Getting to Good Enough

It can be hard to step out of your comfort zone, and sometimes perfectionism keeps us squarely in it. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss a project that has Janine stepping way out of her comfort zone and how she's trying hard to not let perfectionism get in the way. Discussion topics include: • How Janine is stepping out of her comfort zone with the publication and marketing of her new Or...

Thinking about future you can help your present self get unstuck. In this episode Shannon and Janine discuss some strategies for letting go of perfectionism and taking action in ways that your future self will thank you for. Discussion topics include: • How decisions can become easier when we think about our future selves • Embracing good enough now so your future self will thank you • How Shannon...

It's so easy to live in the past and the future without really being in the present. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss how to practice being present. Shannon shares tips and techniques for practicing mindfulness, while Janine (who has been wanting to cultivate mindfulness) soaks it all in. Discussion topics include: • An update on Shannon's car-buying journey (Spoiler Alert: they bought a car!...

Shannon and Janine love talking about task management. In the past we have both used Todoist, then we both used Trello. Now Shannon's back to Todoist for her task management while Janine remains fervently loyal to Trello. In this episode, we talk about how success with task management isn't about the system you use, but more about knowing what you need. Discussion topics include: • Our love for ou...

In this, our 150th episode (!), Janine and Shannon discuss how easy it is to blur the boundaries between work and home life, particularly when working from home. We talk about strategies to help create helpful work boundaries to make our work and home lives more distinct (and more enjoyable). Discussion topics include: • Our 150th episode! • Janine's lament over the fact that she seems to be alway...

It can be challenging to make thoughtful choices--whether they're large or small decisions. In this episode, Shannon shares a process that she uses to make decisions and how it helped she and her husband decide whether or not to buy a new car. (Spoiler alert: They decided not to!) This simple process can be helpful in all sorts of situations. Discussion topics include: • The two important question...

As the teachers of a class on decluttering, Janine and Shannon know that living with less leads to more ease. This week, they discuss how the pandemic has affected people's decluttering efforts and not letting perfectionism get in the way. Discussion topics include: • Happy birthday to Shannon! (Her second pandemic birthday.) • The pandemic's strange effect of making some people want to hang on to...

Now that more and more of the U.S. population is getting vaccinated, it feels like the light is shining at the end of the tunnel. In this episode, recorded shortly after Janine got her first vaccination, Shannon and Janine talk about planning for how we want our lives to be once things feel more "normal." Discussion topics include: • Janine's elation over unexpectedly getting her first COVID vacci...

Back in January 2019, Janine and Shannon had a long conversation about decluttering our wardrobes, with lots of advice on the how's and why's of the process. We're re-running it this week, as we anticipate our next session of Declutter Happy Hour, coming again in the month of April. If you enjoy this episode, please consider joining us for four live-on-Zoom sessions of the April Declutter Happy Ho...

Commitments don't have to be all-or-nothing propositions. In fact, if you allow yourself to make imperfect commitments, it can be easier to commit yourself. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the power of imperfect commitments (like our commitment to this podcast). Discussion topics include: • How committing to something can be easier if you allow yourself to make an imperfect commitment • A st...

It is so easy to shop online. And that's not a problem, unless it is a problem. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss some ideas for pressing pause on the urge to shop. Discussion topics include: • The online shopping Shannon's been doing, thanks to targeted Instagram ads, and how she's stepping it back • Creating a pause to stop online impulse shopping • How Janine has bought very little in recen...

Making progress, any progress, on a project is so much better than being paralyzed by perfectionism. This week Shannon and Janine discuss the many ways that it can benefit you to let go of perfectionism and make imperfect progress on those things you want to get done. Discussion topics include: • How seeking perfectionism can be paralyzing • How Janine is experiencing this right now as she struggl...

