Focus on This

Most people blame their phones for their lack of productivity, but the real culprit is sneakier: overestimation. In this episode, Marissa and Joel unpack why we consistently plan for best-case scenarios and then spiral when real life doesn’t cooperate. You’ll learn how overestimating your capacity, self-control, productivity, and ability to “catch up” creates unnecessary stress, erodes trust, and drains your resources. Most importantly, they’ll show you how to set up a game you can actually win.

Key Takeaways
Plan for Reality, Not Best-Case Scenarios. We build days around “perfect conditions,” then feel behind by lunch. Assume interruptions, limited energy, and real-life constraints—and plan accordingly.
Stop Overbooking Your Capacity. If your calendar has no margin, exhaustion is inevitable. Build buffers for transitions, downtime, and breaks so your day can breathe.
Use Your Ideal Week to Set Pace, Not Max Output. The Ideal Week isn’t “How much can I cram in?” It’s “How do I work and live at my best?” Include recovery time and whitespace.
Assume Self-Control Drops as the Day Goes On. Discipline is finite. The later it gets (and the more drained you are), the easier it is to binge, scroll, snack, or procrastinate. In response, design your environment to support your discipline instead of relying on it.
Give Everything More Time Than You Think. The planning fallacy hits everyone. Add cushion so you finish more consistently. Practically, plan 150–200% of the time you think it will take.
Make Room for “Stuff I Forgot to Plan For.” Surprises aren’t exceptions—they’re normal. Create a weekly block for the tasks and problems that inevitably pop up.
Let the Daily Big 3 Keep You Grounded. Your Ideal Week is the vision. The Daily Big 3 is the reality check. If you’re not finishing, choose smaller targets and rebuild momentum.

Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/EdW89LAMJ90
This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

Would you plant flowers in December—or plan a ski trip in June? Probably not. But many of us do the equivalent with our goals: we try to force outcomes that don’t match our actual capacity, energy, or reality. In this episode, Marissa and Joel walk through five “seasons” you may find yourself in—sowing, fallow, tending, pruning, and harvest—plus the hidden danger in each one and the most effective response. You’ll also learn seven distinct kinds of rest and how to use the Weekly Preview to identify your season and take the right next step.

Key Takeaways
The Year is Full of Seasons. There’s a natural ebb and flow to life, not just nature. Acting like it’s spring when you’re actually in winter won’t help you. Name the season you’re in and orient around what’s true right now, not what the New Year says.
Sowing Season: Choose Focus Over Frenzy. When you’re ready to start new opportunities, the danger is starting too many things while motivation is high. The fix: pick one or two goals that actually move the needle and let the rest wait.
Fallow Season: Rest on Purpose. After a sprint (or a crisis), your system needs recovery. Choose the kind of rest you actually need—physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, or spiritual.
Tending Season: Reconnect to Vision. Don’t let “business as usual” make you forget why you started. Keep your why in view so you don’t drift off course.
Pruning Season: Prevent Ineffectiveness. Just like plants, we become less fruitful when we’re trying to do too much at once. Pruning helps you create margin and center your energy where it can have the greatest effect.
Harvest Season: Choose Boundaries (Fight FOMO). Momentum is great—overextension isn’t. Decide what must happen now, what can wait, and when the sprint ends.
Align Your Plans and Your Season. During your Weekly Preview, name your season, watch for its danger signs, and plan your week accordingly. Work with the grain, and you’ll get fewer splinters.

Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/QpzDeHQIjmw

This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

2025 probably didn’t go according to plan—and that’s exactly why it’s worth paying attention to. In this episode, Marissa and Joel walk you through a simple reflection process for the last 11 months: naming what worked, facing what hurt, and deciding what you actually want to carry into 2026. You’ll learn how to work with your brain’s negativity bias, complete the stress cycle in your body, reframe regret as a helpful signal, and distill the year into a handful of lessons you can build on.

Key Takeaways
Start with What Worked. Brain dump the last 11 months and name your wins—at work and at home. Use your camera roll and planner as prompts to remember moments you’d otherwise overlook. Let those checkmarks and snapshots remind you: it wasn’t all bad.
Don’t Waste the Bruises. List what didn’t go well—disappointments, losses, and the “mixed bag” moments. Instead of reliving them, acknowledge what happened, name the emotions, and ask what still needs to be grieved or processed so you’re not dragging raw hurt into 2026.
Pay Attention to Avoidance. Notice the projects, tasks, or conversations you kept procrastinating. Treat that dread as data: Is this a skills gap, a misfit task you shouldn’t own, or something that needs to be rethought entirely? Avoidance is often a clue about what needs to change next year.
Let Regret Invite a Do-Over. Treat regret as an “open loop,” not a verdict. If something from 2025 still nags at you, ask, “What unfinished business is this pointing to?” Look for one concrete action—an apology, a boundary, a new habit—that lets you close the loop instead of carrying it forward.
Distill the Year into a Few Core Lessons. Turn all of this into simple statements you can act on, like: “My days go best when I start with a plan,” or “I can’t love well when I’m out of balance.” Those lessons become your guardrails and fuel as you design your goals and rhythms for 2026.

Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/hdmL3mfAyrc
This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

The holidays can feel like a sprint with a suitcase. Marissa and Joel show you how to lighten the load with four concrete moves: define non-negotiables, eliminate what doesn’t matter, delegate what doesn’t require you, and (yes) procrastinate strategically. You’ll get scripts, shortcuts, and a Not-To-Do list for creating breathing room—at work and at home.

Key Takeaways
Name Your Non-Negotiables. Brain dump everything for December, then identify the items that truly must happen. Accept that not everything will get done—and choose what will.
Run the “Everything Must Go” Sweep. Cancel or reschedule recurring meetings, low-value check-ins, and nice-to-have socials. If it can be an email (or nothing), make it one.
Resign as Chief Everything Officer. At home: potluck the menu, batch one meaningful gift for everyone, use gift bags, outsource a couple dishes, trade childcare. At work: hand off distinct slices of projects, hire a contractor for time-sinks, and coach for skill—not constant review.
Procrastinate on Purpose. Push arbitrary deadlines to January. Ask, “What part truly must happen now—and what can wait?” Renegotiate timelines for excellence, not exhaustion.
Keep Self-Care Simple. Downshift to minimums that maintain energy (a 20-minute walk, earlier lights-out, simplified meals). Save the “perfect routine” for January.

Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/dQpOs_bTd9g

This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

As we head into Thanksgiving (in the United States), Joel and Marissa get practical about gratitude—the tiny habit that expands your perspective, steadies your pace, and strengthens relationships. From a coffee-cup thought experiment to a one-line script you can use today, you’ll learn how gratitude fuels goal-pursuit, patience, and team trust.

Key Takeaways
See the Hidden Team. AJ Jacobs’ experiment widens your lens for the work that goes into a single cup of coffee, from baristas to farmers, drivers, even road-line painters. Gratitude makes interdependence visible—fast.
Scarcity Shrinks, Gratitude Expands. Scarcity tightens and isolates. Gratitude opens possibility and connection. Choose the bigger frame.
Use the Script. Turn everyday encounters into bright spots by acknowledging the importance of the work of those serving you. Try: “Thank you for choosing your profession.” You’ll change the atmosphere (and often the outcome).
Make It a Planner Habit. Use the Weekly Preview’s blank pages for a running gratitude list. Log “wins” and your Daily Win through a gratitude lens—not just achievement.
Results You Can Feel.  Gratitude has a measurable impact on our success and relationships. It boosts engagement, trust, and goal progress—and even increases financial patience.
Practice in Real Time. Shouldering something inconvenient? Reframe with gratitude (“What might this be protecting me from?”) and watch your state shift.

Resources:
Thanks a Thousand by AJ Jacobs

Watch on YouTube at:  https://youtu.be/fAfPHbnoANw

This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound