Author: tracydee

Educator and entrepreneur. Millennial living life to its fullest. Growing, learning, and sharing.
Posted in Personal Skills

Mini-Goals: Small Ways to Stay Productive Throughout the Day

Posted on by tracydee

Today, I’m focusing on mini-goals. I’m working toward a larger goal of graduating this semester. To do so, I must meet certain tasks and stay within my timeline to get there.

Setting mini-goals to stay productive throughout the day may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t make the time. Whether you need to get out of bed and start your day earlier than usual or quit procrastinating on a report that’s due tomorrow, there are many ways to set mini-goals to achieve more throughout the day.

Here are my tips for tackling mini-goals:

  1. Each day, take your big task list and write down what you can REALISTICALLY accomplish during your work hours. I capitalized realistically because I used to make my to-do list as long as humanly possible because that obviously made me more accomplished somehow. Now, I take time each morning to carefully select what I believe I can accomplish in a day. This helps eliminate some of those feelings of inadequacy at the end of the day if you didn’t get to everything on your list.

  2. After that, I work in small time chunks and I set goals either with myself or my work partners. It might be something small like send off two emails or review 10 rows on a spreadsheet. A big goal that keeps us motivated should be something just out of our reach, but mini-goals are things that keep us moving forward and not stagnant. Sometimes, I’ll set time limits as well and work within those parameters before moving on to another task.
  3. Constant reflection. This one I’m going to credit to my therapist. We are working on fact-based thinking. Anytime my mind starts to wander or worry about things I cannot control, I will bring it back to the present goal with facts and logic. I’ll keep you posted, but I’m excited at the personal development prospects that this tip has in store.
mini-goals
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

What are your tips for staying focused on your mini-goals and progress?

Posted in Uncategorized

Overcoming Lack of Motivation: 3 Tips to Snap Out of It Quickly

Posted on by tracydee

Man, overcoming lack of motivation is tough work!

I have another post I was going to write about using Google Slides because I just made a new YouTube video (check it out here), but I’m trying to work on something much bigger and I’m just not motivated. So instead, I’m going to procrastinate a little bit longer by sharing some ways I’ve overcome lack of motivation in the past and how I’m going to use that to my benefit today.

There is a pretty important finish line waiting for me to cross in a couple of months and the closer I get to graduation, the harder it seems to motivate myself to complete everything needed to get there. Plus, it’s challenging right now being stuck at home and not feeling as inspired. That’s why the nature breaks are so important. I’ve stepped outside about 8 times already today and it’s still early afternoon.

overcoming lack of motivation
Photo by Niko Twisty on Pexels.com

Here are some tips that worked for me in the past that I plan to implement today to keep me going toward my goals:

Tips for Overcoming Lack of Motivation

1. Keep my eye on the prize and identify my why

Even though the tasks I have to do seem unimportant or boring in the moment, they are part of something bigger. Something that will take me one step closer to graduating and finally achieving a huge milestone in my life and my career. I’m going to take 10-20 minutes to list all my reasons WHY I’m doing this now and how this will benefit me in the future.

Now, if you do this exercise, and you find that it’s hard to list anything or you can’t think of any benefits, then perhaps that’s a bigger question of whether that goal is really meant for you.

2. Plan for success

When I was training for a half marathon, I knew that I wouldn’t continue if I didn’t have a plan. I mapped out 16 weeks in my calendar, wrote down how much I wanted to run each day, and set a pace goal. I didn’t always make it exactly, but it was there as a guide and always kept me moving in the right direction.

I also slept in my workout clothes so that when that 4:45am alarm went off, I was already halfway ready to get out there and run. Today, I am going to plan out the remaining tasks I have to reach until my deadline and prioritize the ones that need to get completed first.

3. Work in bursts and take breaks as needed

Taking breaks may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes we just need to step away from something to gain clarity or motivation to keep working on it. A time limit helps direct our focus on a specific task related to a larger goal and gives us a break to look forward to. One method is the Pomodoro Technique, which breaks tasks into 25-minute chunks of work followed by a 5-minute break.

There are many online timers you can use for this technique. Another way to stay motivated and focused is through a program called Focusmate. This website pairs you up with another person LIVE on video who is also working on a task for 50-minutes. You complete your individual tasks knowing someone else is working alongside you.

If you struggle with overcoming lack of motivation, just know it takes intentional effort and focus, but you can do it with practice!!

If you’d like me to write a longer post about any of the topics above, feel free to leave a comment below. Let’s continue to learn and grow together to become the best versions of ourselves!

Posted in Personal Skills

Overcoming Lack of Motivation

Posted on by tracydee

I have another post I was going to write about using Google Slides because I just made a new YouTube video (check it out here), but I’m trying to work on something much bigger and I’m just not motivated. So instead, I’m going to procrastinate a little bit longer by sharing some ways I’ve overcome lack of motivation in the past and how I’m going to use that to my benefit today.