A good night's sleep is very important, but, unfortunately, it can be elusive. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss our efforts to get a good night's sleep (including some solutions that have actually worked for us) and the benefit of letting go of perfectionism when trying to get a good night's sleep. Discussion topics include: • Spring flowers in Portland that are already blooming • The early b...

We all need a little ease, right? (In fact, "ease" is Janine's word of the year for 2021!) This week, Shannon and Janine discuss how daily effort makes creating ease all the easier. Discussion topics include: • Janine's revelation during her daily yoga practice about how doing it daily has made it so much easier • How daily action makes so many things easier, like keeping your desk clear • How Jan...

Two years ago (almost to the day), we published an episode on hobbies, which has been one of our favorites. Hobbies are so important to self-care and so prone to falling prey to perfectionism that wanted to present it again. Perfectionism can get in the way of starting or enjoying hobbies. This week Shannon and Janine talk about  their hobbies (and attempted hobbies) and share strategies&nbsp...

We've all had a whole lot to cope with in the past year. Shannon's year was made even more difficult at the end of 2020 when her mother passed away. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss how to cope imperfectly during difficult times (big hint: grant yourself some kindness and grace). Discussion topics include: • The passing of Shannon's mother several weeks ago • The difficulty of going thr...

Way back in Episode 5, we published an episode entitled Good Enough In Practice, in which we discussed how we walked the walk and embraced good enough when we set up this podcast. We think it's full of useful information, so we've decided to publish it again! Janine and Shannon truly embraced the concept of “good enough” when creating this podcast. In this episode we talk about how we went from id...

We all have superpowers and kryptonite. (You might call them strengths and weaknesses.) In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss how the things that you struggle with can also be your superpowers and how your superpowers gone too far can turn into your kryptonite. Discussion topics include: • How personality traits can be on a continuum • Case in point: perfectionism can be paralyzing but it ca...

This week, we’re re-running Episode 68 from September 2019. The premise of our podcast is that we want to help you let go of perfectionism. We think this episode about why that's important bears repeating. Why is that we're so passionate about helping you let go of perfectionism? In this episode Shannon and Janine talk about how perfectionism can get in the way of happiness--and how striving...

Both Shannon and Janine love taking on time-limited challenges they find on the internet. In this episode, they discuss some of their favorites  while offering some advice on keeping these challenges easy. Discussion topics include: • One of our favorite challenges: Yoga with Adriene's annual 30 day yoga journey • Janine's 30 x 30 challenge on her genealogy blog • National Novel Writing Month...

Since our work and social lives have been curtailed by the pandemic, it seems like it should be easy to get dressed. Not so much. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss their challenges around clothing during this special time. Spoiler alert: There's lots of laughter in this one. Discussion topics include: • How much we're enjoying pandemic-friendly comfy clothes • The paradox that it's diffi...

It's the last month of the year and we have some goal-setting resources for you! This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the importance getting clear on your goals, especially after a year like 2020. And we talk about the workshop Shannon is teaching on Saturday, as well as our Good Enough Goal Setting kit. Discussion topics include: • We’re looking forward to turning the page on a new year! • How t...

These are stressful times. With the holidays, the global pandemic, passionate politics and everything else that's going on, your mind might be anything but quiet. In this episode Janine and Shannon discuss the benefits of quieting your thoughts and provide some strategies to try. (Spoiler alert: The secret ingredient is breathing!) Discussion topics include: • How quieting your mind isn’t about em...

It can be uncomfortable to try new things if perfectionism makes you worry about getting them right. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss a recent class they took together and how it provided a great lesson in letting go of perfectionism. Discussion topics include: • The class on flowcharting that Shannon and Janine took together •How perfectionism came up during this class for Janine but n...

The holiday season in 2020 is destined to be strange, thanks to COVID-19. In this episode Janine and Shannon talk about making the best of an unprecedented Thanksgiving holiday. In listening to the episode, we realized that we didn't directly address some important advice: Think about why the holidays are important to you, and what makes them special, and consider how you can bring some of that in...