The Play Project

Welcome to the very first episode of Tuesday 10!

Every Tuesday I’ll be sharing a short + practical episode (under 10 minutes… okay, sometimes 12 😅) sharing one practical thing that’s actually worked for me as a solo business owner to reduce mental load, shift my mindset, or just make life a little bit easier.

This week I'm sharing 5 things I did over the last two weeks to consistently create content without wanting to mentally die.

In this episode:

• The surprising thing I stopped doing before I posted (and why it gave me my brain back)

• Why starting with the format you love most makes everything else easier

• The sneaky mindset shift that made follower counts irrelevant

• Why posting and ghosting is your ticket to increased mental energy

• The very business-led reason you don't actually need huge views or follower counts

If you’ve ever wanted to create consistently without it draining every ounce of your energy — this one’s for you.

Follow me @theproductivityproject_Hit Subscribe wherever your listening for new episodes every week!

Here for the IG reel-novella “I started a biz and now I work 4 hours a week from a sun-drenched balcony” story?

Well, this is the other story. The one where a hypothetical mum of two (okay, fine, it’s me) left her corporate hellmouth thinking it would be easier, discovered it was… not, and spent three years trying to make maths, meaning, and motherhood all play nicely together.

This episode does not contain 7-figure screenshots, or 5 steps you can follow to create your own Kardashian empire. This is the episode where I share the real story - real numbers, real hours, real mess - of my first three years as a solo business owner.

In this episode:

• Exactly how much I earned each of the last 3 years

• How many hours I actually worked

• Where the money went: coaches, courses, software, childcare, tax, and the line item I call “coffee, obvs.”

• The sneaky costs no one mentions (context switching, illness, downtime, switching business models… twice)

• How my nervous system coped (sleep, anxiety, focus… and why “be more disciplined” wasn’t the answer)

• What productivity did to me vs. for me, and the moment I realised I didn’t need more willpower

DM me @theproductivityproject_ or find me on Substack (search Kat Hunter or The Mess).

Okay, so this one has strong voice note energy because I recorded it after one of those mornings (1am wakeup, coughing kids, feelings galore, cold coffee - I mean, what a vibe).

And fittingly, in today’s episode, we’re talking about what happens when you STOP trying to be more disciplined… and start asking:

“Who does she think she is?”

We’re talking big goals, weird productivity pressure, women doing the most, and what might happen if you started prioritising how you feel in your workday over what your calendar says. Plus a few personal stories from my corporate days (hi 2017 Trevor, yes, you and your “work from boat” vibes made the cut).

I also let you in on how I’m designing my new program — There She Goals — to feel more like a creative support system and less like another business course you sign up to and forget about.

If you’re feeling stuck, over-scheduled, or like you used to be creative and now you’re just… tired - this one’s for you.

In this ep, I talk about:

– What “being more disciplined” actually gets us in our post-kids, post-corporate, solo-business era– The 3 types of audacity I’m playing with in my work– What we can learn from that weird corporate partner who used to answer all his emails with “yes”– The ONE question that changed everything about my to-do list– And the reason your planner might be giving main character sabotage

Bring Your Goals To Life in 10 Weeks

Want to be first in line when There She Goals opens? Head to productivitykat.substack.com — it’s free to subscribe, and you’ll get early access before I open spots publicly.

This week's episode looks a little different, love. I'm going full voice note - reading out my latest Substack essay, plus sharing some off-the-cuff reflections you won’t find in the written version.

Today we're talking about why standard productivity hacks leave us exhausted, overwhelmed, and still miles from the version of life we actually want.

If you've moved from corporate to cafe and you're running a business, solo, you might be wondering why you're still pulling 8-hour (minimum) workdays (even though you really don't want to be).

If you’ve been spinning your wheels, craving more ease and creativity, and wondering why the systems everyone else swears by just don’t work for you — this is the episode to hit play on.

In this episode, I share:

- The half marathon metaphor that will change how you approach your goal

- The hidden mental model keeping women stuck in “busy but not moving”

- Why joyful productivity matters more than perfect systems

- What actually gets you traction (and it’s not another colour-coded planner)

Aaaaaand... a juicy sneak peek at what I’m building inside There She Goals (hint: it's gonna be hosted on Substack).

Okay, so last week I told you why the 10-week year might be the framework you didn't know you needed when it comes to finally getting that big thing on your list done.

This week? I'm telling you how to use it to bring your big goals to life.

Forget 12 months. What if it only took 10 weeks?

If you’ve been craving a clear (realistic, mum-friendly, actually-sustainable) framework to bring your goals to life without needing to wake up at 5am, overhaul your entire business, or “sTaY cOnSisTeNt - this episode is your step-by-step.

I’m walking you through:

- How to create a vision that’s actually aligned with your life - not just a Pinterest board of vibes

- Why you only need one or two goals to make massive progress- How to set weekly actions you can actually control (and track without wanting to throw your planner in the bin)

- What you need to put in place to support your energy and avoid crashing 3 weeks in

- The crucial step nearly everyone forgets (and it's surprisingly simple)

I'm also sharing a peek inside There She Goals, my new 10-week program for women who want to stop rolling the same goal over year after year, and start bringing it to life (without breaking themselves in the process). Follow me on IG @theproductivityproject_ and DM me CLOSE FRIENDS to join the waitlist.

Ever look at that same big goal that’s been on your list since 2019 and think, “Why can’t I just DO the thing?”

Sames.

