After 119 episodes of recording our podcast, The Long and The Short Of It, with just the two of us, Jen Waldman and I decided it would be fun to have a conversation with a guest.

Enter, Seth Godin. 20 times best selling author (yes, you read that right), teacher, creative genius and keen noodler.

We talked about his latest book The Practice, why he’s an imposter, writing and leaders who make change (that’s you).

Here are just some of the mic drop moments from the Episode:

“When I write about things that are happening in the world, I try really hard not to write something that only makes sense today.”

“I don’t think boundaries are a practice, I think they enable practices.”

“If I don’t feel like an imposter, then I’m not trying hard enough.”

Seth Godin

You can tune in over here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Models showcase things and behaviours for us to consider so that we might do the same. They do so through their actions.

Take the fashion model. Their actions showcase clothes to wear, styles to consider and brands to look out for.

What about the fitness model. Their actions showcase exercises to do, food to eat and lifestyle choices to consider (as well as bizarre hashtags to use like #fitspo).

Finally, consider the model leader. Their actions showcase empathy, generosity and care for their people.

With this in mind, it’s worth us listing the behaviours and actions we choose to showcase most often.

What are they?

What sort of model do they make you?

Do any need to change for you to be the model you seek to be?

A small selection of recently read books to assist with your noodling:

To be a better leader:

Stillness is the Key – Ryan Holiday

It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work – David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried

Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown

To lose yourself in compelling fiction:

Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens

To receive a metaphorical slap in the face:

The Courage to be Disliked – Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi

To laugh until you cry:

Is This Anything? – Jerry Seinfeld

To challenge all your excuses on discomfort:

Swimming to Antartica – Lynne Cox

Why We Swim – Bonnie Tsui

To get clear on what’s in your control:

The Practice – Seth Godin

PS. If you enjoy these twice weekly posts consider forwarding them to a friend or two. You might use the subject line “checkout these noods” for a laugh. Thank me later.

Because it’s fun to be meta.

What are 10 questions you might ask your team/peers to cultivate more empathy?

Once you’ve written them down, pick three and pose them the next time you catch up.

Here’s to starting 2021 with even more curiosity.

If the last post wasn’t enough here are 21 more questions for you leaders and changemakers who love to reflect this time of year:

1. How do I want to show up?
2. Who will I help and serve?
3. What does success look like?
4. How might I cultivate a clear mind?
5. How might I cultivate a healthy body?
6. How might I cultivate a house full of love?
7. What skills do I want to practice?
8. Where am I currently experiencing friction?
9. What are 7 ways I might alleviate said friction?
10. Where am I experiencing flow?
11. What are 9 ways I might cultivate more said flow?
12. What looming change am I wilfully ignoring? 
13. What would happen if I said ‘no’ more?
14. What would happen if I said ‘yes’ more?
15. How might I listen more?
16. How many books do I want to read?
17. What if I spent less time on social media?
18. Where can I add more play?
19. What if I took myself less seriously?
20. Who do I want to thank?
21. How might I be more curious?

Wishing all you legends a happy, noodley and safe New Year.

First, reflect:

What made me happy and brought me joy this year?

(Hint: use your calendar, photo reel and any journals you might have to help you get clear on this).

Next, project:

How might I create more moments like this next year?

That’s it.

Here’s to cultivating more happiness and joy in 2021.

Every night for five years my dad would ask my mother, brother, sister and me the same question:

So, what was the best part of your day?

We’d spend the next 10 minutes sharing stories and he and mum would sit patiently, listening and smiling.

Sometimes we’d tease him for always asking the same question, but mostly we’d take this exercise very seriously, thinking long and hard about what really was the best part of any given day.

The lessons I see in retrospect are wise and threefold:

1. Reflecting on the positive is akin to practicing the gratitude. It changes the lens through which we view the world. No matter how bad your day has been, it’s always worth searching for the one good part.
2. The power of asking a question and holding space, uninterrupted, for people to respond cannot be overstated.
3. Good questions deserve to be pondered repeatedly. See here, here and here for more inspiration.

A writer isn’t born a passionate writer. They develop said passion after experiencing the profound effect of writing.

A Broadway artist isn’t born passionate about performing. They experience theatre at a young age and then develop a passion for it.

A peanut butter enthusiast isn’t born one. This comes from experiencing the deliciousness of such a magical spread.

Passion isn’t innate.

It is developed through experiences and practicing specific skills.

PS. Jen Waldman and I recently recorded a podcast on this very topic. I hope you’ll check it out.

When speaking to a baby we use different words, change our tone and simplify our message. We goo-goo and we ga-ga. We try and meet the baby where it’s at.

Curiously, we often forget to do the same with other adults.

We assume others know what we know and care about what we care about, we fail to change our tone and message to meet them where they’re at and then we act surprised when our message doesn’t land.

Pausing to consider what’s important to this person? How might I communicate this in a way that will resonate with them? might just be the most effective way to create change.

1. Accountability to others provides the right kind of tension to keep showing up (even when it’s 4 degrees, raining sideways and frankly, you’d rather sit inside with a hot coffee).
2. At some point you’ll feel like giving up because, who even cares anyway?
3. When you zoom out you might realise that the days you do feel like giving up are less than 5% of the time (though in the moment, feel like 100%)
4. Outcomes like hitting 100 days become arbitrary and less important as you begin to love the practice.
5. Exercise can be calming and energising, rather than frantic and depleting. This undoubtedly extends to work and life, too.
6. Time seems to slow down when you’re undistracted in nature. A 20 minute swim can feel like an eternity.
7. The only difference between the 100th day and the 43rd is the story you tell yourself (and others)
8. You’ll never regret a swim
9. Finding an Octopus teacher is harder than you might think