Will & Luke Discuss

By Will & Luke DiscussEducation Self-Improvement

Will & Luke Discuss episodes

June 23, 2021#16 The 4-Hour Work Week (Tim Ferriss, 2007)
This episode we jump around topics of lifestyle-design and job-crafting, primarily looking at how to achieve freedom and security through a personally crafted work/life balance. We ask what it means to build our lives around what we enjoy, asking questions such as 'What's the best use of our time and energy?' and 'How can we be productive yet not busy?'. We discuss using techniques such as remote working, elimination, selective ignorance, time management and the art of non-finishing -- a few things for us to consider as we get older and deeper into our careers.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:00 Introductions

02:50 Lifestyle design (and design within the work you do)

4:55 What you love being tied to income generation

9:00 Influence of being in new environments and cultures

12:00 Work leave and casual workforce

15:30 Mini-retirements

19:05 2nd 'homes'

20:40 Attitude towards moving places

23:50 Remote working (turning work into automation)

27:30 Work breaks and the choice to work

30:00 The Monday-Friday, 9-5 trap

31:00 Elimination - prioritising the things you want to do and not wasting times doing things that aren't important. Fewer interruptions and distractions. 80/20 principle.

35:02 Selective ignorance (appropriate use of mental energy, boundary setting)

40:50 The art of non-finishing 45:30 'Productive' not 'busy'

48:10 Time management and flexibility - Job crafting
Find the book: https://tim.blog/tim-ferriss-books/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/AMfrEl-xtVg
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.
52 min
June 22, 2021#15 The Time of Your Life (Anthony Robbins, 1998)
Think big and connect to your ultimate vision.
This episode we discuss Tony Robbins' 10-Day Time of Your Life program, which we both completed. This is a great way to face the reality of how we spend our time. We look at what Tony calls 'Categories of Improvement' and how to achieve our ultimate vision by clarifying our desired Outcome, curated Purpose and next Action steps. We also look at planning our day-to-day actions to align with our deepest values. Furthermore, we look into his 6-step decision-making process. This was a really interesting process which has helped us both clarify our overall vision whilst giving us a grasp on the day-to-day tasks involved in achieving it.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:00 Introductions

5:15 Time Targets - the ways in which we use our time. Dimensions of distraction, delusion, demand and 'the zone'

18:30 Categories of improvement (ultimate vision, purpose, resources, 3 to thrive and 90 day results) OUTCOME, PURPOSE and ACTIONS 29:35 Use of language in motivation

30:20: Ultimate Vision (personal mission statement)

32:20 Day to day planning (how tasks fit into weekly vision)

40:30 Tony Robbins style of work

43:55 Decision making (6 step process)

51:00 Choice points - keeping values in mind not responding to demand and making active choices 53:50 Final thoughts - raising consciousness and feeling inspired
Find the programme: https://store.tonyrobbins.com/products/the-time-of-your-life
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/UhoB89dl0s4
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.
1 hr 3 min
June 21, 2021#14 Sleep (Nick Littlehales, 2016)
In Sleep, Nick Littlehales spells out his r90 sleep program, which addresses the importance of good night's sleep. We unwrap advice from this elite sports sleep coach and talk about the 7 key recovery indicators of sleep, pre and post sleep routines, sleep chronotypes, naps and sleeping environment. Furthermore, we dig into the impacts of modern day culture, diet and work on sleep, and how to fight back against a culture that doesn't really facilitate recovery through sleep.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:00 Introductions

2:30 7 Key Recovery Sleep indicators (Circadian Rhythmns, Sleep Chronotype, Sleeping in Cycles -r90, pre+post sleep routines, position and comfort, sleeping environment).

