Very Excellent Habits: Recent Episodes
Carly Jacobs
The Podcast That Helps You Create Little Habits, For a Big Life. Formerly known as Straight & Curly / Poductivity.
Presented by Carly Jacobs
Just a warning this episode is a touch on the heavy side. It’s about death, a subject we don’t often give much space too, particularly in Western Cultures.
This week I have guest Jackey Coyle, author of In The End, A Practical Guide to Dying on the show to talk about all things… well… death.
Jackey is a writer and researcher who wrote her beautiful book in collaboration with Fernlea, a palliative care facility.
In this episode, we talk about death, preparing for death and how to help loved ones in their final hours.
Don’t forget that Jackey’s book is available on Booktopia - it’s called In The End, a Practical Guide for Dying - https://www.booktopia.com.au/in-the-end-jackey-coyle/ebook/9780645214611.html
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One thing I don’t talk about much in my work is sex. Not for any particular reason, it’s just not something that’s high on my list of priorities to research and form opinions on. However, I have lots of listeners who have asked about sex therapy so I’ve got Isiah McKimmie on the show to well, talk about sex!
She is ridiculously qualified, with a masters degree in Relational Psychotherapy, a masters degree in Science in Medicine(Sexual Counselling/Psychosexual and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Sexology just to name a few. She’s Australia’s most qualified relationship and intimacy specialist and in this episode she gives excellent advice on sex, couples therapy and how to get the intimacy you crave in life.
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
Isiah's guide for deepening love and intimacy - https://isiah-mckimmie.ck.page/92da5ad26e
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I’m a sucker for time-saving tips. If there’s someone on Instagram who’s like ‘Oh here’s a hack that will save you time!’ I’m like ‘Go on. I’m listening.’
I am absolutely delighted to have Amantha Imber of Inventium and How I Work podcast. If you’ve never listened to How I Work get it in your ears she has some mega high profile guests including Micheal Mosley, Abbi Jacobson from Broad City and other very amazing people.
Amantha has a new book out called Time Wise and she’s on the show to talk about it today.
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We chose this book because it has a weird controversial reputation.
It's kind of a guide for manipulating people but the author Robert Greene seems really legit and actually very smart so we are deeply confused.
Join us as we dissect this thoroughly strange, contradictory, quite alarming book.
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The inspiration for this episode came from a newsletter I sent a few weeks ago about quiet resilience.
I had so much feedback for an expansion of my thoughts so I put it all in a podcast for you!
I see you, I know this is hard. You're brilliant. x
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Olly is back (with better audio!) and we're giving our top 4 fiction book recommendations this season.
In this episode we talk about The Maid, Cutter's End, The Wife and The Widow and The Drover's Wife.
Let us know what awesome books you've read recently!
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today's episode is a solo pep talk on how to cope when you're freaking out.
Here's the 5 step plan I outline in the podcast.
- Drop your bundle
- Write yucky pages
- Seek out the positive
- Remember that perception isn't reality
- Kill your nostalgia
The rest is in the podcast - get it in your ears!
Links
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today's episode is with Nicole Baker who is a life coach for perfectionists.
In this episode, Nicole talks us through perfectionism, what it means, what it's not, the different types of perfectionism and how you can work WITH your type to achieve your goals.
Nicole is an absolute delight, her energy is sparkle plus and I just loved having this chat with her.
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week I have my psychologist mate Fliss back on the show to talk about uncertainty, fear, boundaries around your own safety and dealing with loss of control.
In this episode, we talk about... What's happening in our brains since we've been in a constant state of uncertainty for over 2 years The circle of influence vs the circle of concern 4 x 4 breathing An unusual side effect of meditation The Negative Bias Effect Tips for cutting back on catastrophising
It's a great listen for anyone who wants some tips for for dealing with these very tough times.
Links
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode has been a long, long time coming. It’s all about hormones - not just for fertility but for everything. PCOS, endometriosis, and general thyroid issues.
Women’s hormones are ridiculously overlooked and can be the answer to many different issues you might experience. So this week, I have Ebony Crameri from Project Nutrition. She’s a fertility and PCOS dietician who helps women balance their hormones not just for fertility but for general hormone health.
Can I just say Ebony is a genius, and this is a must-listen? Honestly, I just loved this conversation. Ebony is smart and science-minded but also realistic and flexible. Get her in your ears today.
You can find Ebony here - https://www.projectnutrition.com.au
https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the mental load.
The whole thing. It unfairly targets women, and how no matter how hard we try to have equal partnerships, it never seems to work out that way. It’s that ever-illusive work/life balance struggle.
So this week, I have Michelle Broadbent, a business strategist who is an expert in work-life balance on the show. This episode talks about delegation, outsourcing, and working with what you have. Whether you're a single parent or self-employed. The brilliant Michelle has you covered.
Links
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recommendation episodes with Chrissy get so much love I decided to make them a regular series.
Here's a random selection of our favourite things. Dopesick (TV show) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (movie) Dr Bronner's peppermint lip balm Devil in the White City (book) Audrey O Style (clothing shop) Tu Vietnamese Street (restaurant)
Got something to recommend? Leave a review!
Here are some useful links.
Email - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
Have a very excellent day!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Operating on the assumption that we have the ability to function at 100% at all times is so unbelievably dangerous. That kind of all or nothing, smash-yourself-for-success trope is very prevalent but there are more holistic and gentle approaches to self-improvement and I’m here for it. It’s also unbelievably relevant for the times we’re living in, which are confusing, exhausting and sometimes kind of scary.
This week I have Dr Kate Litterer on the show. She’s an expert in sustainable and well being oriented productivity. Meaning she can teach you how to be productive and succeed without sacrificing your health or well being.
In this episode, we talk about wellbeing oriented productivity, self-awareness, self boundaries and getting things done even if you're not firing on all cylinders.
Links
Email - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabit
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is the last episode of this season and I’ll be back on April 7th with season 2 for 2022.
So this is just a fun little episode all about all about pressure cookers/Instant Pots. In Australia at least they seem to be the weird cousin of the slow cooker but trust me, once you go pressure you won’t go back.
Here’s my favourite ever pressure cooker recipe - https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a34417937/instant-pot-soup-creamy-chicken-wild-rice/
And try The Pioneer Woman and Pinch of Yum for more recipes.
Also despite several pressure-cooker accidents that happened in the 70s, it’s unlikely your pressure cooker will kill you, no matter what you’ve heard.
If you’ve ever wanted to try a pressure cooker, this episode is for you.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is just a little rescue remedy for the week. The world is a hard place to navigate but there’s also so much good.
Rest when you can, keep caring when you can, fight when you can and rejoice when you can.
Take care of yourself this week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I've had some feedback that some listeners would love more fiction book recommendations and as Olly and I each read at least a book a week, we're going to do a fiction book episode each season.
We'll each recommend 2 books (4 in total) of fabulous fiction books you have to read.
Leave a review letting us know if you want more of these episodes!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Self Improvement Book Club is back and this time we’re looking at the beautiful book Care by Brooke McAlary.
Featuring my mate Olivia Jacobs (yes we have the same surname but are not related), self-improvement book club is where we pick a self-improvement book and critique it.
This season’s book is Care and it’s lovely.
In this episode, we talk about…
- self-care and how underrated it is
- Not sharing everything of yourself with the world
- The importance of kindness on your physical health
- The art of moving slowly
If you have any self-improvement books you’d like us to critique let us know! If you want to chat more about this episode you can join the Facebook group.
You can also follow me on Instagram but I'm generally only there on Wednesday - @veryexcellenthabits
I also have a bunch of workbooks and resources available on Patreon here.
And you can join my newsletter here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Money is one topic that comes up again and again so this week I have Emma Edwards from The Broke Generation Podcast. It’s a genius podcast aimed at Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) and looking at how we can make the most of our money in the weird circumstances we’re in.
In this episode we talk about the unique money struggles of millennials, how we can make sure we're not working until we're 80 and how we can turn the garbage economy and dismal job market around...
Here are some useful links -
Email sign up - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
Leave a message to be answered on the show -
https://www.speakpipe.com/veryexcellenthabits
Have a rad day!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode inspiration comes from an old friend who listens to the show and asked for me more recommendations. So I’ve roped in Chrissy from Hair Romance and this episode we’re going to talk about our favourite things.
In this episode, we talk about everything we're reading, watching, eating and wearing right now.
Here are some useful links.
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week’s episode randomly came from an episode New Amsterdam. Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy is coming out waaaaay too slowly for my liking so I needed a new medical drama and honestly it’s not bad. There’s psychologist character who asked one of his patients ‘Is that a feeling or is fact?’ when she mid-spiral and it reminded me that I researched this whole thing ages ago and never actually did an episode on it.
This is the last episode of the year and I thought it was a great concept to end on.
Feelings are important and so are emotions. They give us information and make us do things - take action but no matter how big and important they are, they aren’t facts.
This episode is about the one question you can ask yourself to keep yourself sane these holidays.
