Getting to Good Enough

What's the opposite of judgment? It's compassion. That profound realization is what sparked this episode. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss the need to compassionate about our own perfectionism (and imperfections). And we discuss the importance of having compassion for others. Discussion topics include: • Janine’s efforts to let go of perfectionism prior to her first Zoom presentation • A reve...

Negotiations can be difficult when one person is a perfectionist and the other isn't. In this episode, Shannon and Janine address a question from a listener who is trying to work with an imperfectionist neighbor to replace a fence between their yards. Discussion topics include: • The gifts that our pets give us • The challenges of maximizers working with satisficers • How Shannon and her neighbor...

Making decisions can be particularly challenging for people who have perfectionistic tendencies. And with so much uncertainty right now, decision making is even harder. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss striving for good enough, rather than perfect, when making decisions. Discussion topics include: • Satisficers vs maximizers • How the maximizer likes to weigh all possible options in order to...

During this time of isolation, our friends are more important than ever. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss making and keeping friends, without letting perfectionism get in your way. Discussion topics include: • How a silver lining of the COVID pandemic is that we’re spending more time (virtually) with friends • A Zoom prank Janine and her college buddies played • We’re living in the futu...

This week Janine and Shannon are lifting a glass to this podcast's 100th episode. We spend this episode celebrating and sharing the lovely feedback and greetings we received from listeners in honor of our 100th episode. Discussion topics include: • How we promised one another we’d do the podcast until it stopped being fun—and it’s still fun! • How the podcast has exceeded our expectations • We nev...

Getting caught up in perfectionism can be short-sighted. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the value of tolerating the discomfort of imperfection in order to stick with something and get better at it or enjoy it more. Discussion topics include: • How things are both easier and harder these days with the stay-at-home life • That Shannon’s trip to Portugal has by necessity been postponed • How S...

In this episode, recorded in early March before the COVID-19 crisis started keeping us at home, Janine and Shannon discuss one of their least favorite words, "should." Discussion topics include: • Janine’s delight that her RootsTech talk is behind her and her admiration at how well organized RootsTech is • How “shoulds” can weigh you down • That should is one of Janine’s least favorite words, and...

Navigating the waters of life during the coronavirus pandemic is challenging to say the least. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the conflicting emotions they're feelings, along with some strategies for reducing stress and coping with the new challenges brought on by this crisis. Discussion topics include: • The difficulty of answering the question, "How are you doing?" these days • Conflictin...

Most of us are staying home to stay healthy and stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. In this episode--recorded just three days prior to posting--Janine and Shannon discuss some of the challenges we're facing working from home in these strange times, despite the fact we've been working from home for years. Most of the changes are going on inside our heads! Discussion topics include: • How quic...

After talking last week about using what you have, Shannon and Janine turn this week to letting go of stuff as an alternative to using it up.  We even innovate a new monthly activity during the episode! Discussion topics include: • Some terminology for letting stuff go (for example, “release it” and “pass it along”) • The value of figuring out language that makes it easy for you to let stuff...

It's tempting to hang on to items to use for a special occasion. This week, Janine and Shannon discuss the benefits using what you have rather than buying new (perhaps more perfect) stuff. Discussion topics include: The thing that sparked this episode: • Shannon’s decision to use up her abundant supply of gift soaps rather than buying new  • The value of using things instead of saving “for go...

Bothered by an overabundance of paper and email? This episode is for you. Last week, Shannon and Janine discussed working through backlogs and this week we share some strategies for creating systems so those backlogs don't come back. Specifically we talk about ideas for email, snail mail and paper in general. Discussion topics include: • How having a system allows you to bounce back when stuff pil...

When stuff piles up in your home or office it can overwhelming to contemplate plowing through it and getting rid of the backlog. Add perfectionist tendencies to the equation and it can be even more challenging. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss some strategies for working through a backlog. Stay tuned next week when we discuss preventing pileups so the backlogs don't come back. Discussio...

Regret feels like a negative emotion, but in this episode, recorded in person in Walla Walla, Janine and Shannon discuss how considering regret can be a helpful barometer when making a decision. And they use a recent real-life set of decisions that brought them unexpectedly face to face to illustrate! Discussion topics include: • Janine’s decision to make an emergency trip to Walla Walla when her...

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 get past that. Discussion topics include: • Our excitement over breaking into the top 100 Health & Fitness podcasts in Poland! (And that we’re still on the quest for a listener in Antarct...

Why do we beat ourselves up when we make mistakes? Mistakes aren't failures; in fact they can be viewed as successes. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss reframing how we view mistakes so we can we can learn from them instead of feeling bad. Discussion topics include: • Letting go of the notion that if you make a mistake you have failed • Thinking of mistakes as successes • Shannon’s month...

Shannon and Janine are living the "less is more" mantra this year as Shannon makes it a focus of her 2020 goals and Janine focuses on helping her organizing clients let go of excess. In this episode, they discuss how less stuff can add up to more freedom and happiness. Discussion topics include: • One of Shannon’s focuses for 2020: Letting go of excess • How Shannon feels encumbered by her stuff •...

Money is a source of stress for so many people. One tool that both Janine and Shannon use to help them take the stress out of money and create financial peace is the software You Need a Budget (YNAB). Shannon is a YNAB master! In this episode we discuss YNAB and other strategies for creating financial peace. (And Shannon offers to help any listener  who needs help with YNAB!) Discussion topic...

In recording this episode week after week, certain themes keep coming up in Shannon and Janine's conversations. This episode, we distill them down to four hacks: (1) getting in touch with what's important to you; (2) asking yourself, "Is it good enough?"; (3) noticing when you're in perfectionist mode and (4) recognizing that something is better than nothing. Discussion topics include: • Pot stick...

A listener left us a voicemail with an interesting question that we address in this week's episode. Listener Casey wanted advice on choosing what to do to help the world when all the choices are so overwhelming. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss ways to get past perfectionism and overwhelm in order to do good. Discussion topics include: • A listener question: How do you choose your focus...

Overthinking anything--but especially our goals--is really easy to do. And those folks with perfectionistic tendencies are particularly susceptible. This week, Shannon and Janine discuss overthinking, particularly as it pertains to end-of-the-year goal setting, and share some of their goal-setting tools as well as techniques for avoiding overthinking. Discussion topics include: • Janine’s antidote...

Janine and Shannon are off on their own personal retreat days, so we thought it would be an excellent time to rerun our end-of-the-year post 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 feel very fa...

In this Good Enough in Practice episode, Shannon shares some exciting news: She just bought a plane ticket to Portugal, where she will walk the Camino de Santiago in 2020! She'll walk 175 to 200 miles by herself over the course of ten to fourteen days. In this episode, Shannon and Janine talk about this personal challenge, how she's preparing for it and her advice for pursuing your own personal ch...

Sometimes when you can't get started on something or you're dragging your feet making a decision, ambivalence is the culprit. It can be sneaky, lurking in the background without your even realizing it. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss ambivalence and provide some guidance on clearing it up, so you can make more conscious decisions. (Because not making a decision is actually making a dec...

It's hard enough when we expect perfection from ourselves, but when we expect others to be perfect, we're introducing stress into our (and their) lives. This week, Shannon and Janine talk about making life easier by modifying your expectations of perfection in others. (Spoiler alert: It involves assuming good intentions and cutting people some slack.) Discussion topics include: • Janine’s unrealis...