How To Be A Better Person with Kate H...
Start your day with one simple thing you can do in the next 24 hours to be your better self--not so you can be a perfect person. Or even a good person! Just... better.
I wrote the book "How to Be a Better Person" after "be a better person" topped the list of most popular New Year's resolutions for the first time ever. This podcast builds on the ideas in that book and is intended to be like the little angel on your shoulder, providing a counter narrative to the negative thoughts and impulses that are floating around both out there and inside your own head. My mission is two-fold: to help you keep growing, and to inspire you to use your power for good.
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701
Why You Need to Schedule Admin Time EP: 106
As an adult, there are so many administrative things that need your attention. The reality is that life is a full-time job. And most of us also have other full-time jobs. So when do you get this stuff done without forgetting important details or...
5 min
702
Own the Fact That You Matter EP: 105
There is some serious stuff going down in the world. It’s a lot to reckon with. It’s awfully easy and tempting to think, what can one person do? But there are at least five major ways you make a difference in yourself, others, and the world at...
4 min
703
Set a donation goal EP: 104
This idea will help you be more strategic about giving back, whether that’s by donating your money or your time.
4 min
704
Stop Hating the Chores EP: 103
Unless you have a live-in household staff, chores are an inescapable part of life that for average Americans add up to a whopping 690 hours a year. Do you really want to hate something that you’re going to spend 690 hours on every year for the rest...
6 min
705
Let’s Talk About MEAT EP: 102
I am a meat eater, and everyone in my family is a meat eater. I am not here to pooh-pooh it or tell you you should really be a vegetarian or a vegan. I AM suggesting that you make more of your meals each week meat-free, and that you improve the...
5 min
706
The Benefits of Staring Out the Window EP: 101
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that sitting and staring out the window isn’t exactly hailed as a great thing to do by your boss, but it actually is wonderful for you—and your productivity—in multiple ways
4 min
707
Why You Should Leave the House EP: 100
Especially in these winter months, it’s easy to overdo it on the hibernation. Leaving the house and going to the thing sounded cool when you first heard about it is how you invite new people, ideas, and opportunities into your life.
5 min
708
There’s a Time and a Place for Everything EP: 99
Remembering that there is a time and a place for everything helps you remember that you don’t need to do three things at once: you do one thing, and then the next thing, and then the next. It makes life feel more manageable.
8 min
709
Stop Saying “I’m Fine” EP: 98
When you interrupt the automatic reflex of replying to the question “How are you?,” with, “I’m fine” you create an opportunity for something this world needs more and more of… human connection.
4 min
710
Ward Off Your Next Virus Before It Starts EP: 97
Let’s make this the cold and flu season where we don’t get taken down for the count by a virus that wouldn’t have been as big a deal if we’d just had stuff on hand to minimize it.
4 min
711
Delegate Better EP: 96
Delegating is about more than sharing the workload, it’s also how you empower people. Here’s how to do more of it, and do it better.
4 min
712
Transitioning Back into Normal Life After the H...
No matter how you feel about the holidays, they are a giant opportunity to get away from the routines that keep you in a healthy, productive, non-reactive zone. So take a few minutes today to think about the structures you can put in place that will...
5 min
713
Day 5, Better Than Resolutions Week: The Secret...
This is kind of an obvious tip. But it did not occur to me to set this goal for myself until last year, when I was 48. Sometimes the obvious thing is just too close to see.
4 min
714
Day 4, Better Than Resolutions Week: Predict Yo...
Writing a letter to your future self is how you start to focus on something that so most of us forget to think about when we’re wanting to do things differently -- and that is how GOOD we’re going to feel once we’ve done it. And feeling good is...
5 min
715
Better Than Resolutions Week: Begin How You Aim...
Any time you’re embarking on something new, it really helps to do something right at the start that signifies how you intend to do things from here on out. That means what you decide to do on New Year’s Day sets the tone for the rest of year....
4 min
716
Day 2, Better Than Resolutions Week: What To Se...
Resolutions are just too big--it’s like trying to eat an elephant. So don’t make any resolutions this year, how about that? Today I’m sharing what I suggest you set instead—they’re not sexy, but they work.
7 min
717
Day 1, Better Than Resolutions Week: What’s You...
Let’s face it, few people keep their resolutions. So this week is BETTER THAN RESOLUTIONS week on the podcast. Today your mission is to take the first step in New Year’s planning, and that’s pick a theme for the year ahead.
7 min
718
Before You Look Forward, Look Back EP: 89
Taking a moment to look back at the year that’s ending is a crucial piece of the goal-setting process that a lot of people miss; one that can help you go ALL-IN on the coming year.
5 min
719
What You Appreciate Appreciates EP: 88
The Dalai Lama says, “The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” And if you’re listening to a podcast on how to be better person, you’re interested in deepening those roots of goodness, am I right?
6 min
720
Give Yourself the Gift of Presence EP: 87
Today I’m sharing something that will help you make the most of this particular day, whether you love it or dread it; something that can help you slow down and savor the good stuff, or help you stay steady when all you really want to do is run...
5 min
721
Remember that Not Everyone Likes the Holidays E...
I’m just here with a quickie today because I know it’s a busy week for a lot of people. I just want to give all of us a reminder that this week is a really really tough week for a lot of people.
2 min
722
Today Is the Dawn of a New Era—What Do You Wan...
Today’s Monday, but more importantly, it’s the day after the winter solstice. And the day after the winter solstice is the dawn of a new half of a year. The question I’m asking myself and that I’m posing to you in honor of this occasion is…
4 min
723
Shop Local (and to Hell with Amazon) (Is That R...