This is the last episode of the season/year. Thank you so much for sticking with me - it means more than you could know.
Here are some useful links.
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode inspiration comes from an old friend who listens to the show and asked for me more recommendations. So I’ve roped in Chrissy from Hair Romance and this episode we’re going to talk about our favourite things.
In this episode we talk about everything we're reading, watching, eating and wearing right now.
Here are som useful links.
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week’s episode inspiration comes from my mate Chrissie from Hair Romance. She wanted me to do another episode on sleep and it’s been a while so I thought I would do a deep dive into sleep today. This episode will be less about sleep fixes (because we do actually know what we need to do - put our damn phones down!) but more about WHY we need to do these things.
Warning - this episode is a bit scary and might make you freak out about your sleep habits. Be warned.
Here are some useful links.
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is a listener request episode from Steph who wanted to know what was on my No List.
The original idea of the No List came from @wainwrightholly @miafreedman and @jessiestephens90 of Mamamia who wrote their own lists a couple of years back.
I’ve heard lots of other prominent women in the media come with their own No Lists. Yumi Steines includes not doing anything for Christmas. As in nothing. She won’t so much as buy a box of Christmas crackers. So in the interest of inspiring other people to create their No Lists, here is mine.
Here some useful links!
Weekly newsletter sign up - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/veryexcellenthabits
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Okay so I had to get an expert in here because I’m actually not that amazing at digital admin. I have high functioning anxiety which means that my brain never lets me forget a single thing. I still write things down in my calendar app but I’m never shocked when I see a reminder in there because it’s likely I’ve been worrying about it at 3am.
For everyone else who isn’t totally highly strung I have Dinah Rowe-Roberts from Life Admin Life Hacks. I was featured on her and Mia’s podcast a few months ago and now I’ve invited her here to have a chat about all things digital admin.
This week's bonus is a list of Very Excellent Productivity apps. You can get that by becoming a Patreon.
If you want more you can follow me on Instagram @veryexcellenthabits and sign up for my newsletter here.
You can join the Facebook group here.
Have a rad day.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is listener Laura who asked me to expand on my minimalism, particularly when it comes to kids. I have one kid and she’s nearly three (that's just for context) but we've successfully lived a relatively minimalist life with her so far.
This episode covers; Toys Clothes Babies Toddlers Essentials Other bits and pieces like hats and water bottles
I've included a little bit about Montessori (we're not hardcore into that philosophy we just like a lot of the methodologies and that kind of adds to our brand of minimalism), some behavioural methods we follow and my ultimate question. 'Is the result of allowing this annoying or dangerous?' and how the answer will dictate whether or not I will go to battle with my kid over it.
This week's bonus is a video tour of our kid's stuff with a resource list - both of those are available to Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Instagram - @veryexcellenthabits
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
Newsletter - https://carlyjacobs.activehosted.com/f/69
Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Over the last few years I think a lot of us had to look at our food supply chain with very honest eyes and realise that some things need to change. 7.3 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted every year while 5 million Australians go hungry 17% of total food available to consumers in 2019, went into the waste bins of households, retailers, restaurants and other food services The average Australian family throws away $3,800 worth of groceries per household each year The average Australian household is sends roughly 4.9 kilograms of food waste to landfill each week 75% of all food that is sent to landfill comes from our households
This week’s guest Is Hannah Moloney of Good Life Permaculture where her and husband design permaculture landscaping for their clients and run workshops on radical home making. You may even have seen Hannah on Gardening Australia - she’s the one with pink hair who lives in the wild pink house in Hobart.
This week we talk about food production, waste reduction, living a slow life of joy and how it's it's pronounced 'ca-len-jewel-la' not 'cal-en-dool-la'.
This week’s bonus is a mega permaculture resource list with podcasts, experts, books and blogs. That’s available on Patreon. Just join for $5 US or $7 Australian to grab your copy - you will also get access to all of my other workbooks, guides and resources lists.
You can find Hannah here.
If you have an episode idea you can record it here. And if you want to follow me on Instagram I'm @veryexcellenthabits.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the new and improved Self Improvement Book Club!
Featuring my mate Olivia Jacobs (yes we have the same surname but are not related that we know of) where we pick a self-improvement book and critique it.
The first cab off the rank is The Secret. Spoiler alert - it’s garbage.
In this episode, we talk about How poorly written this book is The mystery of why it got so much attention (like Oprah level attention) How we’ve read the book and still have no idea what The Secret is The gross whitewashed ‘experts’ in the book The damage the book could cause with its false claims of ‘manifesting’ misery
If you have any self-improvement books you’d like us to critique let us know! If you want to chat more about this episode you can join the Facebook group.
You can also follow me on Instagram but I'm generally only there on Wednesday - @veryexcellenthabits
I also have a bunch of workbooks and resources available on Patreon here.
Stay safe, get vaccinated!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How are your finances looking?
It’s SUCH a loaded question and I hope I didn’t ruin your day. I feel like there are 3 money categories you can fall into. I Don’t Know (living fast loose), Medium (has a basic superannuation plan and maybe some savings) and I Eat Stocks and Bonds for Breakfast (swims around in their vault of cash like Scrooge McDuck).
This week’s guest is Victoria Devine of She’s on the Money. Victoria a financial advisor who focuses on giving millennials financial advice that’s appropriate for that generation. Her podcast She’s On The Money gets 85,000 downloads per episode which off chops. It's a rad podcast you should definitely listen to it. She's incredibly smart and practical but also extremely funny and relatable. The perfect combo if you think money is scary and boring.
In this episode, we talk about..
English Sheepadoodles, earn, spend, own and owe - the four money buckets you should always know about, how you can earn 45k per year and end up better off than someone who earns 250k per year, budgeting when you don’t have a regular income, the 6 essential bank accounts you need in your life, the worst financial advice being thrown around - it’s a toss-up between Afterpay and Cryptocurrency and the one thing you absolutely should not ignore when it comes to your finances.
If you want to chat more about this episode you can join the Facebook group.
You can also follow me on Instagram but I'm generally only there on Wednesday - @veryexcellenthabits
I also have a bunch of work books and resources available on Patreon here.
Stay safe, get vaccinated!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So a lot of us are in lockdown - fun times - and I’ve had some feedback from some listeners that they keep re-watching the same thing again and again and they want to get out of that rut. So this week’s guest if my very good friend Jordan Prosser who is a film director and screenwriter as well as just a massive movie buff. We are going to talk about our top 5 films of all time and then give some tips for how to find more films like them. Here's what we chat about in this episode...
• Each of our top 5 movies of all time
• Why we like them and why they qualify
• Movie snobbery and how to avoid it
• How to find movies you will love based on movies you already love
• Jordan's top 50 movies of all time (available via Patreon as a handy checklist!)
Love it?
If you totally love the podcast I'd be super chuffed if you gave it a rating and a review. You can do that by visiting the show page (not the episode page) on your phone and scrolling to the bottom.
Oh, also I have a weekly newsletter! Lots of people seem to like it - you can sign up here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is an SOS episode.
I had Fliss (my psych mate) on the show a season or two ago and seriously everyone loved her. I had so many requests to get her back on the show.
Australia has turned upside since last season. Canberra and Victoria have been plunged into harsh lockdowns and the NSW outbreak is devastating. We're all tired, we're all over it.
On a personal note, we’ve lost childcare again and for us, that’s the last beacon of hope. It’s really tiring with 2 full time working parents tag-teaming childcare and work. We’re coping but we have zero downtime and we're down the last straw.
I’ve invited Fliss back to give some more tips for grounding ourselves and being resilient when things are out of control… again.
I do not have the time, strength or inclination for show notes this week. If I mention anything in the podcast and you want to know about it ask in the Facebook group.
You could try asking me on Instagram but I can't guarantee I'll be there much - @veryexcellenthabits
If you want this week's bonus Resilience Work Book - Who The F*ck Knows How Long This is Going to Last you can grab that by becoming a Patreon here.
Stay safe, get vaccinated!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It never occurred to me how much there was to learn about my period and menstrual cycles and when I started looking into I was horrified at how little I knew.
This week’s guest is Lucy Peach, the Period Queen and in this episode, she tells us everything there is to know about the Four Phases of The Menstrual Cycle and how you can embrace them to take over the world. For real.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
Don't forget this episode bonus is printable Period Tracker so you can start tracking the phases of your menstrual cycle. You can grab it here via Patreon.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When things are uncertain (and consistently uncertain at that!) it’s really hard sticking to your good habits.
Illness, family illness, finances, job insecurity, the global economy, climate change… all of these things have the ability to totally derail the best of habits.
The thing is, we can’t wait for ideal circumstances. They don’t exist. All we can do is keep trying.
On that note, here are 5 tips for getting back on track when you keep getting shoved sideways.
