Semi-Together

The beginning of the school year feels like a fresh start – even if it’s been years since you were in school. In this minisode, Melia and Gill talk about why September is the perfect opportunity to celebrate a “second new year,” stepping back and reevaluating your priorities. What do you want to recommit to? What do you want to let go of? Find us on the web: https://www.semitogether.com Instagram:...

Do you know when it’s time to take a break? In this minisode, Melia and Gill talk about why, how, and when to recharge – and the short season break they're taking for the next few weeks. 

We often think about procrastination as a time management or productivity problem – but it’s actually an emotional issue, a way to avoid feeling triggered by our task lists. Melia and Gill share some of the ways that procrastination creates roadblocks in their lives, as well as strategies to overcome it.

Melia and Gill spent a few days together in New Orleans and recorded this episode in person. They invited their husbands, Darren and Brian, back for their second guest appearance on the podcast, to talk about personality types in relationships and in life.  They discuss their own personality types, which can help you figure out your own and those of the people in your life. By knowing our str...

In our culture, we often talk about self-care as if it’s only for women. But it’s just as important for men to prioritize their physical and mental health.  Melia and Gill interview their friend and listener Chris Myers, an architect and the father of two young kids, about a guy’s experience with self-care. Chris talks about managing anxiety, making time for habits like meditation, and raisin...

We’re halfway through the year...what?! In January, Melia and Gill came up with a list of 19 for 2019 goals (inspired by the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast) – some small, some large, some one-offs, some ongoing – to accomplish by December. They talk about where they’re making progress and where they’re not, and share strategies for overcoming obstacles that you can apply to any goal you’re wo...

The language we use matters, especially when talking to and about ourselves. Melia and Gill explore the ways our words shape the way we think, feel, and act, and how to use them to empower ourselves. 

Do you tend to long for the past, wish for the future, or appreciate the present? Research shows that a healthy mix of all three tendencies – a balanced time perspective – fosters greater happiness, optimism, well-being, and life satisfaction. Melia and Gill share their own time perspective tendencies and offer five strategies for finding an optimal balance.

The beliefs we have about our capabilities aren't actually facts, and they can often hold us back from change and new possibilities for ourselves. Melia and Gill discuss their own limiting beliefs and how to replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset. 

Melia and Gill check in on how they're dealing with regrets and should-haves. They share a listener question on the topic and a couple of reasons to be grateful for finding your path later in life.

Your genes and your environment are only part of what makes you an optimist or a pessimist. Scientific happiness research shows that you can adopt small daily practices to rewire your brain for a more positive worldview. Melia and Gill talk about their own tendencies and the "happiness hygiene" habits they're trying. 

Melia and Gill check in on how they're doing with erasing "should" from their vocabulary. They share some listener feedback on the subject and even more reasons to stop shoulding.

We can spend a lot of time dwelling on regrets, those small and large “should-haves” that haunt us. But obsessing over mistakes and missteps can have a negative impact on our mood, sleep and behavior. Melia and Gill talk about their battles with should-haves and the 5-step process they’re using to make peace with them.

There’s a simple but life-changing action that you can take to be happier starting today: Eliminate the word “should” from your vocabulary. There is no “should” – it's totally made up! There's only could, want to, and will, and you get to decide which actions fuel the life you want. Melia and Gill discuss their own struggles with “should,” how liberating it is to stop saying it, and what to say in...

We all have triggers that send us into negative moods or downward spirals. When we can identify and be on the lookout for them, we can figure out how to cope. Melia and Gill talk about their own triggers and share in-the-moment audio diaries that capture their raw emotions and strategies to tame them.

For some of us, our paid work doesn’t fully embody who we are. We may have creative projects, family commitments, side hustles, or jobs we dream of doing that we think of as our most important work at the moment. Melia and Gill explore the concept of what we consider real work vs. paid work and more inclusive alternatives to the question “What do you do?”

Melia and Gill interview entrepreneur Kristen Ley, founder of creative studio Thimblepress, which has a loyal following around the world. Kristen talks about letting her heart guide her toward her dream job and how she’s adjusted course to stay true to what makes her happy. She shares advice for making your own dreams real and believing that you will succeed.

It’s surprising how much we can change our habits just by changing our surroundings. Trying to strengthen our willpower or alter our personalities usually sets us up for failure. Instead, you can make some simple, research-based tweaks to your environment to make desirable behaviors easier and undesirable behaviors harder.

Melia and Gill bring their husbands, Darren and Brian, onto the podcast for a special episode, and they all tell the story of how they met. The guys, both entrepreneurs, share a best practice for creating your own business in a segment called Livin' the Dream, as well as a lifehack for Steal This Tip. The episode wraps up with a couples' edition of Get It Together / Got It Together.   &n...

Melia and Gill record in person for the first time! At the beginning of last year, both tried a new way to set New Year’s resolutions, creating “18 for 2018” lists of goals inspired by the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. In this episode, they share their successes and flops from “18 for 2018” and highlights from “19 for 2019," with tips on how to stick with your own goals.

In the second part of a two-part series, Melia and Gill continue their conversation on the topic: Prioritizing What Matters. They talk more about the process they're using to align their actions with their top priorities and share tips on what’s working for them. 

In the first part of a two-part series, Melia and Gill discuss how to prioritize what matters to you. They introduce a three-step process to help you define your priorities and focus on what’s most important first. They talk about how they're doing with Step 1 and will dig deeper into Steps 2 and 3 in the next episode.

The holiday season felt magical when Melia and Gill were kids, but it's become more stressful as they've gotten older. With a special holiday edition of Steal This Tip, they share what's helping them focus on the meaningful and not the frenzied part of the holidays.

Melia and Gill ask the question: Have I evolved? When you look back on your past self, how have you changed? What challenges do you face year after year? What do you think you have more together now? They examine a theory of learning called the "spiral curriculum," then introduce a new segment called Like I Always Say.

Melia and Gill talk about resolutions and goals and how they approach them in each of their lives. They share some of their recurring obstacles and strategies that have helped them stay on track. Then they discuss why the tip, "Visible is memorable," is helpful for reaching goals.