What Works

Well, it’s the first week of January. And whether you’re back to work or eking out a few more hours of unstructured liminal time, the arrival of New Year energy is imminent. You know what I mean by New Year energy—it’s that annual infusion of urgency, striving, and discipline that comes crashing down on our post-holiday mellowness. And if we’re not paying attention, that New Year energy will sweep us out to sea. What if this year, we embraced patience?  In this piece, I share how baking has helped me feel good about going slow and why that’s crucial to the way I work. Footnotes:You Belong by Sebene Selassie“The Human-Built World Is Not Built For Humans” by L. M. SacasasMusic available on Track Club by Marmoset Essay versions of podcast episodes are released every Thursday on the website. Sign up for What Works Weekly to have them delivered to your inbox: explorewhatworks.com/weekly Start the new year with a radically different approach to goal-setting. Grab my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting: explorewhatworks.com/bookOr join me for a brand-new live workshop on January 10, 17, and 24 called Work In Practice: workinpractice.life Today’s episode is an edited and updated version of a piece that was originally published in December 2021. ★ Support this podcast ★

If 2020 was the year people asked, “Can we really work from home?” and 2021 was the year people asked, “How might we return to the office?”, then 2022 was the year people started asking, “Why do we put up with this crap?”If like me, you’ve been working from home for many years, maybe this shift in discourse felt irrelevant. You’ve got your own gig; you make your own rules; you create your own working conditions. But I believe this larger shift transcends the divisions created by our tax codes—contractor, employee, sole proprietor, member of an LLC, and even employer. Whether we have obligations to an employer or rely on some of the world’s largest corporations for “free access” to the software products they create to harvest our personal data, we are workers.The way we think about work and workers is changing because work changed and is still changing.In this quick bonus episode, I lay out a vision for work in 2023 and beyond that defies the structures and assumptions that keep us focused on productivity and efficiency, despite our best efforts to prioritize creativity, collaboration, and care.Look for the written version of this episode at explorewhatworks.comReady to transform the way you work? I have two recommendations:The first is my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. It’s a fundamental rethinking of why we choose our goals, why we’re always striving for more, and how we might create work and life structures that don’t revolve around achievement or the relentless pursuit of growth.You can grab your copy—or gift one to a friend—at explorewhatworks.com/book.And the second is a brand-new workshop that I’m teaching January 10, 17, and 24th called Work In Practice. This 3-part workshop builds on the themes of the book and applies them to our daily work. On January 10, we’ll tackle job crafting so we can do better work with less stress. On January 17, we’ll embrace our limits so we can make reasonable and sustainable plans for the year ahead. And on January 24, we’ll creates systems of care for ourselves and others to increase our access to resources, as well as increase what we have available to give and share.To find out more, go to workinpractice.life. ★ Support this podcast ★

This episode is decidedly different from what you've heard on What Works this year! If this happens to be your first foray into the show, maybe start with an earlier episode.But if you're into hearing my dear husband (and executive producer) chat about the ups and downs of this year, as well as some of our favorite things of the past 12 months, listen on!All of the books we mention in this episode are linked in my Bookshop store.Thanks for listening this year! Look for new episodes in 2023. I've got some great stuff planned.***Our work has evolved. Our way of working has not. Make 2023 the year you transform the way you work.I'm teaching a 3-part live workshop in January called Work In Practice. I'll guide you through rethinking the way you work from the ground up. We'll dismantle old mindsets and standard operating procedures. And then we'll rebuild a vision for work that's based on sustainability and satisfaction. Get all the details at WorkInPractice.Life!  ★ Support this podcast ★

