Live an Intentional Life

It’s time for a mid-year goal review! And it’s going to be easy. Here are two questions that you can ask yourself when reviewing your goals - at ANY time of year in fact. Reviewing your goals is so important to help you stay on track, and decide if you even want to keep pursuing them in the first place.

In this episode, I also talk about how I applied these two questions to my own personal goals, and what my plan is going forward.

Need to work out exactly how to set goal...

Did you know that you don’t have to believe everything your brain says to you?

You can examine your thoughts, and decide if you want to change it to a more helpful one.

In this episode, I’m sharing with you 6 helpful beliefs that I am saying to myself at the moment, so I can feel more supported during challenging times. 

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⏳️ Want to dive in further? Join my online time management course TIMEWISE where you’ll learn how to move from busy and burnt out to feeling productive and at ease. Go...

Today I’m speaking with The Mindset Nutritionist Caroline Silk.

We had a powerful conversation today about mindset, subconscious beliefs, identity, and how to actually change your thoughts so that you can stop living on autopilot and start becoming the beautiful person that you are.

Caroline gave a lot of great examples about weightloss, but she also talked about how these concepts relate to any area of your life, so I know you’ll take away some important messages about the way that your thinking influences your life.

You can find Caroline at the...

If you’re confused about different time management techniques, like timeblocking and timeboxing, then it’s time to get some clarity. Time management should not be overwhelming!

In this episode, I explain what these terms mean, and which simple technique I like to use to make sure I get my tasks done with the most ease.

References:

Francis‐Smythe, J. A., & Robertson, I. T. (1999). On the relationship between time management and time estimation. British Journal of Psychology, 90(3), 333-347.

Buehler, R., Griffin, D., & Ross, M. (1994). Exploring the" planning fallacy": Why people underestimate their...

Ever used the Pomodoro technique? It might not be the best way to get things done, so in this episode I explain why it’s problematic, and exactly what you can do instead to work with your brain.

Further reading and references:

Francesco Cirillo’s Pomodoro Technique publication from 2006 can be downloaded here: https://friend.ucsd.edu/reasonableexpectations/downloads/Cirillo%20--%20Pomodoro%20Technique.pdf

Chang, Y. K., Labban, J. D., Gapin, J. I., & Etnier, J. L. (2012). The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Brain research, 1453, 87-101.

Harris, D. J...

How do you allocate your time when things feel really busy? What about when something is completed and you have more time?

The short answer is that you just do what needs to be done, but what if there was more to this idea?

In this episode I share my thoughts about how exactly we can decide on how we allocate the fixed time we have in any given week.

You’ll hear about…

✨My take on work-life balance

✨How the ‘commitment conundrum’ can make you feel spread too thin

✨...

I had intended to do a Q1 review for this episode - and I have, but with a twist.

This year has probably been my most challenging year so far. I’ve had some things really knock me off course, and so in this episode I take you through how I navigated that - what my original plans for the first 3 months of 2025 were, and what I actually did instead.

Get your own list of current goals (even if you’re not listening to this in real time), and answer the review questions I have for...

You are going to get a whole range of tips from this rich conversation, where Dr Bree Hurn interviews me for her own podcast Habit Nerd. This episode was so inspiring, that I wanted to replay it for you here.

In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about…

If...

The science of happiness is an important topic, because we all want to be happy - but we don’t always know how to get there.

In the second part of the episodes on happiness, I dive into the relationship between happiness and cognition - how your thinking influences your happiness.

This is a powerful topic, and one that you don’t hear much about in personal development!

Understanding happiness and cognition is really going to have a strong influence on your own wellbeing so that you can further enhance the quality of your...

Wanting to feel happier is a worthwhile goal - we want to feel good and improve our wellbeing in this one wild and precious life of ours.

“Feeling happier” can be elusive, so understanding what happiness is, why it’s important, and what you can do to change it will really alter the experience of your life.

Listen to this episode for evidence-based strategies on feeling happy.

Check out the following episode for part 2!

References mentioned in this article:

Alexander, R., Aragón, O. R., Bookwala, J., Che...

If you have ever procrastinated (hello, everyone!) then you will know that it can lead you feeling even worse than if you had just done the task in the first place! Why do we do this to ourselves?! 

You are not a procrastinator, and you are not lazy. In this episode, I explain that procrastination is a behaviour, and that this behaviour can be changed. 

I’m going to take you through evidence-based tips so you can really understand why you procrastinate on a certain task, and what you can do about it. 

