Wellness Wednesday Issue #90

🏡 Relationships: The couples’ guide to moving in together.

🧠 Productivity: The neuroscience of deep work.

😌 Health: What to know about cortisol face and whether stress can induce facial swelling.

🏋️‍♀️ Fitness: Does L-Carnitine actually help with weight loss and athletic performance?

As the end of the year approaches, setting robust goals for Q4 is crucial to close the year strongly and lay a solid foundation for the upcoming year. Here’s a straightforward guide on how to approach setting and achieving your Q4 goals, ensuring you remain focused and effective.

Reflect on Your Yearly Objectives

Before diving into Q4-specific goals, assess the progress towards your annual objectives. Reflect on what has been achieved, identify what’s lagging, and consider how external factors might have influenced your plans. This retrospective view helps in realigning your final quarter actions with the year’s broader targets.

Conduct a SWOT Analysis

Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is pivotal. This analysis helps in pinpointing where to capitalize your efforts and what areas need protective strategies to guard against potential threats.

• Strengths: Leverage what your business or team does best.
• Weaknesses: Plan to address key areas where you’re struggling before the year ends.
• Opportunities: Identify any end-of-year market dynamics you can capitalize on, such as holiday sales.
• Threats: Mitigate against potential setbacks, from economic downturns to competitive pressures.

Set SMART Goals

Ensure your Q4 goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals provide clarity and a deadline for accountability, making it easier to measure success or identify areas needing adjustment.

• Example of a SMART goal for Q4: Increase online sales by 20% by the end of December through targeted social media advertising campaigns and holiday promotions.

Prioritize Your Goals

Not all goals carry the same weight. Prioritize your objectives based on their impact on your overall business strategy. Focus on goals that will drive significant advances towards your year-end targets and set aside less critical tasks that can wait until the new year. Try these goal setting and tracking templates.

Break Down Goals into Actionable Steps

Translate each goal into smaller, manageable actions with assigned deadlines and responsibilities. We prefer weekly goals. This breakdown makes the goals less daunting and provides a clear roadmap for your team.

• For example: To achieve a 20% sales increase, you might set up weekly check-ins to review campaign performance, adjust strategies in real-time, and ensure resources are correctly allocated.

Involve Your Team

Engagement and collaboration with your team are key to achieving your Q4 goals. Discuss these goals with your team, solicit their input, and ensure everyone understands their role in the success of the project. This inclusion not only boosts morale but can also lead to innovative approaches to challenges.

Monitor Progress and Adapt

Regular monitoring of progress towards your goals is essential. Set up weekly or bi-weekly meetings to review what’s working and what isn’t, allowing for timely adjustments. Flexibility is crucial, as real-time changes can be the difference between meeting or missing your targets.

Celebrate Achievements

Recognizing accomplishments, big or small, boosts morale and motivates your team to continue pushing forward. Celebrate the victories along the way to keep spirits high and acknowledge the hard work your team puts in.

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I have to admit, I didn’t start negotiating my salary until my late 20s. Like many, I gave myself plenty of reasons not to—reasons I thought were valid at the time, but actually, were all just rooted in fear.

It wasn’t until I started talking to friends, especially male friends, that I realized I had been leaving thousands on the table by accepting roles at the first offer. And it wasn’t just the initial offers—there were countless times when I was absolutely killing it at work and should’ve asked for a raise based on my performance but didn’t.

Even many of you have shared similar experiences. Whether it’s a fear of rocking the boat, uncertainty about your value, or just being grateful for what you’ve got, so many of us hesitate when we shouldn’t.

Here are five common reasons people don’t ask for raises—and why it’s time to break those habits:

1. “I was just so excited to get the offer, I didn’t want to risk losing it.” SIGH. I’ve used this one before. It’s so easy to feel like asking for more might scare off an offer. But negotiating shows confidence and that you know your worth. Employers expect it, and unless you’re unreasonable, negotiating rarely risks the offer.
2. “I assumed the company had already given me their best offer.” When I was up for a promotion once, I asked my manager/mentor about the salary range. She slipped me a post-it that said, “It’s bt $70-80K. But you’ve heard ‘Never take the first offer’ right…?” Many companies offer a starting salary with the expectation that you’ll negotiate. Don’t assume what’s offered is the final word—it’s often just the opening bid. This applies to raises, too. P.S. I ended up getting them to $92K because I didn’t take the starting offer (and worked through 2 rounds of negotiations).
3. “The offer already seemed generous compared to what I was making.” Comparing your offer to your previous salary can hold you back. Instead, focus on what the role is worth and what’s fair for the work you’ll be doing. Just because it’s more than your last salary doesn’t mean it’s competitive.
4. “I wasn’t sure how to negotiate or what I was worth.” Not knowing how to negotiate is common, but it’s a skill you can learn. Research salary ranges for similar roles and locations. Use tools like Glassdoor or Payscale to arm yourself with data and make your case with confidence.
5. “I didn’t want to seem pushy or difficult right off the bat.” Many people worry that asking for a raise will come across as demanding or aggressive, but negotiating is a normal part of professionalism. In fact, advocating for yourself shows your employer that you’re confident in your value. The key is to approach the conversation respectfully and with preparation. Lay out your contributions, highlight the impact you’ve made, and back it up with research on industry standards. This isn’t about being pushy—it’s about recognizing your worth and making sure you’re compensated fairly.

If you don’t ask, the answer is always no…so why not ask?

Joanna (TA Co-Founder)

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🕶️ Keep your sunglasses organized at home or in your car with this handy sunglasses holder.

💼 Manage your business effortlessly with HubSpot, a free and powerful tool for tracking customer relationships.

🌿 Refresh your skin with this turmeric clay mask for a glowing complexion.

🔧 Tackle DIY projects with ease using this mini electric screwdriver.

🚨 Job Ops: Visit our job board here.