🤔 Brainteaser of the day: A train leaves the North Pole heading south at 60 mph. Another train leaves at the same time heading north at 40 mph. Where do they meet?

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✅ Today's Checklist: 

• Thania shares how she's dealing with her brother's death this holiday
• Find out what's on the "drunk Mexican dad music" playlist
• Pet of the week: Meet Howie

🤦🏻‍♀️ Tips for maintaining boundaries with a narcissistic mother-in-law.

📸 How to remove people and pets from Memories in Google Photos.

✈️ Discover the connection between self-care and "airport rules" for prioritizing your well-being.

📉  Cheap stocks under $10 that might be worth investing in now.

 

Originally, I planned to share my boyfriend's story of losing his brother, Greg, to addiction. But on November 30th, 2024, I joined the 82.7 million Americans grieving a loved one lost to a drug-related death when my brother Jimmy died.

The pain is raw, and we haven't yet laid him to rest. But my past experiences with loss have taught me that grief never truly leaves—it softens over time, making space for a new normal.

Whether your loss is recent or years ago, the holiday season inevitably brings a pang of sorrow. It doesn't matter how far along you are in mourning; grief has a way of showing up this time of year.

There's no shortage of advice on coping with grief during the holidays, but I wanted to share a personal perspective—how I'm honoring and navigating my loss this season:

1. Dia de Los Muertos Tree

Inspired by Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos, I've created a small memorial area with a red tablecloth, a mini tree, photos, flowers, and candies. It's a space to remember loved ones and include them in the celebrations. I want my brother to "see" the festivities and know that we're still living life to the fullest—just as he'd want us to.

2. An Empty Seat

At our holiday table, we're leaving an open seat as a quiet nod to those we miss. It's a way to acknowledge loss collectively, offering comfort without the need for words. This might feel somber to some, but I find peace in the shared recognition that we're not alone in our grief.

3. Feel It All

I'm letting myself ride the waves. If I feel like crying, I'll cry—whether it's in a quiet moment alone or right in the middle of dinner. If I don't feel like crying when others are, that's okay too. Sometimes, I've found myself staying strong when everyone else is vulnerable. Other times, I'll break down when no one else is. Grief doesn't follow a set script, and that's okay.

What matters is giving myself permission to feel it all: the tears, the laughter, the numbness, and everything in between. If I avoid my feelings, that's okay too—I'm learning to witness my emotions without trying to control or fix them.

I don't have profound advice to offer, just the truth: the goal is simply to get through it. Maybe next year, I'll have more wisdom to share. This year, it's hard, it's fresh, and I'm doing my best to honor my brother and those we've lost.

I hope you'll honor your loved ones in your own way, and most of all, remember—you'll get through it too.

Thania (TA Content Mgr)

 

With 2025 just around the corner, staying on top of your goals is more critical than ever. Setting meaningful objectives is the foundation, but regularly tracking and refining them is what transforms ambition into tangible results. Whether you're an individual contributor or part of a large team, the right tools can make all the difference in keeping your goals on track and your priorities clear.

Why Goal Tracking Matters in 2025:

• Encourages Adaptability: Reviewing your progress consistently ensures you can make strategic adjustments when things don't go as planned.
• Sustains Momentum: Small wins along the way are the building blocks of achieving bigger milestones.
• Simplifies Complexity: Breaking goals into smaller, actionable tasks reduces overwhelm and keeps you focused.

To make tracking more efficient, here are five powerful tools to help you stay ahead in 2025:

1. 🛠️ Your Best Year Yet: For Focused Accountability

This spreadsheet is your no-nonsense accountability partner for crushing goals in 2025. With a clean layout to map your ambitions, track progress, and keep deadlines in check, it's built to help you stay focused, celebrate wins, and pivot like a pro when needed.

Get "Your Best Year Yet" for free here.

2. 🌸 Bloom Daily Planner: For Structures, Stylish Planning

The Bloom Daily Planner is the game plan for leveling up. With life coaching worksheets, habit trackers, and vision boards, it's built to keep you focused, motivated, and hitting goals all year long. Tough enough to handle 365 days of hustle with its durable hardcovers and bleed-proof pages, it's got the tools you need to crush your year.

Get the Bloom Daily Planner here.

3. 📅 monday.com: For Visual Goal Management

monday.com simplifies project-based goal tracking with its vibrant dashboards and highly customizable boards. It allows you to break down large goals into smaller tasks, with clear dependencies and timelines. Its visual clarity makes it perfect for teams that thrive on seeing progress unfold in a dynamic, colorful way.

Try monday.com here.

4. 📘 Notion: For Flexible, All-in-One Tracking

Notion is a versatile tool for individuals and teams that need a customizable, centralized space for goal management. With its vast array of templates, database capabilities, and collaborative features, Notion allows you to track personal objectives or align team goals effortlessly.

Start using Notion here.

5. 📋 Trello: For Agile and Simplified Workflows

Trello uses a straightforward Kanban board system to organize and track tasks. With drag-and-drop functionality, customizable labels, and automation options, it's perfect for teams or individuals seeking a clear, agile way to manage their goals without extra complexity.

Check out Trello here.

6. 📖 SUNEE 2025 Weekly & Monthly Planner: For No-Fuss Goal Setting

This planner will keep your goals on track and your ambitions in check. With its bold, clean layout, you can plan, pivot, and prioritize like a pro—making it the ultimate sidekick for anyone ready to dominate 2025.

Get SUNEE 2025 Planner here.

7. ✅ Asana: For Comprehensive Goal Alignment

Asana helps teams connect their daily tasks to broader objectives with features like timeline views, task dependencies, and progress tracking. Automated reminders and a user-friendly interface ensure that no goal or milestone is overlooked. Asana is ideal for teams juggling multiple deadlines and priorities.

Get started with Asana here.

Choose the one that fits your workflow and make 2025 your most productive year yet.

 

📚 Read: The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

The Christmas Fix follows a grumpy home improvement show host and a spirited small-town mayor as they team up to save their community's Christmas celebration. Packed with festive cheer and irresistible chemistry, it's the perfect cozy read for the holiday season.

📺 Watch: Our Little Secret on Netflix

Lindsay Lohan shines in this festive romantic comedy where two exes, discovering their significant others are siblings, are forced to spend Christmas together. Filled with humor, awkward moments, and holiday charm, Our Little Secret is a surprisingly delightful take on navigating love, family, and festive chaos.

🎧 Listen: "Drunk Mexican Dad Music" Playlist

Thania swears by this nostalgic playlist for any Mexican gathering. Inspired by a viral video, it's packed with classic bangers that bring everyone to the dance floor, this playlist is guaranteed to keep the vibes high and the memories flowing. Bust out this playlist and you'll forever be invited to the carne asada.

 

Hiring is about building teams that drive your business forward. But juggling resumes, interviews, and evaluations can turn into a logistical nightmare. That's where applicant tracking systems (ATS) step in to make hiring more organized and effective.

Here are 4 top ATS platforms to streamline your recruiting:

1. Greenhouse: The go-to for teams seeking a structured, data-driven hiring process.

2. ClearCompany: Bridges hiring and long-term business goals.

3. Workable: Perfect for teams that need speed and scale.

4. BambooHR: Offers more than hiring—it's a complete HR suite.

Find the tool that matches your hiring goals. The right ATS makes building a strong team that much easier.

Howie loves to curl up for naps during the day. His parents accidentally let the neighbors think his name is Winston. Instead of correcting the neighbors, his parents bought Howie a toy named Winston. So at least technically, there is a dog named Winston in the house! 

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

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