The Effort Lab

Curiosity isn't just for kids—it's a powerful tool that can improve our mental health, deepen our relationships, and even help us build better habits. In this episode, we explore the role of curiosity in personal growth, relationships, and everyday life. How can adopting a beginner's mind shift the way we approach challenges? Why does curiosity help us override cognitive distortions and emotional reasoning? And how can we use curiosity to break free from rigid thinking in areas like health, parenting, and marriage? Join us as we make a case for leaning into curiosity as a daily practice.

• What curiosity is and why it matters
• The connection between curiosity and mental health (including cognitive distortions)
• How curiosity can help us approach relationships with more openness and connection
• Using curiosity as a tool for personal growth in health, habits, and lifelong learning
• Why curiosity leads to greater joy, gratitude, and a richer experience of life

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In this episode of The Effort Lab, Stephanie and Lindsay dive deep into the role our phones play in our lives. From the benefits of technology to its unintended consequences, they share personal experiences, staggering statistics, and thought-provoking insights about consumption and how it impacts our minds and spirits. Tune in to hear their honest discussion about the challenge of balancing the good and bad of phone use, plus actionable steps to create a healthier relationship with your device.

Books and Resources Mentioned:

• The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr [Link to book]

• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport [Link to book]

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer [Link to book]

• Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald [Link to book]

In this episode of The Effort Lab, Stephanie and Lindsay explore the reality that nothing in life stays stagnant. Drawing inspiration from children's books, natural laws, and their own experiences, they delve into the importance of consistent effort in all areas of life—from maintaining relationships to cultivating personal growth. The sisters share how neglect leads to deterioration and why intentional effort is essential for thriving in today's busy, chaotic world.

Key Topics:

• The concept of chaos as the natural state: Why things deteriorate without effort.

• Maintaining relationships as a living, growing responsibility.

• Lessons from Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and other analogies about effort.

• The role of discipline and self-coaching in overcoming resistance to hard work.

• How building strong relationships impacts all other areas of life.

Favorite Quotes:

1. "Life is going to life." — Lindsay's client

2. "I'm not afraid of a little hard work." — Lindsay

3. "It's easy to let things slide, but life doesn't allow for neutral. You're either progressing or regressing." — Stephanie

Takeaways and Reflections:

• The importance of regular maintenance: Whether it's a garden, a relationship, or your health, small daily efforts prevent larger problems later.

• Relationships require active nurturing—they don't thrive on autopilot.

• Self-coaching can help overcome resistance to hard tasks by reframing effort as an investment in long-term well-being.

Links Mentioned:

• Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal [Link to box set]

• The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter [Link to book]

• Jordan B. Peterson's philosophy on "setting your house in order" [Link to resource]

• Mosiah 4:27 (LDS Scripture Reference)

Join us in this week's challenge: Identify one relationship or area of your life that needs attention, and commit to one small act of effort to improve it. 

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In this episode, Stephanie and Lindsay explore the concept of "ordering your private world" inspired by the book Ordering Your Private World by George MacDonald. They share key takeaways from the book, personal reflections, and practical insights about cultivating a disciplined inner life. From the connection between our inner and outer worlds to the importance of intellectual "fitness," this episode is a call to strengthen your mind, focus your energy, and embrace the effort required for personal growth.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The difference between our measurable outer world and our intangible inner world.
• The concept of "flabby thinking" vs. intellectual "horsepower."
• How cultivating an ordered inner life leads to greater peace, focus, and productivity.
• Why disciplined reading and study are essential for spiritual and intellectual growth.
• Strategies for managing time and eliminating distractions to focus on what matters most.

Favorite Quotes:

1. "Our outer or public world is easier to deal with. It is much more measurable, visible, and expandable. A private world is a center in which choices and values can be determined where solitude and reflection might be pursued." – George MacDonald
2. "The mind weakens and gets out of shape when it is not given proper training." – George MacDonald
3. "Study means developing good filing systems to store my information so that it is never wasted. It means making sacrifices to acquire a good library of reference books. But most of all, it means determination and discipline—and the result is always growth." – George MacDonald

Links Mentioned:

• Ordering Your Private World by George MacDonald [Link to book]
• Instagram Reel from The Centered Life Co.: [Link to reel]
• Gretchen Rubin's Outer Order, Inner Calm [Link to book]

In today's episode we cover three important parts to helping you set up your New Year on the right foot! We help you learn how to identify your core values, create a vision for yourself, and set goals in line with your personal values and life vision. We give you practical tips, helpful exercises, and insightful questions to help you be the author of your own life.

Russ Harris Values Exercise

Gretchen Rubin's Podcast: Happier

Karin Nordin, PhD Instagram

Chasing Wild Instagram

App Opal

Books Mentioned:

The Happiness Trap, by Russ Harris

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey

Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty

Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr

Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will get eaten. Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running.

In this first episode of The Effort Lab, sisters Stephanie and Lindsay introduce themselves, share their unique backgrounds, and lay the foundation for the podcast's mission: helping you put in the effort to become the person you want to be. Stephanie, a holistic nutritionist and eating psychology coach, and Lindsay, a licensed marriage and family therapist, combine their expertise to explore the power of discipline, intentional habits, and mental resilience.

They discuss:

• Why intentional effort creates a meaningful life

• The connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—and how you can start creating change at any point

• The importance of accountability and personal responsibility in self-improvement

Join us as we challenge you to rise, grow, and move forward—one intentional effort at a time. This is your invitation to step into a hope-filled journey of self-development.

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