How I Work

I have some bad news: no matter what you’re working on, you’re going to procrastinate at some point. Even if it’s a passion project, nobody can work without breaks forever. So… why not build procrastination into the process right from the start?  Singer, songwriter and actor Eddie Perfect has been writing for more than two decades now, and over the years he’s discovered the wisdom behind an odd little tip from one musical theatre’s true titans.  Stephen Sondheim advised writers to always work on lyrics with a soft lead pencil so they’d be forced to get up every once in a while to sharpen it. This natural cadence of focused work and short breaks has helped Eddie avoid writer’s block for pretty much his entire career.  Eddie also shares how taking the right breaks at the right time have helped him collaborate with himself: between composing music and writing lyrics, Eddie often thinks of himself as two different writers who each need their own space, and without regular breaks, neither writer is very effective.  Connect with Eddie on Instagram or find his performer page on the 9 to 5 The Musical website You can find the full interview here: Eddie Perfect breaks down his songwriting process   *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your insecurity was actually your superpower?  While confidence is critical in almost any career, it can be a secret killer for journalists. Nick McKenzie is Australia’s most decorated journalist, and he’s adamant that his natural insecurities are a big part of his success. When so much of his reputation and his competence relies on constant fact-checking and corroboration, there’s no such thing as being too nervous.  Nick breaks down his strategies for avoiding confirmation bias, which include choosing collaborators with whom he can have “friendly fights''. He also shares his methods for coping with stress - and when he says stress, he means defamation lawsuits and death threats! Connect with Nick on Twitter, or at his website.  *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Production Support from Deadset Studios Episode Producer: Liam Riordan Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why doesn’t psychologist and magician Richard Wiseman perform magic tricks for his friends?  Richard says the ‘social contract’ he has with his live audiences is different to the one he has with his friends. A healthy dose of deception is integral to magic, but doesn’t go down so well in a friendship. Thinking this way, considering which ‘social contract’ still applies when Richard’s performing, though. While he’s happy to trick audiences (it’s what they’re paying for!) he also knows the difference between an unsolvable puzzle and a moment of true magic.  Richard teaches you how to think like your audience, and how thinking this way helps you provide value in your presentations or performances. Connect with Richard on Twitter and at his website  You can find the full interview here: “Quirkology” Professor Richard Wiseman on using magic to up your public speaking game *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there’s anything I don’t miss about my school days, it’s homework - and I’ll bet you feel the same. So when my new favourite book on storytelling told me I needed to do “homework for life,” I wasn’t exactly pumped. That is, until author Matthew Dicks explained the benefits.  Matthew’s the bestselling author of a slew of novels and non-fiction books, he’s written a rock opera, multiple musicals and even a handful of comic books. So when I read his new book in the hopes of upping my own storytelling skills, I knew his homework for life was working for someone! Matthew breaks down the structures, tools and techniques that help him write not just at a prolific pace, but with outstanding quality, too. He explains why being able to tell stories is important for everyone, and teaches you how to get started if you haven’t put pen to paper before.  Connect with Matthew on Twitter, Instagram or at his website. Pick up a copy of Storyworthy, or check out Matthew’s newest course to improve your writing. *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Production Support from Deadset Studios Episode Producer: Liam Riordan Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’re tackling a huge project - something that’ll take you multiple months, if not years. Maybe you’re writing a book, learning a new skill, or trying to build a workout routine. How often should you work on it?  Common sense might suggest you take it easy, space out your sessions, make sure you don’t get burned out. But what if the opposite is true?  Exercising every single day sounds like playing the game of fitness on the hardest mode, but health and fitness expert Sam Wood says the ‘every single day’ approach is actually easier, for a couple of reasons.  Connect with Sam on Instagram or at the 28 by Sam Wood website  You can find the full interview here: Fitness expert Sam Wood on evening routines, the “every day” rule, and his hours of power *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When marketing expert and author Ann Handley says everyone should improve their writing skills, she doesn’t mean we should all be turning our email exchanges into florid prose or epic tomes - while better writing absolutely makes for better emails, Ann’s real goal when working on her writing is actually to improve her thinking.  