Core Values 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for Finding Your Inner Compass

Since 2019, Everyday Better has released nearly 300 episodes to guide you in creating positive change in how you think, feel and act in the important areas of your life: at home, at work, in relationships and beyond. LinkedIn's Senior Editor in self-improvement and certified coach, Leah Smart has explored how to make your life better through expert conversations and research-backed strategies, every week. Now, the show is pressing pause on new episodes of Everyday Better, while Leah refocuses her time on her growing family.  But before we go on hiatus, we want to share a big thank-you to the community that has grown alongside the show.  Stay connected to Leah through her Substack where she’ll be personally writing about the very same topics you’ve heard on this show. You can also follow her on LinkedIn for practical career tools and interviews with some of the most inspiring people in the professional world. Finally, check her out on Instagram for everyday moments with her growing family. Make sure to follow this feed for updates on how and when the show will come back. In the meantime, while Everyday Better is on hiatus, dive into the close to 300 episodes, full of inspiring conversations with trusted voices, and curated research-backed strategies to help you navigate transitions, challenges, and uncertainties with clarity and intention.  Thank you for listening, for growing, and for being part of this community. This chapter of Everyday Better is closing, but the journey continues. See you soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special curated episode, you’ll hear the most impactful conversations from eight years of Everyday Better. If you’re looking for a practical starting point for personal growth, this episode is your starter kit. You’ll explore how to get to know yourself better through tools like the Enneagram and astrology, how to discover your purpose and passion, how to use breathwork and mental skills training to regulate stress, how to deepen your friendships and relationships, and through these practices, make meaningful change in your own life and your own corner of the world. Whenever you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or in transition, this collection is a roadmap that brings together the essential ideas, practices, and insights that define Everyday Better.  For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better is on hiatus, follow her on Substack, LinkedIn and Instagram. And if you loved the snippets in this compilation, you can find the full episodes here (in order of appearance): Carole Hopson: Second Acts: How Captain Carole Hopson Found Her ‘One True Thing’ Dr. Jennifer Freed: Astrology + Psychology = A Map to Your Soul Beatrice Chestnut: The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up Dr. Michael Gervais: Rising Above Fear of Other People's Opinions JP Crimi: Can’t Meditate? Try This with JP Crimi Tal Ben-Shahar: Engineering A Happier Life Michelle Thaller: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday Awe Shasta Nelson:The Anatomy of Friendship Julie and John Gottman: Making a Relationship Last Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author and mindfulness teacher Dan Harris for a practical conversation about how to work with your mind when everything feels overwhelming. In this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize and loosen the grip of your inner critic, respond instead of react under stress, and build hope and resilience through simple, science-backed mindfulness practices.  Whether you’re skeptical, overwhelmed, or just looking for tools that actually help, Dan breaks down meditation and mindfulness in a grounded, no-nonsense way, showing how mental training can help you feel calmer, more compassionate, and more in control, even amid uncertainty. Follow Dan Harris on LinkedIn and find his books 10% Happier here.  For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack,  LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with spiritual teacher and bestselling author Gabby Bernstein for a conversation about fear, faith, and why changing your mindset and the energy you bring to the world is how to real change. From navigating uncertainty with irrational hope to making small daily choices that shift your energy, this episode offers a practical path to creating a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and resilient, even when the world feels anything but. Follow Gabby Bernstein on LinkedIn and find her books here.  For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack,  LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with legendary designer, author, educator, and podcast host Debbie Millman to explore the power of the 10-year plan. Originally taught to Debbie by her mentor Milton Glaser, this visioning exercise is about suspending limiting beliefs and imagining an ideal day ten years from now without worrying about how it will happen. Debbie shares how it shaped her career, creativity, and personal life, and why declaring hope can quietly set real change in motion. This conversation invites you to think bigger, let go of outdated identities, and make room for who you’re becoming. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one where Leah walks through exactly how you can do this visioning exercise: The 10-Year Plan: A Roadmap to Designing Your Dream Life Follow Debbie Millman on LinkedIn.  