✅ Today’s Checklist:
🗓️ HAPPENING TOMORROW: Stop avoiding hard conversations. Learn how to lead them with confidence at “Courageous Conversations”; free workshop on 6/19 at 9AM PT/12PM ET.
🤔 Trivia: True or false: You can still ovulate if you skip a period. Find out.
💆♀️ 6 self-care tips to help you balance work without burning out.
🔥 The weight-loss app 18M+ people are using (now 50% off with this link).
🌈 Celebrate love all year long with this global Pride event calendar.
👋 This onboarding software list helps new hires actually stick—and thrive.
Most of us are told to “save for retirement,” but what does that actually mean? In her blog post on finding your financial independence number, Tess Waresmith cuts through the noise with something radical: clarity.
Here are our favorite takeaways:
🔢 You need a number.
The 4% Rule is a solid starting point. Just multiply your desired annual retirement spending by 25. Want $70K a year? That’s a $1.75M goal. It’s not about perfection, it’s about having direction.
🧠 Your brain loves a target.
Once you know your goal, saving becomes more intentional. Every decision gets easier (and smarter).
💡 You might already be closer than you think.
Enter: Coast FI. This is the moment where your investments are working hard enough that, even if you stop contributing, they’ll grow into your full retirement number. (Hello, financial freedom!)
👀 Perfectionism isn’t the point.
Your number doesn’t need to be exact. It just needs to exist so you can course-correct with confidence.
Tired of guessing what “saving enough” actually means?
We’re teaming up with Tess and her team to offer a super approachable, value-packed workshop just for our readers!
👉 Join the “Journey to Financial Independence” workshop to run the numbers, build your roadmap, and finally feel in control of your financial future.
Because confidence looks good on you, and so does a solid retirement plan.
Setting goals is easy. Following through? That’s where most of us lose steam.
Before you crack open a fresh planner or start color-coding your to-do list, here are 4 mindset shifts that will actually move the needle:
1. Set goals you can measure
“Be more productive” is vague. “Block 2 hours every morning for deep work” is trackable. The more measurable your goal, the easier it is to build habits around it—and celebrate progress.
2. Make it hard to forget
If your goals live in your head or buried in a doc you never open, they’ll never become part of your daily rhythm. Set up visual reminders (dashboards, widgets, wall calendars) that nudge you consistently.
3. Plan for real life—not the fantasy version
A “perfect week” plan is tempting, but real life includes surprise meetings, sick days, and energy dips. Build flexibility into your system. Good goals should stretch you, not break you.
4. Focus on consistency over intensity
A giant to-do list feels impressive, but small daily actions create real momentum. A 15-minute habit you stick with beats a two-hour goal you ghost by week two.
🧰 Tools to Turn Goals Into Reality
Once your goals are clear, the right systems help you stay consistent (and maybe even enjoy the process). Here are a few of our go-tos:
Bottom line? Big goals don’t need to mean big overwhelm. Clarity, visibility, and small wins go a long way.
Balancing a full-time job while building your side hustle? Yeah, it’s a lot. I’ve been there.
At one point, I was clocking into my corporate job by day and running an online coaching busy professional women in fitness by night.
I’d wake up early to get in my workout, listen to personal development, sneak in a few client check-ins while my preworkout kicked in and hit the office by 9.
On my drive home (stuck in LA traffic), I’d send voice notes to clients and squeeze in biz development between red lights. Then I’d make dinner, put on a TV show in the background, and work my side hustle from 8 to 10 p.m.
It wasn’t easy, but it worked. And it taught me everything I know about time, purpose, and grit.
Here are 10 tips that helped me actually manage both:
1. Know It’s a Season
This level of hustle won’t last forever. Thinking of it as a short-term chapter helped me stay focused without feeling trapped.
2. Schedule Everything
If it wasn’t on my calendar, it didn’t happen. I treated side hustle time like any other non-negotiable appointment. That structure kept me productive and protected my energy.
3. Get Clear on Your Why
When people asked why I was working so hard, I shared my vision. Not everyone understood it. My (now ex) boyfriend definitely didn’t. But those who did reminded me I wasn’t crazy. That deeper sense of purpose kept me grounded on hard days.
4. Plug into Personal Development
Every morning I paired my workout with a podcast. Sometimes I’d listen while doing dishes or walking. That 10-minute mindset shift became my mental fuel and helped me stay inspired when things felt heavy.
5. Loop In Your People
I had real conversations with friends and family. I explained what I was building, why it mattered to me, and where I needed their support. Even when it was met with confusion or friction, it helped me set expectations and protect my time.
6. Build Systems
I outsourced whatever drained me. Hiring a cleaner or using grocery delivery gave me back hours I could spend on high-impact work. If I could earn more than I was paying for help, it was worth it. My energy became a currency I guarded carefully.
7. Stay Consistent
Some nights I only had 15 minutes in me, but I showed up anyway. Progress in small doses still counts. It built trust with myself and kept me moving forward even when I was tired.
8. Unplug on Purpose
I scheduled in fun, whether it was a happy hour or a solo coffee date. Hustling without rest made everything feel heavier. Taking intentional breaks helped me stay sharp and not resent the grind.
9. Prioritize Play
Before sending a pitch email, I’d turn up a fun playlist and dance in my kitchen. It shifted my energy and made the process feel less intimidating. I found joy in the small wins and treated every step forward as a reason to celebrate.
10. Eliminate Time Sucks
I put timers on my phone to limit scrolling. I distanced myself from people who drained me. Every time I said no to distractions, I gave myself more space to build what really mattered.
Balancing a corporate job and side hustle is no joke, but it’s absolutely doable. These aren’t rigid rules, they’re tools I used in the thick of it. Use what helps you. Leave what doesn’t. Just keep going. One email, one calendar block, one dance break at a time.
Thania (TA Content Mgr)
You already know Excel can crunch numbers, but what if it could also save you hours every week?
Miss Excel (aka Kat Norton) is hosting a free live class to show you how to build dashboards that are clean, clickable, and (yes) kinda life-changing.
📬 See how much time you’re losing to emails
📅 Track “this could’ve been an email” meetings
🖥 Turn your daily chaos into a sleek, smart visual
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Build interactive dashboards from scratch
✅ Automate the stuff you’re still doing manually
✅ Turn messy data into decision-ready visuals
Bonus: You’ll get her brand-new Dashboard Cheat Sheet just for signing up.
Whether you’re a spreadsheet newbie or a formula fanatic, this class will make Excel feel a lot more magical.
Can’t join live? No worries—register anyway and get the replay.
👉 Save your seat and unlock Excel’s full potential.
☀️ These bronzing drops will give you an instant glow + a dewy finish.
🗂️ The all-in-one workspace that finally makes project management manageable.
🤧 This sleek tissue box cover low-key elevates any room.
💦 Washer feeling musty? This cleaner’s your fix.
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