There is a pretty important finish line waiting for me to cross in a couple of months and the closer I get to graduation, the harder it seems to motivate myself to complete everything needed to get there. Plus, it’s challenging right now being stuck at home and not feeling as inspired. That’s why the nature breaks are so important. I’ve stepped outside about 8 times already today and it’s still early afternoon.

Here are some tips that worked for me in the past that I plan to implement today to keep me going toward my goals:

1. Keep my eye on the prize and identify my why.

Even though the tasks I have to do seem unimportant or boring in the moment, they are part of something bigger. Something that will take me one step closer to graduating and finally achieving a huge milestone in my life and my career. I’m going to take 10-20 minutes to list all my reasons WHY I’m doing this now and how this will benefit me in the future. Now, if you do this exercise, and you find that it’s hard to list anything or you can’t think of any benefits, then perhaps that’s a bigger question of whether that goal is really meant for you.

2. Plan for success.

When I was training for a half marathon, I knew that I wouldn’t continue if I didn’t have a plan. I mapped out 16 weeks in my calendar, wrote down how much I wanted to run each day and set a pace goal. I didn’t always make it exactly, but it was there as a guide and always kept me moving in the right direction. I also slept in my workout clothes so that when that 4:45am alarm went off, I was already halfway ready to get out there and run. Today, I am going to plan out the remaining tasks I have to reach until my deadline and prioritize the ones that need to get completed first.

3. Work in bursts and take breaks as needed.

Taking breaks may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes we just need to step away from something to gain clarity or motivation to keep working on it. A time limit helps direct our focus on a specific task related to a larger goal and gives us a break to look forward to. One method is the Pomodoro technique, which breaks tasks into 25-minute chunks of work followed by a 5-minute break. There are many online timers you can use for this technique. Another way to stay motivated and focused is through a program called Focusmate. This website pairs you up with another person LIVE on video who is also working on a task for 50-minutes. You complete your individual tasks knowing someone else is working alongside you.

If you’d like me to write a longer post about any of the topics above, feel free to leave a comment below. Let’s continue to learn and grow together to become the best versions of ourselves!

Posted in Uncategorized

Connecting With Nature: Self Care and the Fresh Air

Posted on by tracydee

Connecting with nature is a great form of self care. In this digital age, we spend so much time in front of our screens, especially if we are working from home. That’s why it’s really important to get out of the house whenever possible (and do so safely).
This past week, I took a half-day to go to a nature park and spend some time breathing in the fresh air, listening to the birds, and smelling all the fresh scents of being in the woods by the water. I’ll share some pictures below and then some tips to connect with nature and stay motivated while being stuck at home more often.

connecting with nature

Connecting With Nature and Self Care

  1. Plan your week on Sunday if you can. Look at everything you have to do and try to make sure you can get outside for a walk at least a few times a week, every day if possible. I set timers in the morning and afternoon to get outside. If I don’t have time for a walk, I try to open the door and take a deep breath of fresh air.
  2. Explore new places outdoors. The park I visited was about 45 minutes away and I had never been there before. I took my time exploring and I only saw part of it. I look forward to going back and visiting more of it. I can’t wait to get out a map and pick out some new adventures to try for my next self-care day.
  3. Don’t underestimate the power of fresh air, a cool breeze, birds singing, or green plants. I used to live in big cities so the immediate nature wasn’t always at my doorstep, but with a little walk or drive, I could find a nice quiet park to walk around and enjoy the green space. And if you don’t have time for that, research some calming plants to keep nearby in your work or home space.
Posted in Outdoor Adventures

Connecting With Nature

Posted on by tracydee

In this digital age we spend so much time in front of our screens, especially if we are working from home. That’s why it’s really important to get out of the house whenever possible (and do so safely). This past week, I took a half day to go to a nature park and spend some time breathing in the fresh air, listening to the the birds, and smelling all the fresh scents of being in the woods by the water. I’ll share some pictures below and then some tips to connect with nature and stay motivated while being stuck at home more often.

