The Motivation Mindset with Risa Williams

--Recorded live at Book Soup bookstore in LA on Feb. 21st, 2025 --

Are you tired of feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and like nothing on your to-do list is ever done? This is the episode for you! Live from Book Soup, it's Risa Williams' talk with Mike Sonksen about tools from her latest book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress! Recorded during the event last Friday, Risa talks to Mike about approaching time management and goals from a self-kindness mindset that allows us to befriend ourselves as we work on taking steps forward with things we want to do.

They discuss:

-Making a map of your goals

-The Small Steps Journal

-The Task Intensity Meter

-How to keep different areas of your life in balance while still working towards big goals 

-How to develop a better and healthier relationship with yourself throughout all stages of progress on goals

A big thank you to Dan and Asha at Book Soup and to Mango Publishing for facilitating this book event, and to Mike Sonksen for being such a wonderful host for the evening! Thanks to everyone who came from far and wide to hear the talk - what a great crowd - thanks for a truly wonderful event!

Hosts: Mike Sonksen, @mikethepoetla and Asha at Book Soup

Guest Speaker: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, getstuffdonebook.com, @risawilliamstherapy 

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

So many of us are feeling so tired of "hustle-culture" telling us to work and work until we fall over from burnout...so, what's our newer, healthier, and happier definition of productivity going to be from now on? And, how do you even start to go about redefining productivity for yourself?

Joining Risa Williams to celebrate the book launch of her new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (in stores today), are co-hosts Erica Curtis, Trevor Stockwell and Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, who share their own personal definitions of what "healthy productivity" means to them.

They explore:

-The difference between "healthy productivity" and "unhealthy productivity"

-How to do a "restart" of your day to get back on track again

-A more flexible version of productivity that allows you to see self-care as a priority and balance as a goal

-How picturing what "Future-You" would do and how they would go about daily life can help you stay more motivated and positive about where you are now

-Why taking breaks and resting is so productive to do!

And a big congratulations to Lucy Zhang of Irvine, winner of the Double Book Giveaway on instagram! Hope you like the books!

Check out Risa's new book here: getstuffdonebook.com and tell her what you think!

Hosts:
Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis
Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev
Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, hustlingwriters.com

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you find yourself losing valuable time to scrolling each day? Do you often compare yourself to others on your social media feed or get distracted by watching things that drain your energy and focus?  Risa Williams talks to CBT psychologist and book author of The Stocism Workbook, Dr. Scott Waltman, about learning to use daily social media in a more intentional way.

They discuss:

-How social media influences discussions about mental health topics

-Separating your purpose for social media from social media's purpose for you

-Learning to find the best time to be on social media for your own wellbeing

-What it's like to navigate social media these days as a clinician

Enter our DOUBLE BOOK GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Dr. Scott Waltman's book, The Stoicism Workbook, and Risa Williams' brand new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (in stores Feb. 11th), by going to @risawilliamstherapy and finding the contest post - leave a comment on the giveaway post before 2/10/25 to enter - winner will be announced on the show on 2/11/25!

Attend one of Risa's upcoming book launch events here: https://bio.site/risawilliams

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest; Dr. Scott Waltman, www.sanantoniodbtcbt.com/dr-scott-waltman-psyd/, @socraticmethodcbt

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Is hustle culture burning you out right now? Are you feeling anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed by work on a weekly basis? Risa Williams talks to DJ, podcast host, and journalist, Gabby Sanderson, about navigating burnout recovery from hustle culture. Gabby shares her experiences working in diverse industries in different countries. They discuss growing your own awareness and understanding of what burnout feels like to you, so that you can catch it before you get lost in it for too long.

They talk about:
-Hustle culture and how it affects our mental health
-Anxiety and panic attacks that can happen from burnout
-How to step back and get perspective of what's happening to you
-How money and loneliness are sometimes tied to burnout
-When it's time to take stock of your own wellbeing and balance

Gabby also shares valuable lessons she's learned from interviewing hundreds of wellness experts on her successful UK podcast, The Happier Life Project.

Risa discusses the subject of burnout which she takes on in her new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, which is in stores worldwide Feb. 11th! If you're in LA, come to a book talk and signing at Book Soup with Risa on Feb. 21st at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy, https://www.amazon.com/Get-Stuff-Done-Without-Stress/dp/1684816874

Guest: Gabby Sanderson, https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-the-happier-life-project-99687698/, @radiogabby

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you want to find more creativity in everyday life but get stuck figuring out what to do or how to start? This is the episode for you! Risa Williams and Hilary Kern discuss easy ways you can start to embrace creativity throughout regular life, especially for those out there who feel like they've lost touch with creativity or don't think of themselves as "artistic types." How can we begin to use art as a way to get inspired and find the playful and fun sides of ourselves more intentionally?

They discuss:
-Self-reception and self-expression
-Using creativity as a way to "get into the present moment"
-Finding inspiration in daily life
-Risa's Inspiration Journal tool from The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit
-Connecting with parts of yourself that were creative when you were a little kid again

You can also hear a sample of Risa's audiobook, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit: The Inspiration Journal at the end of this episode.

And check out Risa's upcoming book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress - and if you're in LA on Feb. 21st, you can hear her speak and get your book signed at Book Soup in Hollywood. Find out more at risawilliams.com.

