Strong Female Leaders: Feature

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By Freelance Contributor | Strong Female Leaders You are the CEO of your life; and a good CEO has a firm grasp on her finances. Planning for your financial future should be on the top of your priority list. The sooner you take care of what you own now, the more wealth you will have later on. Of course, if you are not used to financial planning, it could feel overwhelming. No need to fret. There are ample resources online that can get you going, starting with the YouTube channels below. Just scroll down.

Best YouTube Channels About Personal Finance

1. Marko - WhiteBoard Finance

If you spend more than you make each month, you will be in debt. The logic sounds simple but some people still get in trouble. With the easy-to-do 50/30/20 rule, investor and entrepreneur, Marko, at WhiteBoard Finance, helps you budget better so you live below your means and save up for more important things.

2. Nate O'Brien

In addition to knowing what you should do, it helps to know what you shouldn't do as well. In the video below, Millennial YouTuber explains why some financial decisions are bad for you and how to correct those decisions.

3. CNBC Make It

If you want to generate wealth, it helps to learn how others did it. In CNBC's revolutionary series, Make It: Millennial Money, young entrepreneurs share their stories, lessons learned and earnings on how they "made it," so you can too.

4. Charlie Chang

Meet Charlie, an online entrepreneur and real estate broker and investor who boasts making over $1,700 per night. A few years ago, however, he was a broke college grad who got turned down by over 20 medical schools. With zero options left, Charlie finally let go of his dream of becoming a doctor and became a real estate broker and digital marketer. Now, he is a millionaire with multiple income streams; and if you are interested in what those income streams are, then check out the video below.

5. Graham Stephan

A higher credit scores enables you to qualify for larger loans, lower interest rates on thosse loans, higher amount borrowed and various other benefits. In the video below, Graham Stephen teaches us how to get a higher credit score so you can build your credit from the ground up.

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[ Disclaimer: this article includes affiliate links.]

By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
Your life will almost always be filled with uncertainties. You can either feel anxious and defeated or embrace the ambiguity and welcome new possibilities. Of course, we all want to do the ladder but know that it is easier said than done. From grade school to grad school, we've been trained to master many things. Yet few of us have been trained to conquer life's twists and turns. What can you do to stay positive during uncertain times? Scroll down and find out.

How to Stay Positive During Uncertain Times?

1. Reframe the situation.

If the glass is half full, you will never feel desperate for water. To survive an unpredictable world, change your mindset and look for the positive in everything. Fear impairs judgement and decision-making. Instead of letting fear run wild, recognize and contain it by turning anxiety about the unknown into excitemnt for the future.
An action that you can take immediately is to write all positive thoughts in a journal. What are you excited about in the future? What made you smile today? What are you grateful for? Play the numbers game and shoot for 10, 20 or 50 good thoughts. In no time, your fear will dissapear.

2. Find out what you can and cannot control.

Uncertainty can make you feel like you've lost control. However, you've got more handle on things than you realize. You just need to take a deep breath first.
Next, draw a T-shaped table and take stock of what you know versus what you don't know. What you can find out more about versus what you can't quite understand yet. Last, what you can control versus what you cannot control.
Another exercise that you can do is the 10-question method. Reduce ambiguity by asking at least 10 questions, in order to narrow the scope and find clarity in an obscure situation. When you have found enough answers, you will realize that you have more solid information than you thought did.
No one likes the feeling of losing control; but if you focus on thinking logically, you will slowly gain it back and feel a whole lot better.

3. Make a decision and stick with it.

Winners take risks. Instead of asking 100 what-ifs and never move forward, make a decision and go for the win. Of course, you don't want to go about it blindly. Let your personal vision and intrinsic mission drive your decision-making. If what seems like a good idea doesn't lead you to where you want to go, then drop it and onto the next.
Ideas come and go, but the ones that you should execute on are the ones that get the results that you want.

4. Stop dwelling on the problems.

What you focus on is your reality. If you focus on the problems, then your reality will be filled with more problems. However, if you focus on the positive and take action to improve yourself and your situation, all your problems will go away. In spite of uncertainly, focus on making every moment a great one.

5. Trust your instincts.

Above all, you are an intuitive being. You are intelligent, experienced and confident. Even in the face of uncertainty, you know that you will come out ahead. So, if a situation is unclear, trust your gut feeling and embrace the power within. There is nothing that you cannot do if you put your mind to it, so screw the troubles around you and believe in your abilities.

6. Have a plan B.

If you are wrong, you are wrong. You can't avoid making mistakes in life, and especially during uncertain times. To be more efficient and confident, have a plan B so that when mistakes happen, you already know how to correct course. You should never let mistakes get you down. With a plan B, and sometimes C and D as well, you always have a way to move forward.

7. If all else fails, channel an alter ego.

A carefully-planned alter ego allows you to use your imagination to get from where you are to where you want to be. You don't have to become someone else, because an alter ego is just a variation of yourself. And in this variation, you are a positive light in times of uncertainly, and your "super power" is to help yourself and everyone else stay calm, collected and confident during difficult times. Ever heard of the saying "fake it til' you make it?" That's what an alter ego is for.

