Here we are at week 3 of 4 of my Fake It 'Til You Make It series! Did you miss Week 1 and Week 2? Don't forget to catch up! 

This weeks Fake It 'Til You Make It is all about that money, money, money. Everyone has a money goal, whether its getting out of debt, investing in the stock market, or saving for a big purchase. And every one of those money goals is based on you knowing where your money is spent, how much you have, and generally having your finances in order. So whether your goal is small, large or in between, there's a pretty simple formula for getting on track. 

First, what's your goal? Some people don't like talking about dollar signs (I get it, spending habits can feel pretty personal), but it's important to be aware of what your financial goals are, and to share them with at least one other person. I'll share mine: I want to buy a house. I realize it's not an option right now, but I'm pretty excited about the idea of owning a home, so I'm saving money now so that I can make that dream a reality later. It sounds a little ridiculous to be thinking 6-8 years in the future, but saving now means a bigger down payment later (and less on a mortgage). My goal is pretty big, but you can start smaller, like saving an emergency fund, or paying off a small credit card debt. 

Once you've got your money goal, figure out your numbers. How much do you make? How much do you spend? Not interested in tracking every purchase in a spreadsheet?? Sign up for Mint, or another money tracking app. Subtract your spending (expenses) paycheck (revenue) to figure out how much is left over at the end of the month (we'll call this "profit" - since it fits the equation we all learned in social studies). Now you've got your numbers, so start looking the part.

Start reading. One of the best ways to get yourself prepared for a money lifestyle change is to get your knowledge on. I suggest reading Rich Bitch for general goals, and then moving into the land of Pinterest for articles that are more focused on your particular goal. Reading is a great way to make you feel like you're moving toward your goal without changing your lifestyle. 

Here are a few things to read to get you started:

• The Skimm - Being up on current events can actually play a huge roll in your money goals. 
• Making Sense of Cents and DailyWorth- two great blogs about $$
• How to Save Money and How to Make Extra Money - by yours truly :D

Now that you know what's up (financially speaking), start acting like it! It's easy to get trapped in the "Look the Part" section of your money goal (trust me!) because its comfortable. You haven't yet changed your lifestyle, but you feel like you know what's going on with money. But until you start acting, you'll never see your savings go up (or your debt go down). 

Make small changes that will help you toward your goal. Like going to the grocery store less often, or unsubscribing from store emails (because you don't need a new pair of shoes every time theres a sale). Then make another small change. Don't quit spending money for fun. Just start thinking about how you're spending your money, and cut out spending that goes against your goals!

Once you're acting the part, keep it up. Keep an eye on your finances, and as time goes on, you'll notice how much closer you are to achieving your goals. Don't forget to celebrate the small victories and reward yourself for progress (maybe with a new pair of shoes, or a trip to your favorite store). 

The best way to "Be the Part" is to talk about your success, and future money goals. I'm not suggesting that you brag, but being willing to talk about money means your comfortable with it, which is something to be proud of! 

Best of luck! 

- Leah 

Did you miss last week's "Fake It 'Til You Make It"? Read up on keeping your home organized!

This week's Fake It 'Til You Make It is about increasing productivity at work or school. Feeling unproductive, or preparing for a busy season or semester? This one is for you. 

In case you missed it, I'm doing a four week, four part series on faking it 'til you make it in different aspects of your life. Last week I wrote about keeping your home organized (ADD LINK). This week, I'm covering how you can increase your productivity at work or school to get more done!

Identify your weaknesses. Do you have a hard time getting anything done because of interuptions? Need to work on setting your own deadlines? There's a lot of things that you can do to increase your productivity, so pick one thing to work on first. 

Once you've identified your area of weakness, make a plan. That doesn't mean just telling yourself that you're going to be more productive, it means sitting down and outlining how you're going to do it. Something I've been working on is managing my to-do list in a way that keeps it from being overwhelming, but also keeps me aware of everything I'm currently working on. 

First, even if an organized workspace isn't what you're working on, clean your desk and make it an effective work space. Starting with a clean slate will help you mentally adjust to your new productivity. Need some tips? Chelsea has a great post about creating an effective work space. 

Part of increasing your productivity means investing in your organizational structure. Whether it's something physical like file folders, or a chunk of time devoted to getting a system in place, looking the part means presenting yourself as productive, and that may require some investment.

I'll be honest, this is always where I fall off the wagon. I'm totally guilty of getting organized, and then not staying that way. Take 5 minutes each day to continue working on your goal in some way. It may be setting yourself deadlines for future projects, or sifting through old meeting notes to transfer things to your to to list. It may be as simple as cleaning up your desk for five minutes. No matter what it is, put it on the calendar for the day.