Here’s what I chat about in this episode…
• Pinpointing what’s important
• Letting go of lofty goals for the time being
• Setting fire to Mondays and the First Day of The Month and starting right now
• How a recent study showed that contrary to popular belief Monday is the worst time to start something new
• Releasing what’s not working
• How 3 criminals escaped from Alcatraz and how their story will help you achieve your goals
• Realising that just because it’s not perfect doesn’t mean it’s not helpful
• How progression exist outside of perfection
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
This months bonus is The Anytime Goal Getter Plan - it’s designed for you to pick up any day, any time, any month and just get started on your goals. You can grab that my becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits and that also gives you access to all my other resources, workbooks and bonuses.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This month has been a doozy so I'd thought I'd take a moment to breathe and reflect. This week's guest on Very Excellent Habits is my beautiful former co-host Kelly. In this episode we chat about all the things - what we're doing, how we're going, what cool things we've discovered.
For old listeners, she needs no introduction. For new listeners, Kelly was once the cohost of this show when it was called Straight & Curly.
Hope you enjoy this lovely catch up between two old friends.
Here are some useful links.
Show Notes
Patreon
Have a gorgeous day yeah?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Confession time - I’m a reformed messy person. I’m not even that reformed if I’m honest. I leave shit everywhere. If I come to your house I’ll leave a pile of crap in my wake. Shoes, my bag, often little piles of jewellery I’ve taken off. My sunglasses, a scarf. Growing up I was the butt of family jokes. My parents called my wardrobe the Avalanche because when you opened the doors a land slide of books, toys and clothes would come spilling out.
I’ve made a lot changes over the last decade and it’s pretty safe to say it’s impossible to be tidy when you have too much stuff. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to manage.
This episode is all about keeping things tidy but in a detailed and realistic way. Also I made sure all of these tips are properly accessible. There’s no requirement to spend $400 on storage boxes.
So if you want to up your tidying chops, this episode is for you.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
This week's episode comes with a Tidy House Checklist that will help you declutter in 15 days. You can grab it (and all my extra content) - workbooks, resource lists, ebooks and checklists at here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I think it’s really important to be diverse and cover the stories of lots of different people. I’ve never been a carer (yet - it may happen at some point) but I used to be a special ed teacher so I’ve had more than a usual amount of contact with carers.
Currently, there are more than 2.65 million carers in Australia, which means about 1 in 11 people in Australia are carers. In the UK, it’s closer to 8 million.
This week’s guest is Penny Wincer - she’s been a carer for both her mother and her Autistic son. She’s written a book called Tender about the challenges of being a carer. Let me tell you, this book is a doozy. I thought it was really important to shed some light on the lives of carers and also offer some words of comfort for those who are carers through the words of Penny. This episode also touches on how we can better support our carer friends.
In this episode, we chat about…
• Penny’s experience of being a caregiver twice
• Reluctance of carers to be labeled as carers
• The importance of protecting the privacy of the people being cared for VS the need for carers to connect and talk about their experiences, often publicly through storytelling
• Ableism and how able-bodied people can avoid participating in and perpetuating it
• Inspiration porn and how to avoid promoting it
• Tips for carers who might be struggling
• Asking yourself ‘What’s the kindest thing I can do for myself right now?’ If you’re a carer or you know someone who is a carer and you want to support them better, this episode is for you.
Links
Penny’s Book
Show Notes
Patreon
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you hear the term ‘mindset’ what do you think of?
I immediately think of MLMs, Tony Robins and On Being a God in Central Florida. Oprah springs to mind too.
The mindset ‘industry’ - yep that’s a thing - is rife with sharks, privilege, classism and ableism. This doesn’t mean that mindset training isn't useful, it’s just important to proceed with empathy and caution in this space.
On that note, this week I’m dissecting the construct of Growth vs Fixed mindset and whether our fixed mindsets are holding us back from being extraordinary.
Hint: Your fixed mindset is probably holding you back. I know mine is.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
This week’s bonus is a 3 Month Mastering Your Mindset Workbook that’s available on Patreon. Just join for $5 US or $7 Australian to grab your copy - you will also get access to all of my other workbooks, guides and resources lists.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Straight up, I have a very scary and sad truth bomb.
If you’re an Australian aged between 24 and 44 your mental health and drugs/alcohol are the biggest mortality risks to you. Both of those are amplified if you’re a man. I imagine the same is true of any developed Western country.
Yikes.
This episode isn’t designed to scare you (I’m still very much a classic if somewhat occasional binge drinker, even after recording this episode) it’s just a chat about alcohol, our relationship to alcohol, some facts about alcohol and maybe it might help empower you to cut back or quit if that’s something you’re toying with.
This week’s guest is Millie Gooch from Sober Girl Society. Millie is from the UK and after spending her 20s as an actual black out drunk, a few years ago she got sober and is making it her mission to empower other people to give up the booze and get back their lives.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
Like my stuff? You can grab all my extra content - workbooks, resource lists, ebooks and checklists at Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits.
This week there's a big resource list of all Soberish things for you to enjoy!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When I was a teacher, I always lamented the lack of tips and self-care ideas available for us.
Most work/life balance tips act on the assumption that you have any control over your time when you’re at work. Tips like ‘negotiate a later start time with your boss’ or ‘go to the gym on your lunch break’ infuriated me. There’s no negotiation on time when you’re a teacher - it’s pretty much illegal to not show up on time. If you’re a teacher who is supposed to be on before-school playground duty and you’re not there when a kid hurts themselves, you’re screwed. It’s a massive responsibility that very few people understand.
On that note, this week’s episode is dedicated to teachers. The guest this week is actually a listener of Very Excellent Habits who has some great tips for teachers. Work-life balance, energy and getting everything done always seems to be the sticking point with teachers so here’s Kirstie on how she gets everything done.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
Like my stuff? You can grab all my extra content - workbooks, resource lists, ebooks and checklists at Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In a recent episode of Very Excellent Habits I was chatting to one of my guests and we both realised how much we love subscription services. I didn’t realise it but I actually have a lot of subscription services I use and they’re really great so without further faffing here are some subscription services you might like to try. Just a note - none of this sponsored. They’re things I use and love all the time or things I’ve seen that I think look cool. Here are the subscription services I chat about in this episode… Deodorant Coffee Toilet paper Meal delivery kits (extra info about the environmental impact of these VS regular grocery shopping) Dog and cat food Contraceptive pill (extra musing on whether or not this is actually a good idea) Toothbrushes both electric and wooden handled Seeds for gardening Wine Nappies Tips to make sure what you’re signing up for is legit and not
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
This week’s bonus is available for Patreon supporters - it’s a massive list of all the subscription services you could think of. This is crowd sourced and I’ve done my best to make sure they’re all legit. You can grab it at Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I used to think I waxed my legs because I enjoyed the silky sensation of smooth skin but the truth is I was taught to enjoy the silky sensation of smooth skin. My male partner wasn’t taught this. So if it was so great why doesn’t he do it? And would I have ever even thought about how my legs feel if the beauty industry didn’t bring it up all the time?
If I lived in total isolation and my body looked the same as it does now would hate it? To be honest, I probably wouldn’t even think about it. And I wish we all had that.
This week’s guest is my beautiful friend April from @TheBodzilla - we’ve been online and real-life friends for YEARS and April is walking apple pie. She’s so positive and bright and gorgeous. Her smile is off the chain. You know when you meet people and they smile at you and it’s like you’ve blessed by a rainbow? That’s April. Just one of those mega infectious joy-filled people. She does a lot of work in the body-positive space and I thought she’d be a good person to chat to about improving your own self-talk habits around your body.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - this week's episode bonus is a resource of Very Excellent People You Should Follow if You Want to Stop Obsessing Over Your Body - you can grab it here. Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
First up, I hope no one found the title of this episode offensive. It wasn’t supposed to sound like like I am saying you’re not special. You are very special, I promise.
99.9% of the world’s population are ordinary. It’s not an insult, it’s just a fact. I’m ordinary - I have a job that pays my bills, I wipe my kids bum several times a day and I have to save up to buy things. I drive myself places in my very ordinary car. I spend most evenings with my ordinary partner with our ordinary kid. I personally think they’re the most brilliant people on the planet and I’m singularly the luckiest woman in existence but in the world wide sense, our little family is ordinary. The Kardashians aren’t ordinary. Oprah isn’t ordinary. Mariah Carey who famously doesn’t carry cash isn’t ordinary. Most of the rest of us are. And I don’t mean that because we aren’t famous or rich none of us are amazing or that we don’t matter. There are sparkly gem humans everywhere.
I’m just differentiating us regular folk from the folk that have the microphones and the money and the resources to do whatever the hell they want. It’s not realistic to look at them for advice. They can’t help us. We need to set goals from where we are, not where they are.
Perfectionism and imposter syndrome are insidious and they’re directly linked to goal setting failure. We reach for the stars - 30 kilo weight loss, a property portfolio with 10 plus properties, 50 thousand dollars in our savings account, being married with 2.5 kids by the time we’re 30, climbing Mount Everest, competing in the olympics. For us ordinary people it seems like anything less than that is kind of pointless.
