Start with Small Steps
This podcast is for real people who want to make changes but don’t know how to start. If you feel like positive change is overwhelming or elusive, or building the life you want seems far away, I will help you create easy and practical steps toward success. If you don’t have time to sift through thousands of hours of podcasts, hundreds of books or centuries of advice, let me do it for you! I will help you start with small steps in categories like productivity, self-help, health, technology or best practices. Each episode of my podcast will be posted in a blog format on my webpage, so you’ll always have the resources and links.
Episodes
209 - The Lemonade vs. Lemon Life
We’re diving into the idea of turning life’s lemons into lemonade, inspired by Zach Friedman’s book, The Lemonade Life: How to Fuel Success, Create Happiness, and Conquer Anything. We’ll explore how to shift from a passive, “Lemon Life” mindset to an empowering “Lemonade Life,” where you take charge and thrive. I’ll also share personal reflections, practical tools like the PRISM framework, and ins...
208 - Simple Ways to Feel at Home in Any Place
In this episode, we explore This Is Where You Belong by Melanie Warnick, a book that examines how to create a sense of belonging no matter where you live. The host reflects on her own journey to embrace her town, which has never felt like home, and Warnick’s practical advice for fostering connection, appreciation, and engagement within one’s community.
The Illusion of “Elsewhere”: We...
207 - Transforming Overthinking With A New Soundtrack
In today’s episode, we explore John Acuff’s Soundtracks: A Surprising Solution to Overthinking. Acuff dives into the idea that we are the stories we tell ourselves, and how these internal "soundtracks" can either propel us forward or hold us back. We discuss the importance of recognizing negative soundtracks, retiring them, and replacing them with positive ones. Whether it’s pe...
206 - Meet New People and Build Lasting Friendships
In this episode, we explore how to make new friends and build lasting relationships in a world where social connections have become harder to maintain. Inspired by Start With Hello by Shannon Martin, we discuss how small steps can lead to big changes in your social life. Whether you’re looking to rebuild connections lost during the pandemic or find new ways to meet people, this e...
205 - Harnessing Military Brat Lessons
In this episode, we talk about Harris Faulkner’s book Nine Rules of Engagement, where she shares life lessons gleaned from growing up in a military family. Faulkner reflects on how military values such as resilience, teamwork, and integrity have shaped her approach to personal success. These principles are not just for soldiers but can be applied to everyday life to achieve success, overcome ...
204 - The World Through the Five Senses
In this episode, we read about the fascinating world of senses based on Gretchen Rubin's book Life in Five Senses. We explore how being more mindful of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch can profoundly change how we experience life.
Sight: Vision is more than what meets the eye. Our brain fills in the gaps, making sense of incomplete or ambiguous images. We also learn how perception chan...
203 - Rediscovering Life Through Our Senses
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of our senses with insights from Gretchen Rubin's book Life in Five Senses. We discuss how our senses shape our understanding of the world, the ways in which they adapt when one is lost, and how paying attention to them can enhance our everyday experiences.
The Role of Senses in Perception: We explore how our brain processes sensory info...
202 - Wear the Six Thinking Hats
In this episode, we explore Edward de Bono’s revolutionary framework, "The Six Thinking Hats." This method offers a structured approach to problem-solving and decision-making by encouraging participants to adopt different mindsets, each represented by a colored hat. We explore how this technique can be applied in various scenarios, from corporate meetings to family discussions, to foster better col...
201 - Creating Your Own Luck
The intriguing concept of luck as presented in A.H.Z. Carr’s book "How to Attract Good Luck and Make the Most of It in Your Daily Life." challenges the traditional notion of luck as mere chance or superstition, Carr offers a practical approach to creating luck through preparedness and the right mindset.
Redefining Luck: Carr redefines luck as not a mystical force but a product of our responses to oppo...
The MEEPS Method for Problem-Solving
Change is hard, but with the right strategy, it becomes manageable. The MEMPS method—Motivate, Equip, Nudge, Push, and Shove—offers a structured approach to tackling problems and achieving goals. Here’s how you can apply this method to your own life. The system takes into account the book by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, Nudge.
Motivate The first step is to inspire excitement. Create a vis...
199 - Overcoming Costs and Creating Incentives
This episode examines how costs, incentives, and biases influence our behavior and decision-making processes. Drawing from both economics and psychology, we discuss strategies to identify and manage these factors effectively, ensuring better outcomes in personal a nd professional scenarios.
The Role of Incentives: We explore how incentives, whether financial, social, or intrinsic, si...
198 - Navigating the Challenges of People Pleasing
In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked downside of being too nice. Drawing from "Anxious to Please: Seven Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice" by James Rapson and Craig English, we discuss how chronic people pleasing can impact mental health, relationships, and personal fulfillment. We offer practical strategies to help listeners find a balance between ...
197 - Seven Key Questions to Be Self-Aware
Understanding our essential self is a journey, one that requires introspection and a willingness to ask challenging questions. We look into these questions, drawing from Dain Dunston's book, Being Essential: Seven Questions for Living and Leading with Radical Self-Awareness. This two-part series emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in navigating life's journey and achieving persona...
196 - Your Essential Being
In this episode, we explore the concept of radical self-awareness, a transformative practice that allows us to reconnect with our core identity. Inspired by Dane Dunstan's book "Being Essential: Seven Questions for Living and Leading with Radical Self-Awareness," we delve into how understanding our essential self can help us navigate life with clarity and purpose.
Key Takeaways:
Understanding Radical S...
195 - Shortcuts in Achieving Goals
In our pursuit of goals, the question often arises: is it acceptable to use shortcuts? This topic is more nuanced than it appears, blending practical considerations with ethical ones. Let's explore the implications of using shortcuts to achieve goals and how they impact our learning, integrity, and success.
Shortcuts are often perceived negatively, equated with cheating or avoiding hard work. Ho...
194 - Overcoming Tedious Tasks
In today’s episode, we explore how to tackle the boring, tedious tasks that often derail our productivity. Drawing insights from Peter Hollens’ book, Self-Disciplined: for Tedious, Boring, and Difficult Things, we discuss practical strategies to make these tasks more manageable.
1. 52/17 Technique: Work for 52 minutes, then take a 17-minute break. This method, based on the Pomodoro Technique, helps ...
193 - Formulas for Life
In this episode, we delve into Patrick King's book, Social Equation, which offers practical formulas to enhance social interactions. Discover how to build trust, improve workplace harmony, and foster romantic relationships through King's insightful equations.
Building trust is fundamental to any strong relationship, and Patrick King offers a straightforward formula to achieve this: Trustworthiness = C...
192 - The Enduring Wisdom of George Washington’s Rules
In today’s episode, we delve into George Washington’s “110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior,” a set of guidelines that the first U.S. President copied from a French etiquette manual during his youth. These rules, which shaped his conduct and helped forge his character, offer timeless wisdom on politeness and decorum that is surprisingly relevant in our modern society.
...
191 - Don't Join the Cynicism
In this episode, we look into the pervasive issue of cynicism in our modern society, exploring its causes and impactful strategies to foster a more positive outlook. Drawing inspiration from the wise words of George Carlin, we discuss how disillusionment leads to cynicism and how we can transform this mindset to improve our overall quality of life.
Understanding Cynicism: We start by defining cynicis...
190 - Hit the Point and Sell it
Welcome to today's episode where we dive into the art of brevity in communication, inspired by the book "Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less." Today, we'll explore why brevity is essential and how to achieve it effectively.
Importance of Order: Start communications with the most crucial information. This ensures that even if the audience loses interest later, they've already received ...
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