<ul><li>According to the freelance marketplace Upwork, the number of full-time freelancers grew from 28% in 2019 to 36% in 2020.</li><li>The pandemic may have accelerated the trend, it's not showing signs of slowing down.</li><li>In five years, by 2027, 86.5 million people will be freelancing in the United States.</li><li>Freelancers are in high demand in pretty much every skill area that can be done in front of a computer.</li></ul>

Freelancing is on the rise

That shift in seeing life as a freelancer as more stable than a traditional full-time role is a big one. The most successful freelancers are ones that “don’t put all their eggs in one basket.” There may not be many if any, recession-proof jobs, but freelancers who have several long-term clients fair much better than full-time employees who are vulnerable to layoffs.While freelancing may have once been thought of as something mostly for creative fields, it’s expanding to other industries.

Seeing freelancing as more stable than traditional jobs

Employers should consider how to integrate freelancers into the company culture and create a thoughtful onboarding process. This is not about outsourcing to some gig workers. This is about long-term, enduring relationships that serve these professionals with their incredible skills. And that serve their business in a way that is truly a win-win. But it takes thoughtful design and thoughtful investment to make that outcome happen.

Integrating freelancers into companies

Half of the U.S. workforce will be freelancing by 2027. On the newest episode of The New Way We Work, we find out why independent work is attractive to Gen Z and what needs to change.


career

Career

Why so many people are freelancing

Deep Work - Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value and improve your skill.Shallow Work - Non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend not to create much new value in the world.

Deep Work Vs Shallow Work

<ol><li>Single-tasking: Research has proven over and over again that multitasking makes people less productive. Without a doubt, focusing on one task at a time maximizes productive output.</li><li>Without distractions: You get more work done when you’re not constantly interrupted by distractions.</li><li>Intense focus: If you can put all of your energy on the task at hand without distraction, you’ll get a lot more work done in less time. The more focused you are, the more productive.</li></ol>

Why Is Deep Work Valuable?

“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”

Deep work is a skill that needs to be practiced. You might only have the concentration and energy to do it for an hour or two a day. But slowly, slowly, as you keep honing in on the skill, you’ll be able to work deeply and produce massive amounts of work and reap all the benefits of deep work.

Deep Work Is A Skill

Rule 1: Work DeeplyRule 2: Embrace BoredomRule 3: Quit Social MediaRule 4: Drain the Shallows

 The Four Rules of Deep Work

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Monastic: isolate yourself for long periods of time without distractions; no shallow work allowed.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Bimodal: reserve a few consecutive days when you will be working like a monastic (you need at least one day a week).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Rhythmic: take 3-4 hours every day to perform deep work on your project.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Journalistic: alternate your day between deep and shallow work as it fits your blocks of time(not recommended to try out first).</li></ul>

Use One Of These Four Deep Work Strategies

<ul><li>It’s a lot easier to say no to distractions when you have a really big Yes that you’re pursuing.</li><li>This begs the question, what’s your wildly important goal? What’s the subject that arouses a terrifying longing in your heart? Figure it out, then banish distractions from your life and use deep work to make it happen as quickly as possible.</li></ul>

Say “Yes” to the Wildly Important

"To build your working life around the experience of flow produced by deep work is a proven path to deep satisfaction."

<ul><li>You need to constantly fight distractions, push yourself and your concentration to the limits, spend less time on social media, spend less time on the Internet, plan your days (even your leisure time!) in advance, and so on.</li><li>The deep life isn’t for everybody. Much easier to give in to the comforts of artificial busyness. Much easier to waste away time on social media. Much easier to occupy yourself with shallow tasks. Much easier to give in to temptations whenever they arise.(Shallow Work)</li></ul>

The Deep Life

<ol><li>Choose a Deep Work philosophy</li><li>Schedule deep work blocks</li><li>Decide where and how you’ll perform Deep Work</li><li>Execute like a business</li><li>Implement a shutdown ritual</li></ol>

To Work Deeply,

<ul><li>The New Law of Productivity: High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)</li><li>The Principle of Least Resistance: Our tendency toward behaviors that are easiest in the moment.</li><li>Schedule in advance when you’ll use the Internet, and then avoid it altogether outside these times. Do it both at home and work to further improve your concentration training.</li><li>Practice productive meditation : This a period in which you’re occupied physically but not mentally—walking, jogging, driving, showering—and focus your attention on a single well-defined professional problem.</li></ul>

Law Of Productivity 

<ul><li>Social Media fragment our time and reduce our ability to concentrate, making it difficult to improve your ability to work deeply.</li></ul>Do a test run: without deactivating, stay off consciously from your social media of choice for 30 days. After 30 days, evaluate:<ol><li>Was it impossible for you to stay away or were you greatly inconvenienced?</li><li>Did anyone care?</li></ol>If you want to eliminate the addictive pull of entertainment sites on your time and attention, give your brain a quality alternative.

