The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: 4120: The Science of Procrastination: Researchers Tackle Willpower and our Ability to Control it by Cal Newport on Building Willpower

   Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4120: Cal Newport breaks down Roy Baumeister's research on ego depletion, the finding that self-control behaves like a muscle and runs down with use rather than switching on and off. He turns the science into practical self-improvement tactics: spread your work out across days, make a specific plan before you start, practice small acts of self-control daily, and do not skip meals when the work is hard. Read along with the original article(s) here: http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/01/23/the-science-of-procrastination-researchers-tackle-willpower-and-our-ability-to-control-it Quotes to ponder: "Self-control is a limited resource." "Your self-control is a muscle. If you don't tend to it through rigorous training and careful schedules of use, you'll perform well below your potential." "Marathon sessions, spread over many consecutive hours, will prove impossible to sustain unless you have a looming deadline." Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   August 15, 2026·13min
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   Number 2: 4119: A 7-Step Path to Enjoying Work by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist on Finding Purpose

   Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4119: Joshua Becker explains why enjoying your work has far less to do with the job itself than with how you think about it, pointing out that two people in the same role can feel completely differently about it. He walks through seven steps, from recognizing that humans are built to work to releasing the pursuit of riches, that can turn an ordinary job into a real source of purpose and personal development. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/enjoying-9to5/ Quotes to ponder: "This is helpful because it means enjoying work has less to do with your actual job and more to do with your attitude towards it." "Changing our attitude towards work is often far easier than changing jobs." "While honest compensation should always be sought with both humility and pride, the pursuit of riches and wealth as an end goal is always a losing battle." Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   August 14, 2026·12min
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   Number 3: 4118: How To Get Habits Back On Track After Time Off by Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch on Daily Habits

   Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4118: Anthony Ongaro explains why falling off a habit after a holiday, a trip, or a hard few weeks is completely human, and how to rebuild momentum without dragging guilt along with you. He walks through five practical moves for getting back on track, from returning to the simplest version of the habit to letting go of the story you have been telling about falling behind. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.breakthetwitch.com/habits-back-on-track/ Quotes to ponder: "If you've felt this way too, understand that it's completely human. We are not robots." "You are where you are, now keep going towards where you want to be." "Realize that there isn't really a track to fall off of and you simply need to restart to move forward." Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   August 13, 2026·9min
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   Number 4: 4117: Journaling as a Problem-Solving Tool by Steve Pavlina on Deeper Thinking

   Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4117: Steve Pavlina shares why he treats his journal less as a diary and more as a problem-solving tool, opening most entries with a question he wants to answer. He explains how writing a problem out breaks circular thinking, exposes gaps in the options you have considered, and effectively expands your mental working memory. It is a simple personal development habit for making big decisions with more clarity. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://stevepavlina.com/blog/2004/10/journaling-as-a-problem-solving-tool/ Quotes to ponder: "So instead of thinking things through in my head, I tackle those big, hairy problems by writing them through." "Some problems are by their very nature just too big to fully understand in our thoughts alone." "By exploring problems on paper, I avoid circular thinking, and it's also easier to identify gaps in the possible solution space that have yet to be considered." Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   August 12, 2026·11min
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   Number 5: 4116: How To Create An Action Plan by Brian Tracy on Goal Setting

   Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 4116: Brian Tracy explains the six steps he uses to turn a vague wish into an action plan that works, starting with getting crystal clear on exactly what you want. He covers writing your goals down, setting deadlines, listing every task, organizing by priority and sequence, and finally taking action. It is a practical personal development framework for anyone whose goals keep stalling out. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/how-to-create-an-action-plan/ Quotes to ponder: "Clarity is the most important single quality of goal-setting and perhaps the most important single quality of success." "There are no unreasonable goals, only unreasonable deadlines." "The rule is that each minute spent on planning saves 10 minutes of execution." Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

   August 11, 2026·11min
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