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

Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is stop, take stock of where you are, and get honest about where you want to go next.

This encore episode is about slowing down long enough to pay attention to your actual life—not the life you think you should be living or the life you're hoping will magically appear someday.

Stephanie recorded this episode during a season when she intentionally decided to unplug and spend more time with her family. She also reflects on her experience coaching clients and seeing how much can change when people simply take the time to journal, make a plan, and follow through.

It may not sound particularly revolutionary. There isn't a magic trick or a giant life overhaul hiding inside the episode. Instead, Stephanie encourages you to do the work of honestly looking at where you are now and deciding what you want to change.

If you're not where you want to be, you have an opportunity to do something different.

Slow Living doesn't mean waiting for the perfect circumstances. It means slowing down enough to notice what's working, what's not, and what your next small step could be.

• Why taking stock of your current life can be more useful than constantly looking ahead
• How journaling can help you clarify what you want
• Why making a plan matters more than waiting for something magical to happen
• How small, consistent actions can create meaningful change
• Why you don't need to have everything figured out before you begin
• How to slow down and honestly assess where you are right now

Take a few minutes to ask yourself:

Where am I right now?

Where do I want to go?

What isn't working?

What is one small thing I can do differently?

Then, as Stephanie would say: do the work.

Download Stephanie's journaling worksheets

You don't have to wait for something magical to change your life. Sometimes the magic is simply slowing down, getting honest with yourself, and making a plan.

📖 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.

The holidays are supposed to be joyful—but trying to make everything memorable, perfect, and photo-worthy can leave you exhausted and overwhelmed.

In this episode, Stephanie shares a very personal reminder about what can happen when you try to do too much for too many people and neglect your own needs in the process.

A week after Thanksgiving, Stephanie found herself unable to move after her back went out. She knew she had been going too fast. Her usual routines—getting enough sleep, waking before everyone else, meditating, and journaling—help her feel calm and centered. But a hectic week at work, sick teachers, finding substitute coverage, soccer, and a complicated family schedule threw everything off.

Instead of slowing down, she kept going.

This episode is an invitation to notice when you're doing the same thing. The holidays can bring extra commitments, travel, shopping, entertaining, family obligations, and pressure to make everything perfect. But you don't have to do everything, and you don't have to neglect yourself to create a meaningful holiday season.

Slow down before you reach the point of exhaustion. Pay attention to your routines, your energy, your boundaries, and what you actually want this season to feel like.

In other words: do better than Stephanie did. 😉

• Why the holidays can make even grounded people feel overwhelmed
• How trying to make everything perfect can cause you to take on too much
• Why your everyday routines matter when life gets hectic
• How to recognize when you're moving too fast
• Why taking care of yourself needs to remain part of the holiday plan
• How to create a slower, calmer holiday season without doing everything

You don't have to do everything for everyone to create a meaningful holiday.

Sometimes the most important thing you can do is notice that you're going too fast—and slow down before you have to.

📖 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 nothing changed, would you be happy living your current life for another four years?

This episode is an invitation to slow down and take an honest look at where you are right now—and where you're headed.

When Stephanie recorded this episode, she was four years away from turning 50. That milestone prompted a simple but surprisingly powerful question: Can I keep doing what I'm doing now for another four years?

Not just whether it's possible—but whether it's sustainable.

Would you still feel happy and satisfied? Would you feel burned out, overworked, or taken for granted? Is the path you're on actually leading toward the life you want?

Stephanie invites you to ask the same questions about your own life, including your health, finances, relationships, work, and everyday routines. If you continued along your current path, would things look—and feel—okay four years from now?

If the answer is no, that's useful information. You don't need to overhaul your entire life overnight. Slow Living is about paying attention, getting honest about what isn't working, and making small changes while you still have time to change direction.

Take your time with these questions. Let them sit with you as you move through your day, your week, or the end of the month.

• How to use a four-year horizon to evaluate your current life
• Why sustainability matters just as much as achievement
• Questions to ask about your health, finances, relationships, and work
• How to recognize when your current path may need to change
• Why you don't need to make every change all at once
• How slowing down can give you space to think about what you really want

If nothing changed, would you be happy with your life four years from now?

