It started with building a simple spreadsheet. It wasn’t fancy or complicated (ok, that’s not entirely true. But it doesn’t need to be… I just had fun building it that way). Truly I just wanted a way to gamify my way out of depression.

What I discovered was that I almost always reported feeling great on the days I’d expect to feel terrible—huh?

And the thing that surprised me most?

I actually became three times happier.

We also talk about:

Why consistency is kinder than intensity

Why visibility matters when your energy is low

How I built a system that helped me feel like myself again

What “cognitive idling” is and why it drains your motivation

***

The Unobstructed Podcast is for people making sense of modern work and life. We share honest conversations, personal stories, and systems you can use to build clarity without burning out.

About the hosts:

Derek MacDonald, former wilderness guide turned software simplifier.

Rachael Sink, owner and business consultant at Rachael's Ink, LLC, a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner agency.

Visit Derek’s website: derekmacdonald.com

Visit Rachael’s website: rachaelsink.com

Get full access to Unobstructed at explore.theunobstructed.com/subscribe