Life Admin Life Hacks

Mia and Dinah interview advocate, Carol Robertson, and discover how a buyer's advocate can help reduce the mental load of buying property, saving you time and stress.

Carol Robertson is a real estate veteran with more than 20 years of experience in property. She specialises in her clients' homes rather than property investment and provides valuable insights and guidance for her clients to make informed decisions about their next home and selling their current one. She is dedicated to reducing overwhelm for her clients in the real estate industry.

The Impact of the Current Economic Climate

• Market uncertainty affects both buyers and sellers, making it crucial to carefully consider the timing of buying or selling a property.
• Downsizers need to ensure that the sale of their current home will provide enough equity for their future plans.

Essential Steps for Buyers:

• Get your finances in order before starting the search for a property, including obtaining pre-approval from a lender.
• Research the market thoroughly, looking not only at current listings but also at recently sold properties to understand pricing trends.
• Consider your long-term goals and the specific features you want in a property to ensure it meets your needs.

Importance of Building and Pest Inspections

• Depending on the age and condition of the property, it may be necessary to conduct building and pest inspections to identify any major defects or issues.
• These inspections provide valuable information for buyers to make informed decisions and negotiate repairs or adjustments to the purchase price.

Strategies for Buyers in a Competitive Market

• Understand the local market and the tactics used by agents, such as underquoting, to set realistic expectations.
• Be patient and avoid rushing into a purchase, as this can lead to overpaying or making a decision that doesn't align with your long-term goals.
• Consider hiring a buyer's advocate to navigate the process, provide independent advice, and negotiate on your behalf.

The Role of Buyer and Seller Advocates

• Buyer and seller advocates are independent professionals who guide clients through the buying or selling process, providing valuable insights and reducing stress.
• Advocates conduct extensive research, shortlist properties or agents, and ensure that clients are well-informed and prepared.
• Advocates can also assist with coordinating other professionals, such as conveyancers and tradespeople, to streamline the process.

Buying or selling a property can be overwhelming, but with the right preparation, research, and support from buyer and seller advocates, it can be a more efficient and less stressful experience.

RESOURCES

• msproperty.com.au

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In this episode, Mia and Dinah follow Obu's journey from an affluent upbringing to navigating financial constraints, setting the stage for a discussion about helping women take control of their financial wellbeing.

Obu Ramaraj is a money management speaker, author of two books: Smart Women: Smart Home Loans - what your lenders won’t tell you and Smart Women Smart Habits - powerful practices to create your ideal financial future. She’s the CEO of Smart Money Solutions. Her mission is to help women take control of their financial lives, helping women transform their relationship with money to transform their relationship with life.

The key topics covered include:

What is financial wellness and how to improve financial literacy

• Obu highlights the common mistake of women relying solely on their partners for financial decisions, emphasizing the importance of financial independence and open communication in relationships.
• The absence of financial literacy in traditional education is highlighted, with Obu stressing the importance of understanding where one's money comes from and where it goes.

Uncovering Money Stories, Limiting Beliefs and Emotional Spending

• Recognizing one's money stories and limiting beliefs is paramount for making sound financial decisions. The conversation spotlights the psychological factors influencing financial choices.
• The issue of emotional spending is discussed, with a focus on identifying triggers and developing healthier habits to curb impulsive buying.

Aligning Values with Financial Priorities

• Creating sustainable financial plans involves aligning financial priorities with personal values and desires. Setting specific financial goals is a fundamental aspect of financial planning.

Money management

Obu emphasizes the importance of financial tracking and the availability of apps and tools for tracking spending is discussed, along with the value of using spreadsheets. The conversation encourages individuals to create separate financial buckets for savings, investments, and daily expenses to ensure proper allocation of funds.

Superannuation and Retirement Planning

• The discussion delves into the topic of superannuation, emphasizing the need to understand fund and investment options and the benefits of regular contributions

Insurance and Emergency Funds

• The conversation highlights that insurance isn't solely for major events and recommends having a financial safety net to cover unforeseen expenses.

Investment and Overcoming Risk Aversion

• The conversation addresses the common tendency of women to be risk-averse when it comes to investing. It encourages women to overcome this fear and explore long-term investment options.

