OG Tuesday Issue #251

💼 From girl boss to no boss: how women are redefining ambition.

🤖 Get the latest insights from the State of AI report.

💰 See how your salary stacks up with this pay benchmarking tool.

🛫 Why do we feel so much guilt taking time off?

Ever notice how your to-do list somehow gets longer even on days you’re crossing things off?

High-achievers are especially guilty of trying to cure overwhelm by piling on more, hoping clarity magically shows up if they just keep moving.

But what if the real productivity boost isn’t in adding more, but in subtracting? Tim Ferriss made this idea famous with his Not-To-Do List, and he’s not the only one who swears by it. Research backs up that cutting tasks actually sharpens your focus and enhances your productivity.

So if your brain’s begging for some white space, here’s how to build a Not-To-Do List that buys it some breathing room:

🔋 Audit your emotional ROI Not every task or meeting is worth your energy. For one week, track how each thing you do makes you feel. Then, rate it on a simple 1–5 scale.

Anything that keeps landing low? Let it go. No guilt. This isn’t indulgent; it’s strategic.

Your brain can’t juggle infinite demands, so trimming the low-value stuff isn’t optional, it’s essential.

🎯 Delegate like you actually mean it Delegating isn’t exactly a groundbreaking concept, but most of us do it half-heartedly, if at all.

Don’t just vaguely decide to “get help.” Get specific. Which tasks are you clutching purely because teaching someone else feels like too much trouble?

Block off 30 minutes this week, record a Loom showing exactly how to do it, and pass it on. That’s how you practice true leadership, and free up your brain for bigger moves.

🚫 Put a fence around your focus Pick one sneaky habit that keeps hijacking your flow. Maybe it’s checking Slack every time it pings. Maybe it’s saying yes to “got a sec?” pop-ins that turn into hour-long rabbit holes.

Make a new rule: set Slack to Do Not Disturb, or try saying, “I’m heads-down right now; can we catch up later?” It might feel awkward at first, but research shows even tiny interruptions totally sabotage your focus.

Small boundaries, big payoff.

🎬 Start here: Pick your first Not-To-Do Right now (seriously, this’ll only take a minute), look at your to-do list. Find just one task you’re secretly dreading or consistently bumping to “tomorrow.”

Now, ask yourself honestly:

• Does it genuinely deserve your limited energy?
• Could someone else handle it, or—brace yourself—could you simply not do it at all?
• Cross it off, delegate it, or shelve it guilt-free.

Congrats! You’ve officially started your Not-To-Do List (and your brain just breathed a sigh of relief).

AI is transforming workplaces, but most employees have no idea what’s actually acceptable (or legal).

That’s a risky bet when your company’s reputation and compliance are on the line.

Traliant’s AI in the Workplace course gives your team the confidence they need.

In just 30 minutes, they’ll learn:

✅ The 5 questions to ask before using GenAI at work
✅ How to spot risks like bias, privacy breaches, and misuse
✅ What’s truly acceptable (and what crosses the line)

It’s interactive, scenario-based training, so employees can apply it immediately, not just check another box.

👉 Trial the course free and see how it can protect your team.

A reader recently shared: “My biggest challenge is staying motivated when I don’t know where my career is headed.”

If you just whispered “same,” you’re in good company. Many of us inevitably hit points where career paths feel foggy; but motivation thrives less on crystal-clear visions and more on taking meaningful, bite-sized actions.

Here’s how to refresh your energy, even when your destination is TBD:

🔍 Run a Career Audit (Instead of Spiraling)

Losing steam often means you’ve lost sight of your “why.” Instead of overthinking, spend 10 focused minutes doing a Career Audit:

• Jot down your top 3 fulfilling work experiences.
• Spot the common themes (freedom, collaboration, creativity).
• Choose tiny, achievable ways to bring these into your job immediately.

Tapping back into purpose recharges motivation quicker than chasing arbitrary goals.

⚗️ Turn Your Career Into a Lab

Forget chasing that elusive “dream job.” Embrace your inner scientist and test your interests in small, no-strings-attached experiments, without blowing up your LinkedIn profile.

Each month, run a mini “career sprint”:

• Select one curiosity to explore (e.g., “Could mentoring energize me?”).
• Test it with a low-stakes experiment (guide an intern, spearhead a small initiative).
• Reflect: Did it spark joy or drain you?

This bite-sized testing—what Stanford calls “career prototyping“—swaps anxiety for insight, bringing clarity through experimentation rather than guesswork.

☕ Build Your Casual Career Advisory Board

When you’re stuck, your internal narrative likely sounds like a broken record. Mix things up by assembling a low-key “Career Board”, trusted people with career journeys you admire. Skip the awkward networking:

• Identify three intriguing career stories.
• Ask pointed questions: “How did you handle uncertainty?” or “What was your smartest career move?”
• Borrow their brilliance, and apply their best advice.

Adam Grant calls this technique “perspective borrowing” in Think Again, and it’s a powerful hack for getting unstuck.

Chasing a flawless plan is overrated, but taking intentional steps isn’t.

Keep auditing, experimenting, and gathering outside insights until your energy (and sense of direction) start to rebuild.

Ordering coffee abroad is one thing. Sharing jokes, swapping stories, and actually making friends? That’s another level.

With HelloTalk, you’ll connect with 60M+ people learning 160+ languages, practicing through real conversations, not stiff textbooks.

• Chat, call, and even exchange voice notes with native speakers who’ll help you nail the nuances (and slang).
• Share your culture while learning theirs—so it’s more than vocab, it’s a true exchange.
• Built-in tools like corrections and pronunciation guides make leveling up effortless.

Because learning a language should feel like building friendships, not drilling flashcards.

🌏 Try HelloTalk for FREE and see where it takes you.

“Work smarter, not harder. Peace of mind and family are more important than money. Close your computer, it will be here in the morning. Enjoying my last stint of my career now!”

— Susan (Director of Marketing & New Business Development)

🤖 Drowning in deadlines? This AI writing sidekick can totally save your day.

📚 The Alice Network is the WWII spy novel you won’t be able to put down.

📰 The Hustle dishes out daily biz + tech trends that are as fun as they are smart.

🕵️‍♀️ Delete your personal data from sketchy corners of the internet.

• Pride Health is hiring for a Credentialing Specialist (St. Louis, MO).
• FootBridge is hiring for a Director Of Estimating (Manchester, ME).
• Meyers Nave is hiring for a Labor & Employment Attorney (Oakland, CA).
• Acquaint Recruiting is hiring for an Asset Manager (Radnor, PA).
• The SR Group is hiring for a Recruitment Consultant (Orlando, FL).

⭐ View more jobs here >

⭐️ Answer to the riddle.

✨ P.S. Want more inspiration and positivity to kick off your week? Sign up for our Motivational Monday texts (U.S. only).

👀 Want to see if your company is a good fit for our 100k+ ambitious readers? Join our Sponsor Waitlist here.