Weekender #167

☀️ SAD season is here—are you ready for it?

🎬 The pop culture moments that defined 2024.

📥 Do you suffer from ping fatigue?

💻 Now, this is a book browsing tool.

2024 feels like it flew by. And I know why—I didn’t pause enough to catch my breath, let alone celebrate the wins.

It’s so easy to get caught in the hamster wheel of life: chasing the next goal, tackling the endless to-do list, and rushing past accomplishments without even realizing we’ve made it to a milestone. But here’s the truth I’m learning (slowly but surely): if we don’t pause to reflect, we risk losing sight of what truly matters.

This year brought some incredible milestones for The Assist—hitting 100K subscribers (a goal of ours since launch9ing in 2020!) and crossing $1M in revenue. But instead of soaking it in, I moved right on to “what’s next?” Sound familiar?

And yet, when I did carve out time to pause—whether it was scribbling down a quick note about something that went well or just sitting quietly to process a moment—I found something powerful: clarity.

Reflection helped me connect the dots, recognize what worked, and make tweaks where things didn’t. Those moments weren’t just calming; they gave me direction and reminded me to enjoy the ride.

If you’re like me and feel like life moves a little too fast, here are some questions to help you reflect and reset for 2025:

Reflect on 2024:

• What’s one accomplishment I’m truly proud of?
• When did I feel most like myself this year?
• What’s one lesson I learned that changed my perspective?

Look ahead to 2025:

• What’s one thing I want to invite more of into my life?
• How can I create space to actually savor the moments?
• What’s a goal that feels exciting—and just for me?

This next year, let’s commit to pressing pause. Not just to catch up, but to look back, take it in, and move forward with purpose. Because reflection doesn’t just shift your perspective—it can transform the path ahead.

Joanna (TA Co-Founder)

P.S. Check out these 40 year-end journaling prompts.

You blink, and suddenly the holidays are over. The inbox is overflowing, projects are somehow already behind, and your brain is still stuck in vacation mode. Welcome to January. But don’t worry—monday.com is here to make 2025 the year you finally feel on top of things.

Step 1: Face the Inbox Apocalypse

Start with a clean slate. Use monday.com’s task boards to dump every “urgent” email into organized lists—because nothing feels better than dragging “Answer Karen’s 17 emails” into the Done column. Bonus: The visual layout means you don’t have to decode those long-winded email threads.

Step 2: Plan Your Ideal Week

Dream big, friend. Design the perfect week—no, not one where you quit your job and move to Bali. I mean block out focus time for actual work (not meetings that should’ve been emails). With monday.com’s Calendar View, you can map out your week, color-code the chaos, and pretend you’re a productivity guru.

Step 3: Automate Like You’re Lazy (In the Best Way)

Why do the same thing twice when monday.com can do it for you? Set up automations to handle follow-ups, deadline reminders, and status updates. It’s like cloning yourself, except legal.

Step 4: Rally the Troops

Dragging your team back to reality? monday.com’s Collaboration Tools keep everyone aligned without needing 27 meetings. Assign tasks, check progress, and avoid the dreaded “Where are we on this?” Slack message.

2025 doesn’t have to feel like a chaotic reset. With monday.com, you can kickstart the year with a clear plan, fewer headaches, and a workspace that works for you.

Get ready to make this the year your to-do list finally fears you.

📚 Read: When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

When the World Tips Over is a gripping reminder that resilience isn’t built in calm waters—it’s forged in the storm. Perfect for anyone navigating life’s unexpected plot twists.

📺 Watch: No Good Deed

No Good Deed is like Knives Out got a family group chat—chaotic, hilarious, and full of twists. A fun mystery to binge over the holiday weekend.

🎧 Listen: The Top Expert Advice of The Year

This Mel Robbins podcast ep is basically a highlight reel of genius life hacks. Neuroscientists, trial lawyers, and financial wizards all in one place. If making 2025 your year is on the agenda, start here.

Your workday’s chaotic enough—Rippling makes it simple.

This all-in-one HR platform automates the stuff you don’t want to deal with, like employee updates and onboarding.

The kicker? You’ll pocket a $100 gift card just for seeing what it’s all about.

Work smarter. Get rewarded.

See Rippling in action here.

Hazel is the cutest killer on the block. She is a beautiful polydactyl ragdoll who uses her mittens part of the day chasing bunnies and blue jays, and half her day chasing blue jays and the other part of her day sleeping in the sun in front of the front door with her k9 brother Hobbs and sister Ginger. She will lay across dad’s keyboard to prevent him from doing any work when it’s time for love and snuggles, because what cat doesn’t love belly rubs?

🐾 Got a cute fur baby? Submit them to be our pet of the week in an upcoming issue.

🚨 Open Jobs: Visit our job board here.

✨ P.S. Want more inspiration and positivity to kick off your week? Sign up for our Motivational Monday texts (U.S. only).

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