Getting to Good Enough

Words matter. This week Shannon and Janine discuss how shifting our language just a hair can shift our outcomes. Discussion topics include: • Shannon survived the Portland heat wave! • The value of shifting your language • Changing "should" or "need to" to "choose to" can be very powerful • How "need to" puts you into flight or fight mode • The calming effect of "choose to" • How digging into why...

Times are tough these days--just ask Shannon who was on the cusp of a record-breaking heat wave when we recorded this episode at the end of June 2021. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss the need to cut ourselves some slack during difficult times, as well as some suggestions for how to do that. Discussion topics include: • Janine's abiding love for wool, even in summer • The heat wave that...

In 2019, in Episode 46, Shannon and Janine discussed the importance of taking time to relax and not letting perfectionism get in the way. Fast forward two years and the topic seems more relevant than ever, so we're re-running the episode. Relaxing is so important. Even during our busiest times, taking time to relax can keep us more productive. This week, Janine and Shannon talk about the importanc...

In Episode 161, Janine and Shannon discussed some of the principles surrounding navigating competing priorities. In this follow-up episode we talk about some specific ways to choose between competing priorities. Discussion topics include: • Janine's "pull my finger method" of deciding between competing options (also known as muscle testing) • How anticipating a response to muscle testing or flippi...

Choosing among competing priorities can be difficult under the best of circumstances. This week Shannon and Janine discuss the challenge of figuring out which things deserve your energy, particularly when you're trying to get back on track after a crisis of some sort. Discussion topics include: • A hilarious meme about people getting their words mixed up • How competing priorities are made more ch...

We're celebrating our podcast's third anniversary! This week, in honor of their three years of podcasting, Janine and Shannon discuss the three pillars that underlie Getting to Good Enough. Discussion topics include: • The podcast's third anniversary! • How the podcast has helped us (and, we hope, others) • How far we've come, when it comes to letting go of perfectionism, thanks to the podcast • T...

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 frustration. Discussion topics include: • The frustration we can feel about not having control over things • Focusing on the things we do have control over •...

Is it more important for something to be beautiful or functional? This week Janine and Shannon (recording together in person!) discuss this important question. While sometimes you can have both function and beauty, we agree that focusing on function can help you get past perfectionism so you can actually create the solution you're seeking for a problem. Discussion topics include: • Our giddiness o...

Back in 2019, Shannon and Janine had a discussion of how to stop being taken off-course by bright shiny objects. The subject is as relevant as ever, so we thought we'd run it again in case you missed it the first time! Like the dog in the movie Up who shouts "Squirrel!", we can so easily get distracted by new and exciting things. This week Janine and Shannon discuss Bright Shiny Object Syndrome an...

Getting comfortable with stopping at good enough (rather than pursuing perfection) can be tough for some people. But it can also be really beneficial. This week Janine and Shannon talk about how and why to feel good about good enough. Discussion topics include: • Embracing the goodness of "good enough" • Rejecting the negative connotations of "good enough" and "taking the easy way out" •The journe...

Ariel Nathanson, a financial coach and owner of Finances for Feminists, is this week's special guest. Shannon and Janine talk with Ariel about women, financial awareness and getting past perfectionism when it comes to your money. • Our excitement over our special guest, Ariel Nathanson, who is both Janine's friend and Shannon's client • How Ariel helps women attain clarity around their finances as...

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...