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Getting to Good Enough

139 Episodes

25 minutes | a day ago
Episode 139: Coping Imperfectly
We've all had a whole lot to cope with in the past year. Shannon's year was made even more difficult at the end of 2020 when her mother passed away. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss how to cope imperfectly during difficult times (big hint: grant yourself some kindness and grace). Discussion topics include: • The passing of Shannon's mother several weeks ago • The difficulty of going through the mourning process during a pandemic and all the other recent tragic events • How we've kept the podcast going imperfectly during this difficult time by repeating episodes • Finding gentle ways to copy without worrying about living up to a preconceived standard • How Shannon didn't anticipate what would be important to her after her mother's death • Shannon's "No Regrets" mantra and how it worked out well for her • Coping imperfectly by giving yourself a lot of grace • Remembering that we might not feel like we think we're going to feel when something bad happens • The importance of making pre-death decisions and arrangements • The magic question to ask yourself when coping: "What do I need in this moment?" • Shannon's imperfect way of coping with her tendency not to eat when she's experiencing stress • Using wine to cope (or not) • Allowing yourself to have fun and laugh even during tough times • The bottom line: No matter what you're coping with, allow yourself to navigate in the moment and set yourself up for what you think you might need
29 minutes | 8 days ago
Episode 138: Starting a Good Enough Podcast
Way back in Episode 5, we published an episode entitled Good Enough In Practice, in which we discussed how we walked the walk and embraced good enough when we set up this podcast. We think it's full of useful information, so we've decided to publish it again! Janine and Shannon truly embraced the concept of “good enough” when creating this podcast. In this episode we talk about how we went from idea to launch in less than two months (with five episodes recorded!). It’s been a great lesson for us on the value of letting go of perfectionism. We let it be easy when it came to: • Choosing the podcasting app we use to produce the podcast (we’re using Cast — it’s a super simple way to get started!) • Selecting topics • Selecting the name of the podcast • Deciding what had to be in place before we could launch • Creating a logo for the podcast • Rehearsing our conversations (or not) Listen to the inside scoop on how putting “good enough” into practice allowed us to make creating a podcast fun and easy!
24 minutes | 15 days ago
Episode 137: Superpowers and Kryptonite
We all have superpowers and kryptonite. (You might call them strengths and weaknesses.) In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss how the things that you struggle with can also be your superpowers and how your superpowers gone too far can turn into your kryptonite. Discussion topics include: • How personality traits can be on a continuum • Case in point: perfectionism can be paralyzing but it can also help you do things well • Similarly, a good-enough mentality may make life easier but it may also promote mistakes • Looking at things that are  challenges for you to see what strengths you can find in them. • Ask yourself: What do you have to be good at to have the challenges you're having? And how can you apply that information to help you get past the challenge? • The inspiration for this episode: The CliftonStrengths Assessment • Shannon's top strengths from the CliftonStrengths Assessment and how they reveal her superpowers and kryptonite (spoiler alert: perfectionism is part of it) • The good news: How you are isn't good or bad; you may just be able to shift the needle a little bit on the continuum • A great exercise: Take a look at the things you struggle with and consider what you need to be good at to do those things. Then use those superpowers in other areas of your life so they feel beneficial. • Recognizing that the things you are good can have negative effects if taken too far • A side note: We're resurrecting Declutter Happy Hour in February! Stay tuned. Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links
32 minutes | 22 days ago
Episode 136: What's Wrong with Perfectionism (Redux)
This week, we’re re-running Episode 68 from September 2019. The premise of our podcast is that we want to help you let go of perfectionism. We think this episode about why that's important bears repeating. Why is that we're so passionate about helping you let go of perfectionism? In this episode Shannon and Janine talk about how perfectionism can get in the way of happiness--and how striving for good enough can lead to a happier existence. Discussion topics include: • Janine’s impromptu visit to Chicago to see the musical Hamilton • Our working definition of perfectionism: Spending more time on something than it deserves • The problem with the effort of it takes to go from good enough to perfect • Shannon’s perfect week as an athlete (and how it’s not something to strive for) • The problem with perfectionism: The emotions that go along with not being able to achieve what you perceive as perfection • A couple of readings from a great article called The Case for Being Good Enough (link below) • How people who tend toward perfectionism let “failures” affect their self worth • Shannon’s 15-year journey (actually longer!) away from perfectionism • How now is the perfect time for Shannon to be taking a cartooning class (along with some of the lessons about perfectionism the class is teaching her) • The evolution in just a week of Shannon’s cartoons from sketchy circles to animals • How the least perfect of Shannon's cartoon teddy bears is actually the most appealing one • How inevitable imperfections can enliven things (like cartoons and hand-lettered postcards) • Janine’s five-piece-at-a-time jigsaw-puzzle strategy For links and photos, see the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com.