Parting Thoughts

A leadership mindset enables you to navigate through uncertainties and take the lead in chaos. While the world continues to evolve and grow more complex, you can stay grounded and level-headed by leaning into the storm with confidence, finesse and most importantly, positivity. You cannot predict the future but you can predict that you will prevail in the most arduous situations.

By Freelance Contributor | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
The myth about digital literacy for technical leadership is that you need to know how to code and have a strong technical background. Not entirely true. But you do need to know how to use technology to your advantage. In business, that means to use technology to achieve business goals. So what are some of the things that you should, and should not do, to master digital literacy? Scroll down to find out.

The Dos and Don'ts of Mastering Digital Literacy for Technical Leadership

Do: Learn to Speak Like a Technologist

To collaborate with and lead technologists, it helps to speak like them. You don't have to code, scrum, test software or analyze data, but you do need to understand certain keywords and jargons.
An actionable step is to engage more with the technical teams. Learn how they speak, think and solve problems. If you weren't born a natural technologist, that's okay. Surrounding yourself with technologists will improve your technical proficiency.

Don't: Learn How to Code

As highly sought-after of a skill as coding is, it is not for everyone. You might be tempted to register for an online class or join a bootcamp, but merely learning how to code will not make you a coder. To become prolific at programming, you need practice, as in writing tens and thousands of lines of code. Unless you love doing it, coding isn't for you.
Instead, your time will be better-spent on learning how to leverage the technology that you have to maximize business value, improve user experience and manage technical teams.

Do: Humble Down

When it comes to technology and software, no one can claim to be an expert. There is always a new version, app or tool being released. To keep yourself in the know, humble down and admit what you don't know. But be confident that you are a fast learner and can pick things up quickly.

Don't: Pretent That You Know It All

One of the worst things to do, with both technical and nontechnical teams, is to pretend that you know everything. You don't and you can't, and you are better off being open-minded about learning.

Do: Understand the Holistic View

A skilled technologist gets down to the details but you don't have to. You do, however, need to understand the holistic point of view of how the apps, systems, front and backend components interact with eachother and the business teams. If it seems confusing and overwhelming, then pick one businss process to focus on, and your mind will clear in no time. Follow the data flow and see if it moves smoothly from creation to depracation, or if it gets stuck in a bottle neck. Document the process and entry and exit points along the way, in order to grasp how the systems support eachother.

Don't: Get Hung Up on the Little Things

As specific as engineering problems get, your job is to get things and people to work together and not to fix every little issue. Technologists get paid a lot of money to do what they love doing. Let them handle the specifics. Your job is to make sure that they have what they need in order to work efficiently and effectively.

Do: Focus on Failing Forward

There is no perfect human being and there is no perfect technology. Code will have bugs, machines will break and teams will make mistakes. The best leaders know that failing is inevitable, especially in the technical arena. What's more important is to fail forward and fail fast. So instead of dwelling on mistakes and pointing fingers, it is your duty to ensure that teams learn from past mistakes and continue to improve.

Don't: Give Up

In a fast-paced technical domain, you will often be under pressure. And if you lead technical teams, you will also have to absorb the pressure from business and executive stakeholders, as well as from clients. You will often feel like you're stuck in the middle and because you don't have a background in technology, you will often feel under-qualified. At times, you might even want to give up. Remember that no one is perfect and that technology is one of the most difficult fields. If you must find a different position, then leave on a high. In other words: leave the place better than when you started. Meanwhile, keep up the good work until you have made a positive impact.

Parting Thoughts

In a world that is almost fully digitally transformed, knowing how to effectively use technology is crucial to business success. However, to lead technical teams, you do not need deep technical knowledge and years of experience. Some extra training and engagement will serve you well and help you master digital literacy. Focus on learning concepts instead of skills, and how technologists work instead of what you lack as a technical leader. Finally, quit confusing mastering digital literacy with being an engineer.

By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
Falling out of love with a job is like falling out of love with a person. You are no longer excited to spend time there. Instead you feel bored, disengaged and have a burning desire to seek something different. You are not quite sure of the root cause yet, but you know that the relationship has grown stagnant at the best, and lopsided and abusive at the worst. Change is inevitable and it is decision time. All you need to do right now is to find the right reason to validate your choice with.

Signs That You Should Leave Your Job Now

1. You have no future there.

Having a deadend job is worse than having no job. Instead of gaining marketable skills, you are wasting the best years of your life in a deprecating position. If you cannot leave immediately, then double-down and learn something new in your spare time and work a side gig to gain valuable experience. If your job becomes obsolete someday, you will be one step ahead in finding new opportunities.