Trust me mate, it’s not.
We need to take the glamour, pressure and unrealistic expectations away from goal setting and be a bit more chill about it.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
There's also a bonus Goal Setting for Ordinary People Handbook available to compliment this episode - you can grab it on Patreon here.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Honestly? Business ownership isn’t for everyone and that’s totally fine. You need be a special blend of nuts and bananas to make it work without it destroying your whole life.
So… should you start a small business? Only you can answer that question. I wouldn’t have my life any other way but the stress of the constant hustle, no paid holidays or sick leave and the extra financial burden of dealing with your own taxes and super might not be worth it for you. I wake up every day and I get to write - it could be for myself, a client selling a coaching package or I might be writing product descriptions for a major supermarket. The work I do varies but I truly do love it. And to me that makes it worth it.
But is it for you? Let’s find out…
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I’ve had a lot of listeners comment that they’d like more time to read and honestly, it’s a skill. You can absolutely train that muscle and get in some good reading time. So I thought I’d do an episode on how you can read more because reading is bloody pleasant and everyone should do it more.
This week’s guest is Kristy from @sometimes_i_read_books on Instagram. I discovered her this year when I started posting book reviews on Instagram and she gives fantastic recommendations. I asked her to be a guest on the podcast and it’s the first time she’s done something like this so naturally I was like ‘Dude, you HAVE to do it!’ because my toxic trait is pushing people out of their comfort zones.
Enjoy!
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recently on Instagram I did one of those 'make an assumption' about me style things and someone made the assumption that I’m a minimalist and I said, yeah I kind of am and that lead to me to sharing a few of my minimalist ways.
Since I did that little series people have been specifically interested in what WE do that’s minimalist rather than more general stuff.
So here are some minimalist things we do in our house - and yes I do only own a single pair of exercise tights and I explain why in detail in this episode.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
There's also a HUGE bonus this episode - a book of 97 Minimalism Tips including everything I mentioned in this episode. It's yours when you become a Patreon supporter for more than $5 per month.
If you have any questions or topics you'd like for me to cover you can leave a message at speakpipe.com/veryexcellenthabits.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We’re all tired. So tired.
Everyone has been affected by the pandemic, most of us directly. Half the world are entering their second year in lockdown and even though vaccines are being rolled out worldwide it’s still going to be a while before things go back to whatever ‘normal’ will be again.
This virus doesn’t discriminate and we’ve all had to do hard things. Give up work, work from home, work from home with kids. Stop socialising, stop travelling, stop visiting each other in our homes. Close businesses, lose incomes. At worst we’ve lost lives. At the time of recording this podcast 2.8 million people have died worldwide. Our mental, physical and emotional health has taken a collective battering and it’s still not over. We’re exhausted.
Then there’s the sense of impending doom about the global financial recovery. What will international travel look like? When can families living abroad see each other again? What kind of an impact has the need for next-level hygiene had on the waste reduction we were working so hard to achieve? Will CBDs ever be the same again now we know people can work effectively from home?
It’s a mess.
This week’s friend guest is one of my best friends on the planet, Fliss. She’s also a psychologist so not only is she an amazing friend she’s also pretty useful to have on the podcast. Mainly because she’s so calm and serene - you’ll feel better just listening to her.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/veryexcellenthabits
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Personal style is really hard. For a variety of reasons. Your body, your budget, your climate, your job. No wonder we’re all a bit confused.
In this episode I help you unpack and then recreate your personal style. From finding your I Feel Amazing Formula, to creating your Ultimate Style Sentence this episode is a realistic and inclusive guide for nailing your own personal style. Whether you’re starting from scratch or you just want to tighten it up a little.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling plus you get Patreon only episode bonuses - this week it's a personal style work book. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Poductivity is on a break until 7th April.
Oh it's not called Poductivity anymore.
Any episode topics you'd like me to cover? Record your message at speakpipe.com/veryexcellenthabits.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Should we let our likes/dislikes be the keepers of our life?
The answer is… yes and no… but we’ll get to that later.
I had a great friend guest in mind for this episode. He’s the type of guy who historically has pretty great boundaries and doesn’t really bend on things he doesn’t want to do but in totally on brand fashion he didn’t want to be a guest on the podcast so he’s not on the podcast.
This week’s actual friend guest is my mate Denen. He’s rad, you’ll like him a lot. In this episode we chat about considering the cost-benefit ratio of doing the thing you don’t want to do, the thought of not doing it feeling worse and how it is actually okay to own the things you don’t like.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Straight up, I’m not zero waste. Not even close. I’ve always tried to not be a dick to the environment but zero waste is a bit too intense for me.
The reason why is time. That’s where I fall flat. I’ve nailed everything that doesn’t involve time. Reusable water bottle - sorted. I’m a full on beeswax wraps girl these days. I have a car boot full of reusable shopping bags. I use a menstrual cup and reusable sanitary pads so my period is now totally waste free. Those things are sorted. I struggle with a lot of other things though. Like salad leaves. We are planning on growing our salad eventually but that’s not a short term solution. We live in the country so a lot of the farm to table stores aren't open when we have time to shop so I end up grabbing a bag of salad at the local supermarket. And you know what? That’s fine. It’s great to avoid it if you can but if you can’t, there’s no reason to flip out. It’s okay to be gentle and make changes where you can. I want to stop buying food in packaging and it’s a work in progress. There’s no point in beating myself every time I grab a bag of pre-packaged lettuce at the shops when I didn’t make it to the farmer’s market that week.
This week’s guest is Anita Van Dyke who is @rocket_science on Instagram and she’s is the author of A Zero Waste Life which is one of the best low waste books I’ve read. I mean really let’s be honest here, no one likes to be shamed and made to feel like they’re not trying hard enough and this book is all about making gentle progress.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week’s episode inspiration comes from - this week. I had another episode all lined up but this one just felt a bit more appropriate. We’ve had a really, really bad week and I know a lot of other people have too. We’re totally out of routine. We’ve had visitors two weekends in a row which is lovely but also very depleting for our little quiet yet busy family. Our kid has been monstrously sick and is currently home from daycare for her third day in a row. We’ve been squeezing our work in around her coughing fits and nose wiping.
Here are 5 habits to get you through the day when you feel like crap.
Visit me on Instagram @carlyjacobsdotcom for more.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When I first got pregnant I had a lot of people tell me not to read any books or follow any experts. They told me to follow my instincts and trust myself. That’s excellent advice for some people but that did not work for me at all. I’m a researcher. I like to know what options there are, if there’s anything I’m missing and what’s worked for other people. And yeah, there’s no handbook for parenting or a one size fits all method but personally I have benefitted a lot from reading parenting books.
I needed to know how it all worked. When my kid was a baby I looked up feeding schedules and meal plans because I had no idea how much or what to feed her. I’m now doing the same with the toddler phase. New challenges are popping up all the time and sometimes I have reactions to her behaviour that I don’t like or I try a disciplinary tactic spontaneously and manage to totally cock it up. In those moments I turn to research and the advice of experts so the next time something shocking happens, I know how to respond.
I’m not a perfect parent my any means and I have 10/10 carried my kid surf board style to the car mid-tantrum on more than one occasion because she didn’t want to get off the swings and get in the car. This episode is a 100% smug free resource that has tips, experts and methods that we’ve found useful so far in our toddler journey.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you ever feel like traditional punishment and reward style motivational tactics do absolutely nothing for you?
You’re not alone. A lot of people respond better to intrinsic rather than acquired motivation. Meaning you’re far more likely to go for a jog because you want to rather than because you promised to put $5 in your reward fund if you went for a jog. Sometimes motivation is about joy or purpose and nothing to with rewards or punishments.
I've been thinking about joy and happiness in general and how it contributes to our overall productivity. This week’s episode is about the role joy plays in our motivation.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you been trying to make ethical clothing choices but you sometimes have to (or want to) buy stuff at Kmart and then you feel really guilty?
For the last few years (and really forever) I’ve been trying to be properly ethical in my clothing choices.
I find it really hard to be totally perfect. I bought a gingham linen jumpsuit at Kmart last year for $25 and I absolutely love it. I wear it at least once a week but I’ve been feeling really guilty about buying it because Kmart aren’t transparent enough with their supply chain.
So where does that leave me? I decided to get an expert on the show this week - like a proper, proper expert. This week’s guest is Clare Press and she’s an ethical clothing mastermind. She has 2 podcasts - Wardrobe Crises and Ethical Fashion that’s produced in conjunction with the UN. I honestly can’t tell you how excellent both of these podcasts are, mainly because Clare is such a wonderful host. She’s like the Louis Theroux of ethical fashion.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So everything is really weird right now isn’t it? And it gets weirder (or less weird) depending on where you live.
