Squiggly Careers

Do you find yourself constantly checking your phone or email instead of focusing on your most important work? In this squiggly shortcut, Helen shares practical ways to beat distraction and reclaim your attention.

Drawing on Nir Eyal's research on becoming indistractable, they explore what it really means to develop this skill, and what your default response to it reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– Identify your personal distraction downfall
– Understand why you are attracted to distractions
– Learn why avoidance triggers procrastination
– Audit your environment for high-attention work
– Master the "not yet" rule to build focus
– Find the best timing for your deep work

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not all problems are created equal, and trying to solve them all the same way is likely to result in frustration.

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to identify whether you are facing a tame, critical, or wicked problem and the specific approach needed to make progress on each.

Drawing on the work of Keith Grint, they explore what it means to develop this skill, and what your default response to it reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Identify the three distinct types of problems you encounter at work

– Apply the right process to clear up recurring tame problems

– Manage high-stakes critical problems without losing control

– Reframe wicked problems to move from stuck to progress

– Use 'What if' and 'What would' questions to unlock new perspectives

– Prioritize actions to stop overthinking complex challenges

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to achieve your biggest career goals this year? The answer might lie in planning exactly how you could fail first.

Drawing on research from New York University on mental contrasting, Helens explore how balancing your biggest career opportunities with your realistic obstacles can significantly increase your chance of success.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– What is mental contrasting and why does it build resilience?
– How to identify what you want to be true in 12 months
– Why optimism blindness might be holding your career back
– How to honestly audit the obstacles in your way
– What practical actions can reduce your risk of failure
– How to take one simple step this week to move forward

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you often feel like you are just waiting for your turn to speak, rather than truly listening and learning? In this episode, we explore the power of oracy and how it can change the way you think and work.

Drawing on the work of Voice 21, Barbara Oakley, and research from More in Common, they explore what it means to develop this skill.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Define oracy as the essential skill of speaking and listening well to build better conclusions.

– Discover why talking out loud helps you spot gaps in your reasoning and critical thinking.

– Identify the difference between a standard 121 and an oracy-first approach to problem-solving.

– Learn how to facilitate meetings that ensure equal contribution and stop interruptions.

– Practice using oracy in team settings to move away from directive leadership.

– Apply oracy techniques to your squiggly career story to articulate your value more effectively.

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is your current way of working holding you back from your next career milestone? Sometimes, the very habits that helped you succeed in the past can become obstacles to your future progress.

Drawing on Marshall Goldsmith’s concept of 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There', Helen explores what it means to develop this skill, and what your default response to it reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– Shift from giving all the answers to asking powerful questions
– Implement the 'Now vs. Not For Now' list to prioritize effectively
– Replace automatic 'niceness' with a strategic 'if-then' negotiation approach
– Discover how to move from a 'getting things done' mentality to doing the right things
– Learn how to manage your energy by saying no to unsustainable workloads
– Develop the confidence to negotiate your time and resources for better impact

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices