Moving Towards Better

Moving Towards Better

By Chris Minnick and Chris PenickBusinessScienceTechnologyEducationArts
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Moving Towards Better episodes

  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 10 - Should Learners Use AI Tutors Every Day?
    We kick off a new AI debate series by tackling a question every modern learner is wrestling with: should AI tutors be part of your daily practice? Our debaters make the case for AI as a structured-practice and interview-prep powerhouse, and the case against it as a replacement for human guidance. Along the way we stress-test edge cases — flashcards, cheating, and what AI uniquely adds — before landing on a middle ground: narrow AI support with human oversight. Plus skill-learning updates, a Morse code listener challenge, and a peek at upcoming debates.
    37 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 9 - Jill McVarish and Samantha Penick
    In this episode, we interview a professional fine artist, Jill McVarish, and a student just getting started out in the art world, Samantha Penick. We talk about what it takes to be a professional artist, how early Jill and Samantha knew that they wanted to pursue a career in art, how to find inspiration, and the meaning of success and failure as a working artist.
    Thank you to Jill McVarish (www.jillmcvarish.com) and to Samantha for appearing on this episode.
    53 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 1 - Introductions
    Welcome to Moving Towards Better — a show about learning, curiosity, and becoming a more interesting, more capable version of yourself. In this introductory episode, co-hosts Chris Penick and Chris Minnick set the tone for the podcast, share how they got here, and talk about why learning is the throughline for a happier, more engaged life.
    Chris Penick walks through his path from security and government work into teaching, while Chris Minnick traces his own from music and early hacking into a lifelong habit of curiosity. Together they lay out the podcast's mission: becoming interesting by doing interesting things — and bringing listeners along for the ride.
    Along the way they dig into what actually works when it comes to learning: myth-busting the popular "learning styles" idea (and the limits of frameworks like VARK), talking about what the research actually supports, and pointing to resources like *Learning How to Learn*. They also float ideas for recurring challenges, audience engagement, and where the show is headed.
    Chapters:
    - (00:11) Cold open and episode setup: a show about learning and better living
    - (01:01) Why learning matters: growth, choice, and becoming more capable
    - (02:08) Meet the hosts: Chris Penick and Chris Minnick
    - (02:39) Penick's background in security, government work, and teaching
    - (07:51) Minnick's path from music and hacking to lifelong curiosity
    - (12:37) The podcast's mission: becoming interesting by doing interesting things
    - (15:14) Mythbusting learning styles and the limits of VARK
    - (19:37) Recurring challenge ideas, audience engagement, and show format
    - (22:44) So what does work? Learning how to learn
    - (25:50) Listener call-to-action, sleep-learning tangent, and sign-off
    32 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 2 - The MTB Challenge
    We're kicking off a month-long learning challenge series — one assignment at a time, no excuses. In this opener, we lay out the format and ground rules, walk through the challenge-selection process (including one rejected first pick that sends us in a more creative direction), and riff on how each assignment should actually be tackled. By the end, we recap the final lineup and invite you to take on the challenges alongside us. Hit play, then pick a challenge and join in.
    16 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 3 - How to Actually Learn: Myths, Productive Struggle, and a Framework That Works

    In this episode we dig into what learning really looks like — starting with why wanting to learn matters more than any technique. We bust five common myths about struggle and talent, unpack why recognition isn't the same as recall (and why passive tutorials fall short), and make the case for making, testing, and being wrong as core to the process. From there we get practical: how to use productive struggle, when to ask for help, learning through projects, and why the only fair comparison is against your past self. We wrap with a simple learning framework, a few book recommendations, and an update on the first week of the first Moving Towards Better Learning Challenge.

    41 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 8 - MTB Challenge Round Two
    We're back with a follow-up to our first Moving Towards Better skill challenges. It turns out most of round one didn't go to plan. We recap what happened, reveal the basketball spin attempt and anime drawings attempts, and dig into why habits, systems, and support might matter more than raw talent when it comes to getting good at anything. Along the way we get into the limits of productivity advice, the case for progress over perfection, and what actually counts as a win. Then we kick off round two with new challenges!
    36 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 7 - Do You Only Learn When You Have To, and The Artist's Path
    A conversation about how we actually learn — and whether real skill is forged under pressure or drawn out by curiosity. We start with a simple question about how you'd learn painting if you were doing it over, then follow the thread into survival, the pull between artistic calling and practical life, and the old debate about whether artists have to suffer for their work. Along the way: obsession, the inner pull to create, and what actually makes someone a real artist.
    30 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 6 - Learning in the Age of AI
    AI is setting the pace of work, but is there still room for real learning? In this conversation we dig into whether expertise still matters in an AI-first world, what happens when AI systems fail and who has the depth to explain why, and the difference between using AI to finish work versus actually learning from it.
    34 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 5 - How to Study Anything Without a Syllabus
    How do you actually learn something new when nobody hands you a curriculum? In this episode we break down a practical framework for self-directed learning: defining the real goal before you build the plan, finding trustworthy resources without falling into research spirals, setting micro-goals and timelines you'll actually follow, and using libraries, milestones, and real feedback to measure progress.
    31 min
  • Moving Towards Better - Episode 4 - Why Learning "Useless" Skills Might Be One of the Best Things You Do

    In this episode we make the case for learning things that seem frivolous, impractical, or even a little ridiculous. We explore why adults often feel guilty about learning for joy, and what gets lost when every hobby has to be productive. From there, we unpack the hidden benefits of playful learning: how challenge, feedback, and low-stakes failure can make learning feel like play instead of work, why fun doesn’t mean easy, and how silly skills can actually help us become better learners overall. We also talk about beginner frustration, slipping habits, the humility of physical skills, and how to rebuild confidence as an adult novice. We wrap with practical advice on choosing a playful skill, tracking progress, making it social, starting small, and expecting to be bad before you get better.

    42 min

About Moving Towards Better

From the publisher's feed

Moving Towards Better is a podcast about the practice of getting better at anything — learning, growth, and the messy middle in between. Each episode digs into the ideas, frameworks, and habits that help us actually improve: productive struggle, learning by doing, comparing yourself to your past self, and busting the myths that hold us back.