🤔 Brainteaser of the day: Found where tomorrow meets yesterday, I can make the strongest man weep. What am I?
Click here for the answer.
✅ Today’s checklist:
- Joanna highlights her recent trip to Japan
- Kitchen organization gadgets
- The latest pod we’ve been listening to
- Meet our pets of the week: Buster & Dougie
QUICK LINKS
♥️ Dating: 17 Pieces of texting advice that lead to commitment.
💸 Adulting: Living wills, trusts, medical directives & other things we don’t talk about (but should).
🏠 Home: 19 viral TikTok products that are actually worth it.
🤰🏼 Health: A story you don’t hear often — “Why I Loved Unmedicated Childbirth.”
🎧 Growth: 6 podcasts to boost your work performance and career growth.
JOANNA’S JOURNAL
Balancing work on my once in a lifetime trip to Japan
Konnichiwa!
I’m currently writing this from my hotel room on my second to last day in Japan.
Pictures can’t convey the full beauty of this country — we lucked out and arrived just as the cherry blossoms were in full bloom making it even more magical.
Before going on longer trips like this, I usually try and prep a comprehensive OOO plan.
But, no matter how much I button up before leaving, I still find it hard to disconnect from work when vacation begins.
Anxiety about my to-dos piling up while I’m out usually hits me hard (especially the day before going back to work).
Then I start feeling like maybe I shouldn’t have taken so many days off.
And then I feel bad about feeling bad for taking time off, because I know I should have better work-life balance.
So on this trip, I was determined to avoid that cycle.
Here’s how I ended up successfully doing so:
- I was realistic with myself and knew I would have to find pockets of time to work (just comes with the territory of owning a business sometimes); accepting that before I left took the guilt out of working on vacation.
- I limited it to time sensitive projects. Before doing anything, I asked myself, “Does this have to happen right now or can it wait until I’m back in office?”
- I set designated times to check and reply to messages. Usually this was in the evenings when I was just chillin’ in my hotel room or on long bus rides getting to our next destination.
- I’m planning to use this Sunday (when I fly home) to reset, relax and catch up on some work to ease back into the work week.
The biggest thing that helped, though, was keeping in mind how rare it is to have this opportunity to travel with my entire family (my parents, brother, two sisters and brothers-in-law, and my husband).
Remembering that my parents (who are now in their 70s) and the rest of my family won’t be on this earth forever kept me hyper focused on the present.
Plus, it’s healthy to get away — visiting other places and meeting new people always inspires me and serves as a reminder that there’s so much more to life than what you do to make money.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s important too.
But if I look back on this trip 10, 15, 20 years from now, am I going to remember how I stayed up working late on a campaign, or the time my sisters and I belted NSYNC’s “It’s gonna be me” (pronounced MAY, btw) at a karaoke bar in Tokyo?
Am I going to remember all the emails that came in, or walking through the most breathtaking parts of Kyoto and eating traditional Japanese cuisines with my favorite people?
Life is short. Your parents get old. You’re not guaranteed a tomorrow.
Take the vacation and PTO you’ve been sitting on just because the timing doesn’t feel right with your work projects — I promise it’ll be there when you get back.
Joanna Ericta (Co-founder of TA)
P.S. If you’re curious about where I traveled in Japan, here’s a map (we did a guided tour for 7 days, and had 3 days on our own in Tokyo). If you’re planning to visit in the future, feel free to reply to this email and ask me for the deets 🙂.
SPRING STEALS
Score Big with Nike’s Spring Clearance Event
Score incredible deals on everything you need to reach your fitness goals, from running shoes and workout clothes to stylish athleisure pieces for everyday wear.
With savings up to 50% off, the Nike sale is your chance to upgrade your look without breaking the bank.
❗But hurry, this offer ends on April 12th!
SPRING CLEANING
Organize Your Kitchen
We know the struggle of keeping a kitchen tidy, especially when it’s the heart of your home.
Take a peek at our handpicked organizers that will not only declutter your space but also add a touch of chic efficiency to your daily routine.
- Lazy Susan
- Under Sink Organizer
- Water Bottle Organizer
- Tupperware Lids Organizer
- Refrigerator Bins
- Pantry Snack Organizer
- Pantry Door Hanging Organizer
- Magnetic Spice Rack Shelf
💡 Tip: Before buying any of the above, read the dimensions of each product and measure your kitchen storage areas to ensure sure they fit well.
STAFF PICKS
Let’s Be Honest With Kristin Cavallari
If you’re unfamiliar with Kristin Cavallari, she’s a Laguna Beach reality TV star who divorced Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Culter, and started a jewelry line called Uncommon James.
She’s incredibly blunt, honest and transparent about her life navigating motherhood, dating, business and more as a millennial woman.
No matter what stage of life you’re in, Kristin’s podcast has something relatable for everyone — and she’s f*cking hilarious.
For fans of: The Hills, Call Her Daddy, Reality TV in general.
Listen to it: On your commute, while working out, or cleaning the house.
MONDAY MEETINGS
Use This in Your Next 1:1
Create and maintain a good working relationship between manager and employee.
One-on-one meetings are your chance to connect and align with the people you manage in the most effective way possible.
The perfect 1:1 meeting template keeps all of your agendas — tailored for each individual — in one organized place.
⭐ This template does just that by laying out roles, expectations, and how to best implement a feedback cycle.
📄 Get the 1:1 meeting template free here.
*Powered by ClickUp.
JUST FOR FUN
PETS OF THE WEEK
Meet Buster and Dougie
These are the two best brothers…and security watch you’ve ever met!
They love that mom works from home so they can keep watch over the neighborhood to ensure safety for all.
In their free time, they cuddle and snug. Buster (grey) is 8 and Dougie (white/brown) is 3.5.
💌 We’re huge pet lovers at The Assist and want to feature a pet each week — fill out this form for your fur baby to be featured!