This week we discuss Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's All Small Stuff. A book which was full of nuggets of wisdom around how to keep perspective on life when caught up in day to tasks and worries. We discuss how to make peace with imperfection, how to stop our thoughts from snow balling and how we are what we practice the most. Plus much more.   

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke.  

00:00 Introductions (A book about perspective) (Ideas from ACT, CBT, Stoicism, Buddhism) 

04:50 Altering our life by altering our attitude. Don't sweat the ball stuff 08:35 Watching the snowballing of your thoughts (the power of thoughts)(Transforming relationship with out thoughts) 

13:40 Accepting all aspects of yourself - compassion 

14:30 Try to take a broad perspective on life during the day to day (how to engage with others) (Listening to those closest to us) 

18:40 Choosing your battles wisely and If someone throws you a ball you don't have to catch it (Boundaries) 

22:00 Making peaceful with imperfection. What is success? Perfection? Balancing wider life purposeful when dealing with small stuff. Fixed vs Growth mindset. Expectations.  

29:45 Lighten Up. Be sincere not Serious. Life as play.  

33:25 Becoming an early rise and shifting morning routines. Structure, self responsibility accountability.  

37:30 Remember, you become what you practice most (what behaviours and reactions are we cultivating in day to day moments) 

42:10 Checking you ego and checking perspective in response to others 

46:45 Wrap-up and final reflections  

Buy the book: https://dontsweat.com/  

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/-Uo562d9AYQ

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos 

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW 

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365 

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== 

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

This week we discuss The Happiness Hypothesis. Jonathon has laid out for us 10 key ideas derived from ancient wisdom that guide us in ways to achieve human flourishing and happiness, taking a positive psychology approach. We talk about a number of concepts around aligning our values with day to day action, integrating our personality across multiple levels and ways to cope during adversity. We also look into what Jonathon means by 'Happiness Between', work's role in happiness, how to change our mind and his notion of training the 'rider' of our emotional 'elephant' in order to create sustained change. A real catch all episode.   

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke.   

00:00 Introduction 

03:00 Elephant and Rider concept 

5:30 The uses of adversity (post traumatic growth).  3 Levels of integration to achieve in our personality - basic traits, characteristic adaptations and our life story.  Ways of coping - active, appraisal and avoidance. (Adapting self, adapting to environment and changing environment) 

15:30 Pursuit of Happiness - Chapter 5 - Matching long term goals with short term ones. Taking action vs acceptance and loss of attachments. (Adaptation principle) (Progress principle) 

21:10 Work's role in Happiness and discovering meaning (Engaging in our environment and work matching values) 

25:15 Happiness Hypothesis - Happiness comes from between 

30:00 Change your mind - Re-training the elephant through strengthening the rider! How to create sustained change. Tightening up vs loosening.  38:00 The Divided self - reason and emotion working together 

39:40 Virtue Ethics - building individual virtues and character 

42:00 Life being play (seriousness vs sincerity) playing our 'role' in life. Not investing life so intensely that it becomes stressful. (Life story is - Reconstructed past,  perceived present and anticipated future) 

47:00 Acceptance vs Striving  

48:00 Conclusion   

Find the book at: https://jonathanhaidt.com/  

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/3wb9AnfCubM

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos  

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW  

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365  

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==  

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

This week we look into Cal Newport's 'Deep Work'. Talking about how we can use our time wisely to focus on what really matters free from unnecessary distractions and how can be push ourselves to our cognitive limits. We discuss how deep work is a skill that requires training and how we can best use the limited amount of time and energy we have in a day. We cover concepts of task switching, the impacts of technology on concentration, how to create free mental space to work and replenish ourselves. With a lengthy discussion on the 4 types of 'Depth Philosophies' that we can engage in. We think this one builds really nicely on the back of digital minimalism by the same author.   

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke.  