I have coped (and continue to cope) very badly with this pandemic. I’m certainly not a special unicorn, no one is themselves right now but a big part of what I perceive as my societal worth is competence. I like being the person who has their shit together and this pandemic has totally stripped me of that. I’m not for one moment suggesting that’s a healthy existence but up until this point pinning my self worth on productivity hasn’t ever been an issue because I could just go about being productive and getting my gold stars. Yay me.
So you can imagine that I’m not having a great time of it. I think it’s important to be transparent about where I’m at when I’m putting together resources like this. I’m trying and sometimes I’m succeeding and sometimes I’m not. And that’s cool.
And really, I’m fine. I just want my life back - my proper life back. We all do but we won’t really know when that will be.
This week’s episode is all about making certain plans in uncertain times. If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do you feel about New Year's resolutions?
Personally, I love them but I like to save them for February. I know that sounds bananas but hear me out.
January, as a month, sucks balls. Everyone is tired, hungover, not at home, surrounded by people they’re not usually surrounded by and everything is a mess. The gym isn’t open and neither is your favourite cafe. There’s no routine. It’s a weird, floaty, chaotic month.
Of course you might be on holidays in which case January is awesome but there’s not really much getting done.
Which is totally fine. I just question why there's the obsession with the first of January as the magic day when we get our shit together and it’s probably the worst time ever to make any lasting changes.
So I declare 1st February the Real New Year. You in?
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
If you'd like to leave a recorded message (I'd love that!) you can do it at speakpipe.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Let’s be super honest here - 2020 sucked balls. Hard. There have been some lovely moments - the birth of babies, the rediscovery of spending time at home with our loved ones, Biden-Harris 2021 to name a few - but for the most part it’s been hard. Scary, uncertain. Boring. So boring. Heartbreaking. A financial mess.
Do you remember when we all thought 2016 was the worst year ever? Oh, man. We were so young. so naive. So unprepared for a fucking global pandemic.
What would this year be good for if it wasn’t for the lessons we learned? Here’s what I’m taking with me into 2021.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Honestly, I’m not equipped to talk about body positivity or diet culture because I suck at the former and I’m still deeply embroiled in the latter. I’m okay with this. It’s a work in progress. That’s what Poductivity is all about. Finding problems that are blocking us from progress and learning how to set fire to them.
This week’s guest is Jennifer Atilemile, she’s an Australian model who is now based in New York and has just been signed with a major lingerie brand (can you guess which one? It’s revealed a bit later in the show!) as one of their first size-inclusive models.
In this episode, we chat about finding your path, the pressure to look a certain way and being vocal about what you believe in even when it might cost you your career.
‘I can’t stand cancel culture. I think it stops us from learning and growing.’
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week’s guest is also this month’s Book Club author - Naomi Simson. She’s the founder of Red Balloon and one of the shark’s on Australia’s Shark Tank. She’s motivated, she’s tough and she doesn’t take any bullshit. She wrote Live What You Love which is a book that helps people to do exactly that - live what they love. It’s for entrepreneurs and employees who truly want to nail their work-life balance.
Naomi gives excellent honest advice in this episode on how to manage work and family life, raising resilient kids and being valuable in your own business as well as other peoples. She also answers a few curly listener questions and shares a fairly unpopular opinion.
We chat about switching off, concentrating, battling phone addiction and truly (truly) finding that elusive work-life balance.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week’s guest is Cosentino, magician, illusionist and escapologist. It seems most kids go through a magic phase, usually after visiting a joke shop or seeing a street performer do an amazing card trick.
The thing is, being a magician looks flashy and fabulous on the surface but it’s actually one of the most disciplined professions around. The magician dream often dies when kids figure out that performing is about 1% of the job - the rest is diligently sitting in front of a mirror for hours practising passing a coin from one hand to another without anyone seeing it. We chat to Consentino about discipline, overcoming learning disabilities, the importance of routine and how being obsessed with details could actually save your life.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Picture this. You’re 24 years old. Fit, healthy and living your best life. You’ve travelled all over the world, you play representative sport and you’ve just scored a promotion in your dream job. All of a sudden, you suffer a massive brain haemorrhage that changes your life forever.
That’s exactly what happened to this week’s guest Lisa Cox. She spent 3 weeks in a coma, months on life support and a full year in hospital. She lost a leg, most of her toes, most of her fingers, 25% of her sight and a fair portion of her long and short term memories.
In this episode we talk about overcoming major trauma, the importance of mental health and resilience and how at the end of the day you have to laugh because what else is there?
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I’ve been writing in the self-improvement space for over a decade and one thing that keeps coming up, again and again is morning routines. They seem to be this magical mystical thing and people seem to think if they nail their morning routine it will solve all their problems.
They’re absolutely right. In this episode, I talk about the science behind morning decision making, why mornings are so important and how to create an out of the box morning routine if more traditional routines haven’t really worked for you in the past.
‘Building a morning routine is about creating a system that works for you, that sets you up for the day and makes you feel good about being alive.’
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It was 1992. My bedroom was filled with lit candles. I’d strung one of my mother’s chunky pendants onto a velvet ribbon and had it tied firmly around my neck, hair badly flattened in a vain attempt to train it into the choppy layered look that was popular at the time. I’d swiped my dad’s Jesus Christ Superstar CD and I was ready to play Mary, Jesus and Judas simultaneously. My parents had taken me to see the production a few months earlier and Kate Ceberano had immediately become my Beyonce. Before Beyonce was even Beyonce.
Fast forward a few decades and I’m pleased as punch (literally - you can hear the joy in my voice on this episode!) to have the illustrious Kate Ceberano as a guest on the podcast this week.
In this episode Kate and I chat about the power of practice, coping as a creative during lockdown, and why ‘Know your shit!’ is the best advice you’ll ever hear. Kate is not only one of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing she's also full of golden advice for living a productive yet calm and kind life. She’s honest, raw and so generous in sharing her knowledge and experience in this episode.
‘I’m fearless when it comes to putting myself out there for an opportunity. I’m not afraid failure.’ - Kate Ceberano
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Remember when you were a kid and you went to the aquarium on a school trip and you were like 'Right. That whale is so freaking cool - that's what I want to be. A marine biologist.' And then you kind of forgot about it and ended up doing something else? This week's guest actually became a marine biologist - meet Amy Kirke.
When it comes to discipline and delayed gratification, we have a lot to learn from those who are scientifically inclined. If you want to learn more about sharks and steal some of the epic discipline from marine biologist Amy Kirke, this episode is for you. If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just click here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's 2020 and we're all basically full of rage. If anyone does the slightest thing wrong, we hit them hard with the shame stick.
If you want to keep your outrage in check and also learn how to be effective and creative at the time (Zoe is!) this episode is for you.
If you’re interested in anything you heard about on today’s show just go here for the show notes.
If you love the show, consider becoming a Patreon supporter - even $5 a month would be a huge help in covering production, editing, equipment, promotion and guest wrangling. Just visit Patreon.com/poductivity
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So this is it. Our final show together. We had a lot of suggestions for what we should cover in this show but in the end, we decided to go with this - the six things we hope our listeners have taken away from our time together: We are all experiments of one Never stop learning Seek self-improvement from a place of abundance rather than scarcity Be kind Choose grace Laugh - self-improvement doesn’t need to be so serious
What's next for Straight and Curly the podcast? Carly is not sure. The only thing she is sure about is that she can only ever have one co-host on this show, and that's Kelly! So ... stay tuned.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you're in the Straight and Curly Facebook group, you'd have heard the news. Kelly is moving on from the show. What does that mean for the show? The girls don't really know yet. And anyway, that's a topic for the final show (next episode), not this one.
In this episode, they thought it would be timely and appropriate to discuss, how do you know when it's time to move on from something? Especially something that's good? It's not taking you closer to where you want to be The cost-benefit analysis just doesn't add up It's not bringing the right energy into your life Consider the sunk cost fallacy Your gut is saying 'it's time'
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you're someone who's quite sensitive to the moods of others, then negativity can take you down pretty quickly. In this week's episode, we share tips for managing your energy levels to buffer the effects of negativity you may encounter. Try and get the balance right Limit exposure Remember you're not responsible for other people's happiness Be kind
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comparing yourself to others is an age-old problem and it has its roots in the fact that humans are inherently wired for competition. This wiring is one of the reasons we've managed to climb to the top of the tree in the animal kingdom. But it's also wiring that can make us deeply unhappy and angsty if we don't manage it well. In this episode, we share five tips to help you manage this very natural and normal thing better. Look to the big players Remember, comparison is the thief of joy Unfollow people who trigger negative thought patterns in you Don’t compare your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlights reel Look at other people’s success as a marker for what’s possible
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We'd like to think the whole 'caring what other people think of us' is a switch that can easily be flicked to 'off'. But the reality is, it's not. In today's show, we share six tips for turning the care factor down to manageable levels. Prepare better Let go of perfectionism Get over yourself Get older If you don’t like something about yourself, fix it Feel the care but do it anyway
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last week we tackled how to communicate more effectively with the people you work with. This week we're looking at communication with your partner, friends and family. In other words, personal relationships. Tips we share include: Try not to let familiarity breed contempt Never blame Understand good communication takes time, and be willing to put in that time Be honest always Be clear on what your personal deal breakers are Check in regularly Don't say things in passing and expect them to be taken seriously Be willing to have hard conversations Take time to say lovely things too
Don’t forget we have a Patreon page which keeps Straight & Curly in your ears and covers out production costs. If you love listening to the show and you want to support it just visit https://www.patreon.com/straightandcurly.