If the answer is no, don't panic. Get curious.

What needs to change? What small adjustment could you make now that would make your future life feel more sustainable?

📖 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 a label that seems to explain you doesn't actually tell the whole story?

In this episode, Stephanie responds to a question from Beth, a former coaching client who recently came to the conclusion that she was codependent and wanted to know Stephanie's thoughts.

Stephanie admits that the declaration surprised her. She didn't think of Beth that way—which opens up a bigger conversation about labels, identity, and the tendency to hear a diagnosis or description and immediately see ourselves in it.

Sometimes a label can be useful. But sometimes we can place ourselves inside a box that doesn't fully fit. The same idea applies beyond codependency: our relationship history, childhood, education, career, habits, and even the person we were a few months ago don't have to define who we are today.

Slow Living is partly about creating enough space to notice what is actually true for you right now. You get to be curious about your thoughts, question the stories you've attached to yourself, and decide what you want to carry forward.

And that's one of the beautiful things about being human: you are allowed to change.

• Why labels can sometimes feel like they explain everything about us
• How to think about codependency without automatically making it your identity
• Why your past does not have to define who you are today
• How to question the stories and labels you've adopted about yourself
• Why slowing down and getting curious can create room for change
• How to focus on who you are right now, rather than who you used to be

Who you were a few months ago does not define who you are today.

You don't have to fit yourself neatly into a container. Give yourself permission to be curious, to change, and to decide what your experiences mean to you now.

📖 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 need a label to get curious about whether something is actually working for you.

What role does alcohol play in your life?

Is there a place for it? Is it taking up more room than you'd like? And what happens when you simply get curious about your habits without immediately labeling yourself?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea explores the idea of being sober curious and paying attention to the role alcohol plays in your life.

The same curiosity can be applied to other things, too—food, social media, activities, commitments, and anything else that may be taking up time and energy without actively helping you create the life you want.

Stephanie encourages you to take off the labels, keep an open mind, and explore.

Step 1 in Slow Living is to declutter what isn't working. Sometimes that means looking honestly at the habits and behaviors that have become part of everyday life and asking whether they still belong there.

Stephanie also explains the difference between Start Goals and Stop Goals, and how you can turn them into simple daily habits.

• What "sober curious" means and why curiosity can be useful
• How to examine your relationship with alcohol without immediately applying a label
• Why paying attention to your habits doesn't automatically mean something is wrong with you
• How decluttering can apply to habits, behaviors, and everyday choices—not just physical stuff
• The difference between Start Goals and Stop Goals
• How to make small daily changes that support the life you actually want

You don't have to decide everything today. Start by getting curious about what's helping you—and what's not.

📖 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 can't take care of everyone else if you've completely emptied yourself out.

We've all heard some version of The world does not revolve around you.

But what if, within your own household and your own life, you actually need to recognize that you are the center?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks about the mindset shift that happens when you decide you are in charge of your own life—and that taking care of yourself is part of that responsibility.

This isn't about martyrdom or believing that nobody else can do things as well as you can.

Quite the opposite.

When you're in charge, you can delegate.

Stephanie encourages you to recognize your own wants and needs as important, protect your energy, and stop automatically putting yourself at the very bottom of the list.

You are valuable. You are irreplaceable. And taking care of yourself isn't selfish—it helps you show up for the life and people you care about.

• Why protecting your energy starts with a shift in mindset
• How constantly putting everyone else first can leave you depleted
• Why being "in charge" doesn't mean doing everything yourself
• How delegation can help you protect your time and energy
• Why your own wants and needs deserve attention
• How Slow Living can help you create more space for yourself

You are not the household martyr. You are the nucleus. Take care of yourself accordingly.

📖 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 the thing you're waiting for to make your life better isn't coming—and you have to decide to make the change yourself?

Sometimes we convince ourselves that this year will be different.

Once this busy season is over. Once this difficult situation passes. Once things settle down. Once life gets easier.

