Shows
Life HabitsLH160—Unlocking Collective Genius for Leaders and Team MembersIn this episode, Karel and Paige continue their insightful conversation with Jeff Wetzler, a human potential and learning expert and co-founder of Transcend. They explore the power of fostering curiosity in leadership, organizations, and personal relationships. Drawing from his book, Ask: Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You, Jeff shares practical frameworks for leveraging feedback, breaking down divisive barriers, and mastering skills that are essential for growth and collaboration in a polarized world.2024-12-3130 minLife HabitsLH156 — Reconnecting in a Polarized World: Better Questions for Fostering Our Shared HumanityIn this continuation of last week’s conversation, Karel and Paige welcome back Topaz Adizes to the Life Habits Podcast. Together, they delve into themes of shared humanity, the profound impact of social media on communication, and the vital role of empathy in meaningful conversations. They explore strategies for navigating vulnerability in relationships, crafting thought-provoking questions, and creating safe spaces that foster understanding and connection. Discover the importance of active listening and the transformative potential of thoughtful dialogue. This conversation sheds light on bridging divides and fostering connection, especially in today’s polarized society.Quotes from this Epis...2024-11-2045 minLife HabitsLH155 — From Answers to Questions: Enhancing Human ConnectionIn this episode, Karel and Paige interview Emmy award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect, Topaz Adizes, founder of The Skin Deep. This is the first part of a two-part series where they explore Topaz’s journey, the powerful role of questions in fostering vulnerable and authentic conversations, and the creation of meaningful human connections. Topaz shares insights on the importance of constructing thoughtful questions and creating safe spaces to encourage openness, drawing from his work with The Skin Deep and the “And” Project. He emphasizes that true connection comes from asking questions that invite self-reflection and empathy, offering listen...2024-11-1356 minLife HabitsLH154 — Future Proofing Your CareerIn this episode, Karel builds on the previous episodes which focused on dealing with job loss, being effective at getting a job, and designing and marking yourself. He now focuses on "future-proofing your career." Karel shares practical strategies for career development, including using strategic foresighting to anticipate industry trends, creating an "aspirational resume" to set goals, and performing "premortems" to avoid potential pitfalls. He also introduces the concept of "career workouts," encouraging listeners to approach career advancement as they would physical fitness—with regular, structured efforts, tracking progress through a career journal, and conducting "career checkups" with mentors. Drawing on...2024-11-0628 minLife HabitsLH153 — Designing and Marketing the Product YOUIn this episode, Karel continues the focus on those who are looking to further improve themselves to get a new or better job, or a new partner, or just to make themselves the best version of themselves that they can be. He starts be asking “What do companies do when they want to improve their products and services?” They use design and design methods. And “What do they do to sell those products and services?” They use marketing and marketing methods. Karel then reprises edited versions of two of the most popular episodes of the entire podcast series focussed on using...2024-10-3049 minLife HabitsLH149 — Feeding Your Soul with Purpose and MeaningKarel devotes this episode to a topic that has been central to his life—feeding your soul with purpose and meaning. He makes the case for exploring a more fulfilling life going beyond simply feeding your wallet by also feeding your soul. After charactering the situation many people are in of being stressed and burned out, Karel outlines his own approach to always balancing his life with outside interests that have purpose and meaning to him. He then outlines three approaches to determining what would feed your soul and how to realize it. 2024-10-0228 minLife HabitsLH148 — The Influencers in my LifeIn this episode, Karel reflects on the two people who have had the greatest influence in his life. These aren't your typical current social media influencers. They're instead people who provided him insights, lessons, and habits for everyday life.The first is the late Stephen R. Covey and second is Gerritdina Leida Vredenburg, Karel’s late mother. He recorded a tribute episode after each of these influencers in his life passed away. Covey published a book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" in 1989. Karel read it that same year and it changed his life. In fact, that bo...2024-09-2545 minLife HabitsLH145 — Life and Career LessonsIn this episode, Karel shares his career and life lessons after retiring from a successful 36-year career at IBM and co-founding the Habits for a Better World nonprofit. Before leaving IBM, Karel went on a global nine design studio tour during which he met with staff one-on-one and in groups and he also reflected on his career and shared his life and career lessons. The staff and others on LinkedIn who heard about the presentation encouraged him to share his reflection and insights on the podcast. This episode was the result. Enjoy!2024-09-0442 minLife HabitsLH144 — The Humor HabitPaige is taking a much needed break for health reasons. We wish her a restful and restorative break. Paige did find and schedule our amazing guest for today’s episode, Paul Osincup, a speaker and positive workplace strategist, and the author of “The Humor Habit”. Karel interviews Paul about his book 'The Humor Habit.' They discuss the power of humor in the workplace and in life, and how humor can be learned and developed as a habit. They also explore the health benefits of humor, such as reducing stress and increasing happiness. Paul