Good Life Project
Jonathan Fields / Acast
Good Life Project is a podcast and video series for people navigating midlife with intention. Hosted by Jonathan Fields, each episode is a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a life that feels like yours, through the reinventions, reckonings, and reclamations that define your 40s, 50s, and beyond. Grounded in science, fueled by genuine curiosity, and always in service of the real work of living well. Often top-ranked, it’s been listened to and viewed more than 100 million times. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 15, 2026 • 55min
Jimmy Chin: The Cost of Risking Too Little
Jimmy Chin, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer, climber, skier, and author, explores the hidden cost of playing it safe. He reflects on leaving a prescribed path, finding meaning through calculated risk and creative work, and what Yo-Yo Ma and Yvon Chouinard taught him about purpose. He also shares poignant stories about parenthood, time, grief, and climbing the Grand Teton with his daughter.
9 snips
Oct 12, 2026 • 47min
The Social Fear That Keeps Us Lonely (and the easy fix) | Nicholas Epley
Nicholas Epley, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago and author of A Little More Social, explores why we avoid strangers and delay reaching out to people we care about. They discuss silent train cars, mistaken assumptions about rejection, the power of warmth over polished words, and whether introversion truly limits connection. A fascinating look at the social fears that keep us lonely.
Oct 8, 2026 • 1h 12min
47 Doctors, Data Galore, and a Problem Only She Could Solve | Giorgia Lupi
Giorgia Lupi, an Italian information designer and Pentagram partner, turns complex data into vivid human stories. After long COVID left her housebound, she tracked every symptom, saw 47 practitioners, and created a powerful New York Times visual op-ed. She discusses invisible illness, online fear loops, coordinated care, brain retraining, and what happened when she stopped measuring everything.
Oct 5, 2026 • 1h 7min
How 7 Core Beliefs Shape Your Health, Happiness, & Success | Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage, explores the seven core beliefs shaping health, happiness, and success. They discuss why connection makes challenges feel lighter, how time pressure can erode compassion, the power of mattering and meaningful stress, and a five-minute practice for rewriting difficult memories. A lively look at turning vague optimism into grounded, actionable belief.
Oct 1, 2026 • 1h 2min
Good Life Jam: Parenting Burdens & Self-Help Book Burials | Leah Smart
Leah Smart, a LinkedIn senior editor, writer, speaker, and Everyday Better creator, joins a lively discussion on the invisible mental load of parenting, why outsourcing chores rarely solves it, and how inherited standards shape home life. They also explore falling self-help book sales, coaching’s rise, AI’s limits, and why being truly seen may matter more than quick advice.
5 snips
Sep 28, 2026 • 58min
Getting Back Up After You’ve Been Brought to Your Knees | Mark Nepo
Mark Nepo, poet, spiritual teacher, and bestselling author, reflects on what decades of adversity have taught him. He explores learning to receive emotional falls, freeing yourself from inherited voices, and grounding rather than chasing approval. The conversation also turns to grief’s “new map,” friendship as a net, and how compassion helps us keep going without pretending everything is fine.
Sep 24, 2026 • 43min
He’s Spent 20 Years Trying to Change The World | Scott Harrison
Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, reflects on 20 years of pursuing clean water for all. He shares how a nightclub fundraiser became a global movement, why storytelling can spark generosity, and the unforgettable impact of Rachel Beckwith’s birthday campaign. He also explores radical transparency, the tension between mission and family, and embracing service as work with no end.
10 snips
Sep 21, 2026 • 55min
Sex in Midlife: It Doesn’t Have to Fade (and Can Even Be Great) | Susan Bratton
Susan Bratton, intimacy educator and author, joins creative entrepreneur Cynthia Morris for a candid conversation about sustaining desire and pleasure in midlife. They explore the difference between libido, desire, and arousal, overcoming shame and body image struggles, rebuilding honest communication, creating erotic play dates, and using solo exploration and tools to keep intimacy vibrant at any age.
Sep 17, 2026 • 39min
The Endings You Don’t See Coming (Until They’re Gone) | Jonathan Fields
Some of life’s most meaningful endings arrive without warning: a final chairlift ride, an ordinary friendship, or a last day before everything changes. This thoughtful reflection explores “unmarked lasts,” the Portuguese ache of saudade, why midlife makes endings more visible, and how to recognize approaching goodbyes without turning every moment into pre-grief.
Sep 14, 2026 • 1h 1min
Jodi Picoult: Why Every Villain is the Hero of Their Own Story
Jodi Picoult, the bestselling author of more than 30 novels, explores the moral gray areas behind her fiction. She discusses inhabiting lives far from her own, why every villain sees themselves as justified, and the dangers of protective lies. They also delve into book bans, empathy, erased women’s voices, aging, mortality, and the stories we rewrite about ourselves.