26 minutes | a month ago
Episode 135: Keeping Challenges Easy
Both Shannon and Janine love taking on time-limited challenges they find on the internet. In this episode, they discuss some of their favorites  while offering some advice on keeping these challenges easy. Discussion topics include: • One of our favorite challenges: Yoga with Adriene's annual 30 day yoga journey • Janine's 30 x 30 challenge on her genealogy blog • National Novel Writing Month (write a novel in 30 days) • Keeping the stakes low, but interesting enough that you care to do it • Selecting challenges you want, not those you think you should do • Janine's progress on her personal 50-books-a-year challenge • How these challenges are a great way to get started on a new habit • Avoiding perfectionism: How even a little progress is beneficial with these challenges • Creating a range of goals within a challenge • Keeping it easy by figuring out what counts (and being really kind in your criteria) • The hiatus Shannon has taken in cartooning and how doing a challenge might help her resume it (if she decides she wants to) • The key to success with a challenge: Keep it doable, be kind to yourself, have fun! • The power of community • The 100-day dress challenge Janine recently took on
26 minutes | a month ago
Episode 134: Pandemic Clothing Quandaries
Since our work and social lives have been curtailed by the pandemic, it seems like it should be easy to get dressed. Not so much. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss their challenges around clothing during this special time. Spoiler alert: There's lots of laughter in this one. Discussion topics include: • How much we're enjoying pandemic-friendly comfy clothes • The paradox that it's difficult to get dressed even though we're going nowhere • Shannon's pull between wanting to be comfortable and wanting to look professional • How Janine's standards in clothing seem to have plummeted • How Janine's problem isn't wearing the same thing every day, it's that what she has to choose from isn't very attractive and the pandemic prevents her from shopping • Shannon's "house fleece" • The cowl that Janine knit specifically to wear with her bathrobe • Shannon's layering tips for warmth • The Wool& 100-day dress challenge • Project 333 • How perfectionism is part of this problem • Shannon's desire to dress more professionally when she's working, even though she's on Zoom • Getting in touch with what's important to you right now to get past the perfectionism around this issue • Cutting ourselves slack • The decision fatigue caused by the pandemic • How a little bit of action now can help us feel better about what we're wearing and make it easier to get dressed in the morning Note from Janine: I bought the Wool& Rowena dress and have taken on the 100-day challenge. It is fantastically freeing and I'm feeling comfortable and cute every day! Shannon ordered the dress, but unfortunately the wool was too itchy for her sensitive skin. Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links (and a picture of Janine in her dress)
27 minutes | a month ago
Episode 133: Getting Clear on Your Goals
It's the last month of the year and we have some goal-setting resources for you! This week, Shannon and Janine discuss the importance getting clear on your goals, especially after a year like 2020. And we talk about the workshop Shannon is teaching on Saturday, as well as our Good Enough Goal Setting kit. Discussion topics include: • We’re looking forward to turning the page on a new year! • How the challenges of 2020 might affect our planning for 2021 • The (virtual) class Shannon is leading on December 12: New Year Reset • How some goals (like Shannon’s goals to travel more) were negatively affected by the pandemic • The benefit of thinking about what you want, rather than about what you don’t want • Tricky goals like “quit smoking” and “lose weight" • How knowing what you want guides you in the direction you want to go • The perils of creating SMART goals that you don’t have any control over  • Our Good Enough Goal Setting kit • Getting clear on what you want: the secret ingredient to goal setting  • The lessons of 2020 and the pandemic • One of Janine’s goals: preparing for the worst  • Some details on how LastPass helps you share passwords in an emergency • Some of the simple pleasures that 2020 brought us • Thinking about goals as pointing yourself in the right direction • Being kind to yourself when you evaluate progress on your goals • Paying attention to what ended up not mattering to you Important links: • Shannon's New Year Reset workshop on December 12, 2020: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-year-reset-with-shannon-wilkinson-tickets-121753250249 • Our Good Enough Goal Setting kit: https://www.e-junkie.com/i/ycy8?card Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for more links!