shares...2024-08-2938 minLife HabitsLH143 — Dealing with Divisiveness & PolarizationIn this episode, Karel tackles the pervasive problems of divisiveness and polarization. World events—like wars and elections—and particular issues have a tendency to lead to these challenges. So much so, that they generate disharmony in families and tension among friends. Some will say, “someone should do something about that”. Karel says, “why not start with ourselves”. There are two sets of habits that Karel thinks are perfect for countering divisiveness and polarization, checking your biases and becoming an authentic listener. He reprises two previous episodes that address these issues.2024-08-2138 minLife HabitsLH141 — Ignite Your Secret Superpower: Adapt to ChangeIn this episode, Karel and Paige sit down with Dan Ram, an event MC, TEDx speaker, and executive coach, to discuss the topic of adaptability. Dan shares his personal journey of growing up as the son of an Indian ambassador, constantly moving around the world and having to adapt to change. He outlines three stages for improving adaptability: letting go of the past, engaging with the present, and positioning oneself for the future. Dan provides advice on how to pursue new hobbies or passions and offers insights on habits that lead to personal growth and success. He encourages listeners...2024-07-3144 minLife HabitsLH140 — Thought Habits to Overcome OverworkingIn this episode, Karel and Paige continue their conversation with certified Habit Finder coach, author, and CEO Amy Kemp. They dive deep into Amy’s strategies for overcoming overworking through setting boundaries and shifting thought habits to achieve success and wealth. She emphasizes the need to let go of limiting beliefs about money and to embrace the idea that money is a renewable resource. Amy also highlights the challenges women face in achieving success, particularly the burden of unpaid labor and societal pressure to do it all. She shares success stories from her coaching business, showcasing the transformative power of...2024-07-2437 minLife HabitsLH139 — Power of Thought Habits & Natural GeniusIn this episode, Karel and Paige sit down with Amy Kemp, a certified habit finder coach and author of the book ‘I See You!’ They discuss the importance of guilt-free play, the power of imperfect progress, and the impact of deeply rooted thought habits on our success. Amy shares her journey of becoming a habit finder coach and CEO, and explains the concept of natural genius and how to recognize and leverage our unique talents. They also explore the challenges of determining the value of our natural genius and overcoming self-esteem issues related to money.Quotes from this...2024-07-1747 minLife HabitsLH138 — Las Vegas to Shark Tank: Education & Success SecretsIn this episode, Karel and Paige sit down with Dr. Shaan Patel, founder of Prep Expert SAT and ACT, as he shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings in Las Vegas to achieving meteoric success as a Shark Tank winner, bestselling author, and board-certified dermatologist. Shaan discusses his commitment to education, the importance of self-control, the development of good habits, and his latest book, “Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook,” which offers strategies for success on the new digital SAT and beyond.Quotes from this episode:“Success is a progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” — Earl Nightingal...2024-07-1046 minLife HabitsLH136 — Hungry for Action: Food, Climate, &, Our Future Part 1In this third episode of our four-part series, Karel and Paige are again joined by Eve Turow-Paul, the founder and executive director of Food for Climate League, as she discusses the relationship between food and climate change and the impactful work of her organization. The global food system is responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, with high rates of meat consumption and food waste being the main culprits. The Food for Climate League aims to empower 100 million people to engage in climate-smart food choices by transforming hearts and minds through narrative and behavioral sciences. The organization collaborates...2024-06-2631 minLife HabitsLH135 — Hungry for Connection: Influencers & Avocado Toast Part 2In this episode, Karel and Paige continue their conversation with Eve Turow-Paul, author, globally recognized thought leader, and founder and executive director of Food for Climate League. In the second part of this four-part series, Eve delves into the themes of control, community, and purpose in our relationship with food and social media. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating habits that prioritize our well-being and offers solutions to counteract the negative impacts of social media. Eve shares personal changes she has made, such as gardening and prioritizing in-person experiences, to create a greater sense of control, community, and purpose...2024-06-1934 minLife HabitsLH134 — Hungry for Connection: Influencers & Avocado Toast Part 1In this episode Karel and Paige are joined by author, globally recognized thought leader, and the founder and executive director of Food for Climate League, Eve Turow-Paul. In the first episode of this four part series Eve discusses her book "Hungry: Avocado Toast, Instagram Influencers, and Our Search for Connection and Meaning." She delves into the underlying emotional drivers of food trends, the impact of the digital age on well-being, and the ways in which food culture reflects our need for connection and control in an increasingly complex world.Quotes from this episode:“There is ab...2024-06-1237 minLife HabitsLH133 — Build Habits That Stick, One Stack at a TimeIn this episode, Karel and Paige explore the concept of habit stacking, a method of building new habits by linking them to existing ones. They explain how this technique can make habit formation easier and more effective. Karel and Paige share practical examples and provide 10 actionable recommendations to help you successfully implement habit stacking in your daily