For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack,  LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of our January series, The Year for Irrational Hope, Leah Smart sits down with bestselling author Bruce Feiler about lifequakes – the major transitions that upend our lives, whether we choose them or not. From career changes and relationships to loss, parenthood, and global uncertainty, Bruce explains why expecting a linear life creates so much stress, and why most of us are actually in transition far more often than we realize. They explore the three equally nonlinear phases of change: the long goodbye, the messy middle, and the new beginning, and why hope isn’t blind optimism, but a learnable skill. Bruce also shares how rituals, the focus of his upcoming book, can help us reconnect and heal collectively during uncertain times. This conversation offers a clear reframe for anyone feeling lost, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. Follow Bruce Feiler on LinkedIn and find his book “Life is in the Transitions” here.  For more from Leah Smart while Everyday Better goes on hiatus, follow her on Substack,  LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach the new year, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah sits down with Katherine May, author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. Each winter, life slows down. It’s dark and cold, yet the season offers an opportunity for rest.  In Wintering, Katherine shares the story of navigating a personal ‘winter’ – a challenging period of time during which she retreated into herself in order to cope with everything happening around her. Drawing on research about how Northern cultures weather their own harsh winters, Wintering is a balm for weary souls everywhere. In this episode, Leah and Katherine discuss the art of slowing down and how to embrace the metaphorical seasons we all go through in life.  Find Katherine’s book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times here. Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn. Follow Katherine May on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road, speaks openly about the challenges of building her businesses, and what it felt like when a major change turned her world upside down. She shares how she navigated the shock, the anger—and the unexpected freedom—of starting over. She and Leah explore what it takes to navigate sudden change, trust your gut, and start over in a way that feels true. If you’re facing a “now what?” moment, this episode is for you. Bobbi’s journey began as a young makeup artist breaking the rules, creating natural, authentic looks in an industry dominated by heavy trends. What started with testing lipsticks on nannies at the playground grew into a global brand she built from scratch and ultimately sold to Estée Lauder. But after decades at the helm of her namesake brand, Bobbi suddenly found herself facing a moment she never planned for: her work contract was canceled. Suddenly, life went quiet. No overflowing calendar. No endless demands. No clear next step. Just… herself. You can find her book ”Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention” here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: On the Clock: A Working Mothers’ Roundtable on Parenthood and Ambition. Follow Leah Smart and Bobbi Brown on LinkedIn.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you feeling stuck in a career you find meaningless, wondering if you’ll ever find your true calling? This week on Everyday Better, Leah Smart sits down with Sister Monica Clare — an Episcopal nun, spiritual counselor, and the creator behind the TikTok account @nunsenseforthepeople. Her path to the convent was anything but direct. For decades, she chased one career after another in Hollywood — acting, advertising, comedy, PR — all while ignoring the quiet truth she’d known since childhood: her true calling was to become a nun. In this powerful conversation, Sister Monica shares how she learned to stop listening to the world around her and finally start listening to herself. She opens up about the values exercise that changed everything, the somatic signals that told her she was on the wrong path, and why “plan A” doesn’t have to mean certainty — just courage. Together, she and Leah explore how any of us can uncover our calling, navigate fear, build self-esteem, and make meaningful changes one small step at a time. If you’ve ever wondered whether you're on the right path — or worried that you’re not — this episode will help you reframe failure, tune into what moves your heart, and get clearer on the life you’re truly meant to live. You can find her book ”A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun” here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Exploring the Universe: NASA’s Michelle Thaller’s Guide to Everyday AweFollow Leah Smart and Sister Monica Clare on LinkedIn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes of Everyday Better, where Leah walks us through one of her essential personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.  After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from her previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying which values resonate most deeply with you and how to apply those values to make better decisions in your life. Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here. Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here. Follow Leah Smart and Amanda Hilton on LinkedIn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices