Betsy Talbot's Blog, page 22

Thriving in the Midst of Loss (Podcast #6)

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An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we provide practical and actionable advice about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on your commute or coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream life a little bit closer. Here is a link to our past episodes.

Show Notes

Dealing with loss can be a devastating and overwhelming experience. In this episode we discuss the challenges dealing with the unexpected as we go for our dreams. Warren reveals the struggles of losing his father at a young age and how it instilled in him a mantra to “live life with no regrets”. This episode confronts the reality we all face and how to cope with tragedy in our lives.

This week we are joined by Michelle Steinke from OneFitWidow.com. Michelle is a true inspiration to thousands and she shares a bit of her amazing story with us. After losing her husband in an airplane crash Michelle turned her attitude and fitness around in to a powerful story of triumph in the midst of terrible loss. She discusses how to focus on happiness each and every day and the importance of finding a healthier lifestyle in the process.

Your Action Plan Steps for the week ahead:

Identify a health & fitness goal you can reach
Make a small change in your diet
Work every day on your personal happiness. Whether this is reading a book or taking time to yourself, focus on your own happiness

Sponsor Love

Today’s sponsor is Eurail.Com, selling Eurail train passes online to travelers from all over the world. Eurail offers rail passes to non-European residents who want to explore Europe in the best possible way: by rail.

Coming Up

On next week’s show we’ll be celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary and discussing the concept of our 1-year marriage contract. Stay tuned to see if we decide to give it another year together.

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.

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Podcast Episode #5: The Emotional Blocks To Decluttering

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An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we provide practical and actionable advice about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on your commute or coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream life a little bit closer. Here is a link to our past episodes.

Show Notes

Do you have junk hiding out in the nooks and crannies of your home (or smack dab in the middle of the floor)? Whether your dream involves travel or not, lightening your load will make the path to your dream clear, uncluttered, and easier to travel.

We’ve already written the book on how to declutter your life, and in this episode we focus on the emotional blocks to getting rid of your junk and how to overcome them. With Warren being an organizing savant and me being a packrat, you are getting two very different perspectives on decluttering and how we made it work for us.

Your Action Plan Steps:

Halt the accumulation with a 1 in/1 out policy
Focus on just 2 statuses: It Stays and It Goes (you can figure out the sell/donate/trash status on your It Goes pile later)
Start with the least emotional things (like snow shovels and staplers)
Take back the power of your feelings and memories from inanimate objects
Go slowly – you don’t have to do this overnight

Sponsor Love

Today’s show is sponsored by our friends at TrustedHousesitters.com, the world’s most comprehensive and fastest growing house sitting website. Use the discount code “married” when you sign up for a 25% discount on membership.

Dream Makeover

Lisa wants to grow her craft business so she can quit her job. She’s already got a lot going for her, but she’s got a few hangups. Find out our advice in this first Dream Makeover segment.

Coming Up

On next week’s show we’ll talk about how to thrive in the midst of loss. We will introduce Michelle from OneFitWidow.com, a true inspiration who has overcome her grief to live a healthier and happier life life and now helps others do the same.

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes to get new episodes as soon as they publish or you can catch the show every Tuesday right here on the website. If you are enjoying these podcasts, please do us a favor and review the podcast on iTunes (simply click the stars for your rating and leave a brief comment about why you like it). Your review helps others to find the show in the very crowded iTunes world. Thanks for your help!

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How to Get What You Want Every Time

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Want to know the super-secret step successful people take to get what they want? Think of it as the magic wand in landing your proposals at the top of the stack, getting your foot in the door, and making people want to say yes.

It’s how we’ve taken a free trip across the Atlantic as the only passengers on cruise ship, beat out serious competition for great house sits around the world, and landed great media coverage in websites and magazines for our publishing business.

This super secret weapon is called….preparation. And instead of intimidating you, you should be pretty excited because it typically only takes an extra 10 minutes of thought to make your request 100% more likely to get to yes.

 

Before you ask someone else, ask yourself:

What exactly do I want?
How does this fit with what the other person needs?
How can I make it really easy for him/her to say yes?