routine. Their recommendations include identifying existing habits, choosing new habits, linking new habits to established routines, starting small, environmental design, accountability, positive reinforcement, visual cues, tracking progress, and reflection and mindfulness.10 Recommendations for Habit Stacking:1. Identify Existing Habits 2024-06-0524 minLife HabitsLH132 — Unravelling the Mysteries of the Mind-Body Connection with Todd Nyholm Part 2In this episode, Karel and Paige continue their conversation with Todd Nyholm, a somatic therapist and author of "What the Bleep Brain?". Expanding on Todd's personal journey and the development of the Natality Life Method, this episode dives deeper into its practical applications for managing physical ailments, chronic health issues, and overall wellness. Todd shares techniques for managing chronic pain, improving mental clarity, and enhancing overall health through a holistic mind-body approach. He emphasizes the importance of integrating these methods with traditional healthcare, pacing, and self-compassion in the healing journey. Gain actionable tips for implementing these methods into your...2024-05-2948 minLife HabitsLH131 — Unraveling the Mysteries of the Mind-Body Connection with Todd Nyholm Part 1In this episode, Karel and Paige sit down with Todd Nyholm, a somatic therapist and the author of “What The Bleep Brain?”. Todd discusses somatic therapy, emphasizing the mind-body connection and guides listeners through a calming breathing exercise. He outlines his book's systematic approach to brain healing, stresses the importance of conscious attention, and addresses the concept of locus of control. Todd also highlights the role of experiential learning and visualization in his methods, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and emotions in healing trauma and overall well-being.Quotes from this episode:“Fame or self: which...2024-05-2244 minLife HabitsLH130 — Harnessing the Power of AIExplore the transformative potential of AI with Karel and Paige as they delve into generative AI using ChatGPT as a prime example. This episode examines AI's revolutionary impact on industries and emphasizes the importance of integrating human skills with AI capabilities. Karel and Paige demystify AI concepts, explaining how generative AI functions through large language models to generate statistically probable outputs.Discover actionable advice for effectively leveraging generative AI, whether you're new to AI or already experienced. From accessing and understanding AI tools to using them for tasks like analysis, summarization, and content creation, uncover essential strategies...2024-05-1544 minLife HabitsLH129 — Evaluating Risk: Can you Plan for Everything?In this episode, Karel and Paige explore the question posed by a listener: 'When it comes to evaluating risk, can you plan for everything?' They delve into the art of evaluating risk in both personal and professional life, providing practical recommendations and strategies for identifying, tracking, and prioritizing risks to make informed decisions and adapt to changing circumstances. Discover the importance of understanding your comfort zone, planning proactive risk management strategies, and embracing continuous learning and adaptability to enhance decision-making and foster effective risk management.Recommendations:Identify Risks: Consider potential challenges that could arise...2024-05-0922 minLife HabitsLH128 — Cracking the Cortisol Code: From Stress Response to Stress Management with Dr. Greg HammerIn this episode, Karel and Paige chat with Dr. Greg Hammer as he delves into the intricate relationship between cortisol levels and stress management. Highlighting cortisol's role as a hormone produced in response to stress by the adrenal glands. Dr. Hammer emphasizes the distinction between acute stress versus chronic stress. Acute stress can prompt a temporary rise in cortisol and be adaptive whereas chronic stress can lead to sustained elevated cortisol levels and have detrimental health effects.Dr. Hammer introduces the GAIN practice (gratitude, acceptance, intention, and non-judgment) as a multifaceted approach to mitigate stress and regulate...2024-05-0147 minLife HabitsLH127 Disconnect to Reconnect: A Guide to Digital DetoxIn this illuminating episode, Karel and Paige delve into the transformative practice of digital detoxing. Together, they explore the concept and offer practical recommendations for integrating it into daily and weekly routines.Through insightful quotes and eye-opening statistics on smartphone and social media usage, Karel and Paige share anecdotes about their own detox experiences. They define what a digital detox truly entails and emphasize its profound benefits for mental well-being, social connection, and overall life satisfaction.Drawing from their own experiences and research, Karel and Paige provide eight actionable recommendations for implementing a successful digital...2024-04-2427 minLife HabitsLH126 — Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Robin Hills Part 2In this engaging episode, Karel and Paige continue their discussion with Dr. Robin Hills, focusing on the application of emotional intelligence in personal contexts. Dr. Hills emphasizes the importance of empathy, active listening, and perspective-taking in fostering meaningful connections. Providing practical insights, he offers guidance on integrating emotional intelligence into daily life, advocating for mindfulness as a cornerstone practice. Dr. Hills also advocates for prioritizing work-life integration over balance, highlighting its positive impact on overall well-being. Through insightful discussions, this episode showcases how enhancing emotional intelligence can enhance relationships, communication, and overall wellness.Quotes from this episode:2024-04-1732 minLife HabitsLH125 — Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Robin Hills Part 1In this episode, Karel and Paige delve into the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace with psychologist Dr. Robin