#ThirstyThursday Issue #223

The Assist Newsletter
February 18, 2026
An illustrated woman in a bright yellow blazer juggles multiple tasks while a small robot assistant hovers nearby, with notebooks and screens floating around her. Large text on a purple background reads, “I TRIED TO MULTITASK.”

Click the image for the punchline 👆.

✅ Today’s Checklist:

  • 6 AI prompt frameworks that instantly improve your results
  • Why creativity starts with permission (not talent)
  • AI tools actually worth bookmarking
  • The hobby linked to a lower dementia risk

🗓️ Wed 2/25 9AM PT: Recap emails, follow-ups, and documenting next steps can quietly eat up hours each week. This session will show you a simpler way to stay on top of everything. Register here.

QUICK LINKS

📉 For the first time, women are less interested in getting promoted than men (and the reason isn’t what you’d expect).

📚 The career books we’re adding to our TBR.

💰 Investing feels intimidating until someone makes it make sense.

🛠️ Trying to juggle it all? These project management tools can seriously help.

PRODUCTIVITY

A graphic titled “6 Smart ChatGPT Prompt Frameworks” by Adam Danyal breaks down six methods: R-A-C-E, R-I-S-E, S-T-A-R, S-O-A-P, C-L-E-A-R, and G-R-O-W. Each framework is displayed in its own colored box with short definitions and examples explaining how to structure more effective prompts.

Use These 6 Frameworks For Smarter Prompts

 

Takeaways:

  • The more structured your ask, the better the response. These frameworks eliminate guesswork and reduce rewrites.
  • Different goals need different formats: Whether you’re making a decision (GROW), explaining a situation (STAR), or assigning a task (RACE), there’s a prompt formula that fits.
  • Frameworks mean time saved. Adopting consistent formats makes for a faster, more reliable ChatGPT.

See the frameworks on LinkedIn.

EMPLOYEE SCHEDULING

Schedules Shouldn’t Require 32 Texts and a Prayer

 

If you’re still collecting availability in DMs, posting screenshots, and playing “who can cover?” every week, When I Work is the calmer way to run schedules.

It’s built for real-world teams: employee scheduling + team messaging + time & attendance in one place. You can publish schedules in minutes, approve shift swaps and time-off requests without side chats, and use an in-app time clock (with options like geofencing).

Bonus: it connects with other tools (payroll/POS/HR integrations are available).

Do this (and you’ll save your sanity):

  • Do set an availability cutoff (no “btw I can’t work” surprises).

  • Do use shift swap + open shift workflows instead of group chats.

  • Do keep schedule changes + messages in one app.

  • Do track time consistently before payroll.

Don’t do this (if you enjoy peace):

  • Don’t rely on screenshots as “communication.”

  • Don’t let coverage run on first-come, loudest-text rules.

  • Don’t make managers the human switchboard.

Build next week’s schedule in minutes.

AI TOOLS

A teal graphic with bold white text that reads “AI TOOLS WORTH ACTUALLY” and the word “bookmarking” in a darker blue script font underneath. The background has a subtle textured look and a small handle at the bottom that says “@theassistofficial,” framed by a mustard yellow border.

AI Tools Worth Bookmarking

 

Takeaways:

  • Don’t get overwhelmed with the number of tools available. Start with the biggest pain point and choose 1–2 tools that solve a real problem (e.g. need a landing page? Try Mixo. Repurposing content? Go with Opus or Vidyo.ai).
  • AI can replace hours of design or editing: Tools like Beautiful.ai, Claid.ai, and VEED.io make you look like a pro without actually being one.
  • The right stack grows with you. You don’t need every tool on the list. Bookmark the ones that catch your eye and build your go-to stack as your business and content needs evolve.

See the list on LinkedIn.

MINDSET

A video still of Ethan Hawke with a play button centered over the image, and a green label in the top left that reads “Ethan Hawke – Writer & Advocate,” alongside a small TED logo in the top right. He’s wearing a denim jacket and white shirt, sitting indoors with warm string lights blurred in the background, and the caption at the bottom begins with the words “Do you think.”

Give Yourself Permission to Be Creative

 

Takeaways:

  • Creativity is about being honest. You don’t need permission to express yourself, but you do need the courage to play the fool.
  • Art becomes essential when life breaks you open. In moments of grief or joy, creativity helps us make sense of our experiences and feel less alone.
  • The path to knowing yourself starts with following what you love. There’s no map — only a willingness to walk it, stay curious, and keep creating anyway.

Watch the TedTalk on LinkedIn.

CONTENT CREATION

An illustration of a friendly blue robot wearing a pink beret labeled “AI,” smiling with rosy cheeks while holding a stylus and drawing on a digital screen. A speech bubble above it says “OK!” and a yellow download icon appears in the corner, with a computer monitor and tablet nearby showing simple graphics and images in progress.

Stop Letting Video Editing Steal Your Evenings

 

You already did the hard part. You showed up, recorded the podcast, ran the interview, shared the insight.

Now you’re staring at 90 minutes of footage thinking… when did I sign up to become a video editor?

That post-recording spiral is real. The scrubbing. The trimming. The captions. The “I’ll just clean this up quickly” that somehow turns into three hours.

Riverside takes that weight off your plate.

You can record in studio quality from anywhere, and then edit the video the same way you’d edit a Google Doc.

With Riverside’s text-based editor, you can:

  • Cut clips just by deleting words from the transcript
  • Auto-generate highlight reels with Magic Clips
  • Add captions instantly
  • Clean up audio like a pro

It’s less about fancy features and more about protecting your time.

One recording can turn into YouTube uploads, short-form clips, promos, and reels without you living inside a timeline all afternoon.

You’ve got better things to do than drag clips around a timeline.

Let AI handle the tedious stuff so you can get back to the part you actually like.

HEALTH

A video thumbnail of Dr. Trisha Pasricha speaking directly to the camera, wearing teal medical scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck. On-screen text reads “Dr. Trisha Pasricha – Ask a Doctor Column” and “for The Washington Post,” with a play button centered over her face against a teal background border.

Hobbies Can Reduce the Risk For Dementia

 

Takeaways:

  • Activities like puzzles and music are often recommended for brain health, but dancing might be even more powerful.
  • One study found that dancing more than once a week was linked to a 76% lower risk of dementia, making it one of the most effective movement-based habits.
  • Adding regular dance sessions to your routine is brain medicine disguised as joy.

Learn more about it on IG.

STAFF PICKS

Stuff We’re Loving This Week

 

👉 Get the executive playbook for using AI in your medium-to-high stakes decisions, free on 3/26. RSVP here.

☕ Thania swears by adding a scoop of this protein powder to her coffee for an effortless energy boost.

🤖 A human-first AI newsletter that keeps you informed without the overwhelm.

🎭 Game Night Charades instantly turns “what should we do?” into a full night of laughs.

JUST FOR FUN

A video thumbnail of Dr. Trisha Pasricha speaking directly to the camera, wearing teal medical scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck. On-screen text reads “Dr. Trisha Pasricha – Ask a Doctor Column” and “for The Washington Post,” with a play button centered over her face against a teal background border.

COMMUNITY

📆 Upcoming Events

* Smart Girl Society is our private community for women who want deeper conversations, accountability, and tools that actually make life easier. Join the waitlist to get in the next round.

💼 Browse our job board here.

SPILL THE TEA

Take Our Poll

TA Poll ThirstyThurs 223

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