The You Project

When we dig down deep into people's goals (the 'why' behind their ‘what’), what they really want is generally something in the ballpark of emotional and psychological calm, contentment and peace. In other words, the opposite of anxiety. Less over-thinking. Better sleep. An internal state of bliss. As always, this was an informative and helpful chat with clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Lillia...

Carly Taylor is Japanese Psychology Practitioner, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Practitioner, Counsellor and personal friend. This time we had a conversation, essentially exploring the 'how, when, why and why not' of personal transformation. Among other things, we chat about why have some people been 'almost' changing their lives for years. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Our body is always speaking to us; trying to gain our attention so that we might give it more of what it needs, and less of what it doesn't. Yep, the human body is an amazing biofeedback system and it's constantly communicating some kind of wisdom. Sadly, sometimes we inhabitants (of that amazing biofeedback system), have our metaphoric fingers in our ears. While this conversation with Unna and Ti...

Sure, you've had lots of days 'like' this one but you've never had, and will never have, this particular day again. For me, that day (as I write) is Sunday, August 25, 2024. And while I've had thousands of Sundays, I've never had this one. This one is unique because, in the history of humanity, there will only ever be one August 25, 2024. And this is the one. This is my one. We commonly say that e...

Hi Everyone. I’m having a TYP breather today, so we’re re-visiting this chat I had a while back with Dr. Adam Mastroianni. He is a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia Business School who studies how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds, from the person sitting across the table to the broader community buzzing around them. He writes a great blog called Experimental History, is...

If you're after some brain food, philosophical insights, groundbreaking wisdom or personal development gold, you definitely shouldn't listen to this. If, on the other hand, you're after something silly and (arguably) entertaining in your ears while you go about your day, this might be it. I say, might. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, so I might have been somewhat lazy and negligent when it comes to looking after my skin and having regular checks. I may have also just got off the phone with the Skin Doc who told me that I'm an idiot for waiting, avoiding and being irresponsible. The pathology just came back from two biopsies (forehead, elbow) and one surgery (chin) and let's just say none of it was great news (basal cell...

Years of incarceration. Addiction, alcoholism, attempted suicide, rehabilitation, recovery, redemption and re-invention. Depression, anxiety, healing, happiness. Fatherhood. Peaks and troughs. More troughs. Breakdowns, break-ups and breakthroughs. Addiction counsellor. Business owner. Entrepreneur. Radio presenter. And now in his fifties, Mick Hall is an elite athlete; a world boxing champion. Thi...

You're gonna find this hard to believe but, some people don't like me, what I do or how I do it. Shocking, I know. I mean, l'm so fucking adorable, how can they not? Of course I jest, and of course, me and my stuff (podcasts, whiteboard messages, conversations, personality, language, humour) will land well with some, and not with others. Of course. The same exact message will confuse person A, ins...

My favourite professor of pharmacology and toxicology Dr. Bill Sullivan is back (okay, he's the only one I know but he's legit awesome) and this time we chat about the way our genetics affect (and/or relate to) everything from introversion and extraversion, to our likelihood of becoming an addict, our physiological responses to stress, anxiety and depression, the idea of creating an environment in...

Today I’m re-sharing one of my favourite chats with the dynamic duo that is Grant and Chezzi Denyer. I love it when I’ve know somebody from watching them on TV for years, and then I get to meet them and they’re even better in real life. Grant and Chezzi are a breath of fresh air and I hope you enjoy this.  It's All True? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do I think the way I do? What is success (or failure) for me? What is my body saying? Where do my beliefs come from (and did I choose them)? How much of my potential am I using? What am I currently doing that's not working? What habits do I need to make (or break)? Are my fears keep me safe or are they keeping me stuck? And what's the gap between ‘the' (objective) world and my (subjective) wor...

Almost getting in shape, almost facing that fear, almost making that decision, almost committing, almost doing the work, almost starting that project, almost changing that habit, almost building that business, almost writing that book, almost doing that course, almost changing that life. Some people have been in the 'almost' club for decades. If you need to get out of the 'almost' club, take a lis...