3:00 Circadian Rhythms (PM'ers + AM'ers)

6:30 Sleep Chronotypes (set wake times)

9:15 r90 program (4 stages of sleep - Drifting off NREM, Light Sleep, Deep sleep + REM) and the importance of weekly cycles

14:15 Naps

18:00 Pre+Post sleep routines

24:00 Tech before bed

26:15 Shift work

28:30 Transition from home to work

35:20 Cultural impacts on Sleep

37:05 REM as a way of processing unresolved emotions

38:40 Sleep environment

44:45 Sleeping position

47:05 Final reflections
Purchase the book at: https://sportsleepcoach.com/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/df-fKOEbp_c
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.
49 min
June 17, 2021#13 Flow (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)
Flow. The nature of optimal experience. What is flow? How can we achieve this state? What are its conditions and components?
This episode we discuss how to transform daily experience into flow states by setting unified goals, becoming immersed in activities and paying close attention to our experience. We also talk about the environment and cultural impacts on flow alongside how we can structure our leisure time and work life in order to facilitate more immersive and enjoyable states that our experiencing self and remembering self will be happy with. How can we lose ourselves in order to grow? How do our wider goals impact our experience of flow? A lot of questions answered and topics explored. Really enjoyed recording this one.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

04:05 What is Flow?

06:15 The 8 Components of Flow (What we are doing is achievable, takes full concentration, goal itself is clear with immediate feedback, deep effortless involvement, you've got control of your own actions, sense of self disappears, sense of time alters)

09:45 4 Main Conditions of flow (Structured activity, sense of discovery, challenge that involves a skill, created by the self)

14:45 Experiences of flow

28:10 The autotelic self (Self that has self contained goals) (1. Setting unified goals 2. Becoming immersed in activities 3. Paying close attention to experience) How this all transfers experience into flow.

32:47 What we do in our leisure time and cultural influences

48:00 Choice of environment and affect on flow. (Reflection and action)

51:35 Enjoying the immediate experience (problems with constantly doing things for the future, experiencing self vs remembering self)

52:45 Lifestyle design for inner states

1:01:15 Final reflections after the video finished (Being lost in expectations and external responsibilities) (Doing things for ourselves, how thing changes with age) (Frontal cortex development makes it harder to be in the moment) (Impacts of work and technology)
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/mdjm5pBMcKc
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.
1 hr 12 min
June 16, 2021#12 Waking Up (Sam Harris, 2014)
This episode's on one of our favourite authors and thinkers, Sam Harris' book 'Waking Up'.
This is a unique and pertinent piece of writing for us both in understanding meditation and mindfulness on a deeper level. We go beyond the commonly taught dualistic mindfulness techniques into more self-transcendent practices (non-dualistic). We discuss the the helpful and suggested ways of relating to suffering, our thoughts, and the nature of consciousness. Topics covered include the sense of self being an illusion, being lost in thought, and theory of mind. This one tested our ability to articulate a personal and experiential practice that we are both seeking to deepen.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

4:25 The feeling of 'I' as an illusion and sources of psychological suffering

5:45 Religious perspectives (Eastern spiritual practices)

10:45 Vipassna (dualistic) vs Dzogchen (non-dualistic)

15:05 Psychological continuity - concept of self

19:45 Consciousness is all we have - 'Theory of Mind'

21:15 Being lost in thought (and decision making)

26:00 Embracing the contents of consciousness (relax, accepting things as they are as we strive to change ourselves)

30:30 Glimpses

33:45 'Having no Head'

40:15 Loss of self and separateness of self

50:25 Waking Up app and current practices

1:02:00 Impacts of meditation for us

1:09:45 Conclusions
Purchase the book at: https://samharris.org/books/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/juOcP8Mv5eo
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.
1 hr 11 min
June 15, 2021#11 The Happiness Trap (Russ Harris, 2007)
This episode we talk about one of the first self-help books to come out of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a psychotherapy that aims to help us live a more meaningful life, by accepting discomfort and moving towards more valued action. We dive into ways in which we can learn to accept our internal experiences, and how having a strong set of internal values can guide us to take actions by which both our experiencing-self and remembering-self can be satisfied. Alongside the benefits of mindfulness techniques, we also touch on aspects around indecision, procrastination and 'cognitive fusion'.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

4:15 'The Happiness Trap' and The 4 Myths (1. Happiness is a natural human state, 2. If you're not happy you're defective, 3. To create a better life we must get rid of negative feelings, 4. You should be able to control what you think and feel)

8:15 Principles of ACT (Defusion, Expansion, Connection, The observing self, values and Committed action)

9:15 Cognitive Fusion, Defusion and Acceptance self talk

18:45 Urge surfing

21:45 Is this thought helpful or not?