What exactly do you want?

You’re vague. You’re hoping someone else will suggest what you want if you just beat around the bush long enough. After all, isn’t it better if it comes across as their idea?

Wrong.

Your chances of success fall by the second when you waste time like this. No one wants to be responsible for both asking and granting your request. If you want it bad enough, be confident enough to ask for what you want clearly and concisely. No one should have to work that hard to figure out what you want.

(And if they do make the effort to eventually get to the bottom of this, you aren’t getting a ‘yes’ anyway. That kind of request process is sadly indicative of your potential for follow through, and no one wants to waste their efforts or connections on a project they think will never happen.)

You want them instead to focus their mental energy on ways they can help you or why they should say yes, and they can’t do that if they don’t know what you want.

Examples:

“I’m ready to start dating again.”
“I want to be promoted to VP.”
“I would like a fair system for household chores.”

Case Study:

When we were leaving Antarctica, Warren asked the cruise company directly for a ride on their repositioning trip up north for the Arctic season. He didn’t say “it would be really cool to spend more time on this ship.” The first request got us a free 5-week trip as the trial passengers for a new repositioning cruise package; the vague one would have gotten us only a smile.

How does this fit with the other person’s needs?

Sometimes what you want is to fulfill the other person’s needs – to date, to get the job, to be picked for the team. But even though you think you’re helping them out because you are the best candidate, you are just a wee bit subjective.

Other times, you haven’t even thought about what the other person needs; only how they can help you. (Can you give me a ride/help me move/introduce me to your hot friend?)

Let’s take a step back and think about our basic instincts as humans. We’ve evolved to cooperate for the common good in families, cities, and societies. You can’t go it alone, and neither can anyone else. We have to work together to survive.

When you think of your requests in this cooperative fashion, it makes it easier to see how helping you helps them. And when you know this, you are halfway to yes.

Example:

“You are the queen of matchmaking. I’m a little nervous about dating again, but I trust you to introduce me to some really great people.”
“You know from experience you can count on me to manage important projects. Imagine how much easier your life will be when I take on more responsibility as VP and start training other managers like me to strengthen our division.”
“By coming up with a better system for household chores we’ll have more time together as a family and a lot less fighting.”

Case Study:

When we house sit, we don’t talk too much about what we want. What we do instead is focus on how our skills and experience would benefit the homeowner. Yes, we have been homeowners, landlords, and HOA board members before. Yes, we love animals and know you are worried about leaving them. Yes, we know how to handle small emergencies. Yes, we are considerate, quiet, and friendly with neighbors. It’s not about us wanting to live on a houseboat in Amsterdam that’s important; it’s that we know how to manage a cranky cat that the homeowner loves.

How can I make it ridiculously easy for him/her to say yes?

Once you know how your request fits with the other person’s needs, it becomes your job to clarify it and make it super ridiculously simple for the other person to say yes.

Do the ground work so they don’t have to. Write out the testimonial, list the steps, get the phone numbers…whatever you have to do, do it. The only thing you should be requesting of them is something you cannot do yourself.

Make saying yes easier than the energy it will take for them to say no.

Example:

“I’m throwing a casual BBQ next Saturday and would really appreciate it if you’d come and invite Joe along. I don’t know him well…but I’d like to!”
“I’ve been thinking of how to backfill my position and hand off my projects, and I wrote up a plan to make it seamless. I’ve groomed some really good people, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by their readiness for the job. I’m always thinking ahead like that.”
“If we spend $75/week on a housekeeping service we’ll have fewer nights of takeout because we’re tired and a lot less fighting. I’ve crunched the numbers, and it looks like this solution is better for us financially and emotionally. Why have we been putting ourselves through this torture when the solution is so easy?”

Case Study:

One thing authors have to do is promote their work in order to sell it. Magazines, newspapers, and websites are great outlets for us, and we make it ridiculously easy for journalists to work with us. We pitch good story ideas that fit their audiences and include a link to our press kit, which has photos, bios, interview questions and other info they need all in one spot. It’s one reason we get a lot of press – we simply make it easy for people to work with us from the very first email.

