🎨 the unspoken productivity tip

why low-stakes creativity pays off, how to plan flexibly, and advice that changed a career (and a life).

Subscribe here | Unsubscribe here | OG Tuesday June 3, 2025 ✅ Today's Checklist:  The art of creating with zero expectations How to plan a day that won't sit still The career advice that led to a 25-year life upgrade 🤔 Riddle me this: I have a large money box, 10 inches wide, and 5 inches tall. Roughly how many coins can I place in my empty money box? (Find the answer on the bottom). QUICK LINKS 📊 Your wallet's waiting for you to ask the right questions. 📉 The truth behind why Gen Z keeps losing their jobs. 🍒 This anti-inflammatory superfruit might already be in your kitchen. 🧠 Feeling off but can't explain why? This tool helps decode it (snag a $100 off while you still can). MINDSET SHIFT     Creating Just for Fun Is Productive You've been lied to. We've been taught that if creativity isn't profitable or publicly praised, it's a waste of time. But research says otherwise: creative play—the kind with no end goal, no ROI, no pressure—is actually a secret superpower for your brain. Studies show that low-stakes creativity relieves stress, sharpens focus, and even boosts problem-solving skills. Major employers are encouraging it at work, so why not give yourself the same gift? Creativity without an endgame = freedom. Whether you're journaling messy thoughts, building a Lego village, or making a playlist no one will ever hear, the power lies in the process. That state of total immersion (called "flow") doesn't just feel good—it's scientifically good for your brain. Here's what happens when you lean into it: You stop obsessing over emails and to-dos. You enter a state of active meditation. Your brain releases dopamine (aka your feel-good chemical). Over time, your brain rewires for sharper focus and better adaptability. And get this: a 2023 study found that 75% of participants experienced less stress after just 45 minutes of creating, regardless of skill level. So whether you're drawing stick figures or writing moody poetry, the benefits are real. Try this: Pick one creative activity you loved as a kid. No expectations. No end goal. Give it 20 minutes. Set a timer. Put your phone on DND. Notice how you feel (not what you produce). Because creating something "just because" might be exactly what you need to feel more present, focused, and (ironically) productive. WEBINAR     Compliant ≠ Effective: Is Your Harassment Training Actually Working?   Just because your training checks the compliance box doesn't mean it's changing behavior—or protecting your people. Join us on June 11 at 2 pm ET for a live demo of Traliant's Preventing Workplace Harassment course and see how we make compliance actually stick. In this 30-minute webinar, you'll learn how Traliant's training: ✔️ Uses interactive, relatable scenarios that reflect today's workplace (not a decades-old VHS) ✔️ Tackles bias, bullying, and gray areas that most training misses ✔️ Equips employees and bystanders with real-world intervention strategies ✔️ Delivers 50-state compliance + built-in accessibility and Q&A ✔️ Boosts engagement and retention with proven instructional design Whether you're refreshing your program or starting from scratch, this session will show you what effective anti-harassment training really looks like. ✅ Bonus: Attendees are eligible for SHRM and HRCI credit 👉 Click to register. BIGGEST CHALLENGE     Planning Your Day When Your Job Hits 'Shuffle' Every Morning We asked what's making your work life harder right now, and this one hit hard: "I'm in a role that is still developing, so I have different/new tasks constantly changing—it's difficult to plan my days." Girl, we feel this one in our souls. When your job is a shape-shifting mixtape of responsibilities, traditional time management just doesn't cut it. So how do you actually stay on top of it when your to-do list plays whack-a-mole every day? Here's how to roll with the chaos without losing your mind (or your momentum): ✏️ Plan in pencil, not pen. Build a flexible schedule with buffers for those inevitable "Hey, can you just…" curveballs. Block off 15–30 minute catch-all windows, especially during times when you know last-minute tasks tend to land. Planning for the unexpected is smarter than pretending it won't happen. ⏱️ Pad your estimates. If you think something will take an hour, give it 90 minutes. That buffer saves you when calls run long or priorities shift. Bonus: Finish early? Take a guilt-free breather. 