Hills. He defines emotional intelligence as the ability to effectively manage emotions to make informed decisions and cultivate meaningful relationships. Dr. Hills highlights the distinction between IQ and EQ, emphasizing that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be honed over time. Additionally, he underscores the critical role emotional intelligence plays in shaping workplace culture, boosting productivity, and fostering positive relationships among colleagues. Dr. Hills shares practical tips for applying emotional intelligence in challenging situations and discusses its future...2024-04-1049 minLife HabitsLH124 — Morning Routines to Power Your DayIn this episode, Karel and Paige delve into the vital role morning routines play in shaping our days and overall success. They highlight the importance of taking control of your mornings and share practical recommendations for crafting an effective routine. Additionally, they explore the significance of circadian rhythms in maintaining a consistent wake-up time.Recommendations for Effective and Productive Mornings:Get Enough Sleep and Wake Up Early: Understanding the role of circadian rhythms as your body's natural alarm clock is crucial. Waking up early allows time for personal rituals and sets a positive tone for...2024-04-0323 minLife HabitsLH123 — Personal Freedom with Dr. Dravon JamesIn this enlightening episode, Karel and Paige chat with Dr. Dravon James, author of 'Freedom Is Your Birthright'. Dr. Dravon delves into the transformative power of freedom, gratitude, and introspection. Drawing from her book and personal experiences, she shares invaluable insights on navigating challenges and embracing opportunities for growth.With a focus on self-love and personal responsibility, Dr. Dravon emphasizes the importance of cultivating a mindset of abundance and harnessing the power of positive self-talk through practical advice and heartfelt anecdotes.Dr. Dravon also discusses topics such as dealing with conflict and turning stumbling blocks...2024-03-2740 minLife HabitsLH122 — Hybrid Work: Doing it RightKarel and Paige delve into the intricacies of hybrid work, sharing insights and best practices to set you up for success in this evolving work landscape. They explore the transition from mandated remote work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to the current embrace of hybrid work schedules by many companies. Drawing from their personal experiences and inspirational quotes, they emphasize the importance of intentionality and flexibility in navigating hybrid work successfully. Karel and Paige discuss optimizing the work-from-home experience, maintaining work-life balance, and enhancing video conferencing practices. They stress the significance of being intentional when designing hybrid...2024-03-2029 minLife HabitsBe Kind, Age Well Part 2Karel and Paige welcome back MJ Shaar for the second half of our conversation about aging well. We conclude this two part episode with MJ Shaar discussing the key role that kindness plays in helping us age well. She explains how simple acts of kindness can boost mood, improve relationships, and contribute to overall health and well-being. MJ provides practical ways to incorporate kindness into daily life and emphasizes the importance of making kindness a choice rather than a goal. She also highlights the impact kindness has on self-perception and the development of better habits. MJ encourages us all...2024-03-1344 minLife HabitsBe Kind, Age Well Part 1Karel and Paige welcome back the esteemed MJ Shaar, a returning guest, to delve into the fascinating realm of healthy aging. With extensive research under her belt, MJ unveils the intricate web of factors contributing to this concept. From genetics to lifestyle choices, she navigates through the realms of nutrition, exercise, sleep, love, relationships, self-perception, and finding purpose in life.While the World Health Organization defines healthy aging in terms of functional ability and well-being in older age, MJ posits that it transcends mere absence of disease, encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being. She underscores the pivotal...2024-03-0659 minLife HabitsLH119 — Lifelong LearningKarel and Paige devote this episode to discussing the importance of lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is defined as on-going, voluntary, self-motivated learning in the pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. In last week’s episode LH118 — Landing the Job, one of the recommendations was to further improve your skills. This episode expands on that recommendation and explores lifelong learning that is outside of career advancement and opportunities. Karel and Paige provide 11 recommendations for pursuing lifelong learning and highlight its benefits such as personal growth, staying relevant in a changing world, and making a positive impact.R...2024-02-2836 minLife HabitsLH118 — Landing the JobMany people are out of work right now, especially in the tech sector. Paige and Karel devote this episode to providing strategies on the entire journey of finding and then Landing the Job. This episode is an expansion of LH55 — Getting the Job where Karel mostly talked about the job interview. You can listen to that episode here. Recommendations:1. Read the job post and job requirements carefully.2. Make sure you satisfy the basic requirements of the job.3. Make sure your application clearly demonstrates your suitability.4. Create multiple resumes, each fo...2024-02-2139 minLife HabitsLH117 — Passion Struck: John R. MilesIn this episode Karel and Paige chat with John R. Miles about his brand new book ‘Passion Struck’. The book outlines his 12 step framework to live a life that truly matters in three sections: Mindset Shifts, Behavior Shifts, and The Psychology of Progress. The steps involved in Mindset Shifts are summarized with some of these wonderfully memorable names: the Mission Angler, Mosquito Auditor, Fear Confronter, and Action Creator. The second section of the book goes through Behavior Shifts