Follow Through

Once you’ve secured the ‘yes’ it’s time for the follow through. Make the most of the information or opportunity you were given and respond with a heartfelt thanks and a recap of how this person’s advice/help benefited you.

People deserve thanks for their help, and they appreciate knowing how they impacted your life. Circling back like this cements your connection and gives you the opportunity to repay the favor in the future, further strengthening your bond. This is how strong networks are created over time.

You can use the above steps for simple requests like friending on Facebook and LinkedIn (please don’t use the generic “join my network” emails – if you can’t be bothered to write a personal note, why would someone open up their contacts to you?).

It also works for personal requests, volunteer activities, introductions, business, and even calling a customer service line with a complaint or problem.

How are you making it easy for people to say yes to your requests?

Did you hear our latest podcast on overcoming obstacles? Changing your mindset from “I can’t” to “how can I” will make it easier to ask for help when you need it. Click here to listen or subscribe via iTunes.

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10 (Extra) Minutes to Get to Yes

Want to know the super-secret step successful people take to get what they want? Think of it as the magic wand in landing your proposals at the top of the stack, getting your foot in the door, and making people want to say yes.

It’s how we’ve taken a free trip across the Atlantic as the only passengers on cruise ship, beat out serious competition for great house sits around the world, and landed great media coverage in websites and magazines for our publishing business.

This super secret weapon is called….preparation. And instead of intimidating you, you should be pretty excited because it typically only takes an extra 10 minutes of thought to make your request 100% more likely to get to yes.

Before you ask someone else, ask yourself:

What exactly do I want?
How does this fit with what the other person needs?
How can I make it really easy for him/her to say yes?

What exactly do you want?

You’re vague. You’re hoping someone else will suggest what you want if you just beat around the bush long enough. After all, isn’t it better if it comes across as their idea?

Wrong.

Your chances of success fall by the second when you waste time like this. No one wants to be responsible for both asking and granting your request. If you want it bad enough, be confident enough to ask for what you want clearly and concisely. No one should have to work that hard to figure out what you want.

(And if they do make the effort to eventually get to the bottom of this, you aren’t getting a ‘yes’ anyway. That kind of request process is sadly indicative of your potential for follow through, and no one wants to waste their efforts or connections on a project they think will never happen.)

You want them instead to focus their mental energy on ways they can help you or why they should say yes, and they can’t do that if they don’t know what you want.

Examples:

“I’m ready to start dating again.”
“I want to be promoted to VP.”
“I would like a fair system for household chores.”

Case Study:

When we were leaving Antarctica, Warren asked the cruise company directly for a ride on their repositioning trip up north for the Arctic season. He didn’t say “it would be really cool to spend more time on this ship.” The first request got us a free 5-week trip as the trial passengers for a new repositioning cruise package; the vague one would have gotten us only a smile.

How does this fit with the other person’s needs?

Sometimes what you want is to fulfill the other person’s needs – to date, to get the job, to be picked for the team. But even though you think you’re helping them out because you are the best candidate, you are just a wee bit subjective.

Other times, you haven’t even thought about what the other person needs; only how they can help you. (Can you give me a ride/help me move/introduce me to your hot friend?)

Let’s take a step back and think about our basic instincts as humans. We’ve evolved to cooperate for the common good in families, cities, and societies. You can’t go it alone, and neither can anyone else. We have to work together to survive.

When you think of your requests in this cooperative fashion, it makes it easier to see how helping you helps them. And when you know this, you are halfway to yes.

Example:

“You are the queen of matchmaking. I’m a little nervous about dating again, but I trust you to introduce me to some really great people.”
“You know from experience you can count on me to manage important projects. Imagine how much easier your life will be when I take on more responsibility as VP and start training other managers like me to strengthen our division.”
“By coming up with a better system for household chores we’ll have more time together as a family and a lot less fighting.”

