Getting to Good Enough

Janine is in Walla Walla moving her dad into assisted living, so she didn't have a spare moment to record an episode. So we're re-running an episode from August 2020. Enjoy! Setting boundaries allows you to live a life based on your core values. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss getting in touch with what's important to you as a way to help you set boundaries that ensure you're doing the thing...

Travel in 2022 feels very different from travel in 2020 (or 2019, for that matter). In this episode Janine and Shannon discuss planning travel in this time and letting of perfectionism around it. Discussion topics include: • Some differences between travel earlier in the pandemic and now • Shannon's plans to walk the Camino in Portugal (canceled in 2020) • How Shannon is planning to do more pre-pl...

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we're not able to publish a new episode this week. Instead, we're rerunning this episode, which we originally published on February 13, 2020. Enjoy! Good people (like our listeners) have many good impulses. But how often do you act on them? This week, Shannon and Janine discuss how perfectionism can get in the way of acting on new impulses and how you can g...

Shannon and Janine were so tired from celebrating our 200th anniversary last week we decided to take a week off and re-run an episode from June 2021. Enjoy! It can be so frustrating when you don't have control over things in your life. This week Shannon and Janine discuss relinquishing your desire for control over things you can't control. It's a recipe for living with more satisfaction and less f...

This is our 200th episode and we're so proud! This week Janine and Shannon celebrate our 200th episode and discuss some of the benefits of talking about (and embracing) good enough week after week. Discussion topics include: • Happy anniversary to us! • How talking about "good enough" for years has made us better at it • The liberation of embracing good enough Shannon's evolution toward good enoug...

Both Shannon and Janine drive a Nissan LEAF, the SL Plus trim. It's a 100 percent electric vehicle (EV) and we think it's 100 percent awesome. It's not a coincidence that we drive the same car: Janine bought one after Shannon raved about hers (and answered all her questions). We love our EVs and we want to help you open your mind to considering one! We talk all about it in this week's episode. Dis...

Think of how much time we'd save if we trusted our intuition, rather than agonized over decisions. In this episode, brought to you by Wordle (kidding!), Janine and Shannon discuss how trusting yourself can benefit you in living your life, as well as playing games. Discussion topics include: • The spontaneous nature of our podcast • What sparked this topic: Wordle • Shannon's explanation of Wordle...

Genealogists in the U.S. are excited about the release of the 1950 U.S. census, which happens at midnight tomorrow. Janine is eagerly awaiting it (it's been on her calendar for months!). This week Shannon and Janine discuss the value of planning ahead -- and enjoying the anticipation. Discussion topics include: • The upcoming release of the results of the 1950 U.S. census • How technology advances...

We bring up little tips and tricks for getting past perfectionism all the time in this podcast. Do you remember them when you need them? We don't. This week Janine and Shannon discuss building an anti-perfectionist toolkit that you can turn to when you're stuck in perfectionism. Discussion topics include: • How the possible techniques we talk about on this podcast come in handy • The inevitability...

Shannon's crowded basement was bringing her down and perfectionism was getting in the way of her doing anything about it. In this "Good Enough in Practice" episode, Shannon and Janine discuss Shannon's basement challenges, her beliefs around what she needed to before she could start decluttering and organizing her basement and they talk it through to the point where she can't wait to get started!...

This week we're rerunning an episode from September 2019, back when we recorded slightly longer episodes. This one's all about keeping focus when we're surrounded by distractions. Who can't relate to that? Every day, we're bombarded by constant distraction and it can really get in the way of productivity. This week, Janine and Shannon talk about the challenges presented by distraction and som...

Holding someone (or yourself) accountability doesn't mean holding their feet to the fire. Accountability can be really effective. This week Shannon and Janine discuss ways to stay on track without beating yourself up. Discussion topics include: • Our love for the words gentle and kind • How accountability doesn't have to be harsh or forceful • The effectiveness of a carrot over a stick • Fun accou...