You can also follow Carly and Kelly on Instagram: @smaggle and @kellyexeter.
Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes - it helps other people find us.
Finally, jump in the Facebook group and share your thoughts about this week's show. We look forward to chatting more with you in there.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Communication is something that's come up a lot in the Facebook group recently. Because communication is such a big area to cover, this week we're going to talk about communicating with the people you work with. And next week we're going to talk about communicating better with the people you love.
Tips we share: When emailing, make it clear WHAT kind of response is needed When emailing, try to keep it to one subject per email Start each day with a clean slate Be professional Consider your timing Communicate/follow up in writing, always Try to stay on good terms, even if communicating something negative Stick to facts and try to keep emotions out of things Don't enter into a conversation where you don't know what outcome you want
Don’t forget we have a Patreon page which keeps Straight & Curly in your ears and covers out production costs. If you love listening to the show and you want to support it just visit https://www.patreon.com/straightandcurly.
You can also follow Carly and Kelly on Instagram: @smaggle and @kellyexeter.
Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes - it helps other people find us.
Finally, jump in the Facebook group and share your thoughts about this week's show. We look forward to chatting more with you in there.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Straight and Curly is back!
In today episode we do a bit of a catch-up, as we always do at the start of a new season. And then we share our tips for navigating these uncertain times: Focus on the basics Utilise routines to create a sense of stability Have base routines to fall back on Focus on what you feel certain about Understand that no one is 'getting ahead' right now Control the controllable Figure out if you’re a Fox or a Hedgehog Set aside a time to worry each day
If you love listening to the show and you want to support it just visit https://www.patreon.com/straightandcurly. You can also follow Carly and Kelly on Instagram @smaggle and @kellyexeter. And don’t forget to leave us a review - it helps other people find us. You can also jump in the Facebook group and share your thoughts about this week's show: https://www.facebook.com/groups/straightandcurly/. We look forward to chatting more with you in there.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been a while since we've done a Q&A show so we took the opportunity to open things up to our listeners and answer burning questions including: How did Kelly's trip to Nashville go? Has Kelly found a new TV show to watch with her kids yet? How is Carly enjoying country life now she's been there for over a year? What are our guilty pleasures? What are we reading? What did isolation teach us about ourselves? What was our funniest isolation moment?
This is the final show for this current season. Thanks as always for listening in! We'll be back again in around 3 weeks' time.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“More sustainable fashion can be defined as clothing, shoes and accessories that are manufactured, marketed and used in the most sustainable manner possible, taking into account both environmental and socio-economic aspects. In practice, this implies continuous work to improve all stages of the product’s life cycle, from design, raw material production, manufacturing, transport, storage, marketing and final sale, to use, reuse, repair, remake and recycling of the product and its components.”
If this definition of sustainable fashion from MakeItLast.se sounds very full-on, well we get that. But like everything we talk about, an all-or-nothing approach isn't going to serve us or the world well here.
Which is why, in this episode we're aiming to offer a bit of a 'beginner's guide to sustainable fashion'. And Carly had the ultimate crash test dummy to test that guide on - Kelly!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Carly and Kelly take a big step outside their comfort zone by starting a conversation unsure of where they're going to end up. A conversation that starts with the question, Where do we go when we die?
The supplementary question to this (one that is relevant to this podcast) is, Do your individual thoughts on this change how you live your life?
Some context: After losing Ant last year, Kelly found herself really needing to know (as much as anyone can know these things), that he was somewhere. That he could see her. And that was the point where she realised she had beliefs she didn't know she had.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are times in life (and for many people, right now is one of those times) where you're existing in a very 'day-to-day', moment to moment fashion. Days where you wake up in the morning and all you can think of is getting through the day so you can go back to bed again because that's the only relief you get from the stress, anxiety and uncertainty you're feeling.
Carly and Kelly call this 'being in survival mode' and as they both have recent (pre-COVID-19) experience with this mode and came through the other side, they have some tips to share for being kind to yourself while in it. Don't try to fight your way out of it Don't rush things Be kind to yourself Communicate where you're at Do something that anchors you to the future Try to find some joy in the day Stick to the basics Keep an eye out for the light
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long time listeners of the show know that Kelly's personality type is the one that loves to take a personality test. But how seriously should we take the results of these tests? Do we have traits that are truly hardwired into us? And if we do, are we able to train ourselves to operate counter to those traits?
No tips in this show. Just a discussion from Kelly and Carly on what they used to think about the above, and how that thinking has evolved over time.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At time of recording, pretty much the whole world is in lockdown and being asked by their country's government to socially isolate and #stayathome. Which of course is creating mental health challenges for everyone. So this week on Straight and Curly we're sharing 10 tips for keeping your mental health levels as topped up as possible during this time. Work to a routine on the weekdays and leave weekends to be routine-free Find a way to move your body every day Try and eat well Get yourself an infinity project Create a group you can share funny things with Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth Give everyone the benefit of the doubt Focus on the basics Try to laugh Remember this too shall pass
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Worldwide, any of our listeners who can work from home are now doing so in order to put the brakes on the spread of COVID-19. For many, this is the first time they've had to work from home but Kelly and Carly have both been doing it for years. In this episode, they share some of their best tips including: How to be productive during the day so you don't have to catch up at night The benefits of an accountability buddy Setting hours for work and hours for home and finding a way to 'clock on and off' Preventing household chores from derailing your work day Creating a dedicated space to work Dividing work up into 'must do' and 'nice to do' Scheduling your day to ensure the 'must do' jobs get done How to stop yourself eating your feelings Being kind to yourself and giving yourself time to adjust
Want to chat more about this episode with other listeners of Straight and Curly? Head to the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/straightandcurly/
You can also find Kelly and Carly on Twitter and Instagram: @kellyexeter and @smaggle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been nearly four months since Kelly and Carly have recorded and a fair bit has gone down in that time.
On a personal level, Carly went to New York in December to celebrate a big win for Ben and then found herself dealing with the constant threat of bushfires when she got home.
Meanwhile, Kelly got through her first Christmas without Ant and also the first anniversary of his death in January. A confronting but ultimately lovely trip to Nashville followed that.
And then, just as both ladies were catching their breath, COVID-19 hit Australia.
The global landscape we're operating in right now is unprecedented for our time. After taking some time to catch up, Kelly and Carly share some thoughts on how to navigate these anxious and uncertain times.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
So here we are, our last episode for the year.
Normally what we do in the final episode is a Year in Review episode. But that wasn't going to be appropriate for this year.
So, instead, we've decided to revisit our second ever episode - the one we did on gratitude, the one we never want anyone to go back and listen to because we feel it is so cringey. It's the one where we talked about gratitude journals and how neither of us have ever been able to do the gratitude journal thing because every time we would write in a gratitude journal, it kind of reflected our privilege back at us and made us feel like 'why do you even need to be writing in a gratitude journal, seriously, what's not to be grateful for in your lives?'
But then, ironically, in a very recent episode (Episode 132), listeners would have heard both of us mention gratitude as something that allows us to show up for each day with good energy, even when we're tired and exhausted. So, it seems we've both matured somewhat with regard to gratitude.
And we thought a really fitting way to finish off this year was to each share 5 things we've been grateful for this year.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we're revisiting a topic we’ve done in the past: perfectionism.
The weird thing about perfectionism is relatively few people realise that certain behaviours they’re indulging are related to the perfectionistic tendencies they have. The funny thing about many perfectionists is that they don’t think they’re perfectionists. (They think perfectionists want to be perfect at everything and if there are things they can be non-perfectionistic about, then they’re not perfectionists.)
The reality is, we are all capable of perfectionistic behaviour. Sometimes it‘s harmless and you don‘t have to worry too much about it. But sometimes it can affect your life in a suboptimal way. Usually in the form of trying to achieve the completely unrealistic expectations you have of yourself.
So that's what we're tackling in this episode with these tips: Stop comparing Practice self-compassion Stop complaining Stop pushing yourself Be aware of the signs of perfectionism
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
QUICK NOTE: We apologise for the quality of Kelly's audio in this episode. She's not sure what she did differently to normal, but it created a quality of audio that couldn't be cleaned up in post-production.
--
A few episodes ago we mentioned the concept of re-writing the stories you tell yourself. Everyone wanted more on that topic so we’d thought we’d do a whole episode on it. It's worth noting this is a really big topic. So, as always, these steps aren't intended to be all-encompassing.