Nature and Self Care

  1. Plan your week on Sunday if you can. Look at everything you have to do and try to make sure you can get outside for a walk at least a few times a week, every day if possible. I set timers in the morning and afternoon to get outside. If I don’t have time for a walk, I try to open the door and take a deep breath of fresh air.
  2. Explore new places outdoors. The park I visited was about 45 minutes away and I had never been there before. I took my time exploring and I only saw part of it. I look forward to going back and visiting more of it. I can’t wait to get out a map and pick out some new adventures to try for my next self care day.
  3. Don’t underestimate the power of fresh air, a cool breeze, birds singing, or green plants. I used to live in big cities so the immediate nature wasn’t always at my doorstep, but with a little walk or drive, I could find a nice quiet park to walk around and enjoy the green space. And if you don’t have time for that, research some calming plants to keep nearby in your work or home space.
Posted in Work From Home

Setting up for Video Calls

Posted on by tracydee

Setting up for video calls requires some effort and I’m actually getting kind of tired of it. This past year, I’ve spent almost every single day on my computer on some sort of video call, either for work or just spending time with friends. So when I can, I turn my video off for meetings or calls. I do this to take a mental break from the eye gymnastics of looking at myself (admit it, we all do it) and everyone else in the call at the same time. By the way, in Zoom, you can use hide self-view if you want to remove the temptation of viewing yourself!

Here are some tips I use while on video calls for the best quality and ease of viewing:

  1. I have a 2020 Macbook Air (I did a YouTube review you can watch here). One downside to this particular Macbook is the poor camera quality. Therefore, I utilize a ring light to improve my video quality. The ring light I have includes 3 settings, but there are many other options you can choose from. It’s a great investment to quickly improve the quality of your video.

2. On Zoom, I like to maintain my view of other participants in the call while someone is screen sharing. To do this, I make sure I have the Side-by-Side view option enabled. And then I can drag the panel over to see more videos if I want to see more of the participants. You can view the instructions on how to do that here.

3. A laptop stand is also a great investment for video calls. It is important for ergonomic reasons to raise your laptop to eye level, but also for connecting to the video participants. And if you don’t have a laptop stand, you can use reams of paper or books to prop up your laptop and bring your camera to eye level.

There are many more tips to set up your video calls for success, but these three should get you started!

Posted in Uncategorized

3 Tips for Organizing Your Workspace Right Now

Posted on by tracydee


Organizing your workspace for optimal performance is important. I noticed after almost a year of 100% working from home that my workspace ebbs and flows from perfectly placed paperclips to piles of notes and post-its that I’m sorting through.

Therefore, it’s important to keep your workspace organized on a regular basis. One thing I learned is to immediately file, shred, or throw away anything that was not useful to me in the next 24-48 hours. I don’t always follow this advice because I think, “What if I need that?!” Spoiler alert: If it’s that important I can digitize it on my electronic to-do list or send a mental note via email to myself by scanning it as a PDF through Evernote.

organizing your workspace
Photo by Ken Tomita on Pexels.com

So here are my top tips for organizing your workspace in 2022:

  • Keep your favorite planner and pens nearby. You don’t want to be searching for your favorite pen (and let’s be honest, you have one!) when you need to take down some important notes during a Zoom call. Here are mine.
  • Invest in a few things that make you feel good about your workspace. For me, that was ordering a pink desk mat to go over my table. Instead of a desk, I have two old tables in an L-shape. I wanted some things to brighten up my space. I also got a little fake plant from Target and a monthly desk calendar in the $1 section, which I love!
  • Make sure you research ergonomics tips. I have an external keyboard and mouse so I can use my laptop stand (which doubles as a cooling station). This helps reduce the strain on my neck when I’m staring at the screen for long periods of time.

These are some helpful tips to get started working from home. Check out the other articles on this blog with new ideas and fresh tips. And make sure to subscribe to stay updated.

Posted in Work From Home

Organizing My Workspace

Posted on by tracydee


I noticed after almost a year of 100% working from home that my workspace ebbs and flows from perfectly placed paperclips to piles of notes and post-its that I’m sorting through. One thing I learned is to immediately file, shred, or throw away anything that was not useful to me in the next 24-48 hours. I don’t always follow this advice because I think, “What if I need that?!” Spoiler alert: If it’s that important I can digitize it on my electronic to-do list or send a mental note via email to myself by scanning it as a PDF through Evernote.

So here are my top tips for keeping your (my? our?) workspace organized in 2021:

  1. Keep your favorite planner and pens nearby. You don’t want to be searching for your favorite pen (and let’s be honest, you have one!) when you need to take down some important notes during a Zoom call. Here are mine.
  2. Invest in a few things that make you feel good about your workspace. For me, that was ordering a pink desk mat to go over my table. Instead of a desk, I have two old tables in an L-shape. I wanted some things to brighten up my space. I also got a little fake plant from Target and a month desk calendar in the $1 section, which I love!
  3. Make sure you research ergonomics tips. I have an external keyboard and mouse so I can use my laptop stand (which doubles as a cooling station). This helps reduce the strain on my neck when I’m staring at the screen for long periods of time.

These are just some of the tips to get started working from home. I’ll be updating this blog with new ideas and fresh tips periodically, so subscribe to stay updated. Please note that any links to products may earn a small affiliate commission.