Case Study:

When we house sit, we don’t talk too much about what we want. What we do instead is focus on how our skills and experience would benefit the homeowner. Yes, we have been homeowners, landlords, and HOA board members before. Yes, we love animals and know you are worried about leaving them. Yes, we know how to handle small emergencies. Yes, we are considerate, quiet, and friendly with neighbors. It’s not about us wanting to live on a houseboat in Amsterdam that’s important; it’s that we know how to manage a cranky cat that the homeowner loves.

How can I make it ridiculously easy for him/her to say yes?

Once you know how your request fits with the other person’s needs, it becomes your job to clarify it and make it super ridiculously simple for the other person to say yes.

Do the ground work so they don’t have to. Write out the testimonial, list the steps, get the phone numbers…whatever you have to do, do it. The only thing you should be requesting of them is something you cannot do yourself.

Make saying yes easier than the energy it will take for them to say no.

Example:

“I’m throwing a casual BBQ next Saturday and would really appreciate it if you’d come and invite Joe along. I don’t know him well…but I’d like to!”
“I’ve been thinking of how to backfill my position and hand off my projects, and I wrote up a plan to make it seamless. I’ve groomed some really good people, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by their readiness for the job. I’m always thinking ahead like that.”
“If we spend $75/week on a housekeeping service we’ll have fewer nights of takeout because we’re tired and a lot less fighting. I’ve crunched the numbers, and it looks like this solution is better for us financially and emotionally. Why have we been putting ourselves through this torture when the solution is so easy?”

Case Study:

One thing authors have to do is promote their work in order to sell it. Magazines, newspapers, and websites are great outlets for us, and we make it ridiculously easy for journalists to work with us. We pitch good story ideas that fit their audiences and include a link to our press kit, which has photos, bios, interview questions and other info they need all in one spot. It’s one reason we get a lot of press – we simply make it easy for people to work with us from the very first email.

Follow Through

Once you’ve secured the ‘yes’ it’s time for the follow through. Make the most of the information or opportunity you were given and respond with a heartfelt thanks and a recap of how this person’s advice/help benefited you.

People deserve thanks for their help, and they appreciate knowing how they impacted your life. Circling back like this cements your connection and gives you the opportunity to repay the favor in the future, further strengthening your bond. This is how strong networks are created over time.

You can use the above steps for simple requests like friending on Facebook and LinkedIn (please don’t use the generic “join my network” emails – if you can’t be bothered to write a personal note, why would someone open up their contacts to you?).

It also works for personal requests, volunteer activities, introductions, business, and even calling a customer service line with a complaint or problem.

How are you making it easy for people to say yes to your requests?

Did you hear our latest podcast on overcoming obstacles? Changing your mindset from “I can’t” to “how can I” will make it easier to ask for help when you need it. Click here to listen or subscribe via iTunes.

Choosing Happiness When Things Don’t Go Your Way

It would be really easy to be happy all the time if things always went your way. You’d never have to create a plan B, work through an obstacle, or deal with disappointment.

But that’s not real life, so you have to come up with a plan for happiness that also includes detours, road blocks, and loss.

We’ve recently started hosting TED Talk nights after the suggestion of our new friends Bessie and Kyle. Three TED Talks are chosen for the evening and then attendees talk about each one after watching. It’s a great alternative to a book club or dinner party for busy people because it requires no real preparation and introduces the kind of topics that don’t often make it into regular conversation.

The TED Talk below is about how to “synthesize” your happiness, or how you’re wired to be happy based on outcome, not initial goal.  Choosing happiness is an option that is supported by your brain. This information supports what I’ve always believed about adaptability being my greatest asset in leading a happy life.

It also confirms my belief that what you think you want is sometimes not what you actually want, and only by moving toward your goals can you discover the side paths that lead to your true calling.

You can watch this powerful TED Talk with Dan Gilbert below (click here if you don’t see the video).

And if you want to start having these kinds of conversations with your friends, we can highly recommend a night of TED Talks. Add food and drink, and you’ve got the makings of a powerful conversation that will last far into the night.

Discover our favorite TED Talk of the week in the Link Love section of the Sunday emails. (What? You’re not getting them? Click here to join the Inner Circle, and we’ll “see” you on Sunday morning.)