including: the Anxiety Optimizer, Originality Embracer, Boundary Magnifier, and Conscious Engager. The third and final section of the book details The Psyc...2024-02-1442 minLife HabitsLH116 — Resilience with Mandy KloppersIn this episode Karel and Paige welcome back, by popular demand, Mandy Kloppers. Mandy has been on the podcast 7 times sharing her insight as a psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist. In previous episodes Mandy talked with Karel about self-confidence, relationships and mindfulness to name a few of the topics (Please see the bottom of the show notes to listen to past episodes with Mandy). In those episodes Mandy spoke with Karel through the lens of a psychologist and therapist. But in this week's episode Mandy shares with us how she applies the same techniques she teaches her clients in...2024-02-0739 minLife HabitsLH115 — Life Habits 2.0Karel is thrilled to welcome Paige Heron to the Life Habits podcast as the executive producer and co-host. We discuss the need for the change, how the idea for Version 2.0 came about, and the rationale for the changes we’re making. We also detail what those changes are. Changes include our brand new website www.lifehabitspodcast.com where you can find all of the Life Habits Podcast episodes and show notes, our updated purpose and tagline, a place to sign up for our newsletter, a brief introduction to the two of us, how to get in touch wi...2024-01-3105 minLife HabitsLH114 — Coping with AdversityMy guest for this episode is Paige Heron. I’ve tried to get her on this podcast for a long time to discuss a number of different topics but we landed on a topic that has been and continues to be central to her life, chronic illness, and it’s something that many people don’t understand, especially what is essentially an invisible illness. I too knew very little about the experience of dealing with a chronic illness initially but accompanying Paige to various medical appointments, reading about her conditions, and most importantly listening to her provided me a deeper...2024-01-2434 minLife HabitsLH113 — Career Transitions: Part 3Karel continues on with his leveling up series focussing on career transitions. He is again joined by Renee Albert and Herman Colquhoun. In Part 1 of the interview in the LH111, Renee and Herman describe their early lives and their educational journeys together with the pivots each took and the insights they gleaned from the experience. This Part 2 gets into their actual career trajectories and also their involvement in the IBM Racial Equity in Design movement. In this Part 3 we get into what sorts of things talented and successful professionals like Renee and Herman do in addition to their days...2024-01-2133 minLife HabitsLH112 — Career Transitions: Part 2Karel continues on with his leveling up series focussing on career transitions. He is again joined by Renee Albert and Herman Colquhoun. In Part 1 of the interview in the LH111, Renee and Herman describe their early lives and their educational journeys together with the pivots each took and the insights they gleaned from the experience. This Part 2 gets into their actual career trajectories and also their involvement in the IBM Racial Equity in Design movement. We’re planning a Part 3 which will get into what sorts of things talented and successful professionals like Renee and Herman do in addition to...2024-01-2136 minLife HabitsLH111 — Career Transitions: Part 1Karel continues on with his leveling up series and this time focusses on career transitions. He is joined by Renee Albert and Herman Colquhoun discussing their fascinating and successful careers. We had so much to talk about so this episode, Part 1, focusses on the education journey. Part 2 will dig into the working journey and additional topics too. 2024-01-2128 minLife HabitsLH110 — Leveling Up: The Connections CureKarel is again joined by popular guest Marie-Josėe Shaar (MJ) for this the second instalment in the Leveling Up series with this episode focusing on The Connections Cure. 2024-01-2127 minLife HabitsLH109 — Leveling UpKarel’s back with more episodes! In fact, he has a whole new series called Leveling Up. The series takes the topics you’ve learned to date to a whole new level and a set of new topics too.2024-01-2106 minLife HabitsLH108 — Checking-in to Stay the CourseThis is the third episode in the “Checking-in” series focused on coping during the pandemic. Karel devotes this episode on providing ideas to help you stay the course during this long-running pandemic.2024-01-2121 minLife HabitsLH107 — Checking-in on Mental HealthKarel is joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers to discuss mental health during this difficult period of a pandemic and social unrest and to discuss a variety of approaches to coping given different situations and circumstances.2024-01-2136 minLife HabitsLH106 — Check-in - Working from HomeWith the overall series tagline for all these years being “staying sane in a crazy world”, Karel was inspired to start record episodes again with a collection of Check-in episodes to help listeners deal with and cope during the Coronavirus pandemic. This, the first in the collection, provides advice on working from home. 2024-01-2119 minLife HabitsLH105 — Exploring the WorldKarel continues his occasional series of episodes on major life changes, this time focusing on exploring the world. His guest is Kate Paddison who is currently in Melbourne, Australia. She describes her decision to buy a one-way ticket and explore the world.2024-01-2121 minLife HabitsLH104 — Innovation by DesignKarel devotes this episode to the design methods and tools now available to everyone in order to innovate on products, services, and really anything anyone wants to improve. He summarizes his seven habits of highly effective design thinkers.2024-01-2120 minLife HabitsLH103 — Career PivotsHere’s another in the occasional series of episodes on major life changes. This episode focusses on career pivots, that is major career changes, and discusses insights, lessons learned, and advice from someone who has recently gone through this. Karel is joined by Lendy Krantz who is currently Director of Operations and Strategy at WeWork in New York City.2024-01-2131 minLife HabitsLH102 — All You Need is LoveKarel is again joined by Marie-Josée Shaar as they both explore an extension to Marie-Josée's Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise theme by focusing on mood and the quality of relationships yielding love, caring, and connectedness. 