In every office I’ve worked in, it’s been easy to tell who are at the top of the totem pole…and who are squashed at the bottom.

Bosses and managers are different than regular 9-to-5ers. They usually have better clothes, stronger handshakes, corner offices, and commanding presences.

Where are you in your office’s hierarchy?

Do you want to be taken more seriously?

Do you dream about being promoted or finally having your opinions count?

Stop dreaming—all of that is totally possible for you. You just have to think like a boss!

Really, take some time to imagine how your higher-ups think.

• How do they feel about themselves?
• How do they prioritize their to-do items?
• What do they eat for lunch?
• How often do they check their email?
• Where do they shop?
• What do they do for fun?

There’s an old saying that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Now it’s time to think for the job you want.

Let’s say you want to be the marketing manager. Well, “market” yourself to the senior staff members by volunteering for projects, sharing ideas during meetings, and keeping yourself at the top of their minds.

Let’s say you want to be your own boss. Then you should act like how you would run your personal business. Be proud of your work, dress up every day, and be happy when you do even the most mundane tasks.

If you want to reach your dreams, no matter what they are, you must break out of your familiar way of thinking.

Even if you don’t want to climb the corporate ladder, you’re still the boss of your life—so act like it!

In the comments below, share your tips for thinking and acting like a boss.

The post Like a Boss: Think Your Way to Your Dreams appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

I’m looking for an intern (possibly 2 depending on skill level) for my 2 businesses: Sage Grayson Coaching and Sweet and Sage. This is an unpaid internship position with the possibility to transition into a paid assistant position.

Graphics, Social Media, and Web Publishing Intern (local or virtual)

Benefits For You

• You get an awesome reference from me, Sage Grayson.
• You can list Sage Grayson Coaching and Sweet and Sage on your résumé.
• You can add new written content and graphic designs to your portfolio.
• You will learn about web publishing and online marketing and increase your skill sets in a variety of areas.

Duties and Tasks

• An estimated 5-15 hours of work per week depending on skill level.
• Proofreading posts and checking links.
• Scheduling posts for both websites.
• General graphic design help (buttons, banners, images, the distinct look and feel of both websites, etc.).
• Planning and scheduling social media posts with my direction.
• Resizing and cleaning up images for both websites and social media platforms.
• Coordinating guest contributions for Sweet and Sage and coordinating interviews for Sage Grayson Coaching.
• Possible graphic redesign of Sweet and Sage.
• Possible help scheduling coaching clients.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Requirements

• A super positive attitude and a “glass half-full” type of person.
• Creative thinker willing to share ideas on improving quality, making systems more efficient, etc.
• Strong desire to help other women.
• Ability to plan ahead and meet all deadlines.
• Experience with self-hosted WordPress sites.
• Graphic design experience (Photoshop, Illustrator, or similar).
• Basic knowledge of popular social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
• Access to graphic design programs (eg, Photoshop or similar).
• Access to your own secure computer.
• Be willing to sign a contract to protect proprietary content.
• Be available for weekly planning meetings via Skype.
• Be willing to put up with me sending you cute photos of Skyla (my boxer/pit bull puppy) all the time.

Highly Desired But Not Required

• Social media marketing experience including HootSuite.
• Writing experience for possible guest contributions.
• Experience designing layouts for ebooks, worksheets, and training guides.
• Video-editing experience.
• Experience with webforms and CRM software.
• Basic HTML and CSS knowledge.
• Basic SEO knowledge.
• Photography experience.
• Reside in the San Francisco Bay area.
• Appreciation of 1980s dance music and/or 1990s boy bands.

Does this sound good to you? If so, I’d love to work with you!

Send an email to sage@sweetandsage.com with the subject line “INTERN” and I’ll be in touch with you soon to set up an interview.

The post Are You My New Intern? appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

When most of us think about exercise, we don’t paint such a pretty picture: running to nowhere for hours on a treadmill or lifting weights like a robot.

If exercise is that boring, it’s no surprise that so few of us actually get the recommended 30 minutes of activity per day.

But what if exercise could be fun again? And I say “again” because I’ll bet there used to be a time in your life when you loved to get your heart pumping.

When you were a kid, you didn’t even think it was exercise—it was just fun!

This week, try to incorporate some of the exercises you used to do back when you were still wearing Velcro shoes.

Kidlike Exercises for Adults

• Blast your favorite music and dance around like a maniac. When I was a kid, I used to dance along to the videos on MTV (yes, kiddies, MTV used to play music videos).
• Grab a group of friends and head to the park for an impromptu game of dodgeball.
• Remember how you used to get around before you had a car and ride your bike all over town. Don’t forget to stop for Slurpees.
• Climb a jungle gym, slide down slides, and master the perfect dismount from the creakiest swings you can find.
• Gather up all the pillows, cushions, and blankets in the house and spend the afternoon constructing the best fort in the universe…or at least the best one in your living room.

How do make exercise fun?

In the comments below, share the activities you used to do as a kid.