25 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 132: Quieting Your Mind
These are stressful times. With the holidays, the global pandemic, passionate politics and everything else that's going on, your mind might be anything but quiet. In this episode Janine and Shannon discuss the benefits of quieting your thoughts and provide some strategies to try. (Spoiler alert: The secret ingredient is breathing!) Discussion topics include: • How quieting your mind isn’t about emptying your head of thoughts, but rather about turning down the volume on them • Brains are brains and they’re designed to have thoughts. • Avoiding perseverating on your thoughts • It’s not just thinking negative thoughts that is problematic; you can also latch onto thoughts that have no impact • How it takes energy when you get caught up in thinking about things that don’t matter much • How daily yoga helps Janine quiet her mind • One mind-quieting strategy: Turning your attention specifically to something else (like breathing) • Box breathing, which can calm your nervous system • A question to ask yourself, “What’s next?" • How our brains think worrying about something counts toward taking action, when actually it usually prevents you from taking action • How our bodies react to worry as if the thing you’re worrying about is actually happening • How if you are worrying about something you are not in danger • Shannon’s awesome flow chart for responding to worry • Some visual metaphors for letting thoughts pass through your mind Visit the show notes at https://wp.me/pa4yl3-lt to see Shannon's flow chart and for links.
21 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 131: Trying Something New
It can be uncomfortable to try new things if perfectionism makes you worry about getting them right. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss a recent class they took together and how it provided a great lesson in letting go of perfectionism. Discussion topics include: • The class on flowcharting that Shannon and Janine took together •How perfectionism came up during this class for Janine but not Shannon • How letting go of perfectionism allowed Janine to get a lot out of the class • Applying flow charting to Shannon’s question, “Is is time to meditate?" • The question Janine flow charted, “How can I design my schedule to write more?" • How Janine was glad she let go of her discomfort over not knowing what to expect and signed up for the class • “Everything you want is on the other side of fear." • How the technique of flow charting can help you let go of a concern about getting things right • The imperfections inherent in flow charting • The benefit of these reminders about the value of embracing good enough • How handmade things are enhanced by their imperfections Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links and for photos of our flow charts!
22 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 130: Making the Best of the Season
The holiday season in 2020 is destined to be strange, thanks to COVID-19. In this episode Janine and Shannon talk about making the best of an unprecedented Thanksgiving holiday. In listening to the episode, we realized that we didn't directly address some important advice: Think about why the holidays are important to you, and what makes them special, and consider how you can bring some of that into your life, even when you can't celebrate as usual. Topics we did address include: • The importance of keeping everybody safe by limiting social gatherings, even on Thanksgiving • Shannon’s “traditional” Popeye’s Thanksgiving • How Janine’s decades-long Thanksgiving tradition is impossible this year • Our compassion for people who aren’t able to see their loved ones this year • Creating 2020 holiday memories and stories  • Using the extra time you might gain this year to reach out to others • Making yourself feel better by reaching out to someone else • The plan Shannon and Janine hatched to play Yahtzee or Scattergories over the internet on Thanksgiving • Cutting yourself infinite slack if you can’t do the traditional things you do at the holidays • Remembering what we have to be grateful for • Accepting the way things things are to reduce stress • Recognizing that there’s no perfect or ideal way to spend your time during the pandemic • The value of embracing good enough, especially now • The wonderful sense of community created by Yoga with Adriene • Inviting a friend to do things with you (the internet makes that easy!) See the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links
36 minutes | 2 months ago
Episode 129: Know Your Why (Redux)
This week, we're re-running Episode 21 from October 2018. It gets to the heart one of our most important recurring themes, so we thought it would be worthwhile to revisit. The bedrock of all the advice we offer on this podcast is, "Know what's important to you." In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss how to get in touch with your values so that you can more easily embrace good enough. Discussion topics include: • The importance of knowing your core values • Evaluating what’s important to you • The secret sauce of the process: Repeating the question “What else?” • Using your core values to help you decide what good enough means to you • Trying a Word of the Year exercise • How getting clear on your why makes everything easier • Getting in touch with your body’s “yes” and “no” signals • Shannon’s “Boring Change” technique for making ridiculously easy changes Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for show links.
