The Progress Project

Today's episode is all about how powerful our thoughts are -- and for the first time EVER, we recorded in person!! We chatted about how thoughts determine feelings and feelings determine actions. So if we want any kind of change in our lives, it all starts with what we're thinking. Kristin shares how she would have approached her infertility experience if she knew then what she knows now about the...

Do you ever feel guilty for taking time to do what you love? If so, today's conversation explores some ideas about why we often feel this way and what to do about it! We talk about - Finding a little extra compassion and kindness for yourself - A great list of questions to clarify the thoughts BEHIND the guilt and discover whether guilt is actually the most accurate emotion for the situation - The...

Today we're chatting with Ali Middleton about living the slow and simple life. We talked about: - How to choose a slower-paced schedule when everything seems to conspire to keep us busy - How to get back on track when things don't feel peaceful at home (Ali has three specific suggestions!) - How we can cultivate creativity for our kids AND encourage them to have more independent play - Encouraging...

When it comes to goal-setting, this year has gone pretty well for the two of us and today we're chatting about why. We share what monthly activity keeps us both on top of our progress for the big things we're working on, how to stay focused on a simple list of your priorities for the year while also keeping up on the things you're already doing well, and what the biggest factor is when it comes to...

In this episode, we're talking about how to be a better listener. Everyone really just wants to be heard! We all crave human connection and the understanding of our loved ones so when someone truly listens to us we feel like we matter. Laura shares her ideas about when to offer sympathy versus a solution, how to ask great questions that help people find answers and ideas for themselves, how to rem...

We're back with another episode about home organization, this time chatting about the four simple steps to organize any area of your home. We covered the overall strategy, a few general tips to keep in mind about decluttering, leaving margin, and finding momentum, then broke it down into two specific examples from listener questions about areas of their home they struggle to get organized. SHOWNOT...

We had too much awesome content to fit into one episode this week so we're sharing this extra conversation with you as a little bonus episode! Emily & Erik love the concept of Essentialism from the book by Greg McKeown -- learning to get the right things done and eliminating what isn't essential in our lives. They share how they applied the concepts when they were busy and overwhelmed after return...

You do not want to miss today's episode! We're talking to Emily & Erik Orton, an unconventional couple who left their home in New York City to live on a sailboat for a year with their five kids. We talk about their life philosophy and how they have intentionally chosen to live a better story. They share how to find adventure in your own life without comparing it to others, how to get past fear and...

In this episode, we're chatting about how to get out of a slump. We all go through ups and downs and sometimes need a little help getting through the down times. Laura describes it as a fog that blocks us from the light and prevents us from seeing things as they really are and feeling our best. She shares her experience with this and a few things she does to take care of herself in those times. We...

In this episode, we're chatting about creating systems for an organized home. Systems are Kristin's nerd superpower so we talked about the practical aspects of what Kristin is currently doing to keep her home running smoothly, why a good system works, and how to create your own home systems. We talked about the key step of being proactive about your home routines and the secret to implementing sys...

Our show today is all about healthy living! Laura has a unique and refreshing approach to this topic and she shares her perspective about rest, eating well, and exercise. One of the main things we chat about is how to make healthy living the EASIEST option for yourself. We also talk about being mindful by learning to listen to your body and how to make it fun. Then we dive into specifics: how to a...

We can already tell today's episode is going down as a favorite! Not only do we have some very exciting news to share, but our topic covers the foundational elements of how to make lasting change. We talk every week about improving some area of our lives so we wanted to break down the process of how we actually go about making these changes. Kristin shares the 4 steps in this formula, along with a...

Today we're chatting with Catherine Weis, founder of Bestowe Gifting. She is a mom, works full time, and runs her online business curating unique gift boxes. We talk about the struggle to balance it all and discover that we never truly "figure it out." Instead, we find that striving for balance is always a practice. We talk about creating boundaries to get your work done, both physical and mental,...

In this episode, we're talking about being BUSY. So many of us seem to be living in constant busy-mode with all the things on our schedules and more we want to fit into each day. We think about, stress about, and talk to each other about just how busy we are. But we wondered if it really needs to be this way. Is there a way we can simplify our schedules? Or even leave our schedules the way they ar...

Today's episode is all about confidence! Both of us have experienced a dramatic increase in self-confidence throughout our adult years and we each share what has helped us with that. Of course there are always surface-level changes we can make like dressing better or learning to be a better conversationalist that help us feel better in certain situations, but we really wanted to talk about the dee...

Today we have an incredible guest with us to talk about the magic of creativity. Tessa Brown is a painter and writer and she tells us the story of deciding to pursue a career as an artist and her amazing experience with visualizing it into reality -- it's a simple exercise anyone can do to start the process for themselves! We each share our experiences and ideas about using visualization in our li...

In this episode, we continue our conversation about marriage from last week and talk about three ways to nurture your marriage relationship. We discuss helping each other through personal trials, making time for just the two of you, and sharing small gestures of love and support, especially when it comes to encouraging the other person's interests and dreams. To check out any links, notes, and det...

In this episode, we share how focusing on our own mindsets and improvement has drastically influenced each of our marriages for the better. Laura shares how she and her husband have created such a uniquely special relationship and how to create an environment of love, kindness, and fun in a marriage. To check out any links, notes, and details from our conversation today, head to our website at: ht...

In episode 14, we're talking about how to become the person you dream of being. We encourage you to think of your ideal future self -- what she is like, how she acts, what her life is like -- and intentionally create that self with your actions now. We talk about the four areas to explore when creating a vision statement for your life and provide a list of questions to get you inspired. Plus Krist...

Today we're sharing our first interview-style episode with a conversation with photographer and designer Kylie Whiting. Kylie shared her top three tips for photographing your children, her method for organizing and backing up all those photos we take, and how she creates her beautiful family yearbooks. We also discuss how we each approach documenting family life beyond photography. Our list of lin...

Today our conversation is for the chronic worrier. Both of us have always been the worrying type so we shared a few tips and strategies that have helped us overcome it. We discuss the question that can help you find out whether your worrying is excessive and three specific tips to help you stop those anxious feeling in their tracks. We also talk about how worrying is a choice and how to use it as...

In this episode, we talk about creativity - the difference between creativity and imagination, getting out of a creative rut, and consuming less so we can create more. We also ask ourselves how we can find our own voices, create meaningful work, and bring more creativity into our everyday lives. Today there were a BUNCH of links and notes to share so you can see those, plus a recap and an awesome...

Today's conversation is all about friendship. We cover what makes a really fantastic friend, four tips on how to invest in friendships to make them the best they can be, and what questions to ask yourself when there's a problem with a friend. We both also talk about our best friends of 20+ years and why we love them so darn much. To check out any links, notes, and details from our conversation tod...

Today's conversation is about minimalism. And for a topic all about LESS, this podcast ended up with MORE info than we usually record... clearly we're still figuring out minimalism ourselves! We think of minimalism as clearing the clutter to make room for what's most important. It's freedom from whatever is excess that weighs you down. We talk about how to get started living with less without bein...

Inspired by the anniversary of Laura's dad's passing, we're talking today about how we can maintain and nourish relationships with loved ones who have passed away. Laura shares how she has stayed close to her dad and some profound experiences she has had. We also discuss how to develop relationships with family members we never met in life by learning about them and how that can help us recognize...