Quit Social Media

“Two Core Abilities for Thriving in the New Economy 1. The ability to quickly master hard things. 2. The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.”

<ul><li>Disable all incoming call/message notifications and badges</li><li>Become hard to reach</li><li>Quit social media</li><li>Work in a quiet place</li><li>Work at a quiet time</li><li>Limit internet access</li></ul>

How To Work More Deeply

“When you have fewer hours you usually spend them more wisely.”

“What we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.”                        — Cal Newport

One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep Work is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world. 'Cal Newport is exceptional in the realm of self-help authors' New York Times 'Deep work' is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Coined by author and professor Cal Newport on his popular blog Study Hacks, deep work will make you better at what you do, let you achieve more in less time and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from the mastery of a skill. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive economy. And yet most people, whether knowledge workers in noisy open-plan offices or creatives struggling to sharpen their vision, have lost the ability to go deep - spending their days instead in a frantic blur of email and social media, not even realising there's a better way. A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, DEEP WORK takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories -- from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air -- and surprising suggestions, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. Put simply: developing and cultivating a deep work practice is one of the best decisions you can make in an increasingly distracted world and this book will point the way.

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

problemsolving

Problem Solving

books

Books

Master one of our economy’s most rare skills and achieve groundbreaking results with this “exciting” book (Daniel H. Pink) from an “exceptional” author (New York Times Book Review). Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep Work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there's a better way. In Deep Work, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill. 1. Work Deeply 2. Embrace Boredom 3. Quit Social Media 4. Drain the Shallows A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories-from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air-and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. Deep Work is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world. An Amazon Best Book of 2016 Pick in Business & Leadership Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller A Business Book of the Week at 800-CEO-READ

Cal Newport is Provost’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, and the author of seven books. His ideas and writing are frequently featured in major publications and on TV and radio.From his website: "I write about the intersection of digital technology and culture. I’m particularly interested in our struggle to deploy these tools in ways that support instead of subvert the things we care about in both our personal and professional lives."

Cal Newport

Deep Work

In this article, we will unpack everything you need to know about the LinkedIn Summary and how you can craft a profile summary that will make you stand out. <ol><li>What a LinkedIn Summary is </li><li>Why Writing a Great LinkedIn Summary is Important for your Job Search </li><li>How to Write the Best LinkedIn Summary </li><li>LinkedIn Profile Summary Examples and Why They’re Great <ol><li>For Job Seekers </li><li>For Career Changes </li><li>For Students Seeking Internships </li> </ol> </li><li>Top Linkedin Summary Tips </li> </ol>

A competitive LinkedIn summary or about section strengthens your profile in the eyes of recruiters and shares your personal career story.

communication

Communication

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary: 13 Real Examples for About Section

The cult of overwork thrives when our imagination shrinks. The Double Win comes into view when we envision it

The underlying message from this book is by taking quality time off, you'll achieve more in less hours with your work. Getting enough sleep, having hobbies, interests, and friendships are not design flaws in humans. They are features that contribute to making us more productive. Great work-life balance is achievable and valuable, but it's not a static target, or a once-and-you're done activity. It requires ongoing work, adjustments, and fine-tuning.

Great work-life balance is achievable and valuable

Work is important, but you can also be successful at building a family, having great friends, serving in the community, becoming physically fit, and so on. True success is only achieved when you're successful in all the areas that matter to you, not just your career.

1. Principle #1 — Recognize success is multi-dimensional. 

Constraints always force you to make choices. Everyone has a finite amount of time, money, energy, mental bandwidth, and so on. When you work to those constraints, you'll experience tremendous gains and fresh thinking. Welcome and embrace constraints.

Principle #2 — Constraints are great productivity tools.

Work - life balance is not a myth. It can be achieved, but be aware it's dynamic rather than static. To achieve it, you're going to have to make ongoing adjustments and fine tuning. Weigh the domains of your life and give the right weighting to all the different domains.