A big thank you to all the first responders and firefighters in Los Angeles right now - thank you for all your heroic efforts - and please stay safe, everyone in LA!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Hilary Kern, hilarykern.com, @hilarykerncreates

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you have trouble decluttering because you can't decide what to get rid of or where to start? Do you get stuck on organizational projects because all those little decisions are just way too overwhelming? Risa Williams welcomes back influencer/organizer Deanna Yates to the show, and they discuss easy and practical ways we can learn to navigate overwhelm and decision fatigue when it comes to decluttering and organizing our stuff.

They discuss:
-How decision fatigue wears us down and what we can do to re-focus our attention on what's in front of us
-Deanna's FREEDOM technique; a three step process you can use when you're stuck making decisions
-Tools from Risa's new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, which you can preorder now and comes out in February!
-How remembering the emotional place we want to get to can motivate us to make decisions in an easier way

Next week on January 13th, Risa will be speaking at Deanna' summit, The Chaos to Calm Summit, and she'll be discussing tools from The Procrastination Playbook and how to overcome everday procrastination. Get your free ticket here: https://www.chaostocalmsummit.com/ticket?sa=sa01592826756fbabd0477060921a9af3e95e9f43c

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Deanna Yates, wannabeclutterfree.com, @wannabeclutterfree

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Happy New Year, everyone! We made it to 2025 - and that's just wonderful! Joining Risa Williams are special guest co-hosts: Erica Curtis, Trevor Stockwell and Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, and they dive deep into figuring out how you want to spend your time and energy during the new year ahead.

In this conversation, they discuss:
-How to get intentional about who you want to be this year
-How to connect the dots by looking back across last year to see what you've learned and gained
-How to say goodbye to old goals and versions of yourself that aren't reflecting who you are any more
-How to get appreciative about those little happy moments and collect them throughout the year more deliberately to boost you up

Find out our best tools for getting in that motivated mindset in 2025! You won't want to miss this inspiring episode and start the year off in a happier mood!

To get you started in your goal-setting in 2025, check out Risa's brand new books: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress and the Get Stuff Done Goals Journal! Available at risawilliams.com and also at: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Risa-Williams/author/B00FC0MMIQ. Easy, practical, goal-setting methods that can keep you on track with things you want to do in 2025!

Hosts:
Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis
Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev
Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, hustlingwriters.com

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

How do we find the strength and focus to get through creative projects without giving up? Risa Williams speaks to author and actor Andrew Lawston about creative persistence and different tools we can use when we want to give up halfway through creative projects. They discuss their work together on the new audiobook, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit, the process of making it together, and they. also share a short excerpt from the book.

In this episode, they discuss:
-Finding accountability and support to navigate the creative process
-Ways both of them use tracking and pacing during long creative projects
-How to "trick your brain" into doing creative tasks it doesn't want to do
-How to "prime your brain" to get ready to be creative each day

If you sometimes feel all on your own and lost in your own head with big projects you're working on, then this is the episode for you!

And a big congrats to our audiobook giveaway winners: Miguel Lee, Darrell Langolf, and Michelle Jones! You will be receiving free copies of The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit - audiobook version! Buy the book here and check it out, hope you like the excerpt we shared on the show today. Also, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress and The Procrastination Playbook by Risa Williams are now available in stores worldwide, check them out at risawilliams.com.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Andrew Lawston, @andrewlawston

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you sometimes lose control of your emotions? Do you often feel overly frustrated or angry about little everyday things? Then, this episode is for you! These days, who doesn't need a little help with emotional regulation? Dr. Catherine Smith talks to Risa Williams about practical skills from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) that anyone can use to start to become more aware of how to regulate their emotions and frustration each day.

They discuss:
-The STOP technique for gaining awareness in the moment
-Parts work - how our "inner parts" feel neglected sometimes and what we can do show ourselves more compassion when we're having big and intense feelings
-How our childhoods might have affected the way we express our emotions
-How learning how to radically accept our emotions can help us navigate them more easily

Books discussed: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress by Risa Williams (new book coming out -preorder today), The Whole-Brain Child by Dan Siegel, Build a Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan, The Polyvagal Theory by Stephen W. Porges

Also, enter to win our new audiobook giveaway - three lucky winners will receive the audiobook version of The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit! Enter on instagram (@risawilliamstherapy) by Dec. 22nd to win!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Dr. Catherine Smith, drcatherinesmith.com, @catherinelistens

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Does perfectionism sometimes hold you back from getting things done? In this episode, Risa Williams talks to classical pianist superstar, educator and performer, Alpin Hong about the role that perfectionism plays in procrastination, especially when it comes to the creative and performing arts. They also discuss how high-achievers can sometimes get in their own way with tasks they need to do.

They discuss:
-How we get in our own way with our self-talk
-The roots of perfectionism
-How to start to pivot out of perfectionism
-How sometimes we make ourselves stuck with our own expectations

Alpin also discusses his own journey with navigating his own roadblocks and career path as a performing artist. If you're feeling stuck on a task you need to do because you sometimes get in your own way, you won't want to miss this episode!

Congrats to Liz Stuck - the winner of our double book giveaway! You'll be receiving The Procrastination Playbook by Risa Williams and Working with Anger Creatively by Erica Curtis! Thanks to everyone who participated and check out Risa's instagram for more giveaways coming up.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Alpin Hong, alpinhong.com, @alpinhong

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.