Then suddenly months or years have gone by, and we're still standing in the same place.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks about the tendency to wait for something or someone else to make things better.

She shares conversations from mindset coaching calls with women who were feeling sad, stuck, or disappointed that life hadn't changed the way they hoped it would.

The uncomfortable truth is that nothing will change unless you make it change.

And depending on your mood, that can sound either incredibly empowering—or completely overwhelming.

Stephanie talks about taking action, making things happen, and deciding what you can do even when you'd really rather someone else come along and save you.

• Why we tend to believe life will get better after the next difficult season
• How waiting for circumstances to change can keep you stuck
• Why taking responsibility for change can feel both empowering and overwhelming
• How to decide what is actually within your control
• Why you don't have to wait for someone else to make things happen
• How small intentional action can help you move forward

You don't have to change everything today. But you do get to decide what happens next.

📖 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 can have big dreams for the future without putting your happiness and contentment on hold until you achieve them.

This week's episode of the Slow Living Podcast is all about enjoying the here and now instead of constantly hoping, wishing, or frantically waiting for something better.

Being content with your current stage and season of life can be easier said than done. We're often taught to delay gratification, work hard, and reward ourselves only after we've accomplished something.

But what if you stopped?

Take a deep breath. Slow down. Look around.

This is it.

You can still have great big, huge, honking dreams and goals. In fact, Stephanie is a big believer in having them. But don't delay your peace, happiness, and contentment until you finally "reach" them.

Because once you reach one goal, you're probably going to move the goalposts anyway.

The joy isn't waiting for you at some imaginary finish line. The joy is in the journey.

• Why it's so easy to postpone happiness until you've accomplished something
• How to practice being content with your current stage of life
• Why having big dreams doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your peace today
• How the habit of delaying gratification can keep you from enjoying your actual life
• Why you'll probably keep moving the goalposts once you reach them
• How Slow Living invites you to cultivate joy and contentment right now

You don't have to choose between dreaming about tomorrow and enjoying today. You can do 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 your goals could pull you forward instead of pushing you around?

Stephanie O'Dea is a huge proponent of goal setting and achieving. When she wants something, she goes out and makes it happen.

But she hates S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Mostly because she doesn't like being told what to do — even if the person doing the telling is herself.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie talks about setting goals that feel good and that you're genuinely drawn toward, rather than goals that feel like another list of things you should be doing.

There's a big difference between waking up excited to make progress on something you care about and dragging yourself through a goal that feels like drudgery.

Stephanie explains how to make things happen without the hustle, hype, and pressure that so often surrounds goal setting.

You can make amazing forward progress in your personal and life goals while still living a slow, calm, and peaceful life.

• Why Stephanie isn't a fan of traditional S.M.A.R.T. goals
• The difference between goals that pull you forward and goals that push you
• How to create goals you're genuinely excited to work toward
• Why motivation feels different when you're working toward something you actually want
• How to make meaningful progress without hustle or hype
• Why Slow Living and ambitious goals can coexist

You don't have to choose between a peaceful life and making your dreams happen. You can do 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 do you do when you're having a horrible day and don't want to do anything at all?

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself permission to take a day off.

Life isn't a game of Chutes and Ladders. You don't slide backward just because you're not feeling well, need to rest, or aren't moving forward on your goals and dreams for a day.

But there is a difference between taking a break and completely abandoning yourself.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks about figuring out your own bare minimum — the basic things you need to do to feel good about yourself, even on the days when you have very little energy or motivation.

The goal isn't to force yourself to be productive when you're struggling. It's to have a simple plan that helps you take care of yourself without creating guilt or the feeling that you've somehow fallen behind.

• Why taking a day off doesn't mean you're falling behind
• How to distinguish between resting and completely checking out
• Why it's helpful to define your personal bare minimum
• How having a simple plan can make difficult days easier
• Why Slow Living includes knowing when to do less
• How small acts of self-care can help you feel better about yourself

You don't have to have a great day every day. Sometimes the win is simply doing the bare minimum and giving yourself permission to rest.

📖 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.