Principle #3 — Work-Life balance is genuinely possible

Having hobbies, making art, and spending time on raising your family are incredibly enriching and restorative. Build some time into your schedule for doing the stuff you love, but which won't show up on your balance sheet. Downtime pays great dividends.

Principle #4 — There's great power in nonachievement. 

People are trying to cram more and more activities into every day in pursuit of productivity. Don't fall for it. You need to be getting enough sleep to feel good. Sleep is not a necessary evil — it's something you need to do to charge up your batteries over the long haul.

Principle #5 — Rest is the foundation of true productivity. 

Do you really have to choose between winning at work and succeeding at life? In other words, do you have to work such long hours that you have no time and energy left over for your family and other interests?Most people will say you have to choose one or the other, but a "Double Win" really is feasible. You can have a great career, and simultaneously succeed at life as well. To achieve that, five principles are involved:

"New York Times bestselling author offers a manifesto for work-life balance. His proven, practical plan will equip you with a clear action plan to reclaim your margins and direct fresh energy to family and personal pursuits, all while achieving success at work"--

Michael Hyatt

Michael S. Hyatt

Megan Hyatt Miller

Win at Work and Succeed at Life

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that your true self wasn’t acknowledged? You know, that moment when you feel like you are standing on the edge of an identity crisis? You are not sure what you should be acting or feeling like. Yeah, me too…it’s difficult.

Identity crisis?

Most of us were “raised” in the workplace to be “professional”. We were taught that being a professional meant putting our personality and beliefs aside. In fact, many times “faking it” is what it took to get ahead. But is that the best approach? And is it possible to be authentic at work?

What it means to be authentic in the workplace.

It is about being who you really are and allowing the people in your organisation to see that. It is about finding a balance between being yourself and fitting into a business culture — one where the values of your company are aligned with your own values and beliefs.

Bank on being yourself

In a world of platitudes, clichés, and career-crucifying performance reviews, authenticity at work can be a risky, even foolhardy option. You might fail to win over your boss or get that promotion you’ve always wanted and worked so hard for. But if you embrace your true self and hold firm to it when appropriate, you’ll have a better chance of finding success and appreciation in the workplace.

In a world of platitudes, clichés, and career-crucifying

A virus of false flattery, buzzwords, and spin has infested how we work — how we give feedback and make decisions. These phoney interactions, though often meant to reward employees and impress bosses, do little to foster authenticity or strengthen relationships.

A virus of false flattery, buzzwords, and spin has infested how we work

The brief encounters with other people that make up a day at the office — are where authentic presence thrives or dies. Our authenticity represents who we are without guile. It flows from within us. It’s the person we choose to be rather than the person others demand that we be.

Small moments

Authenticity is not a quality you gain once and suddenly embody forever after; it must be nurtured continuously. And when you do so, it produces rewards both large and small — a sense of meaning in your job, a feeling of connection with your colleagues and customers, and the ability to see and seize opportunities as they arise.

Authenticity Nurtured Continuously 

Expressing yourself will help build trust with your employees and show them that you’re a safe person for them to open up to as well. Encourage self-expression among your employees. Don’t just tolerate it but celebrate it! Encourage everyone to bring their full selves to work each day! Take an interest in who people really are outside of work and their interests and hobbies!

Don’t be afraid of showing your true self.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that your true self wasn’t acknowledged?

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that your true self wasn’t acknowledged? You know, that moment when you feel like you are standing on the edge of an identity crisis? You are not sure…

teamwork

Teamwork

business

Business

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

The Case For Authenticity At Work

The insight that the best ideas are imperfect is vital to remember if we want to learn how to make decisions and take action. For example, Albert Einstein developed the general theory of relativity, which is one of the most important ideas in modern physics. However, while his ideas explain how the universe works, it breaks down in certain cases (like inside black holes.)

The best ideas are imperfect

These famous words of statistician George Box pointed out that we should focus more on whether something can be useful in daily life than debating if it is correct in all cases. The test of knowledge is utility, not truth. Einstein's work was not always correct, but it has been very useful to increase our understanding of the world and to use for practical purposes such as the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) used in your phone.

