Design Yourself

Taking time out brings about mixed emotions for a lot of us. We know we'd like to, but how to balance what needs doing with the desire for taking a break. We've talked in the past on this podcast about the importance of taking breaks and how they can be fun. But what about when we don't choose the pause? What about when it feels like it is out of our control? That's just what we dig into this week. Inspired by an extended power outage on the home front, Sharon discusses key distinctions about the kinds of pauses we take, recent lessons she has learned and some questions to prompt reflection about your own relationship to the concept of pause. From the disruptive nature of stopping to how we react differently to short, medium and long-term breaks, prepare to see with new eyes the power of pause.

This week's episode shines a light on the important role that our stories play in our lives and works. Not just as a reminder of what has been, but as a signal for what's coming next. To step into what we really want, we have to own our stories. This podcast will help you along this path. Sharon begins the episode with some personal updates, which include east coast spring break adventures, the kick off of building her dream home and how she missed three Thursdays of hitting publish on the podcast. She shares how her own story about being a failure if she missed publishing the podcast weekly was wrestling with her story that there is a way to do the podcast in her own way, with ease. She then shares how the podcast schedule is evolving. The episode builds from Sharon's own stories to reflections and actionable tips for both how to see the stories you tell and how to create shifts in your stories.

"It's not just about changing your stories. It's about choosing them." - Sharon Lipovsky

• Name What You See
• Slow Down
• Be Still
• Drop In

• Allow Discomfort
• Be Kind
• Challenge Your Assumptions
• Get Help
• Go At Your Own Pace

• The Line Hotel (DC)
• Sister City Hotel (NYC)
• This podcast shares a bit of Sharon's move to upstate NY from DC

Raindrops on roses / And whiskers on kittens / Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens / Brown paper packages tied up with strings / These are a few of my favorite things...or so the song goes. This week Sharon is inspired by the feeling of Spring in the air and wants to share a personal update about how things are going at this very transitional and transformational moment in her life. She shares a behind the scenes look at what's happening with her home and her work and how her intention setting process is evolving this year and this season. This is a great episode for anyone who's been wondering what exactly Sharon's been up to in her cottage in the woods. It's also excellent for those of you looking for some reflection and inspiration as you contemplate or move through a transition of your own.

• Sharon's monthly intention setting from 2018 has been shifting to be more seasonal.
• Simplicity continues to be the focus in 2019. In the transition from the winter focus on clearing to something new that's opening up.
• Sharon is getting ready to break ground on her new home! She shares what the process is like.
• She also talked about the difference between her personal vision and her professional vision - and how the two have been interacting together over the last 7 years.

• What matters most?
• How can I bring ease into my actions?
• Is there a simpler way?
• How do I embrace less?

• Design Yourself episode 105 on Lessons Learned in the Home Building Process
• The amazing design partner she has had on her Catskills home is the wonderful Sanabria and Co
• Here are the podcasts on each monthly theme in 2018:
• January – Rituals
• February – Focus
• March – Center
• April – Magic
• May – Vision
• June – Truth
• July – Trust
• August – Move
• September – Listen
• October – Care
• November – Savor
• December – Slow

Meet Bill Goulding in this week's episode. He's finishing up his PhD at MIT's Sloan School of Management. His research interests include Empirical Asset Pricing, Financial Intermediation, and Market Microstructure. If that sounds confusing to you, don't worry, we break down his deep financial expertise into human terms and also discuss his own unexpected path to his nearly finished PhD. We talk about the stresses and benefits of professional development through higher education and Bill's own journey. Bill is insightful, open and funny and makes complex topics accessible. This is a great episode for anyone curious about finance, economics and the impact of both on your average human being. It's also lovely for anyone whose ever gone through or thought about pursuing a PhD.

When we our energized, it's apparent in the way we lead, act, and feel. This week's episode offers up ideas for how play with and grow your energy - and makes the case for why prioritizing how you feel is critical our role as leaders. We discuss how your energy is impacted by your priorities and values, your emotions, and the health (or lack thereof) of your body. We talk about how to quiet your mind when busyness and stress surges. And we close with a discussion of how critical it is to write your own rules for how you structure your time. This is a great episode for anyone teetering on the edge of burnout (or managing/supporting someone else in this position). It's also great for anyone looking to summon the courage (and energy!) to make a change.