📊 Get ruthless with your priorities. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to sort tasks by urgency and importance: Do first = urgent + important Delegate = urgent but not important Schedule = important but not urgent Delete = neither (byeee!) Even just picking your "Focus Three" tasks each morning gives you a clear definition of done, no matter what gets thrown your way. 📅 Time block with "surprise slots." Structure your day around priorities, but don't overpack it. Leave breathing room on purpose. Try blocking in broad categories (e.g., "deep work" vs. "meetings") instead of cramming your calendar hour by hour. When your role keeps evolving, your systems should too. Think resilient, not rigid. You're not bad at planning…your plan just needs more flex. EXCEL SKILLS     Excel Does WHAT?! 🤯 FREE CLASS on Hidden Dashboard Secrets!   Ever feel like you're only scratching the surface of what Excel can do? You're not alone—and Kat Norton (aka Miss Excel) is here to show you what's actually possible. Sure, Excel can help you: 📬 Figure out how much time you've spent digging through old emails 📅 =SUM the number of "mandatory" meetings that could've been emails 🖥 Calculate how many times you've heard "Let me just share my screen…" But Kat's favorite use? ⭐ Creating interactive dashboards that don't just look good, they work smart. Think: automatic updates, instant insights, and time-saving automation that can free up 3+ hours a week. That's why she's hosting a FREE Excel Dashboards class, where you'll learn how to: ✅ Build dashboards that are beautiful and functional ✅ Automate repetitive tasks and workflows ✅ Make faster, smarter, data-backed decisions Bonus: Just for signing up, you'll get Kat's brand-new Dashboard Cheat Sheet (totally free!). Can't attend live? Register anyway to get the replay. SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT   Choose The City First. The Job Will Follow. "Figure out where you WANT to LIVE and find your dream job there." This was before remote jobs were available, but it was solid advice. I was chasing a promotion within my company, willing to move anywhere and my supervisor gave me that advice. He reminded me that companies don't love us back. I found a job in the city I wanted to live in, moved across the country and I was promoted within 2 years. While I don't work there anymore, I still live in the same city 25 years later and couldn't be happier.   Sara N. (Territory Manager) ⭐️ Share your best career advice here so we can feature it in a future newsletter. STAFF PICKS Stuff We're Loving This Week   📸 Low light? No problem. This webcam's got you covered. 🪰 Summer just got way cooler thanks to this indoor insect trap. 🎧 The perfect deep focus playlist to help drown out the noise. 🧠 Boost your brand with Hootsuite—30 days free, no strings attached. JUST FOR FUN   JOB LEADS   Your Next Gig = One Click Away InterEx Group is hiring for a Senior Recruitment Consultant (Miami, FL). Radiant Dev is hiring for a Business Intelligence Analyst (Phoenix, AZ). Cohen Injury Law Group is hiring for a Digital Operations Manager (Santa Monica, CA). Monomoy CRE is hiring for a Senior Investment Analyst (Charleston, SC). Robert Half is hiring for a Senior Software Engineer (Vancouver, WA). ⭐ View more jobs here > SPILL THE TEA Take Our Poll     Have more feedback? 💌 Reply to this email and tell us. ⭐️ Answer to the riddle. ✨ 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 100k+ 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: Click the link below and on the "Update Your Preferences" page, click the "Email me a link" button. Open the email with the subject line "The Assist Subscribers: Update Profile" and click the link inside. Choose the weekly email newsletters you'd like to receive from us (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat). Click "Update Preferences" to save your changes—and you're all set! 👉 Update my subscriber preferences here. Catch up on all OG Tuesday newsletters here. We send 4 emails a week — update which issues you receive at any time. Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and unsubscribe. Visit our Etsy shop for awesome templates. THE ASSIST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, UNITED STATES