Another way to act the part is to remind yourself of your goal. Write it down on a cute post-it note and put it somewhere visual in your office. Then change your background of your computer to an inspirational quote that will keep you going. (Need a few ideas - check out our Pinterest board!) Then, write it in your planner, and on your coffee mug... ok, maybe not that far, but you're getting the picture. The more you can remind yourself to fix your bad habits, the more likely you are to stay motivated! 

It's common knowledge that it takes roughly 21 days to form a habit. Whether or not that's exactly right, after a certain point, you'll successfully avoid your distraction. You'll no longer notice the quote on the background of your computer, or you'll appreciate that your personal deadlines have been working. 

The key at this point is not to get relaxed and revert back to your old ways, but to identify another distraction, and start all over, working to eliminate something else. Not only will it make you look good as an employee, it means less overtime, and less stress.

Good luck! 

- Leah

This week marks the Start of my "Fake It 'Til You Make It" series. What is it? Its four topics (Home, Work, Money, and Getting Healthy) over four weeks with four steps to cover some broader "adult" goals that I started thinking about after I graduated from college, moved into a "big girl" apartment, and started a "real" job. 

You'll notice something similar in each week. The four steps in each week are the same. Well, sort of. I'll elaborate on them each week, but the basic steps are: Plan the Part, Look the Part, Act the Part, Be the Part. But don't be fooled, its not quite that simple!

Today we're tackling keeping your apartment clean and organized. In college, I used to assume that I was a little messy because I was crazy busy, and that when I graduated and was only working at one job that I'd magically get better at cleaning up the house and keeping things organized... Unfortunately, that's not how that worked out. 

First, sit down and figure out exactly what you want to get better at. There's a lot of different things to do to keep an apartment clean and organized. Focus on a few things that will make the biggest impact. For me, it's finishing up laundry, keeping the kitchen clean, and putting things away instead of piling them up. 

Once you've identified your focus points, make a list of the ways you can do to work on the things that you can develop. It doesn't have to be a long list (in fact it shouldn't be), but the list items should be easy enough to accomplish without stress. Use your to-do list to get ready for step two. 

This might sound difficult, but start your goal of keeping your house or apartment clean is to clean it up. Spend some time on a Sunday cleaning up. Starting with a clean space will make keeping it clean an easier task. 

For me, this means doing all of my laundry and putting it all away and then starting with my goal. Why? Because my problem isn't starting laundry, its finishing it. So if I start over with a clean laundry basket, it'll be easier for me to follow through, rather than start with being overwhelmed. 

Rather than just do it (sorry Nike), convince yourself you're acting like your future self. This sounds a little silly, but "acting" like you've already got the habit down can help solidify the habit in your head. Confession time: I sometimes pretend I'm acting like my mom. She's got the cleaning thing down pretty well. 

Another way to "act the part" is to make things fun. Put on music while you're folding laundry, and dance while you're vacuuming (don't knock it 'til you try it). Or if your goal is about getting your apartment organized, act like an interior designer or like you're hosting a show on HGTV (P.s. Chelsea has a post for that)! This will help you get in the right mindset, and actually enjoy what you're working on.

Generally, it takes about 21 days for a habit to form, so keep acting until it doesn't feel like acting anymore. So keep up step three until you just kind of slip in to step four. 

When you feel like you've gotten things all set with your first focus, start thinking about what's next. Whether it's focusing on a totally different category of your life, or tackling the organization of your extra closet, take advantage of the excitement you're feeling about accomplishing your goal and focus it on accomplishing another one! 


Let me know what you're working on, and stay tuned for next week's Fake It 'Til You Make It - we'll be tackling productivity at work or school. 

- Leah 

A litte while back, I wrote an article about how millennial's can earn more money, and mentioned Poshmark - an app for selling women's clothing and accessories. Today, I'm going through how to sell on Poshmark, including tips for selling more on the site. 

If you've never used poshmark and are looking to sell your gently used clothes or buy name brands for cheap? Check out Poshmark, and get $5 credit when you sign up withe the code: BLWZH. 

- Leah

Nope! You can participate on the Facebook group without needing to blog- which is kind of the point. This is about connecting with other readers, learning new things, and adding interesting books to your reading list!

GASP! kidding. We totally understand life gets crazy, and things happen. But we'd love it if you tried to make time to read. Not to get preachy, but people who read more tend to be more successful (per the Internet), and we want to see you in a corner office soon! ;)

It's super simple. Just request to join the Facebook page!  We'll start introductions and discussion any day now, so lets get together today! Also, keep an eye out for some awesome member perks in the future (like maybe a giveaway!!) 

Any more questions? Ask away and we'll get them answered! 


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