After her college professor told her that being a better writer would make her more successful in any field, she put her head down and committed to learning her craft. Along the way, she realised that the act of writing itself isn’t necessarily what makes someone more likely to be successful; instead, it’s the constant practice in distilling one’s thoughts into understandable, useful communication with other people. When you can do that, you can really do anything! Ann shares the tech tools that make the biggest impact on her writing and writing routines, and highlights the most common flaws she sees in new writers’ work. Connect with Ann on Twitter or Instagram or sign up to her newsletter *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Production Support from Deadset Studios Episode Producer: Liam Riordan Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Four Pillars Gin, they have a mantra: they’re ‘makers, not marketers’. Ironically, they have some of the best marketing in the world!  But it’s all about function, according to Co-Founder and Brand Director Matt Jones. If being ‘makers’ is such a big part of the Four Pillars appeal, customers need to get as close to that making process as they can. That’s what aesthetics is all about.  Whether you hire people with a great eye for design, or you seek out the best creative partners, you can only go wrong if you assume your aesthetics don’t matter.  Connect with Matt on Twitter or the excellent Four Pillars website You can find the full interview here: Four Pillars Gin Co-Founder Matt Jones wants you to obsess over aesthetics *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**BEST OF 2022** If you know anything about magic, you know a true magician never reveals his secrets. While psychologist and author Richard Wiseman might not share the secrets behind his favourite magic tricks, he’s more than happy to share how magic has made him a better thinker, a better psychologist, and a better public speaker.  Richard also shares how focusing more intently on listening has led to some of his most successful outings as an author, and describes his unconventional - and frightening - method for pitching experiments.  Richard’s also the creator of the beloved YouTube channel, Quirkology, where he demonstrates short experiments and explains unusual facets of psychology. He shares how the channel came about, and why he works across so many platforms.  Connect with Richard on Twitter and at his website  *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Production Support from Deadset Studios Episode Producer: Liam Riordan Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh van Cuylenburg hangs up the phone - he’s been speaking to his (very) pregnant wife, who’s struggling at home without him. He’s exhausted too, after days and days of back-to-back presentations. Oh, and the AC’s not working.  Needless to say, Hugh’s not feeling his best going into this presentation. But a couple of minutes into his speech, he spots a boy in the middle of the audience, and something clicks.  Hugh doesn’t know why this particular kid stood out, or if he even really stood out, but something shifted nonetheless. Hugh remembered that even if this one kid - out of hundreds - was the only one to gain something important from that presentation, that’s a win. A growing audience is great, but it can sometimes make you forget the individuals who need what you’re doing…  Connect with Hugh on the Resilience Project’s website or listen to The Imperfects podcast You can find the full interview here: Hugh van Cuylenburg demonstrates how a string purpose fuels strong actions *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**BEST OF 2022** It’s the greatest productivity debate of our time: how do we achieve work-life balance? Or maybe the real debate should be: is work-life balance even possible?  Eric Barker, the author of Barking Up the Wrong Tree and now Plays Well With Others, doesn’t think work-life balance is truly achievable. At least, not if you want the best possible results in a given field. The problem, he says, is that most of live an unbalanced life by accident.  Because of the internet and the rapidly increasing pace of everything from the news cycle to the way we socialise, we’re all doing too much of something, and not enough of something else. It’s overwhelming, and we’re constantly playing catchup.  Eric’s solution is to abandon balance, but to do it on purpose. Decide what you want to be really, really good at it, and accept that you won’t be world-class in your other pursuits.  Eric also shares why he sets a five-hour timer at the start of every work day, how he deals with contradictions in his own writing, and how he developed his sense of humour. Connect with Eric on Twitter or Linkedin Pick up a copy of Plays Well With Others *** Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Production Support from Deadset Studios Episode Producer: Liam Riordan Sound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.