✅ Today’s Checklist:
- Have a peaceful NYE
- Find your perfect planner
- TA reader Stacey on taking risks
🤔 Riddle me this: I start big and round, then shrink away. I glow in the sky but not every day. What am I? (Find the answer on the bottom).
QUICK LINKS
💭 Not into New Year’s resolutions? Ask yourself these end-of-year reflection questions instead.
🥧 Eat a disgusting pie and other bizarre and so-Victorian New Year’s traditions.
📱 2024, captured in a roundup of top viral moments.
📈 Employers are optimistic about the 2025 labor market.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Peaceful & Harmonious NYE Celebrations
As you’re planning those post-holiday or New Year’s parties, dinners, and get-togethers, keep these easy Feng Shui tips on hand.
Brief aside: People sometimes loosely apply the term Feng Shui to a smattering of different design practices. Here’s the legit definition from Merriam-Webster: A Chinese geomantic practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it. (Also: orientation, placement, or arrangement according to the precepts of feng shui.)
COLOR
Tip: Match your party color palette with your mood or the mood you’re hoping to cultivate.
Choose decorations, dinnerware, and recipes within a color palette that aligns with the mood you hope to set. For example, shades of red shout energy and activity, purples may suggest abundance, and greens convey a sense of renewal.
GEOMETRY
Tip: Select decor, table settings, and foods that send the right messages.
How often do you think about the shapes surrounding you throughout daily life? Giving geometry some thought can help you create the right vibe for your event.
Here’s a Feng Shui shape association key:
Rectangle = Renewal
Triangle = Passion
Square = Stability
Circle = Clarity
Hexagon = Longevity
Octagon = Luck
SMELL
Tip: When picking candles, incense, and room sprays, reach beyond personal preferences.
Reflect on how certain fragrances make you feel, and your olfactory intuition will usually lead you in the right direction. Some general fragrance pointers include:
- Use cinnamon for warmth and harmony
- Use lavender for calm
- Use basil for joy and cheer
- Use vanilla for good will
- Use jasmine for love
- Use peppermint for stimulation
- Use citrus for refreshment
TEXTURE
Tip: Give your guests something to feel.
Vary the textures included in your decor. Some experts rely on nature to ensure they’re organically incorporating multiple textures. Bring in natural branches, different types of rocks, fresh greenery, pine cones, and anything else you’re lucky enough to find.
GOAL SETTING
🔥 Own Q1: Dominate Your Goals with the Right Tools
The first quarter sets the tone for the entire year. Starting strong with clear, actionable goals gives you the momentum to stay ahead. The key? Staying organized, adaptable, and laser-focused on progress. The right platform can transform your goal-setting process into a powerhouse of productivity.
Here’s why it works:
- Adapt with Ease: Q1 moves fast, and priorities shift. Goal-setting tools keep you organized, allowing adjustments without losing focus.
- Momentum Matters: Tracking progress regularly amplifies motivation, creating a rhythm of success that builds week over week.
- Simplified Planning: Breaking larger objectives into weekly steps creates manageable, trackable wins that lead directly to larger milestones.
Here are the tools to power up your goals:
📅 monday.com: A visual powerhouse for project-based goals. Boards keep tasks clear, organized, and visible, helping teams stay aligned and projects move forward smoothly.
📊 Smartsheet: This tool is ideal for data-driven teams that track goals by metrics. Its structured, spreadsheet-like format is perfect for aligning teams and ensuring every detail is accounted for.
🧠 Notion: Flexible and creative, Notion allows you to build goal dashboards, track progress, and manage workflows—all in one customizable workspace. Perfect for those who thrive on structure with a creative edge.
🚀 Zoho: Designed for collaboration and efficiency, Zoho keeps projects moving with task automation, milestones, and progress tracking. It is ideal for complex projects with multiple contributors.
Q1 sets the foundation for the entire year. With the right tools and focus, you can build unstoppable momentum and turn your goals into wins that carry you through the months ahead.