This episode covered a lot of territory and for two people with commitment issues, Tiff and I sure opened a lot of doors. Vulnerability. Self-awareness. Abstinence. Self-control. Trust. Authentic friendships. Talk therapy. Marriage. Being alone versus being lonely. Whether I would have made a good dad. And lots more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our frantic, fast-paced world, where instant access to everything is just a click away, the idea of delaying gratification might seem outdated and even, counterintuitive. You and I live in a culture that celebrates the now; quick wins, fast food, magic pills, quick fixes, two-minute abs and instant results. The case for instant gratification is indeed a compelling one, if you pay attention to t...

Hi Everyone, I’ve been tied up with corporate work, so today I’m sharing a chat I had with one of my favourite humans Jacqui Cooper (five-time time Olympian, five-time world champion). Like all our conversations, this one went far and wide. I’ll be back tomorrow with a freshy. Enjoy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Olympic review that nobody needs, Gillespo and I chat about the Paris games, his underwhelming vehicle choice, his parenting model around technology in the home, the relationship between rising tech use, rising mental health issues and rising crime rates, New Zealand producing so many gold medals with such a small population (FYI, the population of California is 7.5 times that of NZ) and ye...

Every so often, I share an interview that l've done on someone else's podcast because I feel the conversation is worth sharing directly with my listeners and obviously, today is such a day. l've known Andrew May (host of Performance Intelligence) for more than twenty years, so you won't be shocked when I tell you that this conversation is a somewhat 'loose' affair, with a liberal smattering of obj...

Meggie Palmer spent fifteen years as a journalist and foreign correspondent in Europe, the USA and Australia, working for BBC World, CNBC, SBS Dateline, Channel 7, Channel 10, SKY, Vogue, Marie Claire and News Corporation. She is a founder, speaker, journalist, and proud Aussie who now calls New York City home. She founded ‘PepTalkHer’ and is on a mission to close the gender pay gap. She travels g...

Is it human art or Al art? And if it is Al art, is it actually art? Was it written by a human or a Bot? Is it inspired creativity or 'programmed' creativity? Did he do the assignment or did ChatGPT do it? Is it a real photo or an image generated to look like a photo? Is the 'information' I'm getting through Al actual (accurate, objective) information or is it a 'story' about something, designed to...

Michael Katsidis has a fascinating story that I can't do justice in this brief synopsis but let me tell you that it involves elite sport (including world titles and Olympic representation), childhood dreams, passion, triumph, personal tragedy, drug addiction, prison, mental health and thankfully, recovery, redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed this chat with a kindred spirit. If you don'...

In the pursuit of a better 'us' (what ever that means on an individual level), sometimes we need to turn down the emotion and turn up the planning, logic, structure and accountability. Less finger-crossing and hoping, and more strategy and science. This is a conversation about that. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like something of a cliché' but Annabelle Chauncy OAM has literally built her life, her work and her not-for-profit (School for Life) on the principle of 'service above self.' For nearly all of her adult life, she has made the health, welfare and (specifically) the education of children and adults living in danger, disadvantage and poverty her mission and purpose. Annabelle is a courageo...

Over the next five days, I’ll be unpacking five simple but effective ideas (strategies, practices, habits) that have consistently proven to be high-yield psychological and behavioural investments on, not only my own journey of falling down and getting up, but also for the thousands of people I’ve worked with on their own journeys. Today I’m talking about taking the right path. Enjoy.  See omnystud...

Vulnerability can be complicated. If not conceptually, then in the doing. Or is it in the 'being'? Like when, in what situation, with which person(s) and exactly how vulnerable (to what extent) should we be? And does vulnerability always equal some positive? I think not. So, what are the pros and cons of opening the vulnerability door? This was a deep, revealing, courageous and dare-I-say.. vulner...