‘Your Year in Asana’ is a reminder of all the work you did (or didn’t do)

There are some things that I don’t need to know, like how much money I’ve spent on iced oat milk lattes or the sheer number of pens I’ve purchased this year — and how many of them are already lost. (Where do they all go?) And yet, apps keep finding new ways to quantify our lives, presenting us with data we never asked for.

Enter “Your Year in Asana,” a feature that turns your 2024 work habits into a highlight reel — complete with task tallies, collaboration stats, and a subtle reminder that you’re either crushing it or teetering on the edge of burnout.

Imagine my surprise when I opened Asana today (Dec. 5), only to be greeted by this stark reminder of our capitalistic times.

“Congrats!” the app says, proudly informing me how many tasks I completed this year (1,914 and counting), how much time I saved (what does that even mean?), and my most frequent collaborators. It felt less like a celebration and more like the kind of progress report you didn’t ask for but can’t ignore—complete with the subtle pressure to do even more next year.

Because, really, do I need a virtual round of applause for checking things off a to-do list? Or a reminder that my “most active day” is Wednesday, as if I need another reason to dread that day of the week? This isn’t the first time Asana has launched a year-in-review product, but this year’s version looks more like Spotify Wrapped, with sleeker visuals, personalized stats, and a sprinkling of celebratory flair. And the end result feels more like a work report than a playlist of greatest hits.

Credit: Asana

Asana joins apps like Spotify and YouTube that quantify our lives into shareable summaries. But while Spotify Wrapped reminds you of your favorite songs and YouTube tracks your video binges, Your Year in Asana takes a different approach — it turns your work habits into a performance review you didn’t sign up for.

It’s less about what brought you joy and more about what kept you busy, complete with stats that feel maybe a little too revealing.

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I didn’t ask for a glowing pat on the back from an algorithm for simply doing my job, but here it is — turning my work life into something shareable, whether I want it to be or not.