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November 13, 2025 15 mins

Are you sprinting toward the end of the year on fumes, feeling the pressure to achieve "perfection" when you're already doing the work of three people?

In this solo episode, host Erica Rooney flips the script on the year-end hustle. She argues that finishing the year strong doesn't mean doing more, it means choosing better and slowing down on purpose to align your efforts. This is the antidote to the corporate finish line chaos.

Erica introduces her simple, three-part weekly audit designed to replace emotion with evidence, cut the endless activity that keeps you stuck, and ensure your time is spent on tasks that guarantee future growth, not burnout.

Inside the Episode:

  • The Year-End Pressure Cooker: A candid look at the relentless demands of Q4—from performance reviews and budget season to the inevitable holiday hosting and perfectionism.
  • Activity vs. Impact: Why being busy doesn't mean you're being valuable. Erica shares how to stop doing the "busy work" (like organizing your makeup drawer!) and identify the three things that truly move the needle toward your goals.
  • The Energy Check: The importance of tracking your physical state. Learn the color-coded calendar method to identify what activities (meetings, projects, or people) leave you energized versus totally drained.
  • Eating the Frog Strategically: How to make dreaded, energy-sucking tasks less draining by strategically placing them in your schedule to clear up mental space and anxiety.
  • The Alignment Test (Bridge vs. Cliff): A crucial test for any task:
    • Bridge Activities: Set you up for future growth, recognition, and long-term alignment.
    • Cliff Activities: Take your time and energy but get you nowhere toward your long-term vision. (Hint: Reformatting slides is a cliff!)
  • Your Weekly Action Plan: A simple, low-effort routine for Friday evening to map your calendar, cut the drains, and prioritize the bridge activities that guarantee you start the new year rested and ahead of the curve.

If you are ready to get off the corporate hamster wheel and create a life you don't have to feel like you're escaping from, this episode is your strategic guide to ending the year aligned, not exhausted.

🔗 Resources:

  • Revisit the SNAP Method (Stop and Notice) in previous episodes for an easy way to check in with your body.
  • Connect with Erica Rooney on LinkedIn.

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