We can be our own worst critics. Being overly judgmental does not help us achieve happiness (or anything else). In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss some strategies for letting go of judgment and living with more kindness and compassion. Discussion topics include: • How unhelpful self judgment can be • How Shannon sometimes feels disappointed in herself • Unrealistic expectations for what w...

Staying focused on a single task is so beneficial--and so challenging. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss how our brains aren't wired to multitask and some strategies for doing one thing at a time. Discussion topics include: • The soothing and healing power of a cat's purr • How hard it is to resist multitasking • The impossibility of doing more than one thing at the same time • How multitaskin...

This week, we're re-running an episode we originally recorded in January 2019. Despite all the changes that have happened since then, the message still rings true! Feeling satisfied--even when something isn't perfect--allows you to embrace a good-enough mentality. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss the importance of finding (and recognizing) satisfaction. Feeling satisfied doesn't lead to compl...

When your mind is too clogged with thoughts for your comfort, there are some things you can do for relief. This week and Shannon and Janine discuss some techniques clearing your cluttered mind.  Discussion topics include: • Janine's cluttered mind • One of the most obvious strategies for clearing your mind: Writing things down • The tricky way our brains count thinking about something as doin...

Janine and Shannon have talked quite a bit about electronic task management, but in this episode, we delve into bullet journaling, a hand-written task management system. Shannon's been using this system for years and Janine is a starry-eyed novice. Discussion topics include: • How Bullet Journaling is one of a number of things that Janine has embraced after Shannon did it for a long time • Shannon...

We all know how bad regret can feel. But did you know you can turn it around? In this episode Shannon and Janine discuss how to glean the learnings from a situation and then let go of the regret. And Shannon demonstrates the process on Janine, helping her let go of regret around catching COVID. Discussion topics include: • Janine testing positive for COVID • Janine's regret over letting her guard...

Janine and Shannon have been selecting a Word of the Year for years. In this episode we reveal our 2022 Words of the Year and discuss the power of having a special word to guide you each year. Discussion topics include: • The weather. Spoiler alert: It's cold but our electric cars started up like the champs they are! • Janine's love of having a Word of the Year--she's had one every year since at l...

After six weeks off, Shannon and Janine are happy to be back recording a podcast episode. We missed our weekly conversations! In this episode, we discuss some of the ways we benefited from taking a break. Discussion topics include: • We're back after our hiatus! • Our mixed feelings about our break • The beneficial rhythm of regular podcasting • It turns out we're out-of-sight out-of-mind people!...

It's the time of year to set goals (though, really, you can do it any time). We're winding up our break by re-running our 2018 end-of-the-year episode about goals and resolutions. In this episode, we talk about setting realistic, good enough goals. Way back in 2009, we created a teleclass and workbook about resolutions and we're revisiting it in this episode. (The messages of the teleclass will fe...

Happy Thanksgiving to our U.S. listeners! This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the value of taking a true break from things you do regularly. And announce that we're walking the walk by taking a hiatus from the podcast for five weeks. (We'll return on December 30.) Discussion topics include: • We're taking a break! • Our decision to take a podcast hiatus between Thanksgiving and the end of the ye...

We're all about the fun this week as we discuss gamification as a way to make tasks more fun and enjoyable. From decluttering to learning a new language to running a race, employing gamification can make everything easier! Discussion topics include: • Declutter Go! the new decluttering game that Janine's friend Lynne Poulton has just launched • Shannon's favorite gamifying language-learning app, D...

Sometimes you have to slow down to actually get more done (and feel good). This week, Shannon and Janine (who recorded this episode in person!) discuss the value of mindfully slowing down. Discussion topics include: • The joy of recording an episode together in person • How we've both had experiences where not slowing down has created problems, as well as experiences where mindfully slowing down h...

Sometimes it can be hard to tell when to tolerate a situation or when to say it’s not good enough and walk away. In this episode Janine and Shannon discuss how make that call, along with some techniques for standing up for yourself and getting the results you want. Discussion topics include: • A trip down memory lane at travel practices of yesteryear • Figuring out when enough is enough • Shannon’...