24:15 Naming our feelings and expansion

27:55 Fight or Flight response vs Internal 'mental' threats (the meanings we attach - clean pain vs dirty pain)

34:30 The Observing Self - identify with the witness of the feelings

42:15 Impacts of technology

44:30 Indecision (assessing own values, wants and needs vs listening to feelings)

50:35 Excuses and procrastination

52:15 Values and choice points (re-attuning our why to guide action)

1:00:35 Final reflections (Experiencing self vs remembering self)
Purchase the book at: https://thehappinesstrap.com/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/UKiVTY2JT20
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.
1 hr 7 min
June 14, 2021#10 The Chimp Paradox (Steve Peters, 2012)
This episode, we spoke about how we can respond to our inner conflicts and negotiate the fundamental internal drives. We talk about ways to manage our 'chimp self' and the impact of self-talk. We expand on how finding a balance between our 'logical' brain and 'chimp' brain can affect our interactions, relationships, confidence and how we react in times of disappointment. We finish with how we can be more compassionate and nurturing to ourselves and our unmet needs. We tie in aspects of habits, attachment theory and the physiology of the brain, from previous episodes.
This episode is the origin of the ongoing battle that Will faces with slow walkers and Luke has with his late night pizza cravings.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions (Chimp self vs Human self)

03:45 Our chimp urges and natural drives (Input go through the 'chimp')

09:15 Our 'computer' (pre-programmed reactions and how we cope with inner conflict)

14:15 Replacing gremlins (old destructive reactions) with autopilots (more helpful beliefs and statements). Future programming - 'change'.

20:30 Choice points (internal assumptions 'goblins' and behaviours)

25:15 Goal setting (target goals vs maintenance goals)

37:15 Personality and interactions with others (ingrained behaviours that are predictable)

40:35 Inner self talk

42:35 Chimp self and Human self's view of self (self-judgment vs compassionate response vs logical response)

47:35 'Feeding the chimp a banana' - Luke's pizza craving

53:40 Managing the chimp (boxing the chimp - telling it a truth it will accept) (Exercising the chimp by venting - space to get it off our chest) 58:25 Finding your troop (specifically choosing people around you to provide feedback)

1:03:10 Relationships (what we do accept vs what we don't) Gut instinct vs Logic. Listen to unmet needs.

1:15:15 Confidence (Chimps inability to deal with failure). Confidence from giving things ago and accepting flaws

1:20:00 The way we respond to ourselves

1:22:00 Final reflections
Purchase the book at: https://chimpmanagement.com/books-by-professor-steve-peters/the-chimp-paradox/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/DJVTubXru18
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.
1 hr 24 min
June 14, 2021#9 On Confidence (The School of Life, 2017)
What is confidence? How is it developed?
This week we look at The School of Life's short book 'On Confidence'. We explore the key ideas of confidence, actions and skills we can develop, and how befriending our inner idiot helps us understand our own and others' flaws. We unpack the historical conceptions of confidence and the developmental stages we go through. We finish with how a stoic conceptualisation of death can bring about more confidence to live fully and less critically in order to sooth our remembering self.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

07:00 What is confidence? (Trust of others- Secrets - Trust of self) (An action, will and skill)

08:45 Trusting your own decisions

10:15 Others opinions and criticism. (Fritz Pearls poem. Internal drive to look good) (We only see ourselves from the inside and others from the outside)

14:45 Befriending the inner idiot (Accepting flaws - our own and others)

22:00 Not taking life to seriously vs self deprecation (People want connection not 'success')

28:00 Putting yourself out there - confidence as a decision

33:55 Attachment and integrating an internal secure base

37:00 Resilience as a key part of confidence (how we replay old stories)

42:15 Asserting ones self - choosing confidence (it's not brutishness) (Being too attached to modesty)

43:35 Confidence in confidence

45:55 Difference between requests and demands & How we look up to others (developmental stages)

