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

Sometimes the next step in your life isn't obvious—you have to slow down enough to notice the nudges pointing you in the right direction.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea goes back in time to talk about who she was and what her life looked like before 2008, the year she made a New Year's resolution to use her slow cooker every day and write about it online.

But the slow cooker wasn't the beginning of the story.

Stephanie shares how dreams, goals, and visions had been taking shape since she was very young, and how she learned to think of her life as having an internal GPS.

She talks about paying attention to the nudges and inklings that came from within—and, for her, from God or the Universe—to help guide her toward her next steps.

You don't always need to have the entire route mapped out. Sometimes you simply need to know where you want to go, pay attention, and be willing to adjust your course.

• How Stephanie's dreams and goals began long before 2008
• What it means to “program your GPS” for the life you want
• Why slowing down can help you notice your own nudges and inklings
• How intuition, faith, and curiosity can influence your next steps
• Why you don't have to know exactly how everything will unfold
• How paying attention to where you're being guided can help you create a more intentional life

You don't have to see the entire road ahead. Sometimes you just need to know your direction and take the next step.

📖 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 best morning routine isn't the one you found on the internet. It's the one that makes you feel good and sets you up for the day.

There is a lot of advice online about what you have to do to create a successful morning routine. Wake up at a certain time. Exercise. Meditate. Journal. Drink lemon water. Accomplish seventeen things before breakfast.

Nope.

Real life isn't perfect, and your morning routine doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea encourages you to figure out what would actually make you feel good each morning—and then build your routine around that.

Your ideal morning might look completely different from your neighbor's, and that's okay. If the way you're starting your day isn't working for you, you are allowed to change it.

Stephanie also shares the simple one-page journaling worksheet she uses every morning while her coffee is brewing. It's designed to help you slow down, check in with yourself, and intentionally begin your day.

• Why your morning routine doesn't need to look like anyone else's
• How to figure out what actually makes you feel good in the morning
• Why “perfect” morning routines aren't necessary in real life
• How small changes to your mornings can help you feel more grounded and intentional
• Why you are allowed to change your routine when something isn't working
• How Stephanie uses a simple one-page journaling practice to start her day

Your morning routine doesn't need to be impressive. It just needs to work for you.

Stephanie's one-page daily journaling worksheet is available here:

Download the Daily Journaling Worksheet

📖 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 Sunday evening brings a wave of anxiety about the week ahead, you're definitely not alone.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea answers a listener question from Tracy about how to deal with the “Sunday Scaries.”

That familiar feeling can show up when the weekend starts winding down and you're thinking about everything waiting for you: work, family, in-laws, social obligations, and the long list of things that need to happen next week.

Stephanie shares simple ways to help ease the anxiety and emotional burden that can come with the transition from weekend to workweek.

Slowing down doesn't mean every Sunday—or every week—is suddenly going to be sunshine, roses, and sparkly unicorns. But there are things you can do to make the transition feel a little lighter and more manageable.

And if you experience the Sunday Scaries from time to time, please know you're not alone.

• What the “Sunday Scaries” are and why they can feel so overwhelming
• How work, family, and social obligations can contribute to weekend anxiety
• Simple ways to ease the transition from weekend to workweek
• How slowing down can help you feel less overwhelmed
• Why you don't have to fix everything at once
• Practical ways to make your weekends—and your weeks—a little more manageable

You can't always eliminate everything that's waiting for you on Monday. But you can change how you enter the week.

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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 think you're either a disciplined person—or you're not? What if discipline is something you can actually cultivate?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea takes a fresh look at discipline and challenges the idea that some people simply have it while others don't.

Stephanie thinks of discipline as a muscle: something you can intentionally work out, strengthen, and grow.

Instead of beating yourself up for not following through, you can begin by paying attention to the way you think about discipline in the first place.

Stephanie shares mindset shifts and practical ways to upgrade your thinking about discipline, so you can change the way you approach the things you want to accomplish.

• Why discipline isn't necessarily something you're simply born with
• How to think of discipline as a muscle you can strengthen
• How your mindset influences your ability to follow through
• Why changing the way you think about discipline can change your behavior
• How to intentionally cultivate and nurture greater discipline
• How to approach personal growth without relying on shame or self-criticism

Discipline isn't a personality trait you either have or don't have. It's something you can practice.

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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 happiness isn't something you have to chase, find, or achieve?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea asks a deceptively simple question: Are you happy?

If you're not, you may feel like happiness is just outside your reach—or that other people have somehow figured it out while you're still searching for what's missing.

But what if happiness isn't something you need to chase?

Stephanie explores the idea that constantly looking for the next thing, accomplishment, relationship, purchase, or life circumstance that will finally make you happy can keep you from noticing the life you're already living.

Slow Living invites us to stop rushing toward some imagined future and pay attention to what is happening right now.

• Why happiness can feel like something that's always just out of reach
• How comparing your life to other people's lives can make you feel like you're missing something
• Why constantly chasing happiness may actually get in the way of feeling happy
• How slowing down can help you notice what is already good in your life
• Why you don't have to wait for your circumstances to be perfect
• How to shift your attention from searching for happiness to experiencing it

You don't have to chase happiness. Sometimes you just have to slow down enough to notice it.

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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 is your life's purpose—and how do you figure it out if you don't already know the answer?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea answers a listener question from Chelsea about how to uncover your life purpose and use that clarity to begin charting your long-term and short-term goals.