2024-01-2142 minLife HabitsLH101 — Creating Your Own JobThis is the first of an occasional series of episodes on major life changes. This episode Karel deals with the topic of creating your own job and he's joined by Chui Chui Tan from Bristol, England who details her story of quitting her job of many years to start her own company. 2024-01-2139 minLife HabitsLH100 — Celebration & ReviewKarel celebrates the 100th episode of the podcast series by thanking his listeners and his guests and then reviewing briefly each of the episodes in the series.2024-01-211h 07Life HabitsLH99 — Diversity & InclusionKarel's back with a podcast episode dealing with the important topic of diversity and inclusion. In addition to reviewing previous episodes related to the topic and providing some inspirational quotes, Karel focuses on three habits: Recognizing and eliminating bias, understanding and empathizing, and championing and celebrating. He finishes up the episode talking about the episodes to come which will focus on insights from people who have gone through significant life changes. 2024-01-2128 minLife HabitsLH98 — Career WorkoutsKarel expands on his previous episodes dealing with career advice to make the case for approaching career health much like we know how to deal with physical health by doing workouts, journals, and checkups. 2024-01-2119 minLife HabitsLH96 — Mindful MeditationThe results of a listener poll led to a request for an episode on Mindful Meditation and Karel delivered on that request in this episode. Karel talks about the research evidence for the benefits and then provides guidance of practicing mindfulness and meditation. 2024-01-2121 minLife HabitsLH95 — Escaping AverageKarel is joined by Cynthia Tripathi to talk about her first book "Escaping Average". Karel and Cynthia discuss ways of upping your game in the areas of mental state, health, career, finance, and social life. 2024-01-2136 minLife HabitsLH94 — Fixing Unhelpful Thinking HabitsKarel is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers to discuss recognizing and then fixing common errors in thinking. 2024-01-2130 minLife HabitsLH93 — Social Intelligence for SuccessIn response to listener suggestions, Karel devotes this episode to three themes for developing and applying social intelligence to entrepreneurial, intrepreneurial, and self-improvement initiatives.2024-01-2127 minLife HabitsLH92 — Optimizing HappinessAfter conducting a poll with listeners via social media as to what topic to focus on next, Karel determined that Optimizing Happiness was far and away the most asked for. Karel builds on the foundation that was built in LH84 - Being Happier to provide additional advice in this episode to further hone particular habits to achieve even greater levels of happiness in life. 2024-01-2119 minLife HabitsLH91 — Optimizing TravelKarel hasn't recorded episodes lately because he's been traveling a lot so he thought he'd dedicate his first new episode to the topic of providing advice to optimize travel. 2024-01-2133 minLife HabitsLH90 — Gender EqualityInspired by Emma Watson's UN speech, Karel devotes this episode to providing advice for woman and men to promote gender equality. 2024-01-2125 minLife HabitsLH89 — Developing EmpathyKarel devotes this episode to the critically important habit of developing empathy.2024-01-2123 minLife HabitsLH88 — Life as a SportKarel is back after a hiatus and devotes this episode to understanding what insights and lessons sports can provide in improving our life skills. 2024-01-2125 minLife HabitsLH87 — Thinking Errors that Hurt Your HealthKarel is joined again by Marie-Josée Shaar this time to address the errors in thinking that can hurt your health and what you can do to prevent them from doing so. 2024-01-2128 minLife HabitsLH86 — Profit from the PositiveWant to apply the power of Positive Psychology to business and to your working life? Karel is joined by Margaret Greenberg for this episode discussing the book she wrote with Senia Maymin, "Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business". 2024-01-2130 minLife HabitsLH85 — Affirmations & MindfulnessKarel addresses listener questions and introduces affirmations and mindfulness together with guest UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers. 2024-01-2128 minLife HabitsLH84 — Being HappierKarel devotes this episode to the topic of being happier and summarizes a list of ten items from Positive Psychology that you can start to do right away to be happier. He also recommends a new social network focused on increasing happiness in the world, called Happier.com.2024-01-2123 minLife HabitsLH83 — Communication ChallengesKarel devotes this episode to listener questions on the topic of communication challenges. 