What if the secret to learning better isn't about absorbing more - it's about staying curious in the first place?

In this episode, we dig into continuous learning: what it really means, why most of us arrive in the workplace at about 40% of our true selves, and how we can reconnect with the childlike wonder we all started with.

They get into why curiosity gets socialised out of us long before we even enter the workforce — and how the generational gap at work means younger people's curiosity is often treated as an inconvenience rather than an asset. They also explore the difference between directional curiosity (learning with a goal) and expansive curiosity (exploring just because), and why you need both.

This episode covers:

• Why even the most experienced learners can accidentally shut down someone else's learning
• The shift from mentoring to mutual mentoring - and why the senior person gains just as much as the junior
• How to figure out how you actually learn best (and why personality tests are useful tools, not life sentences)
• Why starting badly at something is part of the deal — and why quitting isn't always failure
• A simple journaling exercise to track both types of curiosity in your own life

Continuous learning isn't an act. It's a mindset. And this episode will help you build it.

Listen now and grab your journal 🧶

Bonus episodes weren't in our series plan - but this one couldn't wait.

While recording the latest episodes, we heard about the viral essay by Matt Schumer that's been doing the rounds. His argument? We're in the "this seems overblown" phase of something much bigger than most people realise - and the job displacement is coming faster than anyone is prepared for.

So we hit record and reacted to it in real time.

In this mini bonus episode we get into:

- The pace of AI development and why it's different this time

- Who gets left behind and why that matters

- The bias baked into these models and why it's a bigger deal than people realise

- Practical advice for what to do if you're worried - including if you can't afford the paid tools yet

No clean answers. Just an honest conversation about how to move forward when you don't know what you're moving into.

🔗 Read Matt Schumer's original essay: https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2021256989876109403

Boundaries. The topic everyone’s talking about… and very few of us are actually implementing.

In this episode of Untangling Life, we explore what boundaries really mean - at work, at home, and with ourselves - and why we often wait until we’re at breaking point before setting them.

From family dynamics (“it’s always me”) to back-to-back meeting culture, from people-pleasing to entrepreneurial overwhelm, we unpack the hidden opportunity cost behind every yes - and what your time is quietly being traded for.

You’ll hear:

• Why we tend to set boundaries in explosions rather than early signals
• The difference between work-life balance, integration and separation
• How opportunity cost can reframe your decision-making
• Andy’s “2 and 5” rule for protecting family time
• The red / blue / black framework for auditing how you spend your time
• Why strategy time (and thinking time) needs protecting
• How managers can model boundary-setting for their teams
• And how to experiment with boundaries without blowing up your relationships

We also get honest about the boundaries we struggle to keep with ourselves - the deep work we avoid, the uncomfortable tasks we procrastinate, and the internal narratives that get in the way.

If you’ve ever snapped after saying yes too many times, felt resentful about your workload, or struggled to protect your own time… this one’s for you.

As always, we close with practical journaling prompts to help you experiment with boundaries in your own life.

What do you do when life changes… but nothing new has landed yet?

In this episodem we’re talking about transitions - the in-between periods where the old version of your life has ended, and the next one hasn’t fully arrived.

Whether you’re between jobs, navigating a breakup, grieving a loss, moving house, changing how you work, or simply feeling unsettled without knowing why, this conversation is for you.

We explore:

• what a transition actually is (and why it feels so uncomfortable)
• why being “in between” can feel like purgatory
• how identity, grief, and self-worth show up during change
• why you don’t need to understand a transition to accept it
• how to reclaim agency when a change wasn’t your choice
• the idea of the neutral zone — and why you can’t fast-forward through it
• the role of community, honesty, and support during uncertain seasons
• how play, curiosity, and rest can help you move through transition more gently

This episode isn’t about fixing your life or rushing to the next chapter.

It’s about learning how to be where you are, without attacking yourself for finding it hard.

As always, we share practical journaling prompts you can use whether you’re:

• currently in a transition
• avoiding one
• or feeling stable but wanting to prepare for future change

If you’ve ever felt lost in the middle of something ending and something beginning - you’re not alone.

Money is rarely just about money.

In this episode of Untangling Life, we explore the messy, emotional, deeply human relationship we all have with finances - from financial freedom and anxiety, to ambition, guilt, generosity, and the question we rarely stop to ask: what is actually enough?

We unpack how money shapes our decisions, our stress levels, our careers, and our sense of self. We reflect on our own money stories - childhood, class, scholarships, saving, investing, avoidance, hustle, fear - and how those early experiences still quietly influence the choices we make today.

This isn’t an episode about becoming rich, passive income hacks, or five-step plans to “fix” your finances. It’s about understanding the meaning we attach to money, how scarcity and security show up differently for different people, and how financial freedom is often less about luxury and more about choice.

We also explore:
• how money mindsets are formed (and how they can quietly hold us back)
• short-term survival vs long-term security
• why “more” isn’t always the answer
• financial avoidance, nervous system safety, and control
• what it really means to design a life - not just an income

If money feels heavy, confusing, or emotionally loaded for you, this episode is an invitation to untangle it with curiosity, compassion, and honesty.

How much of your life is being shaped by the spaces you’re in… and the people you’re around?

In this episode of Untangling Life, we get into the real impact of environment and community - from messy rooms and what's in your backpack (yes, we went there) to the bigger stuff: how where you grow up can shape your beliefs about what’s possible.

Andy shares the moments that expanded his world beyond Tottenham - including the stories his dad brought home as a minicab driver, a work experience placement that shifted his view of wealth and belonging, travelling that widened his sense of connection, and the mentor who changed the trajectory of his career.

Hattie unpacks why physical space matters more than we realise (especially when life feels tangled), how small “environment tweaks” can make a huge mental difference, and why your village isn’t just something you’re lucky enough to have - it’s something you can build (and be).

You’ll leave with a few practical prompts to try this week:

• How to “play” with your environment so you can work and think better
• How to map your current village - and start building one if you don’t feel like you have it yet
• Better questions to ask when you meet new people (because “so what do you do?” is… not it)

In this episode, we’re talking about limiting beliefs - the stories we tell ourselves that quietly (and sometimes loudly) stop us from taking action.

We took it to the streets and asked people to describe limiting beliefs in the real world and from there, we break down what limiting beliefs actually look like in practice - including the difference between “I’m not good at this yet” and “I’ll never be good at this,” and how that connects to fixed vs growth mindset. We also talk about where these beliefs come from: other people’s fears, throwaway comments that stick for decades (especially from teachers), and how representation plays into it - because sometimes what gets labelled as “imposter syndrome” is really about being in a space where no one looks like you or shares your background.

We share the tools we use when a limiting belief is running the show: grounding ourselves in what’s true, separating stories vs knowns, asking what the worst-case scenario actually is, and finding ways to turn “trying” into play so it doesn’t feel like a high-stakes performance.

To close, we leave you with a journaling prompt: write down the things you’d love to do (in and outside work), notice the limiting beliefs that instantly show up, and then look back at what you haven’t done - and ask yourself why. And as always, we’d love you to share what came up for you (and what’s helped you move through it) via the newsletter and on socials.

Welcome to the start of our journey! In this first episode, Hattie Willis and Andy Ayim MBE introduce the show and share why we finally decided to hit record on our deep and messy conversations. 

We introduce the core idea of Design vs. Drift: the subtle difference between building the life you want versus simply defaulting to the one you accidentally inherited. It's a cosy invitation into the central theme: You can choose your path, even if you trip over a few knots on the way.

Want to dive deeper? Checkout our newsletter for journalling prompts and resources with each episode https://substack.com/@untanglinglifepod