Designing Yourself

Is self-inquiry enough? Or do we need to produce external, physical artifacts to express and share our talents, creativity and wisdom? In this episode, the finale of Season 3, Paul and Whitney question the value of work and its inner and outer manifestations. iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptDo you like the show? Yeah! Thanks so much. Be sure to rate or review our show on iTunes – this helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Thank you to everyone who listened along to Season 3 of Designing Yourself. We do it all for you. Namaste.

What would happen if we stopped trying to control everything in our lives? What does it mean to put aside outcomes and accomplishments, and just allow things to happen without planning them? In this episode, Whitney and Paul talk about surrendering to the universe and the freedom that can come as a result of letting go. iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptDo you like the show? Yeah! Thanks so much. Be sure to rate or review our show on iTunes – this helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

When we think about stealing, odds are good we think about stuff – and yes, Whitney and Paul discuss that at length. Beyond that, though, the idea of stealing energy in order to make ourselves feel better is also explored – does it really help us? iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptDo you like the show? Yeah! Thanks so much. Be sure to rate or review our show on iTunes – this helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

This week, Whitney and Paul talk cleanliness. Paul nerds out about keeping things in a certain place and order – and the ramifications of those decisions – while Whitney introduces the idea of being clean on the inside and what that means for her. And yes, we absolutely reference Marie Kondo, too. iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptDo you like the show? We're thrilled! Thanks for listening. Be sure to rate or review our show on iTunes – this helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

Is self-restraint a valuable trait? In this episode, Whitney & Paul dive in to this topic and find that flexibility and mindfulness drive our own self-restraint. Plus, we examine how our personas and the people around us play a major part of when we exercise that restraint. iTunes | RSS | Full transcriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

This week, Whitney and Paul explore the concept of contentment. A surprising amount of work goes into it – focusing on the present moment, and what we truly have and need. iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.

This week we talk about self-discipline. Scheduling, commitments, habits... these all reflect how we stick to things. Or do they? We talk about those calendars, when to deviate from them, and increasing awareness of our automated behaviors. iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Link for this episodeGetting Things Done

In this episode, we discuss the compassion we have with ourselves and others, particularly in times of turmoil. Do other people affect our moods? How do we approach highly emotional situations while being mindful of our own emotions? iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Link for this episodeNonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg

In our second episode this season, we're talking about striving — becoming attached to the idea of achieving or obtaining something, and then expending all of our energy in order to get it. But does our preoccupation with some future state get in the way of us giving our all in the moment? What if when we finally get what we want, we don't want it anymore? And what might we be missing if we're always trying to control the outcome of our efforts? iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Links and references for this episodeEckhart Tolle's The Power of Now Thich Nhat Hanh's Now watchMarie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

We're starting off our third season with a discussion about the truth. What do we do to find our own personal truth? What does it feel like to be truthful with ourselves and others? How does our playing a role, or being someone we're not, reflect our truth? iTunes | RSS | Full TranscriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Links and references for this episodeSong Exploder #16: SpoonPharrell Williams and Robin Thicke to pay $7.4m to Marvin Gaye's family over Blurred LinesPatrick Pichette, CFO of Google, posts retirement letter

This episode's topic was suggested by the great Lauren Bacon. Thanks, Lauren!On this episode, Whitney and Paul discuss comparisons and, in particular, the stories of ourselves we carry around in our heads. We recognize the idea of having a choice in the matter of that story — we can stop reading the book — but then, where do you go from there? When we either find the right story to read or stop reading other people’s stories and write our own, we attract people into our lives who are, in a much deeper, more authentic sense, meant to be there. iTunes | RSS | Full transcriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Got something to say? Tweet at us or call 1-404-500-SELF.

On this episode, we delve into the topic of recharging. Sometimes our work and other commitments can deplete our energies - even when they're really positive things. So how do you fill yourself up again, and stay motivated? We explore where this feeling originates, the importance of recharging, being aware of our bodies and how we're feeling, and more. MP3 | iTunes | RSS | Full transcriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Got something to say? Tweet at us or call 1-404-500-SELF.

In this week's episode, we explore stress. What is stress? What causes stress and how can we deal with it? We contemplate whether stress is objectively negative and delve into the view of stress as a motivator and ultimately, positive reaction to happenings around us.  MP3 | iTunes | RSS | Full transcriptHelp us out! Rate or review our show on iTunes! This helps other people find Designing Yourself, too.Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DesigningYou, @paulmcaleer, and @whitneyhess.Got something to say? Tweet at us or call 1-404-500-SELF.Links and references for this episode WebVisions - Paul is speaking at WebVisions Chicago this September! Twitter Stress Thread

Our topic this week came to us from Morgan Haines at a little creative!This week, Paul and Whitney talk about waiting for permission. When is the right time to ignore what other people are giving you permission to do, and start doing the things you want to do? Do you need to get permission from other people to change yourself? All this and more, on this episode of Designing Yourself. MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeWe want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and review us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!Follow the show @DesigningYouFollow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerWe love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELFLinks and references for this episode Roz Duffy New Ventures West The New School Back To Work Podcast Inbox Zero