The post Exercise Like a Kid appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

We could all use some support now and then, especially when we’re reaching for our dreams.

That’s why I love collecting quotes, mantras, sayings, song lyrics, and other phrases that push me to keep going when I’d rather give up.

This month’s theme is “Dreams” so I’ve rounded up some classic quotes about dreams to motivate you.

Click here to download these printable quote cards.

Cut out the cards and tape them to your bathroom mirror, stash them in your wallet, hang them on the fridge, tuck them in your gym shoes, or anywhere else you want to be reminded of the dreams you’re pursuing.

What are your dreams?

In the comments below, share your favorite quote and how you keep yourself motivated.

The post Printable Quote Cards: Dreams appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

This issue’s theme is all about our dreams, so what better topic is there than our dream vacations?

My dream vacation is to be sipping pineapple daiquiris on a beach in Hawaii.

June 2013 Wish List

shirt / soy candle / ukulele / flip flops / bikini / necklace / resort / pillow / movie

Sometimes when I go on vacation, I’m running around like a crazy person trying to cram as many activities as I can into my days.

I actually return home more tired than when I left!

In my dream vacation in Hawaii, I’d take the opportunity to sloooooow down. I want to lounge by the water, read a good book (OK, a trashy book), enjoy a spa day, and hula dance at a luau under the stars.

Chris and I are saving money so we can make our dream Hawaiian vacation a reality. I can almost hear the ukulele music now…

What’s your dream vacation?

In the comments below, share your dream vacation and what you’re doing to make it possible.

The post June 2013 Wish List: Dream Vacation appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

Have you ever wondered why it can be really, really difficult to create a good habit?

You might have a bunch of good habits you’d like to add to your routine: organizing your to-do list in the morning before getting distracted, exercising every day, calling your mother, or flossing your teeth.

Our neural pathways become used to doing things a certain way. These pathways are like well-worn grooves in a walking trail through the woods. It’s not an easy journey if you hop off the path.

Creating new good habits means your brain has to create new pathways, and that takes time and effort…something most of us don’t have when we want something yesterday.

For a while, I had a problem of diving into my work emails as soon as I woke up before taking the time to set my intention for the day or meditate. I’d get so caught up in replying to clients or watching funny cat videos that I’d completely blow off my self-care.

But now I meditate every morning because I found a better way to train my brain to accept this new habit. I used a trigger habit.

What’s a Trigger Habit?

You know how people who have an exercise buddy workout more than people who go it alone? Well, linking your new habit with a “buddy” will help you stick to it.

You already have tons of habits that are ingrained into your routine. I assume you do many of the same things every day such as brush your teeth, drive to work, check your emails, eat lunch, etc.

To create a new good habit, use an existing habit to “trigger” it. For example, I linked my new habit of meditating every morning with my familiar habit of brushing my teeth. As soon as I put my toothbrush back in its holder, I go to my office and meditate for 5 minutes.

I was already doing one habit at that time (brushing my teeth) so it was easier to add in another habit at the same time (meditating). Now I feel more centered every morning without getting distracted by my emails.

Your Trigger Habit

Think about the new habit you want to create and the time of day you’d like to do it. Find another activity you do at that same time. Choose one that’s so ingrained in your routine that you do it on autopilot.

Link the new habit to the old one by doing it immediately after the familiar activity. The old one will trigger the new one.

After a few weeks, new neural pathways will be formed in your brain so the new habit will be a seamless part of your routine without you having to struggle to do it.

What new habit do you want in your life? In the comments below, share the good habit you want to create and the familiar trigger habit you’re going to link it to.

The post To Create Good Habits, Pull the Trigger! appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

They say we all have the same 24 hours in a day. So why does it seem like some people get more than their fair share?

You know who I’m talking about—that girl at the gym who never misses the lunchtime Zumba class, your coworker who runs marathons on the weekends, your sister who lost 20 pounds by cooking all her meals from scratch.

Kinda makes you want to punch them in their 6-pack abs, right? Or maybe sneak a laxative into their green juice?

OK, so you’re feeling majorly jealous. You’d be able to take care of your health too if only you had the time.

But here’s the thing: you DO have the time!

We make time for what’s important, and if you haven’t made the time for exercise, then it just hasn’t been very important to you.

Sorry if that sounds a little harsh…but it’s true!

You can always make the time if it matters to you. Here’s an example. Let’s say you need to fly across the country attend your best friend’s wedding, but the only flight leaves at 5:00 am.

What do you do? Do you tell your friend you’re sorry but you’re going to miss her big day because you can’t possibly get on a plane that early?

No way! You suck it up, set your alarm, and haul ass to the airport at the crack of dawn. You don’t miss the event because it’s important.

If health and fitness is important to you, then you MUST treat it like “airplane time.” The plane will leave without you if you’re not there, and your health and fitness goals will fly away too.

What do you tell yourself you don’t have time for?

Your challenge this week is to make the time for whatever it is (morning workouts, bringing your lunch to work, etc.).