If you can't easily answer the question “What is my purpose?” you're not alone. Most people can't—and that's okay.

Stephanie explains why discovering your purpose can be an important first step toward creating a life that feels intentional and meaningful. Once you have a better sense of where you're headed, you can begin making decisions and setting goals that support the life you actually want.

And there's one important distinction to make:

Your purpose is NOT your profession.

Your job or career may be one part of your life, but it doesn't have to define your purpose.

• Why so many people struggle to answer the question “What is my purpose?”
• How to begin uncovering your life's purpose
• Why your purpose and your profession are not the same thing
• How knowing your purpose can help you set long-term goals
• How long-term goals can lead to meaningful short-term action
• Why you don't need to have your entire life figured out before you begin

You don't have to know exactly what you're meant to do. Start by getting curious about what matters to you.

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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.

Resilience is the ability to keep going when life doesn't go according to plan—and it's a skill you can learn.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks about resilience and what it means to keep moving forward when you encounter obstacles, setbacks, and unexpected circumstances.

Do you tend to go with the flow and look at challenges with an open mind and a dose of flexibility? Or do you shut down and see every bump in the road as a red flag or a sign that something isn't meant to be?

Stephanie explores what might happen if you could respond to life's obstacles differently—staying focused on where you're headed while remaining flexible about how you get there.

Because sometimes the obstacle is real, and sometimes it's only perceived to be insurmountable.

The good news? Resilience is a learnable skill.

• What resilience really means
• How to become more flexible when life doesn't go according to plan
• Why obstacles don't necessarily mean you're on the wrong path
• How your perspective can affect the way you respond to challenges
• How to keep moving forward even when the odds feel overwhelming
• Why resilience is a skill you can develop over time

You don't have to know exactly how everything will work out. You just have to keep moving forward.

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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 happens when you stop trying to figure everything out on your own and decide to ask for help?

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks with former coaching client Beth about her experience with life coaching and the changes she made by slowing down, doing the work, and putting her own needs back on the list.

Beth shares how she brought ideas from their coaching conversations into her everyday life—including learning to take a beat and deliberately slow down before reacting.

She also talks about betting on herself, refinancing her home on her own, working through difficult experiences from her past, and learning how to move forward.

This conversation is a real-life look at what it can mean to ask for help, do hard things, and create a long-term plan for a life that feels more aligned and intentional.

• How Beth incorporated coaching conversations into her everyday life
• Why taking a beat before reacting can change the way you respond
• How Beth learned to ask for help and put her own needs first
• What it looked like for Beth to bet on herself and take action
• How working through the past can help you move forward
• What “doing the work” can actually look like
• How the principles from Simple Shortcuts to Peace helped Beth think about her long-term goals

Beth's story is a reminder that you don't have to have everything figured out before you begin.

Sometimes the first step is simply deciding that you're worth the investment.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at Stephanie's one-on-one coaching work.

Learn more about coaching

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

Get the book on Amazon

Website: https://stephanieodea.com

Podcast: https://stephanieodea.com/podcast

Blog: https://stephanieodea.com/blog

Speaking: https://stephanieodea.com/speaking/

Find all podcast notes at https://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.

Motherhood can be messy, exhausting, wonderful, and completely overwhelming—and sometimes you just need someone to remind you that you're doing a good job.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea sits down with her longtime online friend Sandy Cooper, creator of the Scoop on Balance website and the Balanced MomCast.

Stephanie and Sandy met online roughly 15 years ago and immediately hit it off. In this conversation, they talk about motherhood, balance, and the realities of trying to create a life that works while taking care of everyone else.

Sandy is also the author of Mom, You're Amazing!: And Other Things I Want to Tell You, a collection of writing and essays created especially for moms. Stephanie shares why she thinks it makes a wonderful gift for yourself—or for another mom in your life.

• A conversation between Stephanie O'Dea and Sandy Cooper
• Sandy's perspective on motherhood and finding balance
• How two longtime online friends connected and stayed connected
• Encouragement for moms who are doing their best to hold everything together
• Why sometimes the reminder you need most is simply: Mom, you're amazing.

And a small podcast-era confession: Stephanie's microphone audio dips in and out during parts of this recording. The conversation is worth sticking around for anyway.

📖 Mom, You're Amazing!: And Other Things I Want to Tell You

Find Sandy's book on Amazon

📖 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.

Even if you had a happy childhood, there may be experiences from your past worth slowing down and looking at.

In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea talks about trauma, childhood experiences, and the ways our past can continue to affect how we live today.

Stephanie encourages listeners to consider the topic even if they don't think they have experienced childhood trauma. Sometimes there are things from our past that still need to be understood, processed, or worked through.

The conversation is especially relevant for parents and people who work with children, because understanding how children process difficult or everyday experiences can help us respond to them with greater awareness and care.

Stephanie also connects this work to moving forward in life. When we find ourselves stuck on the perpetual hamster wheel—or unable to make progress toward the things we want—it may be worth slowing down and looking at what is underneath the surface.

• Why childhood experiences can continue to affect us as adults
• Why it's worth examining your past, even if you had an idyllic childhood
• How slowing down can create space to understand your own experiences
• Why this topic matters for parents and people who work with children
• How processing the past can be part of moving toward the life you want

Sometimes moving forward begins with slowing down long enough to understand where you've been.

📖 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.