience your site and brands through summaries, answers, and search results. If it highlights the wrong content, it can: Misrepresent your business Confuse your audience Undermine your credibility This update gives you more control over how your site is understood by large language models now and as AI-driven search continues to evolve. Built for the future of SEO Fully integrated in Yoast SEO and Yoast SEO Premium No third-party plugins needed Designed specifically for AI visibility, not just general SEO You’ll find all llms.txt settings in the Site Features panel. Just flip the switch and choose the setup that works best for you. Learn how to set up llms.txt in Yoast SEO The post Updated llms.txt: More control for future discovery appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

Hello folks, The more I read about AI, the more I’m torn—am I becoming AI-ffectionate, or just AI-nxious? One thing I’m sure of: AI isn’t just changing how we work. It’s reshaping our language, the way we communicate, what we need to be cautious about—and in the world of remote work and hiring, even how we prove we’re actually human. Now that AI can do the thinking, is it possible that the most human thing left… is waving? -Maja Our Favorite Articles 💯Hiring Meets Its Deepfake Era (HR Brew)By 2028, 1 in 4 job applications could be deepfakes. To tell who's real, recruiters are asking some very unusual questions.👉 ​Keep reading​. The Hidden Damage AI Can Do at Work (ACM)AI is exploiting human biases and breaking systems from within. Left unchecked, it slowly erodes decision-making and trust. 👉 ​Find out how.​ Quick thoughts that stick (3‑2‑1, James Clear)Simple but strategic habits that compound into meaningful change. A reminder that small shifts often matter more than big plans. 👉 ​Read on​. Stuck? These questions might help (Lifehacker)Mindset diagnostics to reset engagement and energy. A gentle nudge toward clarity when motivation feels out of reach. 👉 ​Check it out​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Too many emails? Declutter your inbox with Meco, your home for reading newsletters. Try it for free ​Remotive​ Jobs 💼Let's get you hired! These teams are hiring now: 💻 Engineering 👉 ​Senior Django Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Independent Software Developer at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 🎨 Design 👉 ​Senior Independent UX/UI Designer at A.Team​ (Americas, Europe, Israel) 📱Product 👉 ​Chief Product Officer at smartIBAN​ (European Timezones) 🍃 All others 👉 ​Entrepreneurial Apprentice to Eccentric Millionaire at JLS Trading Co​ (Worldwide) 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

In the wake of my recent (and inaugural) visit to Disneyland, I read Richard Snow’s history of the park, Disney’s Land. Early in the book, Snow tells a story that I hadn’t heard before. It fascinated me—not just for its details, but also, as I’ll soon elaborate, for its potential relevance to our current moment. The tale begins in 1948. According to Snow, Disney’s personal nurse and informal confidant, Hazel George, had become worried. “[She] began to sense that her boss was sinking into what seemed to her to be a dangerous depression,” Snow writes. “Perhaps even heading toward what was then called a nervous breakdown.” The sources of this distress were obvious. Disney’s studio hadn’t had a hit since Bambi’s release in 1942, and the loss of the European markets during the war, as well as the economic uncertainty that followed in peacetime, had strained the company’s finances. Meanwhile, during this same period, Disney faced an animator strike that he took as a personal betrayal. “It seemed again to just be pound, pound, pound,” writes Snow. “Disney was often aggressive, abrupt, and when not angry, remote.” Hazel George, however, had a solution. She knew about Disney’s childhood fascination with steam trains, so it caught her attention when she saw an advertisement in the paper for the Chicago Railroad Fair, which would feature exhibits from thirty different railway lines built out over fifty acres on the shore of Lake Michigan. She suggested Disney take a vacation to see the fair. He loved the idea. In Chicago, entranced by what he encountered, Disney felt a spark of the creative enthusiasm that had been missing throughout the war years. He just needed to find a way to harness it. Serendipitously, upon returning to Los Angeles, one of his animators, Ward Kimball, introduced him to a group of West Coast train enthusiasts who were building scale models of functioning steam trains large enough for an adult to ride on (think: cars roughly the length of a child’s wagon). This, Disney decided, is what he needed to do. In 1949, Disney and his wife, Lillian, bought a five-acre plot of land on Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of LA, to build a new house. They chose the location in large part because Disney thought its layout would be perfect for his own scale railroad project. Over the next year, he worked with the machine shops at his studio to help construct his scale trains and with a team of landscapers to build out the track and its surroundings. When complete, Disney’s Carolwood Pacific Railroad, as he called it, included a half-mile of right-of- way that circled the house and yard, including a 46-foot-long trestle bridge and a 90-foot-long tunnel dug under his wife’s flower bed—complete with an S-turn shape so that you couldn’t see the other end upon entering. His rolling stock included his 1:8 scale steam locomotive, called the Lilly Belle, six cast-metal gondolas, two boxcars, two stock cars, a flatcar, and a wooden caboose decorated inside with miniature details like a twig-sized broom and tiny potbelly stove that could actually be lit. As Snow tells it, this project re-energized Disney. The more he worked on the line, the more ideas began to flow for his company. Soon, one such idea began to dominate all the others. In 1953, Disney abruptly shut down the Carolwood Pacific. It had accomplished its goal of helping him rediscover his creative inspiration, but now he had a bigger project to pursue; one that would dominate the final chapter of his career and provide him endless fascination and enthusiasm: he would build a theme park. As Snow concludes: “Of all the influences that helped shape Disneyland, the railroad is the seminal one. Or, rather, a railroad. One Disney owned.” ~~~ My term for what Disney achieved in building the Carolwood Pacific Railroad is engineered wonder. More generally, engineered wonder is when you take something that sparks a genuine flare of interest, and you pursue it to a degree that’s remarkable (or, depending on who you ask, perhaps even absurd). Such projects are not done for money, or advancement, or respect, but instead just because they fascinate you, and you want to amplify that feeling as expansively as possible. This brings me back to my promised connection to our current moment. In the early 1950s, Disney deployed engineered wonder to escape the creativity-sapping economic doldrums created by wartime uncertainty. Seventy-five years later, I see a more widely relevant use for this strategy: escaping the digital doldrums created by mediating too many of our experiences through screens. I increasingly worry that as we live more and more of both our personal and professional lives in the undifferentiated abstraction of the digital, we lose touch with what it’s like to grapple with the joys and difficulties of the real world: to feel real awe, or curiosity, or fascination, and not just an algorithmically-optimized burst of emotion; to see our intentions manifest concretely in the world, and not just mechanically measured by view counts and likes. Engineered wonder offers an escape from this state. It reawakens our nervous systems to what it’s like to engage with the non-digital. It teaches our brains to crave the real sensations and reactions that our screens can only simulate. It’s a way to jumpstart a more exciting chapter in our lives. During Disney’s era, the Carolwood Pacific Project likely seemed extreme to most people he encountered. Today, this extremeness might be exactly what we need. The post On Engineered Wonder appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article