Martha: Using Joy as a Compass

As we head into the new year, many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026? To explore that, I invited three close friends and long-time listener favorites—Derek Sivers, Seth Godin, and Martha Beck.

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More about today's guests:

Derek Sivers is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Derek’s books (How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs. His new book is Useful Not True.

Seth Godin is the author of 21 internationally bestselling books, translated into more than 35 languages, including Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, and Purple Cow. His latest book, This Is Strategy, offers a fresh lens on how we can make bold decisions, embrace change, and navigate a complex, rapidly evolving world. 

Dr. Martha Beck has been called “the best-known life coach in America” by NPR and USA Today. She holds three Harvard degrees in social science and has published nine non-fiction books, one novel, and more than 200 magazine articles. The Guardian and other media have described her as “Oprah’s life coach.” Her latest book is Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose.

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:00:00] Start.
• [00:00:20] Advice I’ve used to simplify my own life.
• [00:04:02] Enter Derek Sivers.
• [00:04:17] Simple is the opposite of complex — not just a synonym for “easy.”
• [00:07:19] Simplification #1: No subscriptions, contracts, or people depending on him.
• [00:07:40] Simplification #2: Programming with no external libraries or dependencies.
• [00:08:30] Simplification #3: Building a house from scratch in New Zealand.
• [00:09:26] Complex is a long-term trap. Simple is long-term freedom..
• [00:10:32] Enter Seth Godin.
• [00:10:48] Simplifying is hard work — if it were easy, you’d have already done it.
• [00:11:17] Clarity on “who it’s for”: Ignore everyone else, including one-star reviews.
• [00:12:46] Eliminate gray areas: Never miss a deadline, never go over budget. Stand by your commitments.
• [00:14:53] Reclaim time with personal boundaries: No meetings, no social media, no TV.
• [00:16:57] Simplifying one thing puts you on the hook to go deeper elsewhere.
• [00:22:23] Enter Martha Beck.
• [00:22:29] One decision that radically simplified her life.
• [00:22:44] At 29, chose to follow true joy — not dopamine hits, but deep peace.
• [00:24:15] The simple rule: Go toward joy, away from misery — no matter what.
• [00:28:20] How a near-death experience sparked this commitment.
• [00:30:02] Payoff: Autoimmune remission, purpose, wonderful relationships, home inside herself.

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