✅ Today's Checklist:

• When staying is the risky move

• Finding your rhythm after maternity leave

• A reminder that we're better together

  
  

🤔 Riddle me this: I have a face and two hands but no arms or legs. What am I? (Find the answer on the bottom).

🗓️ Next Tues 11/4 @ 10AM PT: Most managers give feedback. Great ones coach. Learn how to ask sharper questions, listen with intention, and guide your team toward real growth at NextArrow's free coaching workshop.

QUICK LINKS

🥺 Why being "too sensitive" is actually your superpower.

🛑 Block pop-ups and ads before they ever reach your screen.

📝 Hiring? Make it easier on yourself.

🎁 What top companies use to keep teams motivated.

CAREER CONFIDENCE

When "Playing It Safe" Is Holding You Back

You know the feeling.

The dread that creeps in every Sunday night. The pit in your stomach when you open your laptop. The quiet thought you keep pushing down: I hate this job.

Yet you stay.

Because leaving feels scarier than staying, and that little voice whispers, what if I don't find something better?

But here's the reframe that changes everything:

What if you're not avoiding risk...you're avoiding opportunity?

Instead of asking, "What if I don't find a better job?" ask, "What if I'm missing one right now?"

That's the real opportunity cost: joy, growth, mental space, and peace of mind. Every week you stay stuck, someone else is interviewing for the role that could have been yours.

Research shows that staying in a job you hate can seriously affect your health.

Build the Courage (and the Plan)

• Start small. Update your resume, refresh your LinkedIn, and explore what's out there. Having options makes leaving less terrifying.

• Build a buffer. If you can, save enough to cover 3–6 months of expenses. A little financial freedom = big emotional relief.

• Borrow courage. Talk to people who've left toxic jobs. Most will tell you their only regret was waiting too long.

• Set a deadline. Give yourself a timeline to act. Without it, "someday" can stretch on forever.

• Detach your worth. One woman who finally quit said, "A career does not define you. A job comes and goes, but your mental health stays with you forever."

• Trust your gut. If something feels off, that feeling is data. Listen to it.

  
  

You're not quitting on your career; you're protecting your well-being, your energy, and your future.

So the real question isn't "what if I leave?"

It's "what if I stay?"

TEAM FAVORITE

What We Actually Use to Keep Our Sh*t Together

We've tested a lot of project management platforms, but monday.com is the one we keep coming back to. It's flexible without being overwhelming, visual without being chaotic, and customizable in a way that actually supports how modern teams work.

At The Assist, we use it as our central hub—from first brainstorm to final deliverable. Our editorial workflow lives entirely in monday.com: we kick off with a shared board for content ideas, tag teammates to build outlines, assign deadlines, and move each piece through custom statuses like "drafting," "under review," and "ready to schedule." Everyone knows what's happening, who's responsible, and what's coming next.

It's also how we track campaign launches, sponsor deadlines, cross-functional planning, and internal OKRs. We use automations to send nudges, switch owners, and update timelines so nothing falls through the cracks. Plus, views like timeline, Kanban, and calendar let us toggle between the big picture and daily priorities.

It's the reason we rarely ask "who's doing what" anymore,  and why we're getting more done with less stress.

We even pulled together a guide based on our real-life setup—brainstorms, deadlines, deliverables, and all—so you can skip the trial-and-error and get your team up and running fast.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE

The Comeback No One Prepares You For

"My biggest challenge right now is returning to work after maternity leave. I'm trying to figure out how to balance my role, my energy, and being present for my new baby." — Olivia Hrynko

Returning to work after maternity leave is one of the toughest transitions new mothers face. You're navigating sleep deprivation, physical recovery, emotional adjustment, and now the demands of your job.

Here's how to manage your role, conserve your energy, and stay mentally present:

Plant Yourself Where Your Feet Are

You can't be in two places at once (even though your brain's trying).

When your mind wanders (baby during meetings, work during bedtime), use a grounding reset. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: notice five things you see, four you touch, three you hear, two you smell, one you taste.

