The Progress Project

Today's episode is all about the incredible results we've had from incorporating a daily spiritual practice. A spiritual practice is all about setting aside a few minutes each day to connect spiritually -- whatever that means to you . It could be meditation, prayer, scripture study, journaling, or any other activity that centers you and sets you up for your day. We talked about: A spiritual practi...

We're excited to have the Ortons back on the podcast today to talk about planning your next adventure! Whether you're planning a trip, a new creative project, a business, or your next set of goals, Emily & Erik are experts at using planning as a tool but not letting it hold you back from getting started. We chatted about: How planning is just a process of learning and discovery How to be sure you'...

If you've ever felt like you weren't sure what your gifts are or what you were sent here to actually do with your life, this is an episode you don't want to miss! We're talking about how to uncover your true gifts and find what your unique purpose really is. We also give you a sneak peak at our brand new course , Find Your Purpose that's officially released! This course helps you uncover your purp...

In today's episode, we're sharing a few practical ideas for managing money with more freedom, confidence, and ease. We talked about: Kristin's current system for tracking income and expenses How to create a better flow throughout the month with your money The value in using shorter periods of time to budget Why you don't have to feel guilt and frustration about your debt Using limitations to your...

We're finally talking about MONEY! Money is one of those practical conversation topics that is so hard to talk about since we all think and feel so differently (and so emotionally!) about it. In the first of two episodes about money, we're talking about why a healthy mindset about money is just as important, if not more, than the practical stuff. We chat about: How to stop feeling anxiety, guilt,...

Today's episode is a practical one all about meal planning! We have found that having a working system for getting meals on the table sounds simple, but it's one of the best things we can do to keep life feeling manageable. We chatted about: What hasn't worked in our attempts to meal plan What we each are doing to keep meal planning super simple and doable How meal planning can be flexible, easy,...

50 episodes! We're celebrating making it this far by sharing what we're really all about here at The Progress Project. We always say we love talking about purpose, creativity, and joy, but what does that really mean? What's our vision for what we're doing with this show? And who are we actually talking to? We share: Our favorite principles related to purpose, creativity, and joy The changes we've...

In this episode, Laura shares why she is so passionate about living with more adventure and how we can make room for adventure in the everyday, no matter what season of life you're in or where you live! We chat about: What it really means to be adventurous How to overcome excuses for not getting out in the world Fitting a little adventure into your own life and current circumstances "It's all abou...

In this episode, we're talking about the time we all have that is JUST for us -- we're calling them magic hours. These are the pockets of time where you don't have to take care of anybody else or worry about other people's priorities. Magic hours are completely yours for spending however you like: on creative projects, on your spiritual practice, a side business, or just relaxing with Netflix or a...

After a real-life, in-person conversation between the two of us about perfectionism, we decided we needed an episode about how a fear of mistakes can hold us back from the goals we really want to achieve. We talked about: Why trying to prevent messing up our goals isn't the right approach -- and what to do instead Asking ourselves what we're REALLY trying accomplish by setting a goal: is it to che...

In this episode, we take a look back at last year and prepare for a purposeful new year. We talk about what we each have learned this year from applying The Progress Project to our lives, including conversations about: Starting a new project Morning routines Recognizing and owning our confidence Using mantras & creating trigger thoughts Giving up people-pleasing Developing greater faith and relian...

Today's episode is extra special -- we have an interview with Kristin's dad! Anyone who knows him knows that Jim Hoddenbach is an extraordinary person. He's a pilot, expert aircraft mechanic, father of three, grandfather of six, and someone who influences every person he comes across for good. In our conversation, we talked about the elusive concept of happiness. We talked about what it even means...

What traditions truly help you feel the spirit and joy of Christmas? In this episode, we're chatting about our favorite traditions as kids and what we're incorporating into our family lives now. We talk about: How to find your own spiritual tradition to ground yourself each Christmas How to create a warm, cozy environment in your home to celebrate using music, light, smell, etc. How to pivot tradi...

As wonderful as the holiday season is, it's easy to slip into overwhelm and stress with all there is to do! In this episode we're chatting about how to have the exact kind of holiday experience you dream of by simply choosing how you want to feel ahead of time. We talked about: Choosing your own experience (and the times you may actually choose being frazzled and why that's okay!) Picking a word t...

Have you been feeling like the noise of the world is just so loud that it's hard to hear yourself think? We've been feeling like that too. So we took a break from social media and other distractions we each struggle with and this episode is the result -- what we learned and what we're doing moving forward to find clarity and quiet in a noisy world. We talked about: How to know if a particular dist...

Happy Thanksgiving! This week we wanted to share a short and sweet episode on how we can choose to be fully present, especially with our loved ones over the holiday season. We chatted about: Our new favorite definition of present-moment living: Being Available Asking ourselves WHY we want to be fully present and what we'll gain from making that effort How we can remind ourselves in very simple way...

With the holidays coming up, it seemed like a good time for a little conversation about loving difficult family members because don't we all deal with this from time to time! It's just the nature of family life to have some conflict and disagreements, but there's a lot we can do to minimize the drama and approach it from the perspective of the person we truly want to be. In this episode we cover:...

In this episode, we chatted about gratitude and how we can go beyond the sometimes cliche expressions we tend to talk about around Thanksgiving and truly remember everything we've been given. We talk about: Why we forget to be grateful, even for the things we once wished and prayed we could have A few specific ways we can remember more often How we can truly show that we are grateful for something...

We all have a specific purpose that we feel drawn to. When we understand what it is and how to cultivate it, we can be our best selves and bring more unique light and goodness into the world! We're talking about: - How to actually uncover what your purpose is - Why your true purpose is so much more than your current job or role in life - Examples of what we think our own purposes are and how we us...

In this episode, we had an amazing conversation with Katrina Berg, a painter who shared with us the many ways she finds support as she pursues her work. We also talked about why it's so important for us to use our creative gifts, which you know we always love talking about! Katrina shared: What the family support system looks like that allows her to pursue her career as an artist How a particular...

Today's episode is for anyone who wants to start some kind of creative project but doesn't know what they want to try. We share a few ideas on how to find something that sparks your inspiration and helps you add some creativity to your life. You'll hear a list of questions to help you discover what kinds of creative pursuits would excite and inspire you, how to find time to fit it into your life,...

How often have you caught yourself saying, "I'll just be happy when _______"?? We all find ourselves believing that if only our circumstances were different that we would be happy. But it's that very sense of discontent and frustration that prevents us from feeling how we want! In this episode, we're talking about how to find lasting contentment despite circumstances. We share the ways we each fin...

In this episode, we're diving deep into a conversation about procrastination. It can be such a huge problem for so many of us and hold us back from the things we truly want to accomplish. Laura shares two reasons we procrastinate and how to overcome them both. We each share how we're working on overcoming the temptation to put off the important stuff -- especially the scary, uncomfortable, big thi...

In this episode about purposeful time management, we ask two important questions: 1. What are the most important ways for us to spend our time? 2. How can we protect that time and use it in the most intentional way possible? These answers create the foundation of our priorities and discipline in getting to work. This strategy goes far beyond planners, lists, and apps and has truly helped us learn...

In this episode we're talking about being true to yourself, especially when it comes to your art and creativity. It pretty much comes down to this: whatever you do, do it your way! We chat about how you can be true to your own sense of creativity, how to find inspiration outside your normal sources, and why it's so important to define what it is you want to say with your creative work. We each sha...