Live an Intentional Life

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

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

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

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

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

You can find Caroline at the following links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.carolinesilk.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tba.caroline.silk/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/notanotherdamndiet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinesilkmindsetnutrition/

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/timeblocking-vs-timeboxing

References:

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

Buehler, R., Griffin, D., & Ross, M. (1994). Exploring the" planning fallacy": Why people underestimate their task completion times. Journal of personality and social psychology, 67(3), 366.

James Martin first talked about timeboxing in his book Rapid Application Development, published in 1991.

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/stop-using-the-pomodoro-technique

Further reading and references:

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

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

Harris, D. J., Allen, K. L., Vine, S. J., & Wilson, M. R. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between flow states and performance. International review of sport and exercise psychology, 16(1), 693-721.

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

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

You’ll hear about…

✨My take on work-life balance

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

✨Spending ‘minimum viable time’ on areas of your life

✨Tangible tips on what to do when things feel busy, and how to drag yourself away from work and chores without feeling guilty so that you can have more fulfilling activities in your life.

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

Get your own list of current goals (even if you’re not listening to this in real time), and answer the review questions I have for you, and note down any other insights that you might pick up for when you have a difficult time too xo

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

• Drivers of habits like identity and feelings
• Habit stacking
• Mental decision making and preparation that goes into habit formation
• Triggers of bad habits
• How to set meaningful goals
• Courage to make big changes to your life
• Using a planner to find the time you need
• The power of self-efficacy and dreaming
• And so much more!

If you loved the topics in this episode, you might like to go back and listen to these episodes of the Live an Intentional Life Podcast…

Episode 7: Your Dream Life

Episode 12: Visualisation

Episode 14: Setting Goals Will Change Your Life

Check out the Habit Nerd Podcast too!

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

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

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

Listen now!

Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/improve-your-happiness

References on happiness and cognition:

Alexander, R., Aragón, O. R., Bookwala, J., Cherbuin, N., Gatt, J. M., Kahrilas, I. J., ... & Styliadis, C. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 121, 220-249.

Colombo, D., Pavani, J. B., Quoidbach, J., Baños, R. M., Folgado-Alufre, M., & Botella, C. (2024). Savouring the present to better recall the past. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25(1), 20.

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(2), 377.

Layous, K., Katherine Nelson, S., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). What is the optimal way to deliver a positive activity intervention? The case of writing about one’s best possible selves. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 635-654.

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of general psychology, 9(2), 111-131.

Lyubomirsky, S., & Layous, K. (2013). How do simple positive activities increase well-being?. Current directions in psychological science, 22(1), 57-62.

Toepfer, S. M., & Walker, K. (2009). Letters of gratitude: Improving well-being through expressive writing. Journal of Writing Research, 1(3), 181-198.

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

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

Check out the following episode for part 2!

Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/want-to-feel-happier

References mentioned in this article:

Alexander, R., Aragón, O. R., Bookwala, J., Cherbuin, N., Gatt, J. M., Kahrilas, I. J., ... & Styliadis, C. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 121, 220-249.

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of general psychology, 9(2), 111-131.

Bronnie Ware’s book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.

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

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

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

Kick procrastination to the curb and start crafting the life of your dreams! 

Prefer to read? Check out this episode on the blog! https://liveanintentionallife.com.au/blog/how-to-stop-procrastinating

References used in creating the episode: 

Hershfield, H. E. (2011). Future self‐continuity: How conceptions of the future self transform intertemporal choice. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1235(1), 30-43. 

Klingsieck, K. B. (2013). Procrastination. *European psychologist, 18(*1), 24-34. 

Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological bulletin, 133(1), 65. 

van Eerde, W., & Klingsieck, K. B. (2018). Overcoming procrastination? A meta-analysis of intervention studies. Educational Research Review, 25, 73-85. 

----------

⏳️ Want to dive in further? I write over on Substack, and you can become a paid subscriber to get deeper and more practical content on exactly how to manage your time, live your ideal week, and love the experience of your life.  Go to liveanintentionallife.substack.com to see more.

📝 If you’re looking to take the ideas in the podcast and turn them into meaningful action, go to my online store where you’ll find beautifully designed workbooks and planners that help support your personal development. Go to my Etsy store at www.etsy.com/au/shop/AnIntentionalLifeAU. Use the code PODCAST10 to get 10% off!

✨️Follow me on Instagram for all the latest tips and inspiration: instagram.com/live.an.intentional.life 

🎙 Don’t forget to rate and review the show so you can feel really good on the inside! Subscribe to the podcast to hear about new episodes.