2024-01-2125 minLife HabitsLH82 — Dealing with ChangeKarel is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers as they address a listener question asking for advice on dealing with change.2024-01-2127 minLife HabitsLH81 — Becoming More ProductiveKarel devotes this episode to a listener suggestion to address becoming more productive using technology. Karel discusses four major themes 1) doing things more efficiently, doing more things at once sensibly, doing fewer things at once sensibly, and doing nothing.2024-01-2123 minLife HabitsLH80 — Cultures of WellnessKarel is again joined by Marie-Josée Shaar this time to discuss four approaches to creating cultures of wellness. Make sure to visit Marie-Josée's website smartsandstamina.com which also includes a link to her book. For further information on this topic, make sure to visit positivepychologynews.com.2024-01-2129 minLife HabitsLH79 — Impression ManagementIn response to a listener suggestion, Karel devotes this episode to various ways of improving your personal impression management using the techniques and approaches from product marketing.2024-01-2128 minLife HabitsLH78 — Staying True to YourselfKarel devotes this episode to listener requests along the theme of staying true to yourself. He addresses awareness, consistency, and strength.2024-01-2116 minLife HabitsLH77 — Workplace ChallengesKarel addresses five questions listeners submitted on the topic of workplaces challenges. The questions deal with communicating across age and experience level differences, knowing who to trust, workplace bullying, managing anger outbursts, and working effectively with a world-wide team.2024-01-2131 minLife HabitsLH76 — Mom's Life LessonsThis episode is a tribute to Karel's mother who passed away recently and reflects on seven of the life lessons she taught, lived, and modeled, and will serve as her gift and legacy.2024-01-2123 minLife HabitsLH75 — BullyingWould you like to be more aware of bullying of various types and what can be done about it? This was a topic that rose to the top of our Facebook poll of listeners. Karel has university student, George Janeteas, as his guest on bullying in general and cyber-bullying in particular. You can find more about George at his website at georgejaneteas.ca. George also provided the following additional resources: the Trevor Project, Youth Line, Kids Help Phone, and Prevnet.2024-01-2143 minLife HabitsLH74 — Covey's 7 HabitsThis episode is a tribute to the late Stephen Covey, the author of the seminal book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". Karel discusses the influence Covey has had on listeners, himself, and the world. He then provides a few quotes and briefly summarizes Covey's seven habits.2024-01-2132 minLife HabitsLH73 — Questions about RelationshipsKarel dedicates this episode to a set of questions submitted by listeners on the theme of relationships and is again joined by UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers. The questions address how to deal with infidelity, getting over a failed relationship, and dealing with parents as they are progressing through a divorce. Mandy has also written further on these topics on her blog, specifically "infidelity" and "end of a relationship".2024-01-2132 minLife HabitsLH72 — Growth MindsetAfter having heard Carol Dweck being interviewed on the Harvard Business Review podcast and checking with the Life Habits listeners on the Facebook page, Karel decided to read Carol's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" and to dedicate this episode to its major insights and recommendations. Learn how to transition your thinking from a fixed mindset to one leading to growth in all aspects of your life.2024-01-2120 minLife HabitsLH71 — Doing the Right ThingAt the suggestion of a listener, Karel devotes this episode to the topic of "Doing the Right Thing" and provides some practical advice on what to consider in weighing options when needing to make an ethical/moral decision.2024-01-2119 minLife HabitsLH70 — Managing MoneyWould you like a broader perspective on managing your money? At the suggestion of a listener, Karel provides both a conceptual perspective and some practical advice on managing money in this episode.2024-01-2122 minLife HabitsLH69 — Stop WorryingIn response to a listener question, Karel provides advice on the process to use to stop worrying, including the identification of your degree of control and taking action on the basis of this.2024-01-2118 minLife HabitsLH86 — Type I PersonallyKarel summarizes key insights from Daniel H. Pink's book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us", on the recommendation of a podcast listener. He summarizes the alternatives to "carrot and stick" approaches which include a focus on Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Find out more about Dan Pink and how to get a copy of his book.2024-01-2118 minLife HabitsLH67 — Types of HelpKarel is again joined by guest UK Psychologist Mandy Kloppers to address a listener request about professional help. Mandy outlines when you seek help, what types of help are available, and what to expect so that you can get the most out of any professional help you seek. More information and advice on a number of topics from Mandy can be found on her YouTube channel and on her website.2024-01-2134 minLife HabitsLH66 — 5 Lazy Ways to Get in ShapeKarel is joined again by guest Marie-Josée Shaar who describes five simple, lazy, ways to get in shape based on the content in her great new book Smarts and Stamina: The Busy Person's Guide to Optimal Health and Performance, which she authored with occasional guest on the podcast, Kathryn Britton.2024-01-2125 minLife HabitsLH65 — Life LessonsKarel reflects on the life of Steve Jobs and discusses his life lessons as conveyed through Walter Isaacson's authorized biography "Steve Jobs" and Steve's 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. You may also want to check out Karel's blog post on Steve Jobs's contributions to design.2024-01-2119 minLife HabitsLH64 — Visualizing ProgressAre you still getting stuck and lacking sufficient motivation? Karel devotes this episode to using visualization of the goal and progress toward the goal as additional means of increasing your motivation and being successful. These techniques are applicable to virtually all the areas of focus and topics covered in this podcast series.2024-01-2116 minLife HabitsLH63 — Taking Time for YourselfMany people either don't take time off or do so only with others. Karel devotes this episode to advice for taking time for yourself via five Rs.2024-01-2114 minLife HabitsLH62 — Making a DifferenceWant to make a difference in life, at home, at work, or throughout all society? Karel devotes this episode to an approach to plan and make progress on this topic.2024-01-2121 minLife HabitsLH61 — Mastering GratitudeWant to improve your overall sense of well-being? Master