LIFE ADMIN RESOURCES

• Obu Ramaraj's website
• Obu's Savvy Finance Tracker
• Episode 70 - Your Money Mindset 
• Episode 68 - Managing investments 
• Episode 30 - Sorting out life insurance 

In this episode, Mia and Dinah interview Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual and co-founder of The Nearness, about infusing meaning and ritual into daily routines to transform how we approach life admin tasks.

The inspiration for his book, The Power of Ritual, came from his secular upbringing and his curiosity about intentional living.

• Casper highlights the need for intentional community-building in a world with fewer traditional religious structures.
• The conversation delves into the scarcity of meaningful rituals in modern life, with weddings becoming one of the few grand moments.
• Casper shares an example of his personal ritual, the "State of the Heart Order of the House" meeting, as a way to bring intentionality into daily life.
• Rituals are defined as habits with added layers of meaning, serving to remind us of what's important and fostering gratitude.
• Casper suggests reframing daily habits, like brushing teeth, with intentional practices to turn them into rituals.
• He suggests starting with habits that already have some joy or meaning.
• The three key steps to create meaningful rituals are: intention, attention, and repetition.
• Intention: Begin by understanding why you perform a certain task. What is the deeper purpose or meaning behind it?
• Attention: Pay close attention to the task at hand. Engage your senses, and be fully present during the ritual.
• Repetition: Establish a consistent rhythm for your ritual. It doesn't have to be daily; it can be weekly or as suits your lifestyle.
• Casper shares personal examples, like using a moisturizer application as a daily ritual for reflection.
• He highlights the importance of creating a communal aspect to rituals, where people can share their experiences and challenges.
• Find ways to make tasks less lonely by involving others, such as co-working sessions for administrative tasks.
• Rituals connect us and make us feel part of something bigger, even in a virtual setting.
• Consider how rituals can bring people together, foster support, and add meaning to routine tasks.
• How a tech sabbath embraces traditional sabbath ideas in a modern way
• How to go 'ritual spotting'
• Connecting with nature and moments of transcendence to bring more spirituality into our lives during daily activities  LIFE ADMIN 

RESOURCES

• Casper ter Kuile's website 
• The Power of Ritual 
• The Nearness 

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Much loved the world over, Swedish-born Kristina Karlsson is the Founder of kikki.K,  Founder & Creative Director of Dream Life,  author of bestseller  Your Dream Life Starts Here and host of the Your Dream Life podcast. which has over 2.5 million downloads in more than 160 countries. 

In the episode, Kristina:

• discusses how her journey began when she moved from Sweden to Australia, searching for her life's purpose. Her partner's suggestion to write down her dreams led her to create her own business, Kikki.K, which offered beautifully designed stationery products.
• emphasizes the importance of setting clear goals and dreams. She advises people to start with a dreaming exercise to determine what they would do if they couldn't fail, if they had all the resources, and if their health and energy were at their peak. From there, she encourages breaking down those dreams into actionable steps.
• suggests creating an ideal week or time-blocking your schedule to allocate time for various activities, whether personal growth, work, or family. She also emphasizes starting small, dedicating just a bit of time each day or week to work on goals.
• advocates for having a dedicated home for everything. She believes that this simple practice can save a lot of time that might otherwise be wasted searching for items.
• discusses how she combines both paper and technology in her organizational approach. The key is to find a system that works for you/
• talks about the power of rituals to create a productive and fulfilling life. She suggests incorporating morning rituals, like spending even just 10 minutes on personal growth activities, to set a positive tone for the day. She also recommends having dedicated time slots during the week for working on dreams and goals.
• regularly reviewing and adjusting your routines and systems is essential to staying on track and improving productivity.
• her perspective on achieving work-life balance, emphasizing the importance of avoiding burnout and focusing on self-care.
• that daily self-care practices, such as meditation, writing morning pages, and going for walks, play a crucial role in maintaining balance. Kristina's morning routine involves meditation, writing, and taking a walk, which helps her find clarity and inspiration.
• that she doesn't view work-life balance as a strict separation but rather focuses on integrating her passions into her daily life.
• her interest in health and longevity, mentioning that she's studying to become a health coach and is passionate about inspiring others to pursue their dreams and live healthy lives.
• the significance of creating space for oneself, mentioning that she dedicates Sundays to unplanned activities and relaxation, which allows her to recharge and cope with life's challenges more effectively.