Think of them as more of a starter pack to get you on your way :) Be aware of the stories you tell yourself Come at them with curiosity rather than judgement Identify which stories you want to re-write Change just one story at a time
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
QUICK NOTE: We apologise for the quality of Kelly's audio in this episode. She's not sure what she did differently to normal, but it created a quality of audio that couldn't be cleaned up in post-production.
--
This topic actually came from one of our listeners, Cat Rodie who linked us to this HuffPo article. Here's a quick excerpt:
"Educational scholars have long recognised that in order to learn and grow, people need to fail every once in a while. But the latest study, led by the University of Arizona, proposes a mathematical formula for this.
For optimal learning and progression, tasks need to be hard enough for us to fail 15% of the time, or succeed 85% of the time, the researchers suggest."
So, look, we're taking this research and findings with a grain of salt - but we used it to have some fun with number and also to talk more generally about failure and why we're both fans of it.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a listener-driven episode thanks to Renee who asked in the Straight and Curly Facebook group:
Any tips from the brains trust in how to not let emotion cloud your judgement (especially when you’re currently exhausted, depressed and anxious)?
Our group members had some awesome advice for this and there was a definite theme to that advice. Kelly and Carly shared the tips from the group before going into some of their own, and speaking to their own experience of having to make good decisions from a place of exhaustion and anxiety.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kelly is battling grief. Carly is in the first year of a baby. We're both exhausted. Yet we have to show up with good energy each day for our kids and our family and our clients. Here's how we do it: Prioritise sleep Exercise every day Eat well Be careful what we say yes to Manage workload carefully Stay away from unnecessary drama Know what's important in life and be grateful if you have it Know a positive attitude can provide an energy boost, not just to you, but those around you
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We talk a lot (a lot!) about adding things to your life and changing behaviours but what if you flipped the script and took things away?
Here are 12 things you can safely take out of your life, or reduce greatly in your life, and your life will be better for it: Drama Toxic friendships Alcohol Processed foods That story you keep telling yourself Consumption (scrolling, scanning, watching) Debt Clothes that might fit one day That thing you committed to People pleasing Clutter Overthinking
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Often in life, our greatest obstacle is ourselves. We indulge in self-sabotage and self-defeating behaviour and this gets in the way of us achieving our goals or even simply living the life we want to.
If you feel like your biggest enemy is...well... yourself, this week's episode will give you solid tips for getting out of your own way.
Step 1 - Get honest with yourself about what you want, what you need to do to get there, and how you're currently standing in your own way. Step 2 - Remove distractions Step 3 - Set yourself up for success Step 4 - Start today, not tomorrow, not next week Step 5 - Surround yourself with the right people Step 6 - Don't get discouraged by slow progress or non-linear progress
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Something interesting Carly and Kelly read recently suggests most productivity challenges come down to an issue in one of three areas:
Time, Energy, Attention.
Automation is a tool you can use to do repeatable task automatically (i.e. with no input from you). It helps a little bit with Energy and Attention (by not needing to focus on some things, you can have increased focus and energy for others), but it can really help with Time.
Interestingly, this is something Kelly and Carly differ on. Carly automates anything she can. Kelly hates automating anything even though it can save her time.
In this episode, the girls discuss the things you can automate in order to streamline your life including: Finances Emails Backups The delivery of common essentials
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is perhaps the natural continuation of Episode 127 when we spoke about why the all or nothing approach to life and self-improvement is unhelpful.
Because the media doesn't operate in shades of grey, and because most things we 'know' are dictated by the media, we are subtly programmed to reject the grey. Also, the brain doesn't like contradictory things and strives to put things in boxes. And it doesn't like it when we can't put things in boxes.
In this episode we speak about the need to start getting comfortable with the fact that seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time and not everything can be put in a neat box. You can accept yourself, and at the same time, acknowledge your need to keep growing You can acknowledge your pain, and at the same time, notice your joy You can know others are doing their best, and at the same time, feel disappointed in them.*
- Thanks to Lisa Olivera Therapy for these examples.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the world of self-improvement, it's all or nothing baby. We don't allow slip-ups from ourselves. And we don't allow the people we listen to (influencers if you will) to be anything less than perfect at practising what they preach.
But this approach doesn't serve us at all well in the long run. It supports a 'gotcha' culture where we're all looking to catch each other out doing the wrong thing rather than applauding ourselves and others for doing the right thing.
In this episode of Straight and Curly, Kelly and Carly talk about things we can all do to be kinder to ourselves and others when trying to make forward progress.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity while you're experiencing that adversity. And also the ability to bounce back after adversity.
Today Kelly and Carly share 6 simple tips to help boost resilience: Be willing to expose yourself to challenging situations Practice mindfulness Be kind to yourself Protect your emotional health Have routines and rituals to fall back on Surround yourself with good people
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boundaries are guidelines that establish how others are able to behave around you, and how you want to be treated.
In today's episode, Kelly and Carly share some simple tips for people who are tired of feeling taken advantage of, resentful and burnt out.
The tips discussed include: Never committing to something when you've been put on the spot Asking yourself who is paying the price of your poor boundary setting? Giving yourself permission to set boundaries Deciding what your boundaries are Framing your boundary setting around your own needs, not that of the other person Surrounding yourself with people who set strong boundaries
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As long-time listeners know, Straight and Curly has been on hiatus this year after Kelly lost her beloved husband, Anthony, in a freak accident in January.
8 months on, Kelly's heart is still hurting, but she misses the energy boost she gets from chatting with Carly on a weekly basis. So the girls have started recording again and in this episode, they take the chance to bring listeners up to speed with what their lives look like now, compared to last year.
This episode is the first of a new full season of Straight and Curly so lookout for a return to normal programming and the usual format next week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to this second special episode of Straight and Curly, one where Kelly was keen to shift the focus from the sadness of losing her husband Anthony, to the joy she felt for Carly in welcoming baby Harriet into the world and also moving to the country. As with the previous episode, Kelly will draw on questions from the listeners in the Straight and Curly Facebook group to see how Carly is managing these two very major life changes. Questions Carly answers include: Would you be okay sharing your birth story? How has all the personal development you have done over the years helped you cope with the huge changes you have faced over the last few months? What’s been the biggest surprise for you in motherhood? And what expectations did you have that you have thrown out the window! How is the city vs country mouse thing going or is it hard to tell what change is what after having a bub simultaneously? What’s been the best gift you’ve received (or thing or task)? How have you handled the lack of control that you have experienced recently? How have you adapted your self care to adjust for your life changes? Have you had any big surprises since having your baby, or is everything ticking along like how you thought it would? Sanity savers, life hacks, activities, places or people that are helping you keep it together Carly, is there a theatre scene where you live now so you can indulge your thespian passion, either on stage (when the time is right) or as an audience member? I know you like to plan ahead so I’m curious if your planning ways have changed since Harriet, and what’s become a priority for you now? I would be interested in the effect on both of your anxiety levels following such major changes in your lives Are you managing to get in the same amount of exercise since moving to the country & leaving F45? Obviously intensity will be lower as you recover from the trauma that is giving birth. How ‘country’ are you? Are there other new mums around you? Are you craving human contact or are you not that deep in the OZ Bush??!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to this first of two special episodes of Straight and Curly. As many of you know, Kelly tragically lost her beloved husband Anthony in a freak accident in January. In this raw and vulnerable conversation, Carly draws on questions from listeners in the Straight and Curly Facebook group to check in with Kel to see how she is going navigating the biggest challenge life has ever thrown her way.
Some of the questions Kelly answers: How are you really feeling? How do you get out of bed each day? What gestures from friends have helped most at this time? What's the most helpful thing someone has done? What are some things people did or said with good intention but may have gotten wrong? What things should people say? What should they not say? How has the personal development you've done over the years helped with the current situation? Has what happened changed your beliefs/worldview? How is the family doing? What does self-care look like right now? What are some useful hacks for getting through each day, especially when emotionally exhausted? What's something you've let go of and don't care as much about now? What are some of the family and financial discussions you and Ant had before he passed that have taken some of the worry out of this time? What are some of the things you are patting yourself on the back for having in place? How has being organised on the life admin side of things helped in this awful time? How on earth are you managing/juggling your businesses at the moment? Whose support and what support has been great? Are you making major life decisions quickly and then making smaller organised steps towards them? Or are you taking small decisions daily as they are in front of you and while find out where you end up when you look back? What are some things you've learned from watching others go through a similar experience? How are you managing the needs of your kids against your own needs for self-care? Have there been moments when you feel hopeless and what do you focus on to bring you back to center? Has this sense of being very loved and missed on the podcast surprised you? What has made you belly laugh? As you and Carly are good friends at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum with your current life situations, how has Carly's situation influenced yours?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's the last episode of 2018 for Kelly and Carly. We'll be back in 2019 with more life improvement hacks.
For today, we're talking about the year that was 2018.
Topics covered - What worked What didn't work Things we wished we spent less time on Intentions for 2019
Have a beautiful and safe holiday season dear S&C listeners - we'll be back in your ears next year! ... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you're listening to this podcast you're most probably into self-improvement right? But have you ever thought about the social impact your new health/productivity/exercise routine is having on your social life?