Everyone experiences work stress from time to time. But some of us experience persistent work stress—even though we have more "tools" for reducing stress than ever before. If you've experienced work stress this year, there's a good chance you're thinking about how you can create the conditions for less stress in the new year. So today, I'm exploring how psychologists understand what kinds of work create more stress, what conditions reduce stress, and how we might intentionally design our work to be more sustainable.Note: In the last third of the episode, I use a swear word (commonly abbreviated B.S.) to reference a book & theory by David Graeber. It's the name of the theory... so I use it a lot. If you'd rather not hear it, stop the episode around 17:45. You'll still get most of the message!Footnotes:Creating Sustainable Work Systems: Developing Social Sustainability (2008)Chapter: "Sources of work intensity in organizations" by Armand Hatchuel (2005)Demand-Control Theory Job Demand-Resource ModelThe Office (US Version)B***S*** Jobs: A Theory by David GraeberLooking for a great gift for your clients, colleagues, or team members? How about my new book, What Works? It's a great way to spread the message that we don't have to do things the way they've always been done. And you can provide a little relief when it comes to all that "New Year, New You" garbage. Grab your copy here!Essay versions of each podcast episode are released every Thursday. Get them delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing here—free of charge.Reviewing the past year and planning for nextIf you’re listening to this close to its air date, you’re probably thinking about how this year went and what you’d like to tackle in the next year. I suggest including a review of the demands of your work, the autonomy you allow yourself, and the resources you have at your disposal:Does your work present challenges that motivate you to learn and think creatively? Are those challenges met with an appropriate level of autonomy and sufficient resources?In what ways do you deny yourself flexibility in the way you work? How does flexibility (or lack thereof) impact how you meet the challenges of your work?What resources would allow you to challenge yourself in new ways?What challenges would you like to take on in the new year? ★ Support this podcast ★

Over the last two years, I've transitioned from identifying as a business owner first to identifying as a writer and podcast first. In the first year—2021—I didn't realize that's what I was doing. But over the course of this year, it was quite intentional. Making that shift has allowed me to explore creative territory that I didn't think I could explore when my primary function was content marketing. In this week's episode, I talk with India Jackson about transitioning from content marketer to writer and podcaster. I share what it's meant for my work, my sense of identity, and my mental health. Plus, we talk about some of the difficult decisions I had to make on this journey.Tune in to India's show, Flaunt Your Fire, wherever you listen to What Works or at flauntyourfire.comFootnotes:Find out more about India Jackson and Flaunt Your FireFind out more about Pause On The PlayHear India on EP 398: Good Bodies and EP 294: Offering Bespoke ServicesJay Acunzo's LinkedIn postGrab your copy of my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting! ★ Support this podcast ★

The shelves are full of products that promise to fulfill your values: ecofriendly, independent, cooperative, woman-owned, Black-owned, sustainable, etc. And right on! Unfortunately, not every product that claims to align with your values really does. Often, values-marketing is more about maintaining the status quo than it is about doing things differently. That’s what I call “values hijacking.”Values hijacking occurs on the consumer level, but it also occurs on the cultural and political levels. Marketing, government policy, incentive structures, and cultural norms can all short circuit our critical thinking about what action to take.On today’s episode, you’ll hear about one my husband’s biggest soapbox issues, and then I’ll turn the mic over to Erica Courdae, host and founder of Pause on The Play, and we’ll go deep on how our values become hijacked by systems of power.Footnotes:More about Erica Courdae and Pause on the Play.POTP Episode 178: Values hijacking, capitalism, and systemic change with Tara McMullin ★ Support this podcast ★

What is a goal really? What purpose does a goal really serve? And is that purpose truly benefiting us, the goal-setters?These are big, messy questions. But they are far from abstract. Our answers to these questions—whether we know it or not—shape the way we work and live on a daily basis. This intermediary space—the space between philosophical questions and practical implications—is a place I happily hang out in all day long. Luckily, I know someone who likes hanging out in that place as much as I do!His name is Charlie Gilkey. He’s a friend of the pod—as well as the co-founder of Productive Flourishing and author of Start Finishing. He’s also the host of the Productive Flourishing podcast.Today’s episode is a rebroadcast from the Productive Flourishing feed. Charlie and I talk about why in the world I wrote a productivity book, how the cultural code we operate in impacts the way we plan and set goals, how that code disproportionately harms some more than others, and much, much more.Footnotes:What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting by Tara McMullinMore about Charlie GilkeyStart Finishing by Charlie GilkeyListen to Productive FlourishingBroken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny LawsonDown Girl: The Logic of Misogyny by Kate ManneWritten versions of each episode drop on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com. Get them deliverable to your inbox by subscribing at explorewhatworks.com/weekly.Introducing Recovering Overachiever ClubRecovering Overachiever Club is a 3-week deep dive into why we strive and what we can do differently in the new year. Join us November 29-December 20 for exclusive essays, podcast episodes, and conversation—oh, and earn a few merit badges, too. Learn more! ★ Support this podcast ★