Kick...

Sharne Perrett is on the show sharing her story of being a working mum, and wow does she have some wisdom for you!

We had a wonderful chat and covered…

✨Working smarter not harder

✨Presence and the little moments

✨How she plans her week and balances all the facets of her life

✨Hitting big goals

✨Her amazing health transformation

✨Giving hard things a go

✨Time mindset

✨Empowerment and designing your own destiny

I know you will take a lot from this episode...

Seeing Elizabeth Gilbert on her speaking tour (on my birthday!) was inspiring and thought-provoking. She is the author of Eat Pray Love, and Big Magic (my favourite book!), and in this episode I reflect on what Elizabeth said, and offer my own interpretations and extensions of the ideas. This is truly an inspiring episode where you’ll hear all about curiosity, purpose, calm, and presence.

Get Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert with my Amazon Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3BErYxk

Also mentioned in the episode, the book Resilient by Dr Rick Hanson with Forrest Hanson wh...

Samantha Sutherland wants to create a world that works for working women, and in this episode she talks all about mental load, work-life balance, quality leisure time, priorities, and setting goals.

You’ll be enlightened by her systemic perspective and her own personal experiences, I can’t wait for you to hear it!

Samantha’s links:

Website: https://samanthasutherland.com.au/

Book Samantha for an IWD speaking event: https://samanthasutherland.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IWD25-Samantha-Sutherland.pdf

The Women at Work Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/women-at-work/id1315...

Do you ever stop to celebrate your wins? In this episode I explain the three things to focus on when celebrating your wins, so you can combat the brain’s natural negativity bias and improve your overall wellbeing.

Get the Celebrate Your Wins Workbook in the online store, and get 10% off using the code PODCAST10:

Calming Greenery design here: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1493550859/celebrate-your-wins-workbook-ta-da-list

Bright Abstracts design here: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1479363220/celebrate-your-wins-workbook-ta-da-list

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog...

If you want more time to do the things that are meaningful to you, this episode will cover how you can use your evenings to do exactly that.

Even if you are a busy working parent who is exhausted by the end of the day, you will soon be looking at your evenings very differently!

Don’t believe you have enough free time? Check out Laura Vanderkam’s book 168 hours, and use my amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4fFDAxT

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog...

Let me show you exactly how powerful vision boards can be to craft the life of your dreams.

If you’ve been reluctant to create a vision board, maybe because you don’t believe in the power of the universe, or because you thought they were just for crafty people, think again. In this episode I’m going to explain how the vast power of your brain works to match the dreams on your vision board to your future experiences.

Listen to the episode, and you’ll be creating a potent vision board in no time.

Dr Bree Hurn is the Habit Nerd, and in this episode we have an insightful chat about how habits can move you closer to the person you want to be.

Dr Hurn explains how habits are aligned with your identity, and what you can do to create healthy habits and move towards the best version of you.

Guided by her values and how she wants to feel, Dr Hurn discusses how she plans her week in advance to make sure she is prioritising the right things, and even how colour-coding can help her avoid resentment...

How many goals should you set? Hint: It’s not what you think.

So many sources online tell you to set “One to Three goals”, but I have two problems with this. First, they don’t specify a time period - one to three per day? Per year? Second, no one seems to cite a reputable source when listing this recommendation.

In this episode, you’ll learn some fascinating information from the goal-setting research, and that the idea of the number of goals to set is more nuanced that you realise.

You’ll walk away wi...

If you have ever felt like setting goals or New Year’s resolutions were futile, or tokenistic, then let me tell you that you can learn a better way and live your most meaningful and fulfilling life.

In this episode I’ll explain why setting goals will absolutely change your life.

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/setting-goals-will-change-your-life

➡️Access to the free goal-setting workshop, Setting GLORIOUS GOALS, is closed.  Be sure to keep an ear out in case I hold it again!  

➡️ Purchase TIMEWISE...

It’s the final episode for 2024! And I want to plant the seed for your most meaningful new years resolutions or goals for 2025. I’m asking you four questions to get you thinking about goals in a new way, so that you can consider where you’re at, and what you really want to be doing.

Be sure to also stay tuned for the return episode very early in 2025, so that we can continue the conversation about setting goals that you can actually achieve.

Here’s my Amazon Affiliate link (where I get a small commissi...

You have probably heard that athletes visualise winning moments in their minds to help prepare them for a big game - it helps calm their nerves, they know clearly what to do, and it can increase success.