49:10 Death and confidence

57:00 Final thoughts
Purchase the book at: https://www.theschooloflife.com/london/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVTubXru18
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.
1 hr 3 min
June 14, 2021#8 The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (Nathaniel Branden, 1994) Part 2 of 2
In this second part of our discussion on The 6 Pillars of Self-Esteem we take a deep dive into the final three pillars: the practice of self assertiveness, the practice of living purposefully and the practice of personal integrity. We also discuss external factors on self-esteem.
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

01:05 Pillar 4: The Practice of Self assertiveness (Honour wants, needs and values whilst seeking appropriate forms of their expression). How this leads to individuation and the building of relationships

17:25 Pillar 5: The Practice of Living Purposefully (1. Taking responsibility for formulating ones goals and purpose consciously - what's worth doing, 2. Being concerned to identify the actions needed to achieve ones goals, 3. Monitoring behaviour to check that it is in align with ones goals, 4. Paying attention to ones actions to know where they are leading and where one wants to go)

25: 45 Pillar 6: The Practice of Personal Integrity - the integration of chosen ideals, convictions, standards, values, beliefs and behaviour

40:15 Reflections on Pillars 4,5,6. Accountability in all situations. Bringing values in consciousness.

48:39 The philosophy of self esteem according to Nathaniel Brandon. Core beliefs.

52:15 External factors of self esteem (Childhood & Parenting - Attachment Theory)

1:07:45 Reflections on work

1:17:15 We act in accordance with values regardless of consciously or unconsciously

1:18:15 Self esteem and psychotherapy

1:25:15 Survival strategies and the recovery model

1:28:30 Integrating sub-personalities (transactional analysis)

1:33:45 Self esteem and cultural impacts

1:44:17 The '7th Pillar' willingness to live by principles when things aren't going well. Willingness to confront and like yourself.

1:51:20 Conclusions
Purchase the book at: http://www.nathanielbranden.com/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/AeIslnfgRjM
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.
1 hr 49 min
June 14, 2021#7 The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem (Nathaniel Branden, 1994) Part 1 of 2
Here, we start a two-part podcast on Luke's favourite book of recent years. We cover a multitude of areas in the realm of self-esteem: what self esteem is, how it looks, how it can be solidified through habits, and how it affects our interactions. This episode, we cover the first three pillars: the practice of living consciously; the practice of self acceptance; and the practice of self responsibility.
Be sure to check out part 2 as well!
Hope you enjoy.
Will & Luke
00:15 Introductions

6:00 How the book is split up

7:00 What is Self Esteem? (Self-efficacy and self-respect)

11:10 Benefits of positive self esteem (allows us to go for big goals, better communicator in regards to needs, we can live better cause we respond better) and negative of low self-esteem

14:15 Self Esteem as a habit (small incremental improvements)

15:15 How someone may carry themselves with positive self esteem (ease, spontaneity, flexible, not a war with themselves, can handle change, free from anxiety, good eye contact, clear)

19:00 People with low self esteem's experience

21:15 Pseudo self esteem

30:15 Acting on drive and desire, our actualising tendency and expressing tendency.

35:45 Action based

37:45 Pillar 1: The practice of living consciously (responsible towards reality and not our feelings - emotional reasoning) (Not avoiding reality and continual evaluation of reactions and purpose)

56:00 Pillar 2: The practice of self acceptance (1. To be on my own side with and orientation of self value, 2. A willingness to experience thoughts feelings and actions, 3. Compassion to self (Experiencing self vs remembering self) (Accepting the disowned parts of self)

1:20:05 Pillar 3: The practice of self responsibility (Sense of control over our existence) (Accepting control of actions, life and well-being)

1:39:15 Wrap-up of these internal practices/orientations/dispositions
Purchase the book at: http://www.nathanielbranden.com/
This specific episode can also be seen on: https://youtu.be/S-rkzz_4BNI
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.
1 hr 43 min

About Will & Luke Discuss

From the publisher's feed

Lifelong friends, Will (Mental Health Social Worker, Australia) and Luke (Psychotherapist, UK), discuss influential books on personal growth, across fields of Psychology, Psychotherapy, Philosophy, Self-help and more.

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Will & Luke Discuss

Will & Luke Discuss episodes

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