Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Ever felt like you’re running as fast as you can, but you’re still not getting anywhere? That’s how a listener named Nicole was feeling. She wrote in with a question. Here’s what she said. “At the end of every day I feel like even though I was busy all day, I didn’t do anything that’s getting me any closer to my goals. After going to meetings, running errands, making dinner, walking the dog, answering emails–I’m wiped out but don’t feel like I really have any progress to show for my efforts. Sometimes I find myself wondering, how do I stop spinning my wheels?”I talk Nicole through a little audit where you answer 8 questions about what’s going on in your life right now. Those questions are: What am I enjoying the most right now?  What am I enjoying the least?  What feels really gratifying right now?  What feels like a waste of energy?  When I think about my life over the next year or so, what excites me?  When I think about life over the next year or so, what weighs me down?  Is there something I need to keep in mind about this particular point in time?  Is there something that would really help at this particular point in time?  Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know a great way to simplify your life? By being crystal clear on your priorities. Because if you aren’t sure what your top priorities are, you’re going to get your attention hijacked by all kinds of stuff that doesn’t really matter. Which is fine, you don’t need to be a robot that is completely focused on important things all the time. BUT, if you don’t know what your priorities are, well, you’re not all that likely to be making steady progress on the things that matter to you. TODAY I’m sharing a priority-making matrix tool that I use and have shared with coaching clients for years that always helps me sift through the many things on my to-do list and floating through my brain. Download the Priority-Making Matrix here!Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clothes can make you feel like a million bucks, or totally like yourself and at ease. But a lot of times, trying to figure out what to put on your body so you can go about living your life is any number of negative things–complicated, frustrating, embarrassing, or stressful. I have certainly felt all those ways when trying to get dressed, or worse, when I’m out and about and really wishing I were wearing something else. Today I’m interviewing Scarlett DeBease, a personal stylist I met when I attended a group photoshoot. I admit I was a little intimidated when I met her because she was so well put together–but she’s just as funny and down to earth and sweet as she can be. I picked her brain at that day-long shoot and then last week, I invited her on to the podcast so I could hit record and share her insights with you. Scarlett’s book Stop Stressing About DressingScarlett’s videos on Ending Your Closet ShameFollow Scarlett on InstagramSupport this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m talking about a powerful way to simplify during a time when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Whenever you’re facing a challenge, it’s really common to think, I have to figure out an all-new strategy! I need to start doing this new thing! And thinking in this new way! And figure out things that I’ve never figured out before! When really, you’ve probably been in a similar situation before, and there were things you did then that helped. This is one of the benefits of being an adult. For many things that you experience, it’s no longer your first rodeo. So before you go knocking yourself out to figure out what new skills or approaches you need, spend a little time thinking about what’s helped you in the past. It’s how you learn from your own experiences. Kinda like self-mentorship!Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m devoting this week of episodes to simplifying. I mean, life is complicated enough. To be clear, it’s not like you can engineer all complexity out of your life. But there are ways you can make things more simple and give yourself a little extra space to think.When you’re at a point where the idea of simplifying is sounding good to you, it’s tempting to want to change a bunch of things–cancel plans, maybe declutter a closet or two, extricate yourself from some commitments, and maybe try to add in some basic self-care things. It’s all good stuff to do, no question. BUT, if you try to do all those things at once, or within a tight span of time, it gets to be a LOT. Here’s how to keep it simple. Or at least, simpler. Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wanting to help someone who’s in need of support IS honorable. But what it ISN’T, is about you. You are not the solution for their problems, nor is it your responsibility to solve their problems for them.I think this is another reason why we sometimes resist reaching out to someone in need of help–we fear that we won’t actually be able to help, or that we might get overwhelmed by the amount of help they need. I share a helpful analogy that can help get your head on straight about what your ultimate goal is.Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the beneficial roles we can play as someone’s friend or loved one is to notice them. Not judge them, or rate their appearance, but just take in their presence. In this episode, I’ll share some common signs that someone might be having a hard time with life.Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the podcast I interview Jen Singer, a writer friend of mine who has survived cancer, Covid, and heart failure and who now writes books aimed at helping people–both those who have just been diagnosed, and the people who love them–deal with big, scary, illnesses. In this episode, Jen shares the things we tend to say to sick people that really aren’t that helpful, shares some ideas of what to say that actually help, and offers great ideas for how to really show up for people who are going through a health scare. Check out Jen’s Just Diagnosed GuidesFollow Jen on InstagramSupport this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here are three questions you can keep in your back pocket that will make it super easy to check in with someone. This way, you won’t be at a loss for words–which is a big reason why we may be tempted to stay away when someone we know or love is going through something hard. I know you don’t want to say the wrong thing--so say these things instead.Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast I’m replaying episodes that talk about how to be there for the folks in your life who are going through it–whatever it may be. The blues, anxiety, stress, illness, family stuff are all normal parts of life and we all get by with a little help from our friends (or family members, or neighbors). But just because it takes a village, it doesn’t mean that we automatically know how to be a helpful village person!Today’s big idea is that when someone you know and maybe love is facing something tough, it’s easy to want to help, but not so easy to know HOW to do that, exactly. Let's talk about the very most important--and powerful--thing you can do, that doesn’t even require you to say a thing.Support this podcast by buying “I Give a Shit” and “Be Kind” mugs, tees, hoodies, totebags and more!This episode sponsored by: Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices