Ep 152 - The dark side of goals

This is the third part in our series exploring Psychological Flexibility. Richard and Ross look at the skill called 'Cognititve Defusion', where we learn to see our thoughts in a different light.  You can find show notes and all the resources we mention at our dedicated online resource page: worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

In this second part of our series on how to develop your psychological flexibility, we look at the importance of being in the present moment, and minimising 'mental time-travel'. Richard and Ross look at some of the unhelpful ways our attention and focus are pulled from the here and now, along with some simple ways you can start to develop your capacity to just notice. We make the distinction between day-dreaming and all the benefits this can bring, and unwanted mental time-travel, where we can get taken to worrying imagined futures. It's the unwanted mental time-travel that takes us away from the present moment, and the opportunities for action it offers us. Don't forget, you can join us for a free online Q&A session on April 30th. Simply sign up for the WorkLifePsych online community to find all the details and RSVP for the event. It's free to join! All the resources for this series can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

This is the first of a new series of the podcast where we focus on the skills that develop our psychological flexibility. Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh, the host of the excellent People Soup podcast.  In this episode, they discuss what psychological flexibility is, what it feels like to experience psychological inflexibility, and what you can expect from the remainder of this series.  You can find the full show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/156 and discover more about psychological flexibility at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard is joined by fellow coaching psychologist Lucie Ilbury for a look at the common pitfalls to avoid when it comes to our values.  Shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/155  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we take a look at deadlines and how to handle them effectively. Whether it's a deadline we've been given, or one we've decided upon ourselves, they can either be a motivating target or a mark in the calendar that fills us with dread. So we look at some of the ways we can make our deadlines actually work for us.  Full show notes can be found at: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/154 Thanks for listening! 

In our last episode. Richard and Rachael explored some of the reasons goals and goal-setting can work against us and make behaviour change even more difficult.  This time round, Richard outlines some of the common reasons we can find it hard to stick to new habits. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/153  And if you'd like to watch this episode as a video, you can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RiRhu1hrC48  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews for a conversation about goals, goal-setting and the downside of focusing too much on goals.  You can find the full show notes for this episode by visiting our website: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/152 Thanks for listening! 

A quick reminder of our upcoming webinar all about coaching. On Jan 25th, I'll be facilitating a free session to demystify coaching, explain what's involved and how it can contribute positively to your goal attainment, wellbeing, productivity and career clarity.  To find out more and reserve your free place, simply visit https://www.worklifepsych.com/ConsideringCoaching  Thanks for listening - and I look forward to seeing you there! 

In this episode, Richard is joined by fellow podcaster and expert in ACT, Ross McIntosh, for a discussion about leadership at work. Ross is the host of the excellent 'People Soup' podcast, and regularly trains professionals int he ACT skills that support psychological flexibility.  Richard and Ross walk through a model of Authentic Leadership, exploring the skills and personal qualities that contribute to quality leadership performance. Looking at leadership through the ACT 'lens', Ross then explains how he's bringing these concepts to life for his leadership clients.  We actually the recorded the video of this conversation and you can watch the entire episode over on our YouTube channel.  All the resources mentioned in this episode can be found on our website at worklifepsych.com/podcast/151

We hit the 150 episode mark and take a look back at what we've learned along the way. We also look at the benefits of reviewing your year before making plans for the new year ahead.  Full show notes for this episode are available at worklifepsych.com/podcast/150  Thanks for listening!