Slow Living | Creating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World

You are not a spreadsheet—and data doesn't determine your worth.

If you've been a longtime listener of the Slow Living Podcast, you've probably heard Stephanie say this many, many (many!) times: You are not a spreadsheet.

And you aren't.

But that doesn't mean you should ignore the numbers.

When you're trying to change something in your life, data can be incredibly useful. If you're working toward a health goal, you may need to keep track of what's happening. If you're trying to improve your finances, you probably need to look at your bank statements. If you're working toward a goal, some kind of measurement can help you understand whether your current approach is actually working.

Collect the data. Pay attention to the data.

But try to separate the data from the story you tell yourself about the data.

A number is just a number. It doesn't mean you're good or bad, smart or stupid, successful or a failure. It's simply information.

The trick is learning how to look at information without immediately attaching judgment, shame, or emotion to it.

That's what this episode is all about.

• Why you are not a spreadsheet—and why that matters
• How data can help you make better decisions and track progress
• Why avoiding the numbers doesn't make them go away
• How to separate facts and information from your emotional reaction to them
• Why a number doesn't determine your worth, intelligence, or success
• How to use data as information rather than as a judgment of yourself

Data is information. It is not a verdict.

Look at the number. Notice what it tells you. Then decide what, if anything, you want to do with that information.

You don't have to make it mean something about who you are.

You are a person—not a spreadsheet.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

What do you love about yourself—really LOVE about yourself?

If you aren't able to make a list quite yet, that's okay. You are not alone.

In this episode, Stephanie talks about how to begin carefully and thoughtfully shifting from self-loathing toward self-love. The goal isn't to swing the pendulum from hating yourself to suddenly believing you're amazing at everything.

Real, lasting self-love may take some time.

Instead, start paying attention to the way you talk to yourself. Notice the negative self-talk, the criticism, and the things you automatically tell yourself that you would never say to someone you love.

Then begin practicing something different: words of kindness, encouragement, and affirmation.

You don't have to become fully and deeply in love with yourself overnight. But learning to quiet the constant negative chatter can help you feel more at peace and enjoy your day-to-day life a little more.

• How to recognize patterns of negative self-talk and self-loathing
• Why self-love doesn't have to happen all at once
• How to gently shift your thoughts instead of forcing yourself to "think positive"
• Why the way you talk to yourself matters
• How affirmations and kinder self-talk can become a daily practice
• Why you don't have to go from self-criticism to complete self-confidence overnight

You don't have to love everything about yourself today.

Start with one thing.

What is something you genuinely like about yourself? What is something you've done well? What is something about you that you appreciate?

If making a whole list feels impossible, begin with one.

Then notice the negative voice when it shows up—and practice answering it with something a little kinder.

Small shifts count.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

Before you click "buy," take a minute to sniff out the red flags.

The internet is full of hype, big promises, glowing testimonials, and online schemes designed to get you to spend money on things you may not actually want or need.

Stephanie knows this firsthand. She's fallen for scams and disappointing purchases in the past, and she knows how awful it feels to realize afterward that you've been duped.

In this episode, she talks about some of the warning signs to watch for when you're considering an online purchase—and how to slow down and fact-check as best you can before handing over your money.

Because sometimes the smartest thing you can do is not buy anything right away.

• How internet hype can influence you to buy things you don't really need
• Red flags that may signal an online scam or questionable offer
• Why testimonials and big promises deserve a closer look
• How slowing down can help you make better purchasing decisions
• Simple ways to fact-check an offer before spending your money
• What Stephanie has learned from her own experience with scams and disappointing purchases

You don't have to make a decision just because someone wants you to make one right now.

If an offer feels urgent, exciting, too good to be true, or designed to make you afraid you'll miss out, pause.

Take a breath.

Do some research.

And remember: you can always decide to buy it later.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

Do you really need to suffer through something to deserve the good that comes afterward?

Do you believe in the old adage, "No pain, no gain?"

Stephanie doesn't.

Part of being human is experiencing highs and lows. Difficult things happen. Disappointment happens. Grief happens. Life has ditches, gullies, and cliffs right alongside the sunshine, roses, puppy dogs, and sparkles.

But that doesn't mean suffering is required to make the good parts of life more valuable.

In this episode, Stephanie explores the idea that you don't have to struggle unnecessarily in order to appreciate happiness, success, peace, or joy. Lows happen. Highs happen. And neither one has to justify the other.

• Why Stephanie doesn't believe suffering is necessary for happiness
• The difference between accepting life's inevitable difficulties and seeking out unnecessary struggle
• Why "no pain, no gain" isn't the only way to think about growth
• How you can appreciate the good things in your life without believing you had to suffer to earn them
• Why difficult seasons don't have to define your entire experience of life
• How Slow Living can make room for both the highs and lows of being human

You don't have to make your life harder in order to make it more meaningful.

Lows happen.

Highs happen.

You don't have to manufacture the lows to make the highs better.

Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes life is wonderful. And sometimes it's a little bit of both.

😉

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

What if you gave yourself permission to dream about things you can't yet explain?

As life goes on, the idea of believing in miracles can sometimes get pushed aside as fanciful thinking. We're taught to be practical, realistic, and sensible—and those things have their place.

But Stephanie believes there's also value in letting yourself imagine.

You don't have to know all the HOWS.

You don't have to sit around daydreaming all day or expect everything you want to magically appear. You can take action, live in the here and now, and still leave room for possibilities you can't yet see.

In this episode, Stephanie encourages you to suspend your disbelief for a while. Make a list of the things you'd love to do, experience, create, or see happen—and temporarily put your inner skeptic on the shelf.

Because sometimes the first step toward a different life is simply allowing yourself to imagine that it's possible.

• Why it's okay to dream about things that currently seem unrealistic
• How to make room for possibility without abandoning real-world action
• Why you don't need to know exactly HOW something will happen
• How your inner skeptic can sometimes limit what you're willing to imagine
• Why enjoying the present moment and dreaming about the future can coexist
• How play, curiosity, and imagination can help you think differently about your life

You are allowed to dream.

Make a list of the things you'd love to do. Think bigger than your current circumstances. Write down the wild ideas.

You don't have to figure out the logistics today.

Suspend your disbelief for a little while.

Have fun. Play. Believe.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

Sometimes the most important growth is happening when it looks like nothing is happening at all.

In this episode, Stephanie shares what she did during a six-week sabbatical—and how, even though it didn't look like she was making much forward progress, she really was.

The messy middle is that uncomfortable stretch between where you started and where you want to go. You're putting in effort, but you can't necessarily see the results yet. You may even wonder whether you're moving forward at all.

Stephanie talks about learning to pay attention to the signs that growth is happening underneath the surface and trusting yourself enough to keep going.

You are in charge of your life. You can make a huge dent in your goals even when you're not feeling particularly motivated, productive, or inspired.

Sometimes slowing down is exactly what allows the next chapter to take shape.

• What the "messy middle" is and why it can feel so frustrating
• How progress can be happening even when you can't see immediate results
• Why slowing down doesn't necessarily mean you're standing still
• How to recognize signs of growth that are happening beneath the surface
• Why you can trust yourself to keep moving forward
• How to continue working toward your goals even when you aren't "feeling it"

Not all progress is visible.

There will be seasons when you're taking action and seeing obvious results—and seasons when something is changing quietly underneath the surface.

You don't have to force the process or have proof that everything is working before you continue.

Sometimes you simply need to trust yourself, take the next step, and give things time to unfold.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

You don't have to love math to figure out how much money you actually need to reach financial independence.

Today we're doing some Mathing—even if Math isn't your strong suit.

It most certainly isn't mine. I was an English major and married Adam so I could put math away for good.

Or so I thought.

In this encore episode, Stephanie talks about the FIRE movement—Financial Independence, Retire Early—and the importance of figuring out your own financial independence number.

Because if you don't know what you're working toward, it's easy to spend your life on a perpetual hamster wheel, earning and saving without ever defining what "enough" actually looks like.

Knowing your number can give you a target to work toward and help you think more intentionally about your money, your future, and the kind of life you want to live.

Stephanie also talks about one of the greatest gifts she believes parents can give their children: learning how to take care of themselves financially so their children don't have to worry about supporting them later in life.

• What the FIRE movement means and how financial independence fits into Slow Living
• Why it's important to know your financial independence number
• How having a target can help you make more intentional financial decisions
• Why earning and saving without knowing what you're working toward can keep you on the hamster wheel
• How thinking about retirement can also mean thinking about the life you want to live now
• Why teaching children to manage money and take care of themselves can be a meaningful long-term gift

The goal isn't simply to accumulate more and more money.

It's to understand what you need, decide what "enough" means for you, and create a financial plan that supports the life you actually want.

Financial independence can mean different things to different people. The important part is knowing what you're working toward.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

You don't have to feel motivated to keep moving toward the life you want.

Real life isn't always sunshine, roses, puppy dogs, and sparkles. There are highs and lows—and sometimes ditches, gullies, and cliffs.

In this encore episode, Stephanie talks about making things happen even when you don't feel like it. Because the truth is, you're probably not going to feel motivated all the time. And that's normal. There's nothing wrong with you.

The question becomes: How do you keep moving forward on your goals and dreams when your motivation isn't there?

Slow Living isn't about waiting until everything feels easy. It's about learning how to take the next step—even when you're tired, discouraged, distracted, or simply not in the mood.

• Why motivation isn't something you have to wait around for
• How to keep moving toward your goals when you don't feel like it
• Why losing motivation is a normal part of real life
• How small actions can help you continue moving forward
• Why you don't need to have a perfect day—or feel perfect—to make progress
• How Slow Living can include both rest and taking action

You are not going to feel motivated all the time.

That's okay.

You can acknowledge how you're feeling, take a breath, and decide what the next small step looks like.

You don't have to overhaul your entire life today. Just keep moving.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

If you've decided that New Year's resolutions don't work, Stephanie would like you to reconsider.

This encore episode is a celebration of New Year's resolutions—and a reminder that you don't have to abandon the idea of setting goals simply because you've had resolutions that didn't stick in the past.

Stephanie is a huge proponent of making and keeping resolutions. She has spent more than 20 years crafting, creating, tweaking, and modifying her goals and resolutions as her life has changed.

The key isn't making a perfect list on January 1 and then expecting yourself to follow it forever. It's taking the time to think about the life you actually want, deciding what matters, and being willing to adjust your plans along the way.

If you've been waiting for a nudge to make a change, this might be it.

Dream big. Make a plan. Tweak it when necessary. Keep going.

And yes—you can listen while you dust, mop, vacuum, clean out the linen closet, or walk laps around the neighborhood. 😉

• Why Stephanie believes New Year's resolutions can work
• How to create resolutions that reflect the life you actually want
• Why your goals can change as your life changes
• How tweaking and modifying your plans can help you keep moving forward
• Why you don't need to have everything figured out before you begin
• How to turn a resolution into an ongoing practice rather than a one-day promise

Ready to do some thinking and planning?

Download the New Year New You worksheets

Use them to slow down, get clear about what you want, and begin creating a plan for the life you're dreaming about.

You don't have to reinvent your entire life in January.

You can decide what you want, take the next small step, and keep tweaking your plan as you learn more about yourself and your life.

You've got this. You really, really do.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.

Dream big. Place your order. Then go live your life while it's on the way.

This encore episode invites you to think about getting what you want out of life the same way you might think about placing an online order.

First, you have to decide what you want.

Place your order. DREAM. DREAM BIG.

Then? You don't sit at the front door refreshing the tracking page every five minutes. You go about your life.

Slow down. Unplug. Go within. Decide on purpose what matters to you and what doesn't. Pay attention to the things you can actually do today to change the direction of your life.

Stephanie encourages you to take small, helpful actions every day while letting go of the frantic need to know exactly when everything will arrive.

Use the daily journaling worksheets. Listen to things that lift you up. Decide that you are in charge of the choices you make today and that you can take meaningful steps toward a better life.

And then trust.

Your order is in transit.

• How to get clear about what you actually want from life
• Why dreaming big can be part of a Slow Living practice
• How daily habits and small actions can move you toward your goals
• Why you don't have to obsess over when or how everything will happen
• How unplugging and going within can help you make more intentional choices
• Why taking responsibility for your daily choices can change your direction over time

Think about something you genuinely want in your life.

Place your order.

Write it down. Get specific. Dream bigger than you normally would.

Then ask yourself:

What can I do today?

Take that step—and then go live your life.

You don't have to spend the rest of the day staring at the tracking information.

You can want more for your life without rushing to make it happen.

Dream. Take the next small step. Then let yourself live in the meantime.

Your order is in transit.

📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World

Get the book on Amazon

Website: stephanieodea.com

Podcast: stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: stephanieodea.com/blog/

Speaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotes

Have a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.