Podcast Episode #4: Overcoming Obstacles

An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we provide practical and actionable advice about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on your commute or coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream life a little bit closer. Here is a link to our past episodes.

Show Notes

When marching towards the life you crave you are going to encounter obstacles and roadblocks. In fact, you’re probably going to find your first one about 3.2 seconds after you decide to go after your dream. The secret to success is knowing you will have obstacles and creating a plan to deal with them before they jump out in front of you. When you have  a plan in place, you’ll continue moving forward toward your dream no matter what comes up, and that’s the key to getting to the finish line.

This week we are joined by Dixie Gillaspie, author of the book, Just Blow it Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life. We discuss how to overcome the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of living the life you crave. You’ll also learn the 4 questions to ask yourself when confronted with an obstacle.

Your Action Plan steps:

Dream Big, Thing Small. What can you do today that will move you closer to your dream?
Check your premise. Don’t say “can’t” without understanding why. Explore deeper why you “can’t” do something and if it is truly possible.


Let go of the idea of perfection. Just get it out there.

Sponsor Love:

Once again we’re pleased to have Trusted Housesitters, the world’s most comprehensive and fastest growing house sitting website,  as our sponsor this week. Use the discount code “married” when you sign up to get a 25% discount on membership.

Coming Up

Next week we’ll be talking about streamlining your life by getting rid of the excess. When you’re weighted down, it’s pretty hard to soar high enough to reach your dreams. And we’ll have the first of our Dream Makeovers (we have several recorded already, and you are going to LOVE these!)

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes to get new episodes as soon as they publish or you can catch the show every Tuesday right here on the website. If you are enjoying these podcasts, please do us a favor and review the podcast on iTunes (simply click the stars for your rating and leave a brief comment about why you like it). Your review helps others to find the show in the very crowded iTunes world. Thanks for your help!

Build Fences, Not Walls: Your Guide to a Healthier Relationship

Editor’s Note: This is part of an occasional series titled, The 24/7 Relationship: Lessons on Life, Love, and Laughter. If you have a relationship topic you’d like us to write about, email us. And if you want a bigger sneak peek into how our habits create the life we live, be sure to sign up for our weekly Sunday email. 

Good fences make good neighbors, and nowhere is this more true than in your romantic relationship. But many people hide their stance on a subject, or at least soften it, to be more likable at the start of a new relationship.

“I like hanging out with your family every weekend.”

“Your vegetarianism is no problem for me. I hardly eat meat now anyway.”

“Sure, we can keep the lights off.”

Over time, it becomes too difficult to move that boundary back to where it feels right for you, whether you’re talking about how much time to spend with your in-laws or how much sex you want to have. And it’s confusing to your partner, who thought you liked things this way because you always went along with it before.

Perversely, you make your life less desirable in order to be more desirable to your partner.

Over the years, this can get messy and you might eventually complain that the love of your life doesn’t really know you at all. But if you aren’t stating your boundaries and desires up front, how could your beau know?

The Difference Between Walls and Fences

Walls are built to keep people out, figuratively and literally. You can’t see inside someone’s house unless they invite you in, and even within a home each room is blocked from view unless you enter it. When you hide something from someone, you are walling it off.

Fences, on the other hand, are built to maintain a peaceful coexistence with others. You can usually see right through a fence because it is simply a demarcation of the boundaries of your property. It’s a public statement on where you stand on issues.

Your fence keeps soul sucking people who would disrespect you on the outside. They will go find an unfenced property to do their damage, not willing to expend the effort to climb yours (soul suckers are nothing if not lazy).

Fences are also easily moved or enlarged when a property is expanded, unlike walls which mean a reconfiguration of the entire house.

Walls destroy a relationship. Fences make it stronger.

Big difference.

How to Determine Your Boundaries
1: Know Where You Stand

The key to setting your boundaries lies first in identifying them yourself. If you don’t know what you want, how in the heck will anyone else? This is no time for guessing games, with yourself or with your mate. And be very, very careful of the “I don’t really care” mentality because in truth you really do, about everything. You just don’t care about making a fuss right now.