But did you know that you can use visualisation in other areas of your life as well, to do things like improve confidence and reduce the effect of anxiety?

If you want to take your personal development to the next level, then visualisation is the tool you need in your toolbox. In this episode, I’m explaining all th...

I felt compelled this week to give you a short episode on how to start where you’re at.

If you are stuck with your time management, and know there’s more to life but it all feels just too much - just start where you’re at.

In this episode I give you permission to take the smallest of steps, and I explain what those steps might be for you.

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/feeling-stuck

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⏳️ Want to dive in fu...

Ever wanted to know EXACTLY how I plan my days? I have two businesses, a big family, and lots of other elements of my life, and it’s a juggle! Listen to this week-in-the-life episode to get an in-depth look at how I schedule everything in, and what happens when things don’t go to plan!

In this episode I cover:

Plus the whole behind-the-scenes look at my life!

Links I mention:

My A...

Not getting enough sleep? Lying awake thinking too much, and wondering if you’ll ever sleep again?

Sleep is SO IMPORTANT, and so I cover my favourite sleep tips in this episode, and what can happen to your cognition and mood when you don’t get enough sleep.

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/get-better-sleep-with-these-tips-your-brain-will-love

References:

Quote from Prof David Dinges came from: Worley, S. L. (2018). The extraordinary importance of sleep: the detrimental effects of inadequate sleep on health and public safety drive a...

Have ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, too busy, or unproductive? I think we all have. You can learn how to prioritise what’s meaningful to you, structure your day, and create a holistic and sustainable plan for your life. Time management is so much more than setting timers and putting your phone on silent - it’s a holistic look at the way in which you allocate time during this one wild and precious life.

I hit a pretty difficult point a few years ago, and it was from these challenges and my expertise in cognition that I deve...

Do you know what it is you want from your life? Maybe you’re feeling stuck, or disillusioned, or maybe you know that your good life can be even more amazing and you want some help exploring that.

In this episode, I’m going to take you through a dreaming exercise, asking you three powerful questions to help take a look at your life, open your mind, and consider what else might be possible for you.

If you’ve ever thought that things can’t change for the better, then you have to listen. Grab somethin...

How are you using your time? Are you someone who often says “I don’t have time?” I like to change my phrasing around this and instead say “I’m not prioritising that right now,” because we all in fact have the same 24 hours in a day.

Whether you consider yourself a “planner,” or have never planned your days before, this episode will help you move towards the life of your dreams.

I’m going to show you that taking time to plan your day is going to help you achieve what you want to get done, and that...

Did you know that there is a way to train your attention, feel more emotionally regulated, and generally feel less stressed? And it only takes a few minutes a day. It costs nothing, and it’s something you can do with your kids too. It’s meditation, and it’s something that you can easily learn even if you are not a spiritual person.

In this episode I’m going to cover how to meditate, so that if you’re a beginner you can feel comfortable getting started, and what actually happens when you meditate. Listen out for the am...

Struggling to focus? There are so many distractions these days, and it’s hard to know how to sit down and do deep work. Without an intentional plan, you may get to the end of the day and realise you didn’t actually do what you should have done, and you end up feeling frustrated and defeated.

Doing meaningful work is satisfying and important, and in this episode you’ll learn exactly how to focus your attention so that you can work at your best. I explain a two-part framework of how the attention system actually works, and th...

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed, like your brain is totally full and you just can’t think straight?! In this episode, I’m going to show you five tips on how to support your brain so that you can kick stress to the curb.

Your working memory is a really important cognitive skill, and I explain what it is, how it works, and exactly what you can do today to start reducing the load on your mind so that you can feel more at ease.

📚 Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! h...

I have had some pretty major changes in my life, and it’s only been in the last 7 years or so that I’ve really intentionally decided what I want from my life, and took small regular actions to get there.

This is my story on what I went through when my marriage ended, and how I changed my career from neuropsychologist to graphic designer and life coach.

I also discuss four lessons that I’m working on at the moment in my personal development.

Listen to this episode to be inspired to dream...

In this very first episode I share 12 principles to living an intentional life, which is what my business is all about. My focus in the personal development space is on learning about your cognition and how your brain works, so that you can find that elusive balance between meaningful work, quality play, and restful sleep.

This podcast is for you if you are a working parent who is burning the candle at both ends, but want to spend your days doing the stuff that lights you up - but you don’t know where to start! You’re o...