👋 Hey Geist Collective!

This week’s edition comes with honesty.

I recently started full-time as Senior Talent Partner at pplwise, and while I’m genuinely excited about this role, it’s also been a challenge.

Balancing that with my career coaching work, writing this newsletter, and growing Careergeist hasn’t been easy. In fact, I’ve had to hit pause on things I love (like posting daily on LinkedIn).

So instead of pretending I have it all figured out, I want to talk about something more real:

• How do we manage multiple roles or ambitions without burning out?

• How do we stay productive and ambitious while protecting our well-being?

That’s the heart of this edition.

In Today’s Edition:

• ⚡ Quick Insight: The Myth of Balance

• 🎯 Career Move: Managing Multiple Roles With Intention

• 📰 Career Headlines: IMF cuts growth forecast and global hiring surge in Q1

• 📚 Book Spotlight: Essentialism by Greg McKeown

• 🧰 Tool Spotlight: Sunsama (A calendar that actually helps you plan rest)

• 🔍 Career Myth-Buster: "You Can Do It All, If You Plan Well Enough"

• 💬 Your Voice: How Do You Stay Grounded?

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Quick Insight: The Myth of Balance

Work-life balance isn’t a perfect 50/50 split—it’s a cycle.

There will be intense weeks and slower ones. The key is not to strive for constant balance, but to notice the imbalance and recalibrate before burnout hits.

👉 Quick Action: Ask yourself today—What’s the one thing I need more of right now? Rest? Focus? Support?

Career Move: Managing Multiple Roles With Intention

If you’re juggling a full-time job and a side project (or two), here are three rules that help:

1. Define Weekly Priorities, Not Daily Tasks Your days will be unpredictable—plan in flexible blocks, not rigid checklists.

2. Protect Unstructured Time Rest is not wasted time. It’s where ideas and clarity happen.

3. Let Go of Perfection You don’t need to be everywhere every day. Be consistent over time, not just in bursts.

👉 Quick Win: Pick one project or channel to temporarily pause. That pause is not failure—it’s strategy.

Career News

IMF Cuts Global and Asian Growth Forecasts for 2025

On April 23, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its 2025 global growth forecast downward from 3.3% to 2.8%. Major Asian economies were hit hardest: China’s growth outlook was cut to 4% and India’s to 6.2%. The IMF cited escalating trade conflicts and “considerable policy uncertainty” as key reasons. This slowdown is expected to impact hiring and investment decisions worldwide, especially in export-driven sectors. Source

Global Hiring Surge in Q1 2025

The Robert Walters Global Jobs Index shows hiring activity surged by +31% month-over-month in March 2025, capping a strong Q1 with +15.2% growth in vacancies compared to Q4 2024. This rebound signals renewed employer confidence, particularly in professional services, tech, and finance sectors. Source

Book of the Week: "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown

This book changed how I approach work. It’s a guide to doing less, better. It teaches you how to stop trying to do everything and start choosing what really matters.

👉 Check it out here (Affiliate link)

Transparency: If you buy through this link, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I'll always tell you when a link helps support Careergeist.

Tool of the Week: Reclaim.ai

Reclaim.ai – A smart calendar app that automatically finds the best time for your meetings, focus work, habits, and breaks.

• Syncs with your Google Calendar

• Uses AI to flexibly prioritize your to-dos

• Automatically reschedules tasks when conflicts come up

👉 Explore Reclaim.ai (I am not affiliated with them and do not earn when you sign up)

Note: While Reclaim.ai offers a free version with robust features, they also provide premium plans with additional functionalities.

Career Myth-Buster

Each week, we'll debunk a common career myth.

This Week's Myth: "You can do it all—if you just plan better."

Truth: Ambition without boundaries leads to burnout. The most successful people I know ruthlessly prioritise—and say "not now" to even great ideas.

👉 Quick Action: Write down 3 things you’re doing that don’t need to happen this month. Pause them.

Your Voice

How do you stay grounded when things get busy? What’s your go-to reset strategy?

Reply and let me know. I’d love to feature your advice in an upcoming edition.

Feedback, feedback, feedback…

I'd genuinely love to hear from you:

• What did you like in this issue?

• What didn’t hit the mark?

• What's a career topic you're struggling with right now?

Reply to this email and let me know. Brutally honest feedback encouraged. I promise, I’ll take it better than your manager takes feedback from you.

Action Steps

• Ask yourself what you need more of this week (focus, rest, support)

• Set weekly—not daily—priorities

• Protect recharge time on your calendar

• Pause one project intentionally

• Say no to at least one good idea

You're here because you're committed to your growth

You opened this because you’re serious.

Now take one step forward—implement just one thing today.

Cheers,
Sven Bunkus
Editor-in-Chief, Careergeist