2. You can no longer grow.

Doing something repeatedly and continuously stunts growth. If the job that you used to get excited about now feels like groundhog day, then you should look elsewhere to stimulate your intellect. A different set of challenges in a new environment brings excitement and an opportunity to build confidence. Your current job may provide security, but the complacency will eventually lessen its meaning. Leaving it, on the other hand, will give you the mental space to learn, grow and thrive.

3. You work in a toxic environment.

Do your colleagues, organizational superiors or clients insult and point their fingers at you? Do you often work overtime and are constantly exhausted? Do you feel bullied at work and have no one to turn to? They are sure signs that you should leave your job. A harsh environment causes physical exhaustion, mental breakdown and emotional trauma. No matter how much the job pays, nothing is worth more than a person's well-being. For your health, get out of there.

4. You procrastinate.

If you find yourself procrastinating with doing everything under the sun except your job, you should let it go. Perhaps you need a break? Perhaps you need a new work place? Perhaps you need to go back to school and learn a new skill? If you avoid it so much, then you should not be doing it. Maybe someday you will come back to it and fall in love again. But for right now, you have fallen out of love and need to take a break. Instead of holding on to the past, try discovering a new path forward.

5. You behave against your personal values.

Your core values define who you are, guide the choices that you make, and influence how you treat others and yourself. You join a work place not only because of the job that you do and the things that you produce, but also because its company values align with your own. When your job no longer shares the same values as you, or worse, if it makes you behave in ways that oppose your values and cripple your character, then you should walk away. No job, even if it comes with an impressive title and attractive compensation, should change who you are.

6. You fail to create a new purpose.

You have worked hard, earned a senior position and have turned a little job into a grand career. If leaving sounds too drastic of a measure, then try your best to construct a new purpose. But if you can't or fail to do so, then perhaps you shouldn't be there anymore. You have done great things but the ship has sailed. It is time to move on.

Parting Thoughts

Letting go is hard to do. It takes strength and audacity, and doesn't always work out as expected. But letting go is also a part of being alive. It gives you a fresh start, a new beginning and a different perspective. The world is full of opportunities that can be discovered only when you let go of the past. Like breaking up with someone whom you have fallen out of love with, hanging on will only cause more pain. It is best, therefore, to leave it behind. So good luck finding a new job or career path and a brighter future.

1) Seven Secrets to Getting Hired for Jobseekers: How to get Hired, Get Back to Work, and Find a New Job - Even if you Stink at Interviews, Face Age Discrimination and Have Been Out of Work for Years

2) What's Your Type of Career?: Find Your Perfect Career by Using Your Personality Type

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[ Disclaimer: this article includes affiliate links.]

By Chistopher O. | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
Looking for books that will increase productivity? Look below for today's top picks.

5 Best Books about Poductivity

1) HBR Guide to Being More Productive by The Harvard Business Review

If you are looking for a no-nonsense type of poductivity guide, then the HBR Guide to Being More Productive is for you. The book gets straight to the point on how to prioritize more important work, take on less and get more done, have better focus and protect your schedule. If you feel like you are always playing catch up on tasks and need a solution-oriented self-improvement kick, you should check it out.

2) The Psychology of Procrastination: Understand Your Habits, Find Motivation, and Get Things Done by Hayden Finch PhD

If you are more of the curious type and want to understand the underlying psychology of why people procrastinate, then The Psychology of Procrastination is a good choice for you. The book first dives deep into the core issues that trigger procrastination, laziness and unproductive behavior, and then provides a step-by-step guide to help you overcome those issues. It's an insightful and refreshing book that gives an all-encompassing perspective, and is both eye opening and effective.

3) Getting Things Done by David Allen

In Getting Things Done, international best-selling author, David Allen, teaches us a simple methodology of capture-clarify-organize to reduce "noise," prioritize tasks, feel calmer, and be more productive. The method applies to both work and life, and helps us be more organized, focused and confident to take on bigger challenges in life.

4) How to be a Productivity Ninja UPDATED EDITION: Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do by Graham Allcott

In this fun-to-read book, Graham Allcott takes a practical approach on teaching others how to become more productive in the information age. The book includes ways to stop responding to unnecessary emails, scrolling through useless social feeds and wasting time on ineffective tasks, and how to get down to business so you can get the important things done. We live in the information age where traditional management techniques don't work anymore. Instead, we need to be ninjas of productivity, with decisive, cutthroat and zen-like mindset and execution style, in order to accomplish what's important.

5) Not Today: The 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity by Erica Schultz

Inspired by the author's personal experience, in Not Today, Erica Schultz studied the habits of extremely productive people and discovered what they do differently to achieve the highest level of productivity. In addition to helping you stay focused and stop procrastinating, the book also helps you change your mindset, work in "sprints," and refuel mental energy. The book is part-productivity, part-wellness and completely worth the read.

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[ Disclaimer: this article includes affiliate links.]

By Christopher O | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: 5 minutes
Back at work? You can still eat healthy foods. Need ideas? Look below for protein-rich, pre-packaged snacks that are easy, healthy and satisfying.