This week Kelly and Carly explore the potentially negative aspects of self-improvement.
Topics included - How to cope when it feels like you're losing people you love in your pursuit of self-improvement Creating new relationships through self-improvement Maintaining relationships with people who have different priorities Doing all of the above things without annoying every person you've ever met ... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a topic that pops up often and it's such a broad topic that it's difficult to do condense into a podcast episode... that's not going to stop us trying though!
This week we're focussing on the Martin Seligman (considered the father of Positive Psychology) theory of 'meaning'. He believes meaning has three aspects. Belonging Serving something beyond yourself Developing the best within youThat's what we're going to work through in today's episode - how these three aspects manifest in our own lives and how we can change our actions to attract more meaning in our lives. ... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Happiness is an elusive beast and the concept of it comes up quite often for our listeners. S&C fans know that we love to research the science behind everything so this week's episode is about the science behind happiness.
Topics discussed - The Golden Triangle Of Happiness Theory The Desire Theory The Proximity Triangle Theory The Einstein Theory Time vs Money Theory
...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Boundary-setting is something that comes up for discussion again and again so we thought it was time to do an episode on it.
Topics discussed - Time boundaries Emotional boundaries Respecting other people's boundaries Behavioural boundaries
...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In episode 110 we discussed The Four Burners Theory and how neither of us need to concentrate on our health burner too much because we've both spent time establishing solid routines. This means our health doesn't need much attention.
We got a lot of feedback from that episode asking about HOW to set a good baseline health routine and have your eating/exercise regime on autopilot so that's what this episode is all about.
Topics discussed - The ease of maintaining good health vs regaining it What does a 'simmering' health burner look like? Daily movement Mental health Nourishing foods ...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kelly and Carly are kicking it old school this week with a throwback to their roots. Testing out at a popular self-improvement hack. Almost... this week we talk about circadian rhythms, The Power of When and if there's really such a thing as 'morning' and 'night' people.
Topics discussed - Which animal are you? Lions are morning hunters at the top of the food chain. This name fits morning-oriented driven optimists with medium sleep drive. Bears are go-with-the-flow ramblers, good sleepers, and anytime hunters. This name fits fun-loving, outgoing people who prefer a solar-based schedule and have a high sleep drive. Wolves are nocturnal hunters. This name fits night-oriented creative extroverts with a medium sleep drive. Dolphins sleep with only half their brain at a time (which is why they’re called unihemispheric sleepers). The other half is awake and alert, concentrating on swimming and looking for predators. This name fits insomniacs well: intelligent, neurotic light sleepers with a low sleep drive. How to push back on societal norms when it comes to your own circadian rhythms What to when you're not in a position to work with your own biorhythms Should school start later in the day? The Power of Period and how menstrual cycles can affect energy levels ...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fun fact: As well as being self-improvement junkies, Kelly and Carly are both self-employed writers so it was about time to do a podcast on all the things professional writers get asked all the time...
Topics covered - How much does it cost to publish a book? Are writing courses worth the money? How do get writing jobs like the one Carly has for realestate.com? How do you test ideas before you launch them? How do you handle criticism without taking it personally?...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The concept of finding your passion can feel a little a little trite. What even is a passion? Do you need one? Can you have several? What counts as a passion? Does it have to be something considered intelligent like ancient history or archeology? Or can true crime or collecting Beanie Babies be seen as legit passions without people scoffing at you every time you talk about it?
Have you ever been sitting in a room where people are talking enthusiastically about having spent their weekend water skiing/singing in their band/planting vegetables for spring and you're like 'I ate some food and it was good!'.
If you're looking for a passion (or looking to legitimatise an interest that you don't think is important enough to be considered a passion) this week's episode of Straight & Curly delves into the land of passions and how to find them and grow them.
Topics included - Do you even need to have a passion? How do you identify an interest as a passion? And what's the difference between an interest and a passion? If your work isn't also a passion, are you losing at life? What subject could you read 500 books about and not get bored?...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At the end of each season Kelly and Carly answer all your burning questions that have added up over the season.
Questions such as -
How do you quit something without feeling like a total failure?
How can you set boundaries with pushy workmates?
Why do you even do this podcast?
...For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly discuss why we're all so afraid of going backwards. RE-starting a project, re-painting a wall, driving back home to get something we forgot.
Why are we all so afraid of going backwards?
Topics discussed -
-
The lost art of going backwards
-
Is going backwards seen as being pedantic?
-
Do we connect our productivity to our self-worth?
-
Can we change the way we think about our time? ... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you heard of The Four Burners Theory? It a kind of a slightly more developed scaremongering theory, encouraging people not to multi-task but on a grander scale than say trying to do your taxes and chat on Facebook at the same time.
Here's the basic concept. You need to imagine that your life is a stove (theoretically) with four burners on it. Each burner symbolises one major quadrant of your life.
- The first burner represents your family.
- The second burner is your friends.
- The third burner is your health.
- The fourth burner is your work.
The Four Burners Theory says that in order to be successful you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful, you have to cut off two. Which two do you choose?
So your life becomes a balancing act of figuring out which burners are on and off.
This week on Straight & Curly, Kelly and Carly discuss The Four Burners Theory and how you can use it get some balance and calm back in your life.
Topics discussed -
Can you survive with all four burners running?
Which burner is the most important? And is it the same for everyone?
Is it possible to outsource burners?
Can you turn burners on and off all day?
What about the concept of burner seasons?
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you've found yourself at a loss for the last couple of Saturday nights and you're keen to get a crew of new adult friends, here are a few tips to get you on the road to rocking Saturday nights... or sensible Sunday afternoons if that's more your style.
Topics covered include -
Is it harder to make friends these days?
Does everyone already have their friends so they're not looking for more?
Is it because everyone is too busy?
Plus tips for getting out there and finding new friends as an adult if you've changed jobs, cities or lifestyles.
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly give their tips for maintaining good mental health when you're feeling a bit stressed out and everything's a touch out of control. If you're feeling like you need some brain space at the moment, this is episode for you.
Topics covered include -
- Finding the non-negotiables that contribute to the best you’ve ever felt
- Understanding that sometimes the shit hits the fan and you have to weather the storm
- Getting additional help sooner rather than later in the form of medication/therapy
- Knowing your triggers (social media, particularly toxic people) and having a plan to avoid those things
- Prioritising yourself (saying no to engagements etc) and letting go of the guilt associated with that
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kelly and Carly have spoken quite generally about what and how they eat over the past 100 or so episodes. In this episode they go one step further and break down their days on a plate.
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly talk about what their days look like.
Kelly gets up at 4am and Carly is rarely asleep before midnight.
Kelly schedules downtime in her day and Carly tends to just power through.
This episode is about schedules, habits and finding the routine that works for you.
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly tackle the beast that is imposter syndrome and how to deal with success without feeling you like you don't deserve it at all. The telltale sign of impostor syndrome is a disconnect between perceived and actual performance. “Impostors” have ample objective evidence that they are doing well—good performance reports, promotion history, grades, etc. Yet they feel that somehow they've been faking it or skating along on thin ice. Any minute now, they are going to be unmasked and revealed to be a fraud. One striking characteristic of the syndrome is that, although impostors crave acknowledgement and praise for their accomplishments, they do not feel comfortable when they receive it. Instead, praise makes them feel anxious because they secretly feel they do not deserve it. After all, they think, I'm just faking it—unlike everyone else here who seems to know what they're doing. If this sounds familiar to you, this episode is a must listen. It's also a must listen because Carly tells Kelly a secret and her reaction is PRICELESS!
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly talk about managing life admin. How to stay on top of bills, how to split household responsibilities and tips and tricks to keep you from throwing all your paperwork into a giant bonfire and burning all your problems away.
Topics covered include...
- Paying bills
- Budgeting
- Staying on top of passwords
- Dividing up jobs in the house
... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly chat about all the things they wish they were taught at school. Including things like self-management, good relationship practices and far better sex education.
...
For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly give tips and tricks on how to start out a freelance career. The pitfalls, how to do it right, where to find clients and how to keep plugging away when it feels like it's all falling apart.
Topics include
- Doing the work first
- Making friends with people who are already doing what you want to do
- Making friends with people who need to hire people who do what you do
- Making it as easy as possible for people to hire you
- Being patient
- Managing other work at the same time as building your career
...
For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week Kelly and Carly tackle the topic of re-framing criticism so you don't collapse in a heap every time someone says something negative to you. Topics covered - * Using it as an opportunity for personal growth * Looking at it as a compliment (for real!) * Controlling your own responses * The Perfect Formula For Giving Criticism ... For more info on Kelly and Carly, and to see any links or resources mentioned in today’s episode, head over to www.straightandcurly.com or come join the Straight and Curly group on Facebook . You can find Kelly @kellyexeter and Carly @smaggle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.