'All models are wrong, some are useful'

We can develop a broad collection of thinking frameworks, also known as metal models. The more mental models you possess, the more tools you have in your thinking toolbox. For example, ways to think about productivity:<ul><li>The 2-minute rule. If something takes less than two minutes, do it now.</li><li>The Ivy Lee method. Create a to-do list writing down the six most important things to do tomorrow, then prioritise them and work on them in order.</li><li>The Seinfeld strategy. Pick a new habit and mark an X on the calendar for each day you stick with the behaviour.</li></ul>

How to make decisions in an imperfect world

Even the best models of the world are imperfect.

How to Make Decisions in an Imperfect World

Upskilling is the key to success in the rapid changing world of work. One way to prepare the workforce for the future is using the learning pathways technique.
Learning pathways are goal-oriented steps of instructional experiences designed to foster growth. When learning paths are designed thoughtfully, it will reduce analysis paralysis and time waste.

Learning pathways

Learning pathways are an efficient way to overcome skills gaps within an organization, making the best use of an existing talent pool without the hassle of recruiting and hiring. Well-designed learning pathways cut through the noise by offering a clear series of steps to help employees reach their goals. It leads learners so that they know where they're going and are eager to get there.

The rise of learning pathways

Learning pathways can be an effective tool for unlocking the untapped potential of the talent already existing within the organisation. When L&D ensure to offer a variety of learning pathways to choose from in an on-demand format, it gives employees agency in their professional development. In this low-pressure environment, all members of an organisation can take ownership of improving their skillsets.

Designing learning pathways

<ul><li>Select high-quality resources. L&D teams should know the best-in-class content providers.</li><li>Include a mix of content, such as articles, videos, podcasts, and infographics. </li><li>Building learning scaffolds. </li><li>Communicate relevance. People are more motivated when learning is highly relevant to them.</li><li>Keep learners motivated by celebrating milestones.</li><li>Promote new learning pathways. Prepare promotional materials that convey the value of the pathway.</li></ul>

Best practices for designing learning pathways

L&D teams should stay in the know on what is the best-in-class content providers. YouTube and TikTok offers millions of videos with basic to advanced lessons on every imaginable skillset. Learners have developed expectations of what constitutes premium quality content.

Select high-quality resources

There are several ways to deliver content, such as articles, videos, podcasts, and infographics. Offering content in a variety of formats caters to a wide range of learning preferences and will keep learners engaged for longer.

Include a mix of content

People only remember information if they understand how it fits into a scaffold of prior knowledge. Learning pathways can help employees build on previous knowledge when it is offered in a microlearning format, short, incremental bursts that allow learners to take breaks and easily return to the information.

Build learning scaffolds

People are more motivated when learning is highly relevant to them and when they understand what they will gain from it.
At the beginning of the pathway, ensure that learners know what they will accomplish throughout the path. Relevance can be linked to job tasks and business objectives.

Communicate relevance

Designers of learning pathways can incorporate ways to celebrate learners' milestones.
For example, learners might receive a digital badge or downloadable certificate they can add to their resumes and include on LinkedIn or a professional portfolio when completing a course.

Keep learners motivated

After developing a learning pathway, launch it by sending out organization-wide emails and preparing promotional materials that shows the value of the pathway.
Share what opportunities could result from mastering the skill.

Promote new learning pathways

habits

Habits

The Key Benefits of Micro-Learning

Learning pathways can prepare employees to take on greater responsibility, qualify for a new role, or cultivate better habits to improve their performance.

Learning pathways are goal-oriented sequences of instructional experiences designed to foster growth.

travel

Travel

How to use learning pathways to close skills gaps

To monetize your expertise you must get clear on what you know, its value, and who can benefit from it. The following six questions will help you figure that out so you can create value for your customers, clients, and yourself.

Monetize Your Expertise

What single topic of expertise is your focus?<ul><li>The more focused the expertise you choose to monetize, the easier it will be to do so.</li><li>Try completing this sentence: "I use my expertise to help people ______."</li><li>Boiling down your expertise to one sentence helps focus your efforts and define the value you offer.</li></ul>

The Single Topic of Expertise that Is Your Focus

What separates you from other experts in your field?<ul><li>Come up with 3-5 unique things that separate you.</li><li>Unique traits few others have.</li><li>Unconventional beliefs about things like what makes a good social media consultant.</li><li>Experience building successful products.</li><li>Your points of differentiation won't make you the right choice for everyone, but they will make you an attractive candidate.</li></ul>

What Makes You Unique

Who needs your expertise?<ul><li>Lots of people have problems they don't realize are problems.</li><li>It's easier to sell to someone who seeks a solution than someone who doesn't know they need one.</li><li>Your answer to this question will determine your target audience so give it some serious thought.</li></ul>

