Straight and Curly

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. 1. Drop your bundle 2. Write yucky pages 3. Seek out the positive 4. Remember that perception isn't reality 5. 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 (Felicity Quirk psychologist thank you very much) 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  Instagram  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  Instagram    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 beed 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.