RESOURCES

The Dream Life Store

Follow Kristina on Instagram

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In this episode, we explore the AI tools Chat GPT and Google’s Bard to expedite your life admin and drop your mental load.

We talked about:

• the key differences between the tools
  • Chat GPT has been trained on data up until 2021and is better at responding to analysis queries
  • Bard is continually drawing information from the internet so it has the latest information and research
  • Bard generates multiple drafts of its response and ChatGPT lets you see alternatives if you thumbs down the response.
  • Bard can also read out its responses and you can click buttons to generate shorter, longer, simpler, more casual and more professional versions. You can also click through to Google search results for your query, which is a good way to fact check whatever Bard told you. You can use the mic to give it an audio prompt.
  • For both, you can click to copy the answer and paste it elsewhere, and you can share responses with others. They both store your previous chats so you can pick up where you left off.

Caveats

• they’re experiments and imperfect. they get things wrong. they hallucinate and make up stuff. fact check the answers if it's important.
• don’t type in sensitive, confidential info. they save every input they receive and might regurgitate it back to a stranger.
• human reviewers might scrutinise your conversations to improve quality.
  
  Meal planning prompts with ChatGPT and Bard
• give multiple criteria such as frequency, meal type, ingredients, categories, calorie count, nutrient macros or specific chefs or cooks
  • “Create a weekly dinner plan with a mix of comfort food favourites and lighter options to satisfy cravings while maintaining a healthy balance. Include Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Rachel Ray recipes
• tell it the format you prefer so you can use it readily
  • “ put it in a table format that I can paste into the Notes app in my phone”

AI prompts for life admin writing

• Use ChatGPT and Bard to draft effective letters, emails, messages
• give the tool enough context: who you are writing to, why, the outcome you are seeking
• suggest the tone: friendly, professional, formal, sincere/earnest, humorous, apologetic, sympathetic, inspirational, casual, in the style of a specific person
• ask it to draft 3 versions so you can pick and choose the best elements

AI prompts for travel

Use ChatGPT and Bard to get advice about:

• destinations and top attractions for time of year
• transport options : faster, cheaper, more direct
• currency exchange resources
• visa and passport requirements
• compare travel insurance policies
• packing lists for certain destination and activities at a specific time of year

Bard is useful here because it links to websites and shows images

AI prompts for gift giving

• Bard useful here as it includes links to websites and images
• “suggest some gifts that cost less than $70 for a man who is turning 53. he likes fishing, skiing, foraging, DIY, barbecuing and family time.

AI prompts for book, tv, film, podcast recommendations

• List titles you like and ask for similar suggestions
• Compile ‘best of’ lists of award winning titles
• Collate reading, watching and listening lists to dive deep on a topic

Be aware of hallucinations: ask the tools which sites can verify their responses and use those sites to fact check

RESOURCES

• Bard
• ChatGPT
• Pi

Penny Locaso is the world’s first Happiness Hacker on a quest to teach 10 million humans by 2025 how to flourish in life.

Voted one of the most influential female entrepreneurs in Australia, Penny works with governments, educators and the likes of Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and LuluLemon, to empower people to release their fear of uncertainty, and build a more intentionally adaptable society.

Penny created the world-first Intentional Adaptability Quotient® (IAQ®) psychometric tool, which decodes the skills required to not only navigate but flourish in complex and uncertain change. She’s the author of Hacking Happiness, a Harvard Business Review contributor, a passionate yoga teacher, a faculty member at the esteemed Singularity University, and a student of psychology and trauma-informed therapy with world-renowned teacher Gabor Mate.