Both Paul and Whitney have been working on what it means to be ready for something. In this episode, they get to the heart of readiness and how it relates to the story - or website redesign! - that is our lives. They discuss living with outdated things, and how to know when you're ready to move forward with various aspects of your life. Whitney also talks about her shift from consulting to coaching, and what that means for her career and her clients. (This is a good one.) MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeWe want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and consider reviewing us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!Follow the show @DesigningYouFollow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerWe love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELF Links and references for this episode CentralisAquanotes

A conversation before our recording led us to the topic of growth. In this episode, Paul and Whitney dig in to the components of growth, with a focus on both the positive (improving) and negative (pains). We also discuss the role of material things in facilitating growth, signaling success, and what their value is to us now. MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeWe want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and consider reviewing us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!Follow the show @DesigningYouFollow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerWe love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELFLinks and references for this episodePeter Gabriel, "Big Time"

In this episode, Paul and Whitney explore anxiety after Paul realizes that it may not be exactly the same as fear. This can shape how we feel about it and react to it. So what is anxiety? And what can we do to overcome it? Roz Duffy Then, we have the opportunity to chat with Roz Duffy. Roz has been helping create great communities, but recently decided to turn her attention inward and focus on her choices. We talk about experiencing life and creativity while working through some tough emotions.Roz Duffy is a user experience strategist and researcher. Translation: She loves creating great experiences for humans of all kinds. You’ll often find her bringing meetings to life with design activities or organizing events and conversations around empowering change and thinking creatively.When not trying to understand the way people interact with the world around them, Roz can be found sipping soy lattes, running or writing in her journal.  MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeWe want your help: If you like the show, please follow us on Twitter and review us on iTunes. It makes a difference because it helps other people find us, too!Follow the show @DesigningYouFollow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerWe love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELFLinks and References for This EpisodeBack to Work #153: Anxiety's a GoatRoz Duffy's site, Stellargirl

In lucky episode 13, Paul and Whitney dig into work and effort. What happens when we get paid for something, versus just "having fun" at it? How do we choose where to put our effort? And why does work have such a negative connotation, anyway? Karen McGrane of Bond Art + Science Then we sit down with the great Karen McGrane. Karen shares how she divvies up her days and her efforts, the balance between client work and non-client work, and chasing down interesting ideas.Karen has been making the internet more awesome for nearly 20 years. You might know her from her seminal book Content Strategy for Mobile, her work at Bond Art + Science, or one of her many, many articles in publications such as A List Apart. Last year, Karen spoke at the Dare Conference. Her talk, “I Suck! And So Do You!”, was shortlisted for Conference Talk of the Year at the 2014 Net Awards - a well-deserved honor! MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeFollow the show @DesigningYouFollow the hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerWe love your feedback! Call us: 1-404-500-SELFLinks and References for this EpisodeThe Alton Brown Podcast #7: And Then There Were ThreeKaren McGrane's talk, "I Suck! And So Do You!": transcript, video

In this episode, our 12th (and #2 in Season 2!), we talk about energy. What does it mean when we feel high energy or low energy? How do we balance our energy and find grounding? This is the episode where Paul finally talks chakras, and we explain it in a way that hopefully doesn't sound too "whoo-whoo." Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman of Center Centre Then, we talk with Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman of the new UX school Center Centre. Hear all about her 14-page to-do list and how she keeps herself energized amidst all the stress. We're so happy to have had a chance to chat with her.Dr. Leslie Jensen-Inman is a maker of awesomeness and a doer of good. She is a designer, speaker, author, and educator. As such, she connects industry, education, and community. Leslie is co-founder of the Unicorn Institute and Center Centre, where she works to improve the state of design education. Creative Director and Co-Author of the book, InterACT with Web Standards: A holistic approach to web design, Leslie has written articles for publications such as A List Apart, .net magazine, Ladies in Tech, and The Pastry Box Project.  MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeP.S. Sorry for Whitney's sucky audio towards the end. No clue what happened there!Follow the show @DesigningYouFollow your hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerGot something to say? Call us at 404-500-SELF!Links and References for This EpisodeUnicorn Institute Center CentreUser Interface EngineeringChakrasAmy Cuddy "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are" TED Talk

In the first episode of season 2, Paul and Whitney talk about intention. What happens when we focus on something and work to realize it? Why do New Year's resolutions tend to fail? Gina Trapani of ThinkUp, Todo.txt and Lifehacker Plus, our (first ever!) interview with Gina Trapani. You might know Gina from her amazing work at Lifehacker, used Todo.txt, or heard her on one of her podcasts – This Week in Google and All About Android. And now, Gina is the co-founder and creator of ThinkUp, a tool that helps people understand how their tweets and Facebook posts affect others. Gina joins Paul and Whitney to discuss intention and how the tools we use can help us along the way. MP3 | iTunes | RSSFull transcript of this episodeFollow the show @DesigningYouFollow your hosts @whitneyhess @paulmcaleerGot something to say? Call us at 404-500-SELF! Links and references for this episodeGina TrapaniThinkUpTodo.txtLifehacker