If that feels too extra, even pressing your feet into the floor and taking three slow breaths can calm your nervous system and bring you back to now.

Keep a "brain dump" list handy for all the things bouncing around in your head. Writing them down frees up space to actually think again.

Get Caught Up Through Communication

Trying to quietly figure everything out on your own will leave you overwhelmed. Lean into transparency about where you are in the catch-up process.

Create a document or questionnaire to gather updates asynchronously. Ask targeted questions like "What should I know moving forward?" and "What projects or urgent tasks are needed from me in the next 90 days?"

Credit: Google AI Summary

Keep your team updated: "Thanks for your patience as I get caught up. I'm three weeks back and about 40% through my backlog." This manages expectations and reminds your team you're still adjusting.

Protect and Recharge Your Energy

As a new mom, it's easy to fall into "I'll do it all myself" mode. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Your energy is a finite resource.

What are you doing for you? Turn a shower into a recharging ritual with mood lighting, a candle, and music you love. Take a walk around the block for fresh air and movement. If you're breastfeeding, prioritize eating enough to sustain your energy. And ask your partner or support system for help—you don't get bonus points for doing everything alone.

Keep Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice, which means it requires repetition. Keep reminding yourself to be present where your feet are and take things one moment, one day at a time.

This transition is hard. Give yourself grace. Some days your balance will be 70% work, 30% baby; other days, the reverse. That's normal.

The goal isn't perfect balance. It's being present in whatever moment you're in and trusting that things will settle into a sustainable rhythm.

WORKFLOW MAGIC

A Way to Get 10+ Hours Back Every Week

If you've ever wished you could hire a second version of yourself, this is the next best thing.

The AI Assistant Kit helps you hand off the tasks that drain your energy, clutter your brain, and steal your weekends (without needing to be a tech genius).

Here's what's inside:

• Get the exact templates used by top performers to delegate 80% of their routine work to AI.

• An AI Command Center that organizes your prompts + tools for you

• A 60-minute quickstart guide that gets you up and running before lunch

• A built-in tracker to prove how much time you're saving

• Prompts that make ChatGPT sound like your most organized coworker

Because the goal isn't to do it all.

It's to stop feeling like you have to.

👉 Download your free AI Assistant Kit and feel the weight lift off your shoulders today.

SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

Better, Faster, Stronger Together

"'If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk together.' It is an African proverb, but very much applicable to professional life." — Elizabeth Z. (Legal Officer)

⭐️ Share your best career advice here so we can share it in a future newsletter.

STAFF PICKS

Stuff We're Loving This Week

☕️ Level up your coffee setup with this sleek syrup dispenser for café vibes at home.

💧 Plump, hydrate, and glow with this cult-favorite K-beauty serum packed with hyaluronic acid.

JUST FOR FUN

JOB LISTINGS

Your Next Gig = One Click Away

• 
  

  The Planet Group is hiring for an Administrative Assistant (Boston, MA).

• Borries USA, Inc. is hiring for an AI EM Marketing Specialist (Sunnyvale, CA).

• Quad is hiring for an Accounting Associate (Sussex, WI).

• Pinnacle Advertising is hiring for a Paid Search Specialist (Schaumburg, IL).

• Buckingham Search is hiring for a Manager Capital Market (Chicago, IL).

⭐ View more jobs here >

SPILL THE TEA

Take Our Poll

Have more feedback? 💌 Reply to this email and tell us.

⭐️ Answer to the riddle.

👉 See all of October's OG Tuesday Riddles.

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

👀 Want to see if your company is a good fit for our 250k+ ambitious readers? Join our Sponsor Waitlist here.

UPDATE YOUR PREFERENCES

Only Get What You Want

Here's how to update your preferences in just a few quick steps:

1. Click the link below and on the "Update Your Preferences" page, click the "Email me a link" button.

2. Open the email with the subject line "The Assist Subscribers: Update Profile" and click the link inside.

3. Choose the weekly email newsletters you'd like to receive from us (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat).

4. Click "Update Preferences" to save your changes—and you're all set!

👉 Update my subscriber preferences here.