Wellness Wednesday Issue #52

The Assist Newsletter
December 26, 2023
Wellness Wednesday

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Nelson Mandela

FOR THE MIND

How To Use A Vision Board To Reach Your NYE Goals

 

New Year’s resolutions, we’ve all been there: making grand promises to ourselves as the clock strikes midnight, only to find those resolutions fading away like a distant memory by February.

But what if there was a more powerful and visual way to manifest your aspirations for the year ahead?

Enter the vision board — an exciting alternative to traditional resolutions that can truly transform your life.

Here’s Why You Should Create a Vision Board For 2024:

  1. Visualization Fuels Motivation:
    Unlike resolutions that often stay abstract and vague, vision boards bring your goals to life through visual representation. When you see images and words that embody your desires, it ignites a deep sense of motivation, making you more likely to stay committed.
  2. Clarity and Focus:
    Resolutions often lack the specificity needed for successful goal-setting. Vision boards force you to clarify your objectives by selecting images and phrases that resonate with your vision. This process sharpens your focus, increasing your chances of success.
  3. Aligning Heart and Mind:
    Vision boards tap into the power of positive thinking. By surrounding yourself with images of what you want to achieve, you create a mental and emotional alignment with your goals. This alignment becomes your driving force for change.
  4. Consistent Reminders:
    Resolutions tend to fade into the background as life gets busy. Vision boards, on the other hand, serve as constant reminders of your aspirations. Placed in a visible spot, they reinforce your commitment daily.
  5. Embracing Creativity:
    Creating a vision board is a creative process that engages your imagination. It’s a hands-on, enjoyable activity that connects you with your dreams on a deeper level. The act of crafting your board becomes part of your journey toward your goals.
  6. Flexibility and Adaptability:
    Resolutions often fail because they’re rigid and unforgiving. Vision boards allow room for flexibility and adaptation. As you grow and evolve throughout the year, you can adjust your board to reflect your changing desires.
  7. Celebrating Progress:
    Vision boards don’t just focus on the end result; they celebrate the journey. As you accomplish milestones, you can add new images or notes of achievement to your board, reinforcing your progress.
  8. Community and Connection:
    Many people are creating vision boards these days, making it a shared experience. You can exchange ideas, share your aspirations with friends or family, and even create vision boards together, fostering a sense of community and support.

In a world where resolutions often wither away, vision boards stand as dynamic, vibrant tools for transformation. They blend imagination with intention, inspiring real and lasting change in your life.

So, this New Year’s, skip the resolutions and dive into vision boards. Manifest your dreams with clarity, creativity, and unwavering commitment.

TOGETHER WITH BETTERHELP

Take Control of Your Mental Wellness

 

BetterHelp

Start the new year on a high note with BetterHelp.

Life can be tough, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Whether you’re dealing with grief, looking to improve your coping strategies or just feeling a bit down, therapy is the gold standard for mental health treatment.

Why we ❤️ BetterHelp:

  • They have the best of the bestTake their quiz and get matched to one of their 25,000+ therapists.
  • You can switch at no extra charge if you’re not vibing with your therapist.
  • Multiple ways to do sessions. Pick what works for you — phone, video, or even live chat.

Don’t wait, take the first step towards living your best, happiest life.

Take the quiz and get matched today

FOR THE WALLET

2024 IRS Inflation Adjustments: How They Impact Your Taxes

 

As we step into the tax year 2024, it’s vital to comprehend the annual adjustments made by the IRS to various tax provisions.

These adjustments play a significant role in preventing “bracket creep,” a situation where inflation pushes taxpayers into higher tax brackets, resulting in larger tax bills.

As December is coming to an end, let’s delve deeper into why these adjustments matter to you.

Preventing Bracket Creep: Why Adjustments Are Necessary

Bracket creep is a phenomenon that can adversely affect taxpayers. It occurs when inflation gradually increases incomes, pushing individuals into higher tax brackets.

This, in turn, results in higher tax liabilities, eroding the purchasing power of your income. To counteract this, the IRS annually adjusts tax provisions to ensure that the tax system remains fair and reflective of individuals’ true financial situations.

2023 vs. 2024: A Comparative Analysis

In 2023, the IRS implemented substantial adjustments, with an overall inflation adjustment of approximately 7%. This brought considerable tax relief to many taxpayers, allowing them to remain in lower tax brackets despite rising incomes. Here’s how to see yours.

As we move into 2024, the adjustments are still significant, albeit slightly lower, at around 5.4%.

While this decrease is noticeable compared to the previous year, it’s important to note that these adjustments are still considerably higher than in previous years. This highlights their ongoing importance in maintaining a just and equitable tax system.

A Closer Look at Tax Brackets for 2023 and 2024

To understand the real-world impact of these adjustments, let’s examine tax brackets for both married and single filers, comparing 2023 to 2024:

  • Married Filing Jointly:
    • In 2023, the 12% tax bracket applied to incomes up to $83,550. In 2024, it has risen to $88,400.
    • The 22% tax bracket saw an increase from $178,150 in 2023 to $188,800 in 2024.
  • Single Filers:
    • In 2023, the 12% bracket covered incomes up to $41,775. In 2024, it has increased to $44,200.
    • The 22% bracket has also grown, from $89,075 in 2023 to $94,400 in 2024.
Standard Deduction: A Valuable Benefit

The standard deduction, a deduction that reduces your taxable income, has also seen an increase for the 2024 tax year. This adjustment provides potential tax savings for those who opt not to itemize deductions, simplifying the filing process for many. Hint: It’s why your paycheck may get bigger.

