The Three Month Vacation Podcast
Sean D'Souza
Sean D'Souza made two vows when he started up Psychotactics back in 2002. The first was that he'd always get paid in advance and the second was that work wouldn't control his life. He decided to take three months off every year. But how do you take three months off, without affecting your business and profits? Do you buy into the myth of "outsourcing everything and working just a few hours a week?" Not really. Instead, you structure your business in a way that enables you to work hard and then take three months off every single year. And Sean walks his talk. Since 2004, he's taken three months off every year (except in 2005, when there was a medical emergency). This podcast isn't about the easy life. It's not some magic trick about working less. Instead with this podcast you learn how to really enjoy your work, enjoy your vacation time and yes, get paid in advance.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 14, 2021 • 23min
Why We Do What We Do At Psychotactics: Origin Story Series
How did the gold star show up in Psychotactics courses? How did we start sending chocolate across the world? Here is a two-part series on how all of these traditions started.
Aug 7, 2021 • 17min
What I Learned From Children (And How It Lowered My Stress Levels)
It's rare that we don't learn lessons from a child. Even so, I think we don't always pay closer attention to what they're saying. My two nieces have taught me a lot. Here are a few nuggets of simple, yet intense wisdom.
Jul 31, 2021 • 5min
How To Avoid High Conflict—Even When You Don't Agree WIth The Idea
Are you pro or anti-vaccine? Are you pro this or anti-that? We seem to be pushed into one camp or the other and we end up getting ourselves in a tight corner. Is there a way to be part of a conversation and still neatly sidestep the argument?
Jul 24, 2021 • 18min
How To Get Your Foot In The Door (With A Humble Checklist)
When starting up, it's almost impossible to get clients. Yet, there's a method that's almost fail-proof and gets the client interested in you, right away. What's more, this method not only gets you one job, but has the potential to get you back repeatedly. The big surprise is that it doesn't work just when dealing with new clients, but it works amazingly well with current clients too. Want to get going? Well, here's what the checklist is all about.
Jul 17, 2021 • 24min
The "Coats of Paint" system to break out of the curse of perfection
The biggest problem with perfection is we feel we have to keep to the job until it's done. As logical as the idea sounds, it's always—yes, always—counterproductive. Instead, there's a method that's far superior, and quicker. Which allows you to reach even higher levels of satisfaction than you'd expect. All of this "perfection" can be achieved by understanding the "coats of paint" system. Ready for a quicker, faster road to "perfection?"
Jul 10, 2021 • 6min
Why Happiness Eludes Us (And Why It's Been Around All The Time)
Many books, yes whole books, are dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. And yet, all it takes is a simple mind shift. Happiness isn't something we need to find, as it's something we feel all the time. Which begs the question: Are unhappy people choosing to be sad? Find out how to tap into instant happiness.
Jul 3, 2021 • 25min
The Power of Deflection (Why It's a Crucial Strategy On An Interview).
In a perfect world, you would be asked a straightforward question, and you'd give the answer that was expected of you. And most of the time, interviews on podcasts, radio or TV can be just as you imagined, or even better. Yet, there are times when the questions are awkward, or worse, boring. What do you do under these circumstances? And there's a third situation too: where you're terrified. All of us, will, at some point need to be in some kind of interview. It might not happen today, but it will occur at some point. When it does, this advice is likely to come in handy.
Jun 26, 2021 • 30min
Why Understanding The Faces of Overwhelm Helps You Sidestep Frustration
We often see overwhelm as a nameless, faceless monster. It seems to charge into our lives like some Godzilla and never wants to leave. However, the moment we categorise the concept of overwhelm into sections, we realise we don't have to be powerless. Here's a trip into the three faces of overwhelm and how to beat it—or at least keep it at bay.
Jun 19, 2021 • 15min
Three Unusually Zany Tips to Change Your Mindset
Sometimes we need to make big changes to our behaviour. Sometimes, it's just a little tweak. In today's episode we look at three very tiny tweaks that I learned while listening to other podcasts. And yes, you are likely to find good value in these tweaks too.
Jun 12, 2021 • 11min
Re-Run: Why You Don't Need Clickbait Headlines To Get Clients (The Power Of Normal Headlines)
Do Clickbait Headlines Work? Can a normal headline be just as powerful? Clickbait headlines seem to be designed to get our curiosity. But what makes a clickbait headline so attractive in the first place? And how do we write “normal” headlines that are far superior in getting the attention of the client? Let's find out in the podcast.
