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🧠 A neurologist’s one daily habit for long-term brain health.
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🥕 The cozy, in-season guide your grocery list’s been waiting for.
Performance review season is around the corner. If you’re waiting for your manager to schedule it before you start preparing, you’re setting yourself up to undersell your year.
The people who walk out of reviews feeling good about their results aren’t necessarily the ones who worked harder, they’re the ones who came in ready with proof.
When you rely on memory, you forget half of what you accomplished. When you rely on your manager’s memory, you forget even more.
Why Starting Now Matters
You’ll forget your wins. Think you’ll remember that crisis you managed in March or the client you saved in June? Not with the clarity and specifics that make your manager take notice. Our brains aren’t designed to catalog every achievement for future performance conversations.
Recency bias is real. Managers remember what happened last month far better than what happened nine months ago. If you wait to compile your accomplishments, you’ll focus on recent work too. Starting now ensures you capture the full picture of your year.
Evidence beats memory. “I think I did a good job” is weak. “I increased customer retention by 18%, brought in three new clients worth $200K, and mentored two junior team members” is powerful.
How to Prepare Right Now
Create a wins document. Open a Google Doc today and spend 30 minutes brain-dumping everything significant you’ve done this year. Projects completed, problems solved, metrics improved, skills developed, positive feedback received. Be specific with numbers and outcomes.
Save the receipts. Dig through your emails and Slack for positive feedback. Screenshot compliments. Document before-and-after metrics. Gather evidence of your impact while you can still find it.
Organize by impact. Group your accomplishments into themes that align with your company’s values or your role’s key responsibilities. Leadership. Revenue. Efficiency. Innovation. Make it easy for your manager to see your value.
Quantify everything possible. Numbers are memorable and credible. How much time did you save? How much revenue did you generate? How many people did you help or train?
Prepare your ask. Based on your contributions, decide what you want. A raise? A promotion? New responsibilities? Be ready to make a specific request backed by evidence.
The reality is that preparing well won’t guarantee a fair review if you have a bad manager or a struggling company. But it will ensure you’ve done everything in your power to advocate for yourself. And if you’re not valued appropriately, you’ll have the documentation to confidently pursue opportunities elsewhere.
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I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky person. But three years ago, I moved to Idaho after being a California native my whole life. It was exciting! Four real seasons! Snow! Cozy sweaters and the whole aesthetic of it all.
Then winter hit, and something felt off.
I must be getting sick, I thought. But the cold never arrived. Maybe it’s PMS. But it wasn’t that either. Then I stopped wanting to go to the gym. I only wanted to eat carbs and sleep more. I felt heavy.
Before I knew it, my then-boyfriend asked, “Have you been taking your vitamin D supplements?”
No, I said. Why would I be?
He looked shocked. “Babe, you’ve got to take vitamin D in the winter or you’re going to be majorly depressed. It’s the winter blues.”
Depression? That seemed dramatic. But I started supplementing with vitamin D and researching seasonal depression.
Turns out, you can be mentally and chemically “normal” but still suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. It’s a type of depression related to changes in seasons, and it’s surprisingly common. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in the fall and continue through winter, sapping energy and triggering moodiness.
What Does SAD Look Like?
Common signs include feeling listless or sad most days, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, having low energy, sleeping too much, craving carbohydrates, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness.
Sound familiar? That was me, plus I was indulging in an extra tequila shot on NFL sundays and an extra slice of pizza without reason.
Why Does This Happen?
The cause isn’t fully understood, but several factors contribute. Reduced sunlight disrupts your biological clock (circadian rhythm), leading to depression. Less sunlight also causes a drop in serotonin, the brain chemical that affects mood. Plus, seasonal changes disrupt melatonin balance, which impacts sleep and mood.
Basically, shorter days mess with your brain chemistry. So no, it’s not “all in your head.” It’s just biological.
How to Protect Yourself This Winter
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address negative thought patterns, or talk to your doctor about medication.
The point is this: if you’re feeling off during winter, you’re not weak or broken. SAD is a real condition with biological causes and real solutions. Understanding what’s happening is the first step to feeling like yourself again.
Thania (TA Content Manager)
You’re managing people, culture, compliance, and somehow still fixing payroll errors at 9PM. It’s not sustainable.
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You’ve got people to support, policies to manage, and a culture to protect. Payroll should just work, so you can get back to leading.
🗓️ On 11/19, Section CEO Greg Shove is sharing two frameworks for getting value from AI. Join for free.
🪵 Keep your closet fresh and moth-free.
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