37 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 128: What Is Good Enough (Redux)
This week, we're re-running Episode 7, from way back in July 2018. It presents a core message of our podcast that we thought was worth another listen. Enjoy! It's hard to know how to stop at good enough if you haven't identified what good enough means to you. Shannon and Janine discuss why it's important to understand your own standards of good enough--and how those standards are very personal. Discussion topics include: • How standards can vary depending on the importance of what you’re working on • How living with teenagers has caused Shannon to embrace a different standard of good enough in terms of housekeeping (spoiler alert: the word “botulism” is part of her standard) • The challenge of living with people whose standards of clutter are different than yours • Shannon’s technique for avoiding over-researching purchases • How Janine straddles the divide between the future and the ancient ways
26 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 127: Changing Habits
The prospect of changing a habit can feel difficult--but it doesn't have to be. The pandemic has given most of us a crash course in habit changing! In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss some of the habits we've changed recently, along with some ways to make habit changing easier. Discussion topics include: • How under the right circumstances, habit change can be easy • Some of the many habits the pandemic has required us to create • How the pandemic has changed the way we feed ourselves (and our families) • Shannon’s strategy for creating a meal-planning habit • How Janine’s using her Trello daily task management board to re-create a habit of taking her supplements twice daily • The difficulty in remembering whether you’ve done certain daily tasks (and some solutions for that) • How the pandemic revealed our capacity to change • How these new habits are probably here to stay (and that’s probably for the better) • The importance of time of day for certain habits — it can be worthwhile to play with that • The value of attaching a habit to an existing one
26 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 126: Choosing Imperfection
The notion of choosing imperfection (rather than striving for perfection) is counter-intuitive to folks with perfectionistic tendencies. But it can be a helpful way to approach things. In this episode Janine and Shannon discuss the benefits of choosing imperfection and the joys of welcoming imperfection into our lives. Discussion topics include: • How Janine chose imperfection when she made a flyer recently • The lasting impact of the confetti reward in our Trello task management boards • How choosing imperfection allowed Shannon to start communicating regularly with her email list subscribers • How Janine has chosen imperfection in her monthly newsletter for more than a dozen years with no ill effects • The fact that inaction, as well as imperfection, can sometimes be a choice • How Shannon is choosing inaction (as well as imperfection) when it comes to her creaky old website • How this topic relates to Janine’s childhood garage burning down • Requiring imperfection in our upcoming Zoom presentation, “The Power of Enough" • The joy of welcoming imperfection into our lives • Choosing imperfection in Shannon’s Vote Forward letters • The value of choosing imperfection before starting a project rather than settling for it at the end of a project Go to the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links.
24 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 125: Authenticity
Shannon and Janine both embrace being authentic. But we understand that if you have a tendency toward perfectionism that it can be hard not to strive to appear perfect. In this episode, we discuss the value of authenticity and how it can make your life easier. Discussion topics include: • How perfectionism can make it harder to show up authentically and be your true self in public • How sharing your own imperfections can help you help others. • Shannon and Janine’s “warts and all” approach to presenting themselves • How this podcast helps us be authentic • The value of being approachable and human • How Janine came terms with being authentic about being messy as a professional organizer • The imperfection that is baked into our podcast • How being authentic is much less stressful! • The self recrimination behind not living up to a persona that you created • Saying what you think even if you think the other person won’t want to hear it • Making (sometimes false) assumptions about what people are asking • Shannon’s trick: She assumes that anyone who asks her something is thinking, “Doesn’t hurt to ask" • The freedom of not caring how you’re perceived as long as you’re being authentic • Shannon’s approach to authenticity when she was dating
24 minutes | 3 months ago
Episode 124: Incremental Improvement
Little by little, we can make big strides toward our goals. The trouble is sometimes it's hard to even notice the tiny progress that we make. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss incremental improvement and how it can make a huge difference in our lives. Discussion topics include: • The power of noticing small improvements • How it can be hard to take a step back and look at how far you’ve come • The incremental improvement that can come with practice and age • Shannon’s metamorphosis from a shy person to an outgoing one • A tip for feeling more comfortable at a party or event • How making one small change can shift things • The Mark Twain quote that inspired this episode, “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." • Getting past the frustration of not getting everything you want right away by acknowledging the value of small improvements • How Shannon is learning Portuguese by making small (very) consistent improvements • Some of the unexpected Portuguese phrases that Shannon now knows • The incremental improvement Janine’s seen in her daily yoga practice. • How you can experience incremental improvement without even expecting (or seeking) improvement • The 30-day plank challenge that took Janine from a twenty-second to a five-minute plank in 30 days • Our challenge to you: Think about something that you have improved on that maybe you didn’t realize you have improved on Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links.