It’s important that people should know what you stand for. It’s equally important that they should know what you won’t stand for. ~ Mary H. Waldrip

So give a damn now and you won’t be damning your partner in the future. Think about how you really feel about every new situation or question and answer honestly and thoughtfully. Because what you say and do now determines what kind of life you’ll be living later.

2: Identify Boundary Breaches

Sometimes it takes a while for a message to sink in. It’s not usually because your one true love doesn’t care. Your partner just needs firm reminders of your boundaries. You can do this gently at first with a pretty white picket fence surrounded by flowers and escalate all the way up to barbed wire and electricity if you need to (though at that point it might just be better to ask them to move).

Everyone pushes a falling fence. ~ Chinese proverb

Demanding the respect you deserve takes diligence on your part. Again, most of the time this is a simple and clear reminder to people.

No, I don’t want to do that.

It’s not okay for you to talk to me this way.

You said you would do this and I depend on you to honor your word.

When you allow your boundaries to be breached again and again you’re telling the other person it’s okay to be late, to not follow through on their commitments, or to otherwise disregard your feelings. But when people know there are consequences – “I’ll wait for you for 10 minutes, but if you’re later than that I’ll leave without you” – they can no longer breach with impunity.

You cannot control the actions of others, but you can certainly control your own.

3: Survey your property

When you live a life of experience, your boundaries will change because you will. You’ll grow and evolve, and so will many of your preferences. It’s important to regularly survey your boundaries to make sure they still fit. Your requirements for intimacy, communication, social activity, exercise, education, and entertainment will evolve with life and circumstances, and you have to be clear with yourself and your partner when they do.

Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up. ~ Robert Frost

Continually poking at your own boundaries will make it easier to explain them to others.

How to Establish Boundaries

Know where you stand on the important issues. When you know for sure how you want to be treated, it makes it easier to clearly state this to another person. Begin by asking yourself every day if you’re okay with what’s going on around you. If not, why? If it’s not clear to you, it won’t be clear to your partner.
State your boundaries along with a consequence. “I understand you are really frustrated at work right now, but I’m not okay with you taking it out on me when you get home. I’m not your enemy here. The next time it happens I’m going to suggest you burn it off at the gym and I’m going to leave the room.” You can’t control the other person’s actions, but you can control your response.
Test your boundaries. As you evolve as a human, your priorities and feelings will change. It’s important to question yourself on a regular basis to make sure the beliefs and ideas you hold are still true. When your boundaries change, it’s time to move your fences and let your partner know.

Laying the groundwork of a successful relationship takes some work, but it is far easier in the long run than relying on mind reading and wild guesses. Unless you’re a Drama Queen, of course.

Editor’s Note: This is part of an occasional series titled, The 24/7 Relationship: Lessons on Life, Love, and Laughter. If you think this would benefit your friends, please share it on your favorite social media network. And if you want a sneak peek into how our habits create the life we live, be sure to sign up for our weekly Sunday email.

Podcast Episode #3: Define Your Dream

An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we interview experts and successful dreamers about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on a short drive or your coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream a little bit closer.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes to get them as soon as they publish or you can catch the show every Tuesday right here on the website. If you are enjoying these podcasts, please do us a favor and review it on iTunes (simply click the stars for your rating and leave a brief comment about why you like it). Your review helps other people find the show in the very crowded iTunes store. Thanks for your help!

Show Notes

French novelist Victor Hugo said: “Each man should frame life so that at some future hour fact and his dreaming meet.” In this episode we’re going to talk about clarifying your dream so it can become reality – even if it’s really fuzzy right now.

79% of people we surveyed told us that clarifying their dream was “very important” or “critically important” to their happiness. But how do you do it?

In this episode, we talk about the misconception of the “lightning bolt” moment when it all comes together. We go through our own “lightning bolt” moment when we decided to make our big life change and explain exactly how we created the perfect storm in the years prior to make it a possibility. These are the same things you can do every day to make your life open to this flash of insight.