In this episode we chat about:

• Penny’s definition of  happiness, embracing emotional diversity and learning how to navigate a range of emotions effectively.
• that women often suppress negative emotions due to societal expectations, which can lead to issues like anger being misplaced.
• the concept of "Angry Mum Syndrome," a term she's exploring to understand how women deal with suppressed anger
• challenges faced by women who often take on excessive responsibilities, delving into the "Martyr Mother Syndrome" and the need for better communication within families.
• the relationship between productivity and happiness and that the traditional concept of productivity, often associated with constantly doing more, has become problematic.
• the importance of self-care, taking micro-breaks, and recharging mental resources to maintain well-being.
• that while humans are naturally good at adapting, much of this adaptation happens unconsciously.
• the Intentional Adaptability Quotient, a psychometric tool she developed with the goal of empowering people to adapt intentionally,  which measures a person's level of intentional adaptability and allows individuals to assess their adaptability skills and identify areas for improvement.
• removing the word "should" from your vocabulary and replacing it with "I want” to shift the focus from external pressures to personal desires, allowing individuals to prioritize tasks that align with their values and needs.
• the key skills that constitute intentional adaptability - these include:
  • focus -  essential for dealing with distractions
  • courage - using fear constructively
  • curiosity - maintaining a sense of wonder and exploration
• two practical strategies for promoting happiness and well-being
  • device-free family dinners, providing a platform for open communication and connection
  • a practice called "Rose Rose Thorn Stem Bud," where family members share positive and negative experiences of their day, fostering emotional expression and understanding.
• the relevance of intentional adaptability in the context of neurodiverse individuals, and Penny emphasizes the potential for growth and development in everyone.

RESOURCES

Hacking Happy

Follow Penny on LinkedIn

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In this episode, Olivia Clayton shares the impact of ADHD on organisational skills, common challenges faced by individuals with ADHD, and practical strategies and tools to help adults with ADHD stay organized.

Olivia Clayton is a clinical psychologist who supports many adults with ADHD as part of her private practice work. She's a founder of Collected Minds, a multidisciplinary service which seeks to provide high quality timely online psychology and mental health support to people across Australia.

In the episode, Olivia:

• emphasises that ADHD affects individuals differently and that it's essential not to make assumptions about their experiences.
• describes ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to different ways of thinking, highlighting the strengths and positives that can come from it. She explains that ADHD can manifest differently in adults compared to children, with challenges like relaxation, emotional regulation, motivation for mundane tasks, and time blindness becoming more prominent.
• explains that ADHD can be diagnosed in adulthood, and accessing treatment, including medication, is important for those seeking support. She suggests seeking an ADHD assessment from a psychiatrist for proper diagnosis and medication management. Psychologists can provide strategies and support while working alongside psychiatrists.
• highlights the importance of self-compassion and self-awareness in managing ADHD-related challenges. She encourages people not to use ADHD as an excuse but to understand their struggles and seek appropriate support.
• recommends considering environment setup: i.e. creating a designated place for frequently used items, using visual cues, and setting up a "launch pad" for essentials like keys and wallets can reduce everyday frustrations.
• suggests that technology tools can be beneficial: such as utilizing apps, widgets, and alarms for reminder, and breaking down tasks into manageable steps.
• establishing routines, adopting time-management techniques like the Pomodoro technique, and setting specific times for activities can help with focus and task completion.
• engaging with online communities, watching YouTube channels dedicated to ADHD, and participating in forums can provide valuable strategies and a sense of community.
• encourages friends and family to educate themselves about ADHD, offer empathy and compassion, and possibly participate in therapy sessions to better support their loved ones.

RESOURCES

Collected Minds

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In this episode we interview productivity coach, Donna McGeorge.

Donna is passionate about enhancing the large amount of time we spend in our workplace (too much, for many) to ensure it is effective and productive, as well as enjoyable. More often than not it’s getting the simple things right, consistently, that has the greatest impact.  She also knows that when we decide to be intentional, we can surprise ourselves with what we can achieve.  Known as THE productivity coach, she has a range of sessions, books, products and services to help you improve your productivity.

