Wake Your Dream

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to navigate unhelpful recurring feelings of guilt. Do you usually walk around feeling like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you worry that you're a burden if you talk about your needs or ask for help? Do you feel terrified to let people down or disappoint them? Learn how to finally realize where you're holding yourself responsible for...

Annaliese and Alan talk about the habit of procrastinating and how to handle those moments in better ways. We often think procrastination is a lack of motivation or willpower, but it usually has a hidden layer: avoiding hard emotions. Learn how to get curious about why you reach for procrastination, so you can stop yourself from falling into it. You’ll Hear About: The real reason you procrastinate...

Do you say yes when you really mean no? Annaliese and Alan talk about how to catch and help yourself when you find yourself people-pleasing. You might think it's just normal for you, that you "can't" make your own choice, or that the situation called for it. But people-pleasing behavior is something you have choices about, and you have more capability to navigate your life in ways that feel better...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to help yourself when you're finding yourself stuck in perfectionism again. Perfectionism can make you feel like you're being excellent, thorough, or dependable, and like if you don't do something perfectly then you're not doing things the "right" way. But if we don't notice this bait-and-switch, it ends up draining our energy. Learn how to catch more quickly when...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to help yourself when you get stuck in overthinking again. Overthinking is a pattern we can slip into when we might feel insecure, uncertain, out of control, or stressed and we're trying to "fix" something. Scrambling or withdrawing up into our heads to try to figure out life instead of living it out doesn't get us the security, protection, success, or resolution...

Annaliese and Alan talk about becoming more aware of the stories playing in your head—the beliefs and thought patterns that are shaping and informing your emotions, expectations, relationships, and choices. Does it ever seem like the ways you think about yoruself and your life are automatically driving how you feel and what you do? Maybe you often find yourself thinking, “I’m the responsible one,”...

What does it really mean to take full ownership of your life? Annaliese and Alan share how it's not by having all the answers, forcing the "right" outcomes, or avoiding all uncertainty and chaos. Real control actually grows when you pay closer attention to how things are genuinely going inside you and around you, and posture yourself to remember you're the one capable and in charge of handling the...

Annaliese and Alan dig into what it really looks like to handle your emotional reactions live — in real time, not just after the fact. If you've ever felt regret or guilt over how you reacted, maybe even disappointed in yourself for not acting like the person you want to be, this episode is for you. The surprising thing is, you don't have to "fix" your feelings first in order to handle them better...

Annaliese and Alan talk about a simple but powerful truth: real change doesn't start with a plan — it starts with noticing. Before you can set a goal, break a habit, or shift a relationship pattern, you need honest awareness of where you actually are, what you're feeling, and what you're working with right now. Listen in to explore how practicing your own skill of noticing — and continuing to prac...

Annaliese and Alan unpack how personality differences and unmet needs impact the way couples connect — and why showing up as your true self is one of the most powerful things you can do for your marriage. If you've ever felt tempted to shrink, guess, or assume the worst about your partner's intentions, this conversation offers a grounded and more deeply connected way forward. You'll Hear About: Wh...

Annaliese and Alan talk about what shifts when you stop fighting or just drifting through the moment and start opening up to it. Life has a way of showing you insights in whatever the moment holds, and sometimes when you least expect it. But to really connect with those insights takes a new practice of being open and listening deeper to what you’re experiencing right now, in and around you. Learn...

Annaliese and Alan talk about what it feels (and what it takes!) to approach the midlife experience. Midlife confronts us with the quality of the life we’ve been living and pursuing. You’ll hear about the stereotypes that can feel real, but there are bigger invitations and growth that hide underneath the changes that midlife brings with it. You’ll Hear About: -Midlife reveals the gaps. There are w...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to look for surprising evidence that you're making progress when you're on the long road of growth. Staying encouraged on the road to your goals isn't always easy — especially when progress feels slow, repetitive, or just plain invisible. Listen in to learn how to recognize your real progress, even when it doesn't look or feel the way you'd expect. You'll Hear Abo...

Annaliese and Alan talk about a more approachable way to become more patient. Patience is necessary in life, but it can be difficult to build that skill because our “normal” or comfort zone is designed around avoiding discomfort and uncertainty around waiting. You'll learn that patience isn’t something overly virtuous that only certain people can do - it’s a muscle that everyone has, including you...

Annaliese and Alan unpack how the fear of “being selfish” can quietly keep you stuck, overextended, or disconnected from your own needs. They'll talk you through rethinking what selfishness actually means so you can stop letting guilt or limiting beliefs drive your choices. Instead of living anxiously trying to avoid being selfish, you’ll learn how to grow a more grounded sense of selfhood (believ...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how self-care isn't just healthy practices — it's about building a holistic attitude of actually caring about yourself and how you feel and act in your life. If you shifted your attitude toward yourself, how might that open up your world? Self-care transforms who you think you are, what you think you're capable of, and what options you're able to see for yourself. YOU...

Annaliese and Alan talk about the ways and reasons we blame, why we think it will give us relief — and why it actually doesn't satisfy us. Blaming can feel like a power trip in the moment, but it's actually taking your power away. Understanding what you're experiencing and why gives you the info you need to feel the power of your own choice in vulnerable or uncertain moments. You'll Hear About: Wh...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to change your unhelpful thoughts and beliefs once you discover you have them. They dig into how these beliefs have been shaping your experiences in life for a long time — and how to build new ones that open up more of what's actually possible for you! You'll Hear About: How your daily patterns — anxiety at work, struggling to trust yourself, needing constant outs...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how your hidden triggers quietly shape your emotional reactions, relationships, and everyday life. So often, reactive stories start playing in your mind (thoughts) and body (feelings) before you even realize it. When you learn to notice that inner narrative in the moment, you gain powerful self-awareness, giving you the ability to decide whether that story gets to lea...

Annaliese and Alan talk about what makes communication both effective and deeply connecting in close relationships. They reflect on how many adults eventually notice communication blind spots in themselves because different communication styles were modeled in their families growing up. This conversation explores how emotional maturity and intentional practice help us build healthier, more connect...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how fixating on outcomes in life can quietly consume your limited energy in the present moment. Annaliese shares how our deeper invitation is to notice how we actually feel in and about our lives right now—and to intentionally prioritize spending our primary resources (time, money, attention, and energy) on what we can realistically influence today. When we shift our...

Annaliese and Alan talk about perfectionism in practical ways that actually help you in the moment. Annaliese explores how perfectionism often disguises itself as the “right way” to be, think, or live—when in reality, it slowly disconnects you from your authenticity, agency, and inner clarity. You’ll uncover how perfectionism undermines personal growth by demanding control over things you can’t co...

Annaliese and Alan talk about one of the most overlooked foundations of real personal growth: learning to love yourself. This episode reframes self-compassion as more than a concept that sounds good or feels good—it’s meant to become a brand new foundation of love for yourself that effectively fuels any change you hope to make. Instead of growing from a basis of self-criticism or judgment, this co...

Annaliese and Alan dig into how the way you see yourself shapes the way you think, speak, and act. When you’re trying to grow, your inner picture matters. Annaliese shares a simple mindset tool called “Update Yourself,” a practice that helps you picture yourself as more capable, grounded, and empowered so real change feels possible—not overwhelming. You’ll Hear About: How your brain can learn a ne...

Annaliese and Alan talk about how to make healthy, effective boundaries that actually support real life and real relationships. Instead of boundaries being a last-minute reaction to discomfort or conflict, they explore how boundaries work best when they’re intentional, value-based, and planned all the way through. Annaliese share the 3 Prongs of Building a Boundary—choose it, set it, enforce it. L...