52 Weeks Podcast

Every time my brother walked into my office and saw ChatGPT on my screen, he'd ask, "You still haven't switched to Claude?" and I'd just look bashful and say no. It felt like such a huge learning curve, and if I'm being real, I'm resistant to change. I went from Jasper to ChatGPT years ago only because friends pushed me. Well, I finally made the switch, and now I can't shut up about Claude. In this unedited episode (no music, just me yapping), I share the AI assistants I spent all weekend building. My "Butler" is my Alfred. It keeps me on task, sends me a 9 p.m. recap of what I didn't get done with email drafts ready to go, and time-blocks my week so I have time for what matters. My "Health Coach" takes recipes I already love and builds my weekly meal plan and grocery cart. I'm blown away by how much decision fatigue it's taken off my plate, from planning my vacation to mapping out a realistic two-year plan for my goals. If you've been putting off the switch like I did, this one's for you. Want me to make an episode walking through exactly how I set this up? Email me at [email protected]!

What if the reason you keep falling short of a goal isn’t the goal itself, but what happens when your motivation disappears? In this episode, we’re diving into WOOP, a research-based approach to goal setting that asks you to think beyond the finish line. Instead of only planning for the motivated, successful version of yourself, what if you also planned for the version who’s tired, discouraged, overwhelmed, or ready to give up? Because reaching your goals might have less to do with staying motivated and more to do with knowing exactly what you’ll do when things don’t go according to plan.

What if the reason you can’t stay consistent isn’t that you need more discipline but that you keep swinging from one extreme to the other? Jennifer Grove, known as the “Nervous System Whisperer,” joins me to talk about what our nervous system has to do with our habits, routines, emotions, and those all-or-nothing cycles. We get into why old habits are so easy to fall back into, how doom scrolling affects the way we show up, why tiny lifestyle changes can be more powerful than another big challenge, and how paying attention to what your body is telling you can help you find a more sustainable middle ground.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Give your feet a little attention. Stand with your feet on the ground, press through your heels and the pads of your feet, lift all 10 toes and hold for 10 seconds. Slowly lower them, then lift your heels and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat three times to help release some of the tension you're carrying in your feet.

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER GROVE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgrovewellness/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jgrovewellness
Website: https://www.jgrovewellness.com/

What would happen if you added one new habit every week for an entire year? Brooklyn Deal is finding out. After realizing she kept telling herself she was going to make changes but wasn’t following through, Brooklyn started a 52-week experiment to add one new habit every week—and document the entire journey along the way. In this episode, we talk about making habits easy enough to actually stick, building a morning routine you look forward to, letting go of the all-or-nothing mindset, and how showing up for yourself in small ways can help you rediscover who you are.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Live more intentionally this week. Look at your normal routines and ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Is it serving me? What’s one small thing I could change?

FOLLOW BROOKLYN'S JOURNEY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/habitually.trying/

What if becoming extraordinary has less to do with doing extraordinary things—and more to do with how you treat people in ordinary moments? After watching Jury Duty, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ronald Gladden, the one person on the show who didn’t know everyone around him was an actor. While producers kept putting him in increasingly bizarre situations, Ronald continued to respond with patience, kindness, and curiosity. In this episode, I’m talking about why his “hero’s journey” hit me so hard, what our favorite quirky characters from The Office and Gilmore Girls can teach us about making room for people who are different from us, and one question I’ve been thinking about ever since: How do people feel after they spend time with me?

Weekly ChallengeFind one person you might normally overlook this week—the coworker everyone rolls their eyes at, the neighbor who talks a little too long, or the new person sitting alone—and make room for them. Ask their name. Ask a question. Sit by them. Listen to their story. You don't need to fix them or make them more like you. Just be someone's Ronald.

Have you ever noticed that August feels a little like a Sunday? Technically, summer isn’t over. The days are still long, the pools are still open, and there’s plenty of time left to squeeze in one more adventure—but somewhere in the back of your mind, you can already feel fall coming. In this episode, I’m digging into the psychology behind that feeling and the “fresh start effect,” research showing that certain moments—Mondays, birthdays, a new month, or the beginning of a new season—can create a mental dividing line between our past and future selves. Maybe that end-of-summer feeling isn’t just sadness that summer is ending. Maybe it’s also our brain telling us a new chapter is about to begin.

Weekly Challenge

Give yourself an end-of-summer reset by answering two questions:

What’s one thing I want to leave behind this summer?
What’s one thing I want to start this fall?

What if you’re taking breaks…but you’re still not actually resting? Somewhere along the way, being busy became a sign of success, exhaustion became admirable, and rest became something we felt like we had to earn. In this episode, I dig into the research behind what actually helps our brains and bodies recover—and why sleeping in, watching TV, or taking a day off doesn’t necessarily count. We’ll explore four experiences researchers connect to recovery—psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control—plus the “recovery paradox” that explains why the people who need rest the most can have the hardest time taking it. And maybe the better question isn’t “Am I resting enough?” but “Does the way I rest actually give me energy back?”

Weekly Challenge

For the next seven days, experiment with a different kind of rest each day. Take a phone-free walk, read instead of scrolling, watch the sunset, make something with your hands, take a guilt-free nap, or spend ten minutes in silence. Pay attention to one thing: Do you feel more energized afterward? The goal is to discover what actually feels like recovery for you

Why is it that you can remember something embarrassing from years ago but struggle to remember something you accomplished last month?

In this solo episode of 52 Weeks, Steph explores the fascinating psychology behind negativity bias—the brain's tendency to remember failures, criticism, and awkward moments more vividly than our successes. She also dives into hedonic adaptation, why we quickly get used to our accomplishments, and the goal gradient effect, which pushes us to chase the next goal before celebrating the last one.

If you've ever felt like you're not making enough progress, this episode will help you understand why your brain works that way and remind you to pause, celebrate how far you've come, and appreciate the person you're becoming.

What if the secret to real change isn’t doing more exciting things, but doing the boring things consistently? In this episode, we explore why the habits that feel ordinary in the moment can be the very ones that build an extraordinary life over time.

What would your 80-year-old self thank you for today? And what would they beg you to stop doing? In this episode, Steph explores a simple mindset shift that can change the way you make decisions today. Drawing from her experience working in an assisted living community and the research behind future self-continuity, she shares why so many of us make choices that feel good now but create challenges later.

Steph discusses how connecting with your future self can help you make healthier decisions, worry less about the little things, and focus on building a life you'll be proud to look back on. Through stories, psychology, and practical exercises, this episode is an invitation to start making choices your future self will thank you for. Because every decision you make today is shaping the person you'll become tomorrow.