PRODUCTIVITY
You’ve Got Big Plans
For 2025, that is. Get ahead of your goal planning game for the new year by selecting the planner that best matches your style and your goals.
A poster-sized wall planner for those who like to see the big picture. [Pocketo]
A dateless planner for people with dynamic schedules or work styles. [Unbound]
A horizontal planner for people who prefer landscape mode. [Laurel Denise]
A stylish planner that helps you meet goals and maintain habits. [Pareto]
A planner/journal for people hoping to learn a new language. [Amazon]
APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE
4 Greenhouse Alternatives to Elevate Your Hiring Game
Finding the right talent is tough enough—managing applications shouldn’t make it harder. If you’re looking for applicant tracking systems (ATS) that rival Greenhouse, you’re in the right place.
Whether you’re scaling fast or need better collaboration tools, these four ATS platforms offer powerful solutions to help you hire smarter and faster.
1. ClearCompany: All-in-One Talent Management
ClearCompany goes beyond simple applicant tracking by integrating talent management into the mix. From recruitment to employee performance, it creates an effortless hiring experience.
- 🏅 Standout Features: Automated job postings to over 100 job boards, robust performance management tools, and intuitive candidate texting.
- ✅ Why It’s a Game-Changer: ClearCompany aligns your hiring process with long-term talent goals so that you recruit, retain, and develop top performers from day one.
2. Workable: Fast and Scalable Hiring
Workable is the ATS for companies that need speed and flexibility. Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, it’s designed to simplify high-volume hiring without sacrificing quality.
- 🏅 Standout Features: AI-powered candidate sourcing, one-click job board posting, and mobile-friendly workflows to keep hiring on track anytime, anywhere.
- ✅ Why It’s a Game-Changer: Workable lets you scale up fast, reducing time-to-hire with automated screening and customizable pipelines.
3. Pinpoint: Precision Hiring for Scaling Teams
Pinpoint is built for growing teams that need to attract top talent quickly while maintaining a personal touch throughout the process.
- 🏅 Standout Features: Advanced reporting, branded career pages, and automated workflows that reduce manual effort.
- ✅ Why It’s a Game-Changer: Pinpoint makes your employer brand shine, helping you stand out to candidates while keeping your hiring process lean and efficient.
Finding the right ATS means choosing a platform that fits your hiring goals. Whether it’s automation, scalability, or simplicity—these Greenhouse alternatives deliver.
4. BambooHR: People-First Hiring
Known for its HR tools, BambooHR brings the same user-friendly approach to its ATS. It’s perfect for small to mid-sized businesses that value simplicity and a great candidate experience.
- 🏅 Standout Features: Clean interface, easy applicant tracking, and efficient onboarding to ensure a smooth transition from hire to employee.
- ✅ Why It’s a Game-Changer: BambooHR keeps things simple, cutting down admin tasks and putting the focus back on connecting with candidates.
SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT
No Risk, No Reward
Take the risk. I have always been someone who really weighs everything out before taking action. I don’t like things to fail or to run into roadblocks. This held me back from really showing what I could do and what ideas I had.
After being told I needed to take the risk and that I wouldn’t destroy the company by doing this, it empowered me to stop over analyzing. I still think things through but I’ve learned that taking on some risk can actually bring good rewards and help you show what you can do, help the company, improve processes, etc.
— Stacey Lubash (Senior Director of Credentialing)
STAFF PICKS
Stuff We’re Loving This Week
📌 Dream big and get organized with this vision board kit.
📖 A thought-provoking read to help you prepare for life’s lucky moments.
💪 The secret to glowing skin and strong joints? This collagen powder.
👟 Still obsessed with Nike Pegasus—the ultimate running shoes.
SPILL THE TEA
Before you go…
🚨 Open Jobs: Visit our job board here.
👉 See all of December’s OG Tuesday Riddles.
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