00:00 Introduction 

2:40 What is Deep Work and why is it so valuable  

4:40 Impact of Technology 

6:10 Busy vs Productive/Effective 

10:15 Importance of deep work - what we choose to pay attention to and how to become less distracted and Flow.  (Wider impacts) 

15:15 Rules of Deep Work: Work Deeply (create the space/structure). It takes practice.  

23:00 Depth Philosophies: Monastic (large chunk of time away), Journalistic (squeeze in deep work when you can), Rhythmic (clearly defined moments for deep work, develop a habit), Bimodal (day/few days off) 

36:55 Other deep work strategies (embrace boredom, quitting social media, locking out sacred time, understanding your mental capacity, planning time to do specific tasks, schedule every part of your day, end of day rituals, treat emails as a distraction). 

44:00 Training yourself to rejuvenate vs training to do deep work. Meaningful leisure not just 'chilling out'. 

46:30 'Humans were born to be busy' - push yourself 

49:00 Deep Work can be calculated by how long it would take to learn. 

52:00 Conclusions  

Find the book: https://www.calnewport.com/books/deep-work/

This specific episode can also be watched on: https://youtu.be/PvkmvKYSGJU 

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos  

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW  

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365  

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==  

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

How do we make friends, create networks and maintain strong ties with those in our lives? What reasons do people come and go from our lives? And, how can we deepen our friendships in moment to moment interactions? We discuss Marissa's ideas around social chemistry and the 3 types of networks/styles we adopt (Expansionists, Conveyers and Brokers). We also get stuck into ideas around work/life balance, the impact of technology on friendships and how we can diversify our networks.  

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke.   

00:00 Introductions and Communication Styles/Ties 

04:28 Structures of Networks + What is friendship and how does it develop? 

9:30 Expansionists 

14:21: Conveners 

16:30 Brokers 

19:15 Friendships  - 'In the Moment' + Impact of phone use + Follow up questions 

27:10 Barriers to and enhancers of communication (Enhancing self awareness and self faculty)  

35:33 Oscillating between Broker and Convener - changing styles throughout life.  

37:42 Work/Life Balance (Segmenters vs Integrators)  

44:20 Energising vs Draining friendships  

47:00 Maintenance through technology and shared activities 

52:25 Who we are drawn to as friends and expanding diversity of networks 

55:40 Final reflections and wrap up  

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/aOvZ7MFLR4U

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos 

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW 

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365 

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== 

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

Purchase the book: https://marissaking.com/socialchemistry

This week we discuss Cal Newport's 'Digital Minimalism'. As technology, apps and social media continue to grip our attention and affect us in a multitude of negative ways, how can we gain back control? How can we optimise and extract value from the technologies we currently use so we have more time for meaningful activities and connections? We discuss some of the practices Cal suggests, as well as looking at aspects of having a digital declutter, the benefits of solitude and curating our information diet. A real practical episode with plenty of take aways.  

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke  

00:00 Introductions 

2:15 Digital Life and the Philosophy of new technology  

6:30 The Digital Declutter 8:50 Our inability to be alone 

9:20 Technology and our core needs 

10:50 Connection vs Conversation (Shallow vs Deep interactions) (Conversation centric communication) 

15:30 Texting, compulsions, freedom 

19:00 Utilising the benefits of technology - optimisation and extracting the value 

24:05 Benefits of solitude and practices 

32:00 Scheduling low quality leisure 

33:25 Single purpose devices, utilising functions, notifications and other practices 

36:00 Curating your information diet 

38:30 Making your life full of non phone based activities + Doing 'nothing' is over-rated (Discover valuable activities) 

43:00 Re-connecting with the body 

44:20 Will's key take-aways 

46:00 Conclusions around digital minimalism   

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/HKoee_TWD00

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos 

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW 

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365 

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw== 

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

Purchase the book: https://www.calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/

Carpe Diem! Seize the day! You only live once! So many catch-all philosophies for living but what do they actually mean and how can we best live life to the fullest. This week we discuss the 5 ways that we can seize the day, extract full meaning from our days and look back on our life with few regrets. Also the ways in which we sculpt ourselves through our choices and the power of autonomy. We discuss how Carpe Diem has been hijacked, the cultural impacts on our ability to seize the day and the psychological blocks we can experience when trying to make the most of our lives. Ideas around death, freedom, power, procrastination, spontaneity, hedonism, mindfullness and the grasping of opportunity are explored.