32 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 123: Adapt with Ease
Shannon and Janine recorded this episode after experiencing some pretty significant unanticipated events on our September trips. Shannon's eastern Oregon RV trip was disrupted by heavy smoke from the wildfires and Janine, whose stay in Walla Walla was also affected by the smoke, had to grapple with her computer becoming inoperable during her big driving trip. This week we discuss how our careful preparation--and knowing what's important to us--allowed us to adapt with ease when faced with the unexpected. Discussion topics include: • The high levels of wildfire-related smoke that Shannon and Janine were experiencing at the time we recorded this episode • How Shannon’s trip to eastern Oregon was affected by the smoke and the ways she and her husband adapted their itinerary to accommodate it • The considerations they made to allow them to have a successful trip despite the disruptions • Once again, the importance of knowing what is important to you • Janine’s computer malfunction that threw her for a big loop • The 90th birthday video gift for her father that was imperiled by her computer meltdown • How Janine had to embrace good enough to be able to present her gift to her father (it turned out to be a wild success!) • The hand-made thank-you note Shannon left for park rangers to thank them for the cleanliness of the pit toilets • The silver linings of the adaptations Janine’s decision not to visit Mount Rushmore, despite spending the night in Rapid City Note: We delayed publishing this episode by a week because the Get Out the Vote episode felt more urgent. So Episode 123 was actually recorded before Episode 122. Go to www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links.
27 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 122: Get Out the Vote
Janine and Shannon agree that this November's election feels like the most important in our lifetime. We're committed to helping get out the vote and want to help you make sure you're able to vote. We also want to help you help others vote, so we've put together some resources to help make taking action easier. We discuss the following steps with resources for each in the Links section below: • Level 1: Make sure you’re able to vote • Level 2: Promote voting among your friends, associates and neighbors Level 3: Volunteer to help • Level 4: Give money to candidates and causes Links: Level 1: • One-stop voting registration and poll information: https://www.vote.org/ Level 3: • Postcards to Voters (order postcards of your choice, completely handwritten): https://postcardstovoters.org/ • Blue Wave Postcard Movement (they provide postcards, part of which are preprinted) https://www.bluewavepostcards.org/ • Letters to Voters: https://votefwd.org/ • Send texts: https://resistancelabs.com/ • Volunteer at the polls https://www.workelections.com/ Level 4: • Donate to the fund established by Shannon's friends (with matching funds!): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/takethesenate2020 We are sincere in our desire to help you figure out how to vote and how to help others vote. If you need any help, please reach out at hello@gettingtogoodenough.com or give us a call at 413-424-GTGE (4843).
31 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 121: Productive Preparation
Shannon and Janine are both taking road trips the first week in September that require a good deal of preparation. This week we discuss how we've been trying to be plan productively without letting perfectionism hold us up. Discussion topics include:  * The paradox of 2020: How can it only be September and also how is it September already? * How we're trying not to let perfectionism get in the of planning our upcoming trips * Shannon's trip next week from Portland to eastern Oregon towing an RV behind her SUV * Janine's upcoming 29-hour drive from St. Louis to eastern Washington for her father's 90th birthday * How Janine is using Trello to help her plan what to pack for her journey * How taking away the unknowns and breaking down the trip into days helped Janine get her arms around the long trip * How it's so easy to spin your wheels while trying to prepare when there's uncertainty involved * Shannon's Post-it note trip planning method * Planning routes based on elevation (so smart!) * Covering contingencies with a paper road map! * The difference between worrying about things you can't control and thinking about those things you can control * How one's perception of a situation can influence its reality Visit the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for links.
25 minutes | 4 months ago
Episode 120: Sneaky Perfectionism
Sometimes perfectionism can hide from view so we don't even realize it's happening. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss that sneaky perfectionism, how it can show up and how "good enough" can be helpful. Discussion topics include: • Shannon’s flying her “recovering perfectionist” flag high in this episode! • She discovered in a coaching session that perfectionism was lurking sneakily behind a reluctance to do something • How something can feel perfect in your head before you start taking action but becomes imperfect when you start taking action, which can stop you from taking action • The clue that perfectionism is at play: thinking you should (or even could) do something in a particular way • How should can come up around the finished product, not necessarily around how to go about doing something • The value of realizing that what you are already doing is good enough. • The provocative question Shannon asked on Facebook: “If you knew you were going to be successful, what would you try?”  • How Janine’s lack of perfectionism helps her pursue the things that she’s interested in • The idea that came to Janine during the recording to help deaf people in Missouri vote • The impact of combining your whys • “All right is the new awesome!" See the show notes at www.gettingtogoodenough.com for a link to Shannon's Facebook post!
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