gratitude. Karel is joined on this episode by guest Kathryn Britton who is the author of "Gratitude: How to Appreciate Life's Gifts". You can reach Kathryn by sending her email at kathryn@theano-coaching.com.2024-01-2141 minLife HabitsLH60 — Complaining EffectivelyClinical Psychologist Dr. Guy Winch joins Karel on this episode to provide a set of quotes and top 10 tips for learning to complain effectively. Guy is the author of a great book on the topic called "The Squeaky Wheel: Complaining the right way to get results, improve your relationships, and enhance self-esteem". Learn more about Guy at his website, Facebook page, or on Twitter.2024-01-2131 minLife HabitsLH33 — Electronic CommunicationWant to improve your electronic communication? Karel devotes this longer than usual episode on the topic of electronic communication which includes everything from Facebook and Twitter to texting, instant messaging, e-mail, conference calling, and video conferencing. Karel provides advice on increasing your effective use of these mechanisms as well as how to limit them as well.2024-01-2153 minLife HabitsLH25 — Blogs and PodcastsWant to make sense of blogs, mini-blogs, and podcasts? Karel devotes this episode to describing the current trends in blog and podcast technologies (Google Alerts, Twitter, iTunes) and providing specific advice on how to find the content that is of interest to you using these technologies. The top 10 list for this episode provides Karel's specific recommendations of blogs and podcasts. Feel free to provide any recommendations you may have for blogs and podcasts via comments on this site or in an e-mail to lifehabits@gmail.com.2024-01-2132 minLife HabitsLH24 — Managing StressFeeling stressed? Karel devotes this episode to a set of ideas and skills to develop into routine habits to help you manage stress on a day-to-day basis. After summarizing the ever popular insightful famous quotes on the topic, Karel starts by helping you understand your circle of influence then describes a series of practical techniques and encourages listeners to try them and assess progress in using them. He also briefly outlines but doesn't provide the detailed instructions for practicing a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Here is some further information on this technique.2024-01-2129 minLife HabitsLH20 — Fostering CreativityEveryone wants to be more creative but few know how to go about it. After reviewing some insightful and thought-provoking famous quotes on the topic, Karel details 10 ideas for fostering creativity. The approaches are applicable to work situations involving products, services, and processes but equally to your personal and home life. At the end of the episode, Karel also asks for input on a suggestion for improving the podcast series by providing short 5-8 minute daily refresher podcast episodes.2024-01-2131 minLife HabitsLH14 — Sex DifferencesThe sexes are different. Karel reviews some surprising recent research findings regarding gender differences, provides some personal context for the topic, and then summarizes 10 ideas for developing some good skills in this area which can be honed into life habits. Karel deals with topics having to do with equality, ideas for cross-gender learning yielding optimized androgyny, and advice regarding the celebration of one's gender including its strengths and advantages. Karel recommends the book "Why Gender Matters" by Leonard Sax which can also be found at audible.com.2024-01-2133 minLife HabitsLH13 — Taming TechnologyTechnology pervades all aspects of our lives. This episode provides you with advice to make technology work for you rather than you being a slave to it. Karel gives advice on how to control the inputs, which are often technology interruptions, and the outputs, which are your ways of taking action. He also provides his usual list of 10 items to consider in this case to optimize the aspects of your life that have to do with technology. During the podcast, Karel mentions several products or tools. Here are the links to those that were mentioned, audible.com, post-it notes, Faceb...2024-01-2138 minLife HabitsLH4 — The Power of the MindThe mind is amazingly powerful. We can either control it or be controlled by it. This episode is all about being aware of what your mind is capable of doing when you don't control it and, once you're aware of it, to take control. Karel quotes Marcus Aurelius, who said, "You have the power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength". Karel gives a few examples of the power of the mind and the ways in which it can take control without our knowledge.2024-01-2126 minLife HabitsLH3 — Staying PositiveOne of the most important habits to learn is to stay positive no matter what the stimulus and now matter what the context. Karel starts off this episode by quoting Helen Keller who said, "when one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us". The episode includes a story about a university coach who was overly negative but whose behavior changed dramatically when confronted to an unwavering positive reaction. We have the power to decide how to react...2024-01-2120 minLife HabitsLH2 — Time ManagementKarel Vredenburg focuses on time management in this episode. You might be thinking, "I don't have time for that!" but after listening and taking the advice given you will have a lot more time to devote to the important items in your life. Karel starts off by quoting Thomas Edison who said, "Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose." to reinforce the importance of valuing time and thus managing it effectively.Karel discusses taking control of your time, yearly and weekly time scales, prioritizing...2024-01-2131 minLife HabitsLH1 — Overview & Setting PrioritiesKarel Vredenburg welcomes listeners to this new podcast series and provides an overview of the content, format, and frequency. He also introduces the first topic - starting with the end in mind and finishes up by inviting listeners to provide feedback via the website or gmail.2024-01-2114 min