Do we really have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé? Yes. And no. And… it’s complicated.There is a never-ending stream of advice about how to make the most of your time. And honestly? Most of it is just bullsh*t. That’s because there is no way to hack yourself or your work to produce more in less time if your emotions are fried, your energy is drained, or you’re dealing with the effects chronic illness.This conversation—originally broadcast as a Spotify Live—is an unflinching look at what it means to consider our multidimensional capacity in the realms of work and life. You’ll hear from my friends Jenny Blake, author of Free Time, and Charlie Gilkey, author of Start Finishing—and me, too!Note: the audio quality on this episode is totally listenable—but it’s not our normal podcast quality.Footnotes:Get What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting by Tara McMullinFind out more about Jenny BlakeBuy Free Time by Jenny BlakeFind out more about Charlie GilkeyBuy Start Finishing by Charlie GilkeyWritten versions of our podcast episodes land on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com. Get them delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at explorewhatworks.com/weeklyIntroducing Recovering Overachiever ClubRecovering Overachiever Club is a 3-week deep dive into why we strive and what we can do differently in the new year. Join us November 29-December 20 for exclusive essays, podcast episodes, and conversation—oh, and earn a few merit badges, too. Learn more! ★ Support this podcast ★

It’s been almost exactly 7 years since this podcast first launched as Profit. Power. Pursuit. Since then, we’ve produced 400 regular episodes (with some bonuses here and there). You know, I’ve written many more than 400 blog posts and emails. But we don’t number those—plus, they are published across different sites on the web, so I never have a handled on just how many times I’ve hit “publish.”400 episodes is a lot. It’s more than the vast majority of podcasters will ever make. The only reason I bring that up is because today’s episode is about the power of practice. Developing a podcasting practice is the only way to consistently put out a strong episode week after week. But developing a practice of any kind was not something I knew how to do 7 years ago.This episode dives into what I’ve learned about practice from 7 years of podcasting. Plus, I share an excerpt from my book (out today!) about the satisfaction of practice in an achievement-oriented world.Footnotes:Join Tara TODAY for a live reading and Q&A about the bookBuy What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting wherever you buy books!Listen to Tara’s interviews about the book on this Spotify playlist ★ Support this podcast ★

Hustle. Grind. Boss up. Do more. Love them or hate them, these words are embedded into the ways we think about work and entrepreneurship. But as we’ve seen with the enormous growth of the r/anti-work subreddit and the panic about quiet quitting, more people than ever are thinking about different ways to go about building their lives, careers, and businesses.As we close out the Self-Help, LLC series, I wanted to address where our productivity hang-ups come from, who our productivity really benefits, and how we might go about doing things differently. This episode is in 2 parts. The first half or so is an introduction to how employers (including self-employers) profit from unpaid work and why the productivity-wage gap has become so immense. The second half of the episode is my conversation with Jadah Sellner, about the vision for business she lays out in her new book, She Builds.Footnotes:Find out more about Jadah Sellner and her new book, She Builds.“TikTok ‘5-to-9’ Trend Shows Quiet Quitting Hasn’t Killed Hustle Culture” on BloombergDolly Parton rewrites her working woman’s anthem for SquareSpaceTHE ULTIMATE MORNING ROUTINE (parody)Revolution at Point Zero, essays by Silvia FedericiData on the productivity-wage gap (Economic Policy Institute)Self-Help, INC by Micki McGeeDebt: The First 5,000 Years by David GraeberEssay versions of each episode of the podcast come out on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com and in my newsletter. Sign up free: explorewhatworks.com/weekly ★ Support this podcast ★