Do it just for this week and if you don’t like it you can go back to your old routine. But I have a feeling you won’t.

What are you making time for this week?

The post “I Don’t Have Time to Exercise” and Other Lies appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

I love asking people what’s on their bucket lists. Bucket lists are all the things you want to be, do, or see before you…well, you know.

On a side note, I loath the term “bucket list.” Why not call them “life lists” or “crazy ass adventure lists”?

Anyhoo, most people list things like traveling, running a marathon, skydiving, and other non-everyday activities. For the life of me, I can’t understand the appeal of flinging yourself out of a plane.

Everyone has these ginormous goals and dreams; however, when I press them to tell me what they’ve done so far, I get blank looks. We all have these dreams, but we rarely do the unsexy work of planning out all the steps leading up to us achieving them.

And even if you get over your aversion to planning and try to break down the steps, you can get overwhelmed. You know what happens next—you push the dream aside and focus on everyday tasks like loading the dishwasher and picking up Rover’s “lawn presents.”

You tell yourself you’ll work on your dream later…but later never comes.

But that ends today!

I’ve got a worksheet that will help you get clear about the dreams you want to achieve, plus break them down into doable steps.

Click here to download My Dream Planning Worksheet.

Soon your bucket list won’t be your bucket list. It’ll be your “done list.”

What’s one of your big dreams?

In the comments below, share one small steps you’re going to take this week.

The post Get Focused With My Dream Planning Worksheet appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

Welcome to the premiere issue of Sweet and Sage!

I’m name is Sage Grayson, and I’m a life coach who helps women make their lives a little sweeter. You can visit my coaching page here.

For the longest time, my coaching blog was attracting 2 very different types of people: those who want to hire a life coach to motivate them and those who wanted simple and fun posts to increase their happiness.

In order to serve both groups of women (and not drive myself crazy by cramming too much into one site!), I created Sweet and Sage to be an outlet for the softer side of Sage.

Sweet and Sage is an online magazine for women who want to bridge the gap between spiritual flower child and ultra-productive career woman. You crave advice that’s both kind and smart.

That’s Sweet and Sage!

The magazine has different departments just like a print magazine so you’re sure to find something that appeals to your sweet side.

Departments

• Happiness
• Health and Fitness
• Career
• Lifestyle
• Spirit

And since it’s the start of a new month, it’s time to introduce this issue’s theme!

The June 2013 issue is all about dreams and what they mean to you. I have 32 magazine subscriptions (yes, really!), and it’s been my dream to one day run my very own magazine.

Upcoming Feature Stories

• My Dream Planning Worksheet
• How to Make Your Home a Haven
• Like a Boss: Think Your Way to Your Dreams
• Printable Quote Cards
• A Nightly Ritual for Sweet Dreams

You’ll also find other daily articles that don’t necessarily correspond with the month’s theme, but they’re sweet and sage nonetheless.

Eventually, Sweet and Sage will offer exclusive content for subscribers and (fingers crossed!) a print supplement for monthly issues.

What makes your life sweet and sage?

I’m looking for women to share advice with a perfect balance of kindness and wisdom. If that sounds like you, I’d love to have you to contribute an article for Sweet and Sage! The July 2013 theme is “Independent Thinking.” Send me an email at sage@sweetandsage.com for more info.

I hope you love Sweet and Sage magazine as much as I do. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!

Sage Grayson
Editor-in-Chief
sage@sweetandsage.com

The post June 2013 Issue: Dreams appeared first on Sweet and Sage.

I’ve always been a natural extrovert. I love interacting with other people and surrounding myself with friends and lively conversation. Being alone is never as satisfying to me as being with a crowd.

But life’s funny sometimes, and now I spend almost all of my time alone or with very few people.

When my husband and I moved from Chicago to San Francisco 2 years ago, my social interactions were cut dramatically. I started working from home instead of the crowded office I was used to, and I had a hard time making friends in a new town.

At first, this alone time made me feel uneasy and lonely. It was weird not having coworkers stopping by my desk or hanging out with groups of friends on the weekends.

Everything seemed quieter, more still.

Slowly, that stillness became kind of comforting. I felt like I could relax more, and there was no need for me to be “on” all the time.

I admit that for a while the silence was a bit unnerving so I would listen to classical music or ambient noise to add some kind of vibration to the room.

It was like how I used to blast the car radio whenever I drove anywhere as a teenager because I couldn’t stand the quiet.

But now the silence is like a good friend. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m quietly driving and staring off into the horizon.

Alone time for me is like a comfy blanket I can wrap myself in.

I can just be me, do what I want to do, and not have to consider anyone else’s needs. If I want to read magazines for 2 hours, no one’s going to stop me.

I have permission to be selfish when I’m alone!

My life has fewer people in it these days, but I’ve learned that being alone doesn’t have to feel lonely. I’ve got me, and that’s enough.

Do you give yourself time to be alone?

In the comments below, share your favorite activities you do by yourself.

The post Being Alone Without Feeling Lonely appeared first on Sweet and Sage.