In this episode, we're looking at why that might not be a you problem – and why it’s definitely a timeline problem.

I walk you through:
✨ Why the traditional year-long goal setting process is secretly sabotaging your motivation
✨ Why your brain is actually wired to lose steam quickly (spoiler: it’s not your fault)
✨ Why compressing your timelines might be the secret to actually finishing what you start
✨ The surprisingly sustainable reason I’m now working in 10-week years
✨ What your coffee habit might say about your dopamine cycles (yep, it’s relevant and no - you don't have to give it up)

This episode's for you if:

• You’ve had the same goal rolling over for years

• You’ve ever berated yourself or wondered if you're just “not disciplined enough” for not following through (hint: it's got nothing to do with your discipline)

• You’re ready to try a way of working that actually works with your life

  
  

And hey – we get into deer hunting, dopamine, and school terms too. Obviously.

Listen now and don't forget to hit subscribe - this is a two-part episode, and I want you to get both episodes when the second one drops!

Yes, you're right. You can’t concentrate like you used to. And it’s not because you’re lazy, or inherently flawed, or because you need a colour-coded planner.

But it could be your dopamine.

In this week's episode, I'm breaking down:

• What dopamine actually does for your brain (hint: it’s not just about feeling good)

• Why your phone is draining your brain juice

• Why your morning scroll tanks your ability to focus later (it's not why you think)

• Why you can’t just “discipline” your way out of feeling foggy

• And how understanding dopamine can help you work better without doing a total business overhaul or becoming a Pomodoro monk.

There’s a lemon analogy. There’s a deer-hunting metaphor. There’s unqualified science chat.

This one’s for you if:
✨ You keep asking “Why can’t I just do the thing?”
✨ You’ve noticed your brain feels foggier, more distracted, and weirdly resistant
✨ You want your focus (and motivation) back—without needing a digital detox retreat in the Alps

🎧 Hit play and don’t squeeze your lemons too hard.

Come DM me what you thought @theproductivityproject_ or join the dope chat (yes she did) in my stories.

Welcome to the very first episode of my new podcast series: Unsolicited Productivity Advice You Didn’t Ask For — aka me sliding (ew) uninvited into your ears with chaotic voice note energy and helpful strategies for navigating the season of life you’re in.

This week’s question came from a mum of two small kids, running a 1:1 client business, trying to build a group program, sleeping approximately four hours a night, and trying her little heart out to make her one big goal happen.

Here’s what we get into:

⏳ Traditional productivity advice and why it fails mums, creatives, and actual humans with actual lives
💡 Why reframing your year into 10-week blocks could be your burnout-proof business breakthrough
🌿 How to stop managing your time and start managing your energy🧠 The ONE question that can shift you from “maybe I’m not cut out for this” to “maybe I’m just chasing a goal that doesn’t fit my season”
🎨 And why you need to do one gloriously unmonetised, joyfully useless thing every week (and no, it’s not Canva)

If you’ve been feeling like your dreams are one nap-time away from extinction, this ep is a cosy, compassionate reminder that the problem isn’t you — it’s the expectations you’re trying to meet in a life that doesn’t fit them.

This week, I’m coming to you post-school-holidays, post-unplanned time off, post-realisation-that-I-mighta'-been-chasing-some-goals-I-don’t-actually-want.

So if you've ever:

• Rolled your big dream over from one year to the next (and next…)

• Found yourself burning out - not from working too hard - but from chasing a version of success that doesn’t even feel like yours

• Wondered if the problem is actually you (spoiler: it’s usually not)

…then this episode is for you, petal.

Listen and I'll voice note you:

✨ What happens when you stop forcing your life to fit your to-do list✨ How taking unplanned time off gave me the permission slip I didn’t know I needed✨ The difference between not having what it takes vs not wanting what it takes✨ The sneaky corporate productivity patterns that keep us stuck at our desks even when we know better, aaaand...✨ A few juicy questions to ask if your goals are starting to feel like a trap

🧠 Listen now, then head to my Substack for the more personal (and slightly chaotic) story behind all of this.

If you’ve ever whispered “I just need one good week”… this one’s for you.

✨ One clear calendar✨ All the childcare magically aligns✨ No one vomits, screams for longer than 30 minutes, or needs a snack✨ You finally get it together

And yet… even when you get that week, you still feel stuck.

Why?

Because more time doesn’t always mean more progress — especially when your goals aren’t designed to be brought to life in a way that aligns with your real life.

In this episode, I’m walking you through 5 steps to make meaningful progress on your biggest goals (even if you’ve got zero childcare, 12 tabs open, and exactly 1.5 functional hours a day).

This is about building momentum without entering full monk mode.

In this episode:

• Why “just one good week” has never actually worked for you when it comes to making your goals happen

• The first (wildly underrated) step most people skip when goal-setting

• How to write a “day in your life” that exposes whether your goal is even aligned with the life you want

• What to do before you define your actions — and how to make sure those actions don’t lead straight to burnout

🎧 Listen now if you're:

• A creative business owner with too many tabs and not enough time

• Someone who’s done with setting goals that don’t stick

• Curious about how to finally get momentum without burning everything down

  
  

P.S. Want a sneak peek inside the There She Goals™ beta?
Follow @theproductivityproject_ and tap my stories to be added to the Close Friends circle (name pending, "Unhinged CEOs" is in the running). You’ll get early access to BTS, Notion templates, and how to join before enrolments open in May.