Other Notable 2024 Adjustments

Beyond tax brackets and standard deductions, several other noteworthy adjustments deserve attention for the 2024 tax year:

  • Gift Tax Exclusion: The gift tax exclusion limit rises from $16,000 to $17,000 in 2024. This change allows individuals to make tax-free gifts up to this threshold without incurring gift tax liabilities.
  • Estate Tax Exclusion: The estate tax exclusion, determining the amount of assets exempt from federal estate tax, has increased to $12.06 million for individuals and $24.12 million for married couples in 2024. This change provides significant relief to families dealing with estate planning.
  • Contribution Limits: Contribution limits for health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) have also experienced modest increases, allowing individuals to save more tax-efficiently for healthcare expenses.
  • Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The EITC, designed to assist low-to-moderate-income individuals and families, has seen adjustments to income thresholds and credit amounts. These changes aim to provide additional support to those who need it most.

Understanding the IRS inflation adjustments for 2024 is vital for effective tax planning. These adjustments not only help maintain the fairness of the tax system but also have the potential to lower your overall tax liability.

Staying informed, consulting with tax professionals, and leveraging these adjustments can contribute to a more tax-efficient and financially sound year ahead.

So, as you navigate the tax landscape in 2024, keep these adjustments in mind and make the most of them to ensure a brighter financial future.

TOGETHER WITH MONDAY.COM

Solve the Mystery of Efficient Project Management

 

monday.com

Are you tired of feeling like a detective trying to solve a mystery when it comes to managing your team’s tasks?

Introducing monday.com, the ultimate solution for uncovering all your team’s projects. 👋 Say goodbye to cluttered inboxes and disorganized to-do lists.

It’s like a one-stop shop for all your organizational needs. Plus, with its sleek design and user-friendly interface, you’ll be able to manage your team’s tasks with ease.

Try it free today

FOR THE WORKPLACE

Done is better than perfect

 

Feeling buried right now trying to deliver excellent work on multiple pressing projects?

The key is mindset adjustment.

Perfectionism among extreme busyness causes frustration, while favoring progress empowers confidence.

Remember – done beats perfect.

It’s understandable wanting high standards during hectic times to showcase your skills. But incessant polishing wastes energy better spent on new priorities that continue advancing goals. Enable productivity amid overload through an incremental gains mentality.

Start with accepting projects finalize faster when allowing room for minor imperfections. Then set intentions around what truly constitutes good enough.

Quality means meeting the objective, not intense wordsmithing for marginal upgrades. Reframe perspective — at a certain point, repetitive refinement provides diminishing returns.

Next, set deadlines with supervisors emphasizing completion over drawn out precision. If crunched, request flexibility on scaling back overly ambitious scope or patching botched areas post-delivery. Larger priorities must take precedence, and spelling errors can get fixed later.

Most importantly, create margin around simplifying workload. This means planning buffers between tasks, blocking distraction, saying no to non-essentials, or even delegating where possible.

Progress flows from consistent increments of productivity, not long stretches of standstill perfectionism.

Done beats perfect every time, fueling positive momentum. Keep the end goal in sight, embrace good enough, simplify where you can, and regularly deliver with integrity – you’ve got this!

FOR YOUR TEAM

Holiday Catch Up Bingo: The Perfect Ice Breaker for Your 2024 Return

 

Coming back to the office after time away can make anyone feel out of the loop.

Help your team reconnect by facilitating a lively “Holiday Catch Up” bingo game when you regroup after the seasonal break.

Prepare bingo cards filled with seasonally-themed squares like:

  • Made a snowman ⛄
  • Traveled home for the holidays ✈️
  • Binge watched holiday movies 🎞

As colleagues start mingling when you return, they can circulate collecting signatures from those whose holiday season involved the activities listed.

Laugh over disastrous new baking trials, last-minute gift shopping debacles, and all the heartwarming family traditions people partook in over the days off. Maybe someone finally took that dreamy winter getaway!

The game sparks natural conversations to learn what everyone was up to while out of office.

And it sets a lively tone recapturing the team’s chemistry as you resume work refreshed and ready to take on new challenges together in the new year.

GIRLCRUSH

Stuff we’re loving this week

 

💌 Newsletter: If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or soon-to-be one, check out FounderIV. This free weekly email newsletter is on a mission to help you achieve breakout founder performance.

🎄 Tree Storage: Stay on top of holiday decor and grab yourself this handy tree storage bag. Under $20 and stores up to 9′ trees.

🔎 Accessory: Find your things faster with an Apple AirTag. These are incredibly handy, and even great to put on things like e-bikes and e-scooters (heck, even designer bags) in case of theft!

📄 Report: CareerBuilder’s Hiring Managers: State of Hiring and Retention Report is the holy grail for anyone involved in hiring and retention at work. Key topics include the current state of hiring, how offer packages are changing, 2023 retention trends, and the future of work environments.

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