Your Takeaways:

Eliminate what’s not working so you can find what is.
Try new things to both build your confidence in your ability and to quickly discard what you don’t like.
Find a mentor (even if he or she doesn’t know it).

Sponsor Love:

Today’s show sponsor is Trusted Housesitters, the world’s most comprehensive and fastest growing house sitting website. You know how much we love this site because it helps us in our dream of seeing the world on a budget and really absorbing a culture. Use the discount code “married” when you sign up to get a 25% discount on membership.

Coming Up

Next week we’ll be talking about overcoming obstacles with Dixie Gillaspie, author of the upcoming book, Just Blow it Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life. And we’ll have our first Dream Makeover with a reader who needs help. It will be an action-packed show, so don’t miss it.

If you are interested in joining us on one of our podcasts to discuss the obstacles, challenges, and successes as you create the life they crave, send us an email at podcast@marriedwithluggage.com.

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.

Podcast #2: Trying New Things

An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we interview experts and successful dreamers about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on a short drive or your coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream a little bit closer.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes to get them as soon as they publish. We’d love it if you’d leave a us a review on iTunes. It’s your recommendation that helps other people find us, so thank you in advance.

Show Notes

In today’s episode we discuss the importance of trying new things and how it can help you savor time. We are joined by expert Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom. Emily discusses her quest to try 49 new things before she turned 50 and how it has enhanced her life. Discover how trying new experiences can enhance your life, open your mind, and help to define the life you crave.

Key takeaways from this episode:

New experiences do not need to be huge, start small
Don’t discount how amazing you are and what you can accomplish
Shut up and listen. You can learn from all those around you.

Links from this week’s episode:

Our sponsor: Trusted Housesitters – use the code “married” to save 25% on your subscription
Fearless Living
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Dream Makeovers

We have had a great response to our call for listeners interested in a Dream Makeover. If you are interested in joining us on one of our podcasts to discuss the obstacles, challenges, and successes as you create the life they crave, send us an email at podcast@marriedwithluggage.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or find the latest episodes here on our website.

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.

Coming up next week: Betsy and I discuss the steps to define your dream and how to move forward towards the life you crave.

Podcast Episode #1: Take the First Step

It’s Tuesday, and that  means podcast day. (What, you didn’t know we had a podcast? Sign up to be part of our Inner Circle and you’ll be in the know before everyone else.)

An Action Plan for Dreamers is a weekly 20-minute podcast where we interview experts and successful dreamers about what it takes to create the life you crave. It’s short enough to listen on a short drive or your coffee break, but long enough to contain 3-5 practical steps you can take to make your dream a little bit closer.

You’ll find the episodes every week on the site, or you can subscribe via iTunes to get them as soon as they publish. (And hey, we’d love it if you’d leave a us a review on iTunes. It’s your recommendation that helps other people find us, so thanks in advance.)

Each week we’ll provide a brief set of show notes and links mentioned in the episode. And a special shout out to listener Bessie who tweeted a photo of her notes from the first podcast. Right on!

Show Notes

Today’s episode kicks things off with a startling statistic: 67% of people want to make a change in their lives, but only 8% manage to do it.

In this, our inaugural episode, we introduce our new podcast and the areas we’ll cover each week in 20 minute episodes:

Relationships
Money/Finance
Health & Fitness
Career
Personal Environment
Confidence
Art of the Ask
Peer Pressure

Key takeaways from this episode:

Importance of reducing the time between idea and first action
Small steps every day as opposed to big leaps occasionally
Why over-analysis is a killer to your dreams

Coming up next week: We interview a woman who tried 49 new things in the year before her 50th birthday. She reveals how trying new things is key to confidence. You won’t believe some of the things she did and how her message will impact your life.

Dream Makeovers

Would you like to join us on one of our podcasts? We are looking for readers/listeners interested in a Dream Makeover. We discuss the obstacles, challenges, and successes with individuals going after the life they crave. For details, send us an email at podcast@marriedwithluggage.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or find the latest episodes here on our website.

Until next time, remember to take the first step and keep on moving.