Donna McGeorge shares her insights on maintaining energy and managing productivity. Her advice includes:

• the importance of sleep and space as crucial factors for maintaining energy and focus for work and life admin tasks. Donna believes that giving her brain rest and space allows her to tap into creativity and problem-solving abilities.
• Donna challenges the notion that any time not spent actively doing something is wasted time.
• the significance of creating a system for organizing tasks and belongings, making everything have a designated home, which reduces friction and increases efficiency.
• hacks for taking control of unruly inboxes. She recommends clearing out old emails into a folder called "done" or "stuff" and processing the remaining emails regularly to maintain a zero inbox. Donna advises checking emails only 2-3 times a day and turning off notifications to avoid being constantly distracted by emails.
• the importance of creating thinking space and outlines her three-step approach: stop, take stock, and decide.
• the concept of "wipe the mind," a stream-of-consciousness exercise to clear the mind of clutter and improve focus.
• best times for planning - Donna advises using the late afternoon hours to plan, as they typically require less mental intensity and can set the stage for a productive day ahead.

RESOURCES

Donna McGeorge

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In this episode, we interview executive coach and recruitment expert June Parker.

June Parker is an executive coach, people strategist and facilitator with 20 years of experience working in recruitment, HR consultancy, career coaching and technology development.
She has been a general manager, a business owner and now heads up the career coaching and transition practice at CLA where she leads a team and provides executive coaching to a range of clients from individual contributors to CEOs.  Her clients span a broad section of private, public and not-for-profit organisations.

We loved chatting with June Parker in this episode about all things career. The topics we covered included:

• June’s experience that peace of mind is vital for her in her role, which is a fast-paced and intensive job. She attributes her peace of mind at work to being organized at home and emphasises the importance of finding work-life balance.
• the changing dynamics of the job market during the pandemic and how people are reevaluating their career paths, leading to questions about job satisfaction, work expectations, and potential career changes.
• when considering  a career change, the importance of understanding what career means to each individual, considering life stage, financial commitments, and personal aspirations.
• the importance of self-awareness in identifying your skills, passions, and values.
• using skills assessments and seeking feedback from others to recognize your strengths and potential career options.
• how to manage the administrative aspects of changing jobs, including CV formatting and keeping track of job applications.
• creating a master CV that includes all career accomplishments and achievements to easily tailor CVs for different job applications.
• the importance keeping records of professional development and any positive feedback or commendations received.
• the significance of LinkedIn for networking and job searching.
• not spending excessive time researching each company before applying and focusing on quality applications tailored to specific roles.
• reaching out to recruiters for assistance and maintaining connections through networking.
• how job selection processes have evolved, with an increased focus on cultural fit, behavioral assessments, and personality profiling.
• practicing cognitive tests to feel more comfortable during assessments balanced with  the importance of not over-researching and stressing over the process.
• the need for continuous adaptation and learning in today’s job market, where individuals may have multiple careers and various jobs over their working lives.

Your Career – Government website

Seek – Career Advice

CLA Solutions

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In this episode, we walk through how to decide what not life admin is not worth doing. We discuss the art of prioritizing, delegating, and letting go of non-essential tasks to free up time for what truly matters. 

Mia and Dinah kick off the episode by discussing the importance of understanding one’s season of life, values, and goals. By doing so, individuals can identify where to focus their efforts and tackle their life admin more efficiently. They acknowledge that when life admin is overwhelming or time is limited, it becomes even more crucial to determine the areas that require the most attention. They emphasise the need to prioritise and focus on tasks that align with personal values and goals. 

Their tips include: 

• embracing “satisficing” and avoiding the pursuit of perfection in every task. By adopting a more pragmatic approach, individuals can avoid getting overwhelmed and free up time for more enjoyable activities.
• delegating responsibilities within the household, particularly in sharing life admin tasks. They discuss the challenge of letting go and not interfering or rescuing when someone else is responsible for a task. They highlight the importance of self-control and allowing natural consequences to unfold. If tasks are not completed or done differently than expected, it is essential to resist the urge to intervene immediately. By stepping back and letting others handle their responsibilities, individuals promote shared accountability.
• rethinking social life admin, particularly regarding organizing social events and maintaining friendships. They suggest being selective with social commitments and focusing on spending time with people who are most important to them. By creating a list of priority individuals and considering personal preferences, they can make deliberate choices that align with their values.
• managing overwhelming email inboxes by declaring email bankruptcy, unsubscribing from unnecessary subscriptions, and minimizing filing by evaluating the importance of documents. 

Book: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown

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