Hope you enjoy.

Will & Luke.

00:00 Introductions and old meanings of Carpe Diem

04:30 Cultural Highjacks of Carpe Diem

08:50 Cultural impacts

10:10 The 5 Ways to 'Seize the Day' (Spontaniety, Opportunity, Presence, Politics, Hedonism)

10:50 'Opportunity'

16:30 'Dancing with Death' and 'Death tasters'

24:25 The 'Role' Breaker

29:00 Moving life into 'Chaos'

30:10 'Hedonism'

34:40 'Presence'

43:30 I choose, therefor I am. Meaning through autonomy and choice. How we shape ourselves. (Act first think later)

48:10 'Spontaneity' - Improvised, unplanned living

54:47 Impact of technology on spontaneity

56:15 Psychological blocks to Carpe Diem (Risk, Overload, Apathy and Procrastination)

1:08:20 Conceptualising morality within Carpe Diem ideas

1:10:10 Wrap up

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXbjT723BsY

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

Find the book: https://www.romankrznaric.com/carpe-diem-regained

A lively discussion about Jordan Peterson's latest book, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. We cover some of the chapters we found most inspiring and actionable.

Hope you enjoy.

Will & Luke

00:00 Introductions

07:00 Titles of the rules

09:25 Rule 2: Imagine who you could be and aim single mindedly at that

16:50 Rule 5: Do not do things you hate

26:30 Rule 3: Do not hide unwanted things in the fog

30:40 Rule 11: Do not allow yourself to become resentful deceitful or arrogant.

36:30 The narratives we have of the world

41:15 Rule 12: Be grateful despite your suffering

45:35 Rule 8: Try to make one room in your house as beautiful as possible

53:40 Chapter 9: If old memories still haunt you, write them down carefully and completely

1:00:33 Final reflections

Buy the book: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/beyond-order/

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/zCSK9jnbRTY

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

This episode we look at Attachment Theory. We dive into: the four attachment styles (Secure, Ambivalent, Avoidant and Disorganised); the six domains of attachment theory; narrative approaches in psychotherapy; the construction of self; achieving an internal secure base; and balancing our needs for intimacy and authenticity.  

This is really dense and informative episode. We worked a lot out in real time. It was a challenging read, and a pleasure to discuss.   

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke 

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/pq2xSsd9I1s

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

How can we retain the value of the content we consume from all the various inputs in our lives in a structured way? How do we tie together all the unclosed loops in our mind? 

This episode we get stuck into Tiago Forte's 'Building a Second Brain'. Forte encourages us to create a system outside of our (first) brain to organise, preserve and recall information in a meaningful way. We look at his CODE System and PARA Method alongside ideas about how we organise our lives in an increasingly digital world.  

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke 

References:  

Tiago Forte's Building a Second Brain Blog Posts: 

Tiago Forte's Building a Second Brain Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/46BdDKMSBxYXKpjSoYtP2X  

Schools Sucks Project Podcast on Building a Second Brain:

David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD): https://gettingthingsdone.com/

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/m5Jn0XIF4Tg

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.

This episode we explore stress: what it is, its physiological impacts, and what we can do about it. We talk about warning signs, burn-out, ways of de-activating the stress response, the impacts of chronic stress, and how to modulate it. We highlight in particular how the psychological and physiological cannot be considered as separate. With this in mind, we consider the social contributors of stress, and how the way we structure our time impacts our stress levels.   

Hope you enjoy. 

Will & Luke

This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/Xg9rcnE8-WY

Check our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_SKLFpax13442jA3giaw/videos

Listen to us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2R1BRcriKWcvOU1XMJQhyW

Listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/will-luke-discuss/id1572512365

Listen to us on Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy81Zjk2YTNmYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Also available on: Anchor, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public.