In taking care of your energy, you are taking care of not just yourself, but all the people around you too. Take good care!

What money mindsets or limiting beliefs are getting in the way of what you really want? That's what we are cracking open in this week's episode. Sharon shares how to pull apart our money mindsets and simple ways we can all make small shifts about our approach to money today. Explore together the difference between "bad scary" when it comes to money (e.g. spending beyond your means) and "good scary" (e.g. changing your spending habits to align with your values). Investigate 6 money mindsets that could be getting in your way and then learn a practical process to help you move past these roadblocks.

• Bad scary are triggers for true concern; the modern day saber tooth tigers showing up on your living room.
• Good scary are ways that you are really aligning with what you want, but maybe feeling nervous about the change it prompts.

• "I'm not good with money."
• "People with money are bad."
• "Money will change me."
• "I'm not worth it."
• "I don't have enough experience yet."
• "Money isn't important."

1. Practice Radical Self Awareness
2. Determine if what you see is working or holding you back
3. Clear out the clutter
4. Amplify what's good

The idea of doing something on purpose carries with it a feeling of positive authority. I've chosen it. I've selected this option. It's mine. But how do you actually figure out what your purpose is? That answer is often elusive. In this week's episode, Sharon offers perspective and a framework to help you navigate your own path forward. On purpose. Learn how to figure out what matters most to you and a simple way to make thoughtful decisions to align with your values. This is a great episode for anyone trying to figure out how to move through the world with a feeling of, "yes, I chose this."

"Here's my perspective. Your reason for existing will likely shapeshift over time. That's okay."

1. Check In With Your Current Awareness
2. Notice What Others Want Your Purpose to Be
3. Observe How Your Actions Indicate What's Important (or not)
4. Let Go of Unnecessary
5. Move with Your Purpose

Radical self awareness is worth chasing. It is through expanding what we see that we expand our sense of what's possible. In today's episode, Sharon shares a simple and powerful practice to help you do just that: be the observer of your actions. Gain clarity on how to step back from being in the action to seeing yourself in the doing. Learn how to notice patterns and expand your perspective on you in action. And finally get some tools to help you interpret the data you are collecting. This is a great episode for anyone who has been feeling like they need to grow in their leadership capacity, but are unsure about how to make a change. It's also great for anyone who is curious about pushing their own boundaries on what's possible. Enjoy!

• Step above the fray
• Disrupt your habits
• Partner with an accountability partner
• Breathe and other simple pauses

• Pace
• Story
• Questions vs. Statements
• What kinds of questions
• Body Alignment
• Emotions

• What meaning do you make of what you see?
• What feels aligned?
• What feels misaligned?
• What will you choose based on this new perspective?

Happy Valentine's Day! And welcome to Design Yourself's new release day, Thursday! (If you are wondering why we moved from Mondays to Thursdays, go check out last week's episode where I dish on this shift.)

This week's episode talks about two seemingly distinct topics: love and leadership. How many times have you considered the role of love at work? For many of us the topic is taboo. In today's episode, Sharon talks about the importance of leading with love. She shares vignettes of how she has seen leaders and teams transform with this approach and offers four key actions on how you can lead with love. She closes things out with a short meditation to get you in the practice of growing and embodying love. Enjoy!

1. Radical Self Awareness - Start by noticing what emotion shows up when you lead. Are you calm or anxious? Delighted or frustrated? Angry or sad? Simply notice without judgement what emotion/s show up when you lead.
2. Set an Intention - Whether love is already present or not when you lead, set an intention to lead with love. Simply invite in the potential to bring love into the mix.
3. Embody Love - Love is not just something we say or do. Love can show up in the way we are. We can embody that feeling of love in how we stand, walk, and gesture. Practice physically holding love.
4. Grow Love - It's amazing how much we can grow or intensify the feeling of love, simply by paying attention to it.

• Learn more about Sharon Salzburg

We've talked on the podcast many times before about story - specifically that we are all writing our own stories every single day, usually unconsciously. The stories we tell impact how we lead at work and at home. Today we are going to zoom in on a particular story we tell that often massively influences our willingness to take risks, value our worth and grow our businesses or bank accounts - yes, my friends, we are talking about our Money Stories. In today's episode Sharon discusses the impact that our money stories have on us and offers a series of reflection questions to empower you to see the story you are currently telling, adapt what's not working and make sure your Money Story is working for you.