The People Who Need Your Expertise And Solutions

How will your expertise change a person's life?<ul><li>People buy things that provide value.</li><li>Figure out how your expertise will help people move from point A to B in their lives or careers.</li><li>Creative entrepreneurs who pay for your expertise go from wasting time, effort, and money on content and marketing without tangible results to using it in ways that grow their audience and business.</li></ul>

Providing Real Value

What's the best way to deliver your expertise?<ul><li>Determine which delivery methods will most effectively package your expertise and format your product or service.</li><li>Consulting calls, e-books, videos, etc.</li><li>Figure out which delivery method your target audience will most want to consume and how you will be most comfortable or skilled at delivering it.</li></ul>

Delivering Your Expertise In The Best Way Possible

What are your monetary goals?<ul><li>Why do you want to monetize your expertise in the first place? Is it a secondary revenue stream?</li><li>How much do you need to make to justify the time and effort you put into it? And how quickly do we need to get to that level?</li></ul>

Your Money Goals

Want to know how to monetize your expertise? These six questions will help you figure out how to create value for customers and yourself.

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

How To Monetize Your Expertise: 6 Questions To Ask Yourself

Transitioning back into business travel after the pandemic isn’t as simple as buying a plane ticket. Individuals are having to remember how to pack efficiently, adjust to time zone changes, and modify their meeting schedules — and that’s on top of monitoring differences in travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, and virus risk levels throughout the world.

Back On The Road And In The Air

<ul>
<li>Evaluate the benefit. Think carefully about where you believe travel would add the greatest benefit versus working remotely.</li>
<li>Right-size the investment. Even as you’re able to fold more business travel into your schedule, question whether all the travel you used to do really needs to be added back in.</li>
<li>Pace yourself by starting small, and then building up after you see how you feel.</li>
<li>Leave margin. If you’ve got important business travel, give yourself more flexibility than you used to do, and make sure you have access to everything you need, like food and car rentals.</li>
</ul>

Transition Back Into Work Travel

<ul><li>Team retreats to craft strategy</li><li>Visits to international worksites to facilitate communication across cultural and language barriers</li><li>Sales negotiations to land deals</li><li>Conferences to network</li></ul>

Reasons To Travel: What Benefits From Getting Out

Four strategies for your next business trip.

remotework

Remote Work

How to Ease Back into Traveling for Work

There are lots of room for everyone in the web3 space. Job boards:<ul><li><a href="https://remote3.co/">Remote3</a> is a job board that lets you explore remote work. It is geared to those who code, but other categories exist for non-coders, writers, community builders, etc.</li><li><a href="https://cryptocurrencyjobs.co/">Cryptocurrency Jobs</a> is a website that use blockchain tech and post jobs in customer support, design, engineering, finance, marketing, operations, product and sales.</li><li><a href="https://bankless.pallet.com/jobs">Bankless</a> is a community that lets you browse through crypto and DeFi job offers.</li></ul>

Working in the web3 space

Consider joining an onboarding program to introduce you to web3 and teach you the basics. Some courses are free while others are not.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.useweb3.xyz/">useWeb3</a> has many different resources such as book recommendations, code challenges, courses, guides, tutorials and more.</li>
<li><a href="https://consensys.net/academy/">ConsenSys Academy</a> offers courses on blockchain, namely Blockchain essentials, developer program on-demand (about Ethereum development) and the blockchain developer online bootcamp where you can learn fundamental Ethereum concepts.</li>
<li><a href="https://she256.org/">she256</a> offers mentorship, education, and community.</li>
<li><a href="https://bloom.fstvl.io/">Bloom</a> offers online blockchain and web3 developer programs.</li>
</ul>

Programs and courses to get started and hired

<ul><li>Companies will often tweet when they're looking for someone to join. Ensure to follow these companies.</li><li>Go through tweets under popular hashtags, such as #hiring, #web3jobs, #cryptojobs.</li><li>Job board Twitter accounts may tweet about job opportunities, such <a href="https://cryptocurrencyjobs.co/">@jobsincrypto</a>  or <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoJobsList">@CryptoJobsList</a>.</li></ul>

Twitter

No experience with coding? No problem. There’s lots of room in web3. Here's a few tips for job searching in the space.

crypto

Cryptocurrency

How to Find Jobs in the Web3 Industry

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