Since today is Friday and on Fridays I talk about finances, and since it’s the holiday season and so many of us are spending more money than we typically do at other times of the year, am going on the record and asking you to patronize small, local...
6 min
724
One Question: How Can I Help? EP: 83
Today’s tip goes straight to being a better person in that it helps you interact with more kindness and openness with other people and helps you be of service in the world.
4 min
725
Save Yourself from Text Neck EP: 82
The average person spends five hours a day looking at their phone, and it is wreaking some serious havoc on your musculoskeletal health, too. It’s not easy to be your best when you’re in chronic pain. Especially when that pain has a fairly simple fix.
4 min
726
Say Thanks, Publicly EP: 81
Thanking people publicly gives those folks some much deserved recognition. It helps them feel appreciated. But what you might not consider is that it also lifts the curtain on just how many people it takes to do cool things.
4 min
727
Act on Your Inspired Ideas Before They Vanish E...
Today your mission is to close the gap between the time when you get an inspiration or an idea and when you act on that inspiration or idea. I’m telling you, this tip has the power to really change your life and to do it pretty quickly.
6 min
728
Money and Mindfulness EP: 79
It’s so easy to wake up in January and look at your credit card bills and your bank account and regret how much money you spent. I’m not here to tell you to make a budget, or keep freeze your credit card in a block of ice. I’m only going to...
5 min
729
Make Your Language More Gender Neutral EP: 78
I admit it: the thing I’m sharing with you today took me a couple of years to adapt to. And that thing is to use more gender neutral language in your everyday interactions. (E.g, no more “you guys.”)
6 min
730
Show Your Feet Some Love EP: 77
Let’s face it, unless you go to get a pedicure, your feet really don’t get a lot of love. Yet they are your base, your foundation. They make it possible for you to get around and do all the things you need to and want to do.
6 min
731
Are You Working Like a Consultant, or a Service...
There are two basic buckets that work falls into -- either you are being a service provider, or you are acting as a consultant. If you don’t have an awareness of which role you’re filling, and when, and why, you’re likely to get stuck in one or...
6 min
732
How to Let Go of Anger EP: 75
Emotions don’t go away just because you stuff them down. It’s a paradox that the most efficient way to process an emotion is to allow yourself to experience it.
7 min
733
Plan for No Plans EP: 74
Something that we all need any time, but especially in the midst of a whirlwind like the end of the year, is downtime. Or what I like to call, white space.
5 min
734
Name Your Sacred Circle EP: 73
Raising kids takes a village, but so does being a person. Today we’re talking about consciously thinking about who are the people in your life who lift you up, and you do the same for them.
6 min
735
Find Time to Read EP: 72
I’m not here to sell you on the concept of reading. What I want to do today is help you find the time to read. Because that is often the biggest impediment to actually doing this wonderful, heart- and mind-expanding thing.
4 min
736
Be Coachable EP: 71
It’s a very rare person who truly enjoys the process of hearing something that they’re not doing great at. But getting hip to it is how you start to get better.
4 min
737
Shift the Dynamic EP: 70
Today’s tip is something to reach for when something you’re working on or toward isn’t going as you’d like, and you’re starting to get frustrated, or angry, or dispirited in some way.
5 min
738
An Alternative to Black Friday: Be of Service E...
A lot about Thanksgiving is focused on consumption, both the actual feast and the shopping frenzy that happens the day after. A nice counterbalance to all that consuming is giving.
3 min
739
Reduce Holiday Stress by Setting an Intention E...
No matter what holiday you celebrate, today’s tip can help you lessen some of the stress at whatever holiday gathering you might be attending.
4 min
740
Replace Your Negative Self-Talk with a Specific...
I want you to head into the holiday feeling refreshed and uplifted. That’s why today’s tip is going straight to the source of where nearly all stress originates, and that’s to your very thoughts.
4 min
741
Cook When No One’s Hungry EP: 66
Cooking is actually fun. It’s creative. It’s got good smells, pretty visuals, and good tastes. It’s movement. What’s not fun is try to produce something edible when you and/or the people you’re feeding are hungry. That’s stressful
5 min
742
Why Driving Without the GPS Is Good for Your So...
Surely there are some places in this world where you don’t need an omnipotent GPS voice to get you there. I mean, what happens when the grid goes down and we’ve all lost the ability to navigate by ourselves? What then?
4 min
743
Have Fun, Dammit (Why Fun Matters) EP: 64
When you’re having fun, you are in the moment. You are very present, and you are relaxed. That’s when things can flow. As paradoxical as it may seem, sometimes you have to plan for fun. This is one of those times.
4 min
744
Set Better Boundaries with an “I Don’t” List E...
Knowing what’s on your “don’t list” will help shore up your boundaries, and that helps you walk a little taller and keeps any bad behavior from taking away from your well-being.
4 min
745
Identify Your Bad Habits EP: 62
What are your bad health habits? Are you like me in that you intend to drink only one glass of wine, but always end up having two? A lot of times, after you raise your awareness about something, it starts to shift all on its own.
3 min
746
Take a Real Lunch Break (no Screens!) EP: 61
Today I am encouraging you—imploring you, even!--to take an honest-to-gosh lunch break. And by that I mean, move away from your computer, and keep your hands and your eyes off your phone. Why?
4 min
747
Take (at Least) One Mindful Breath a Day EP: 60
Today, I want to help you find your way into two great practices--conscious breathing and mindfulness—by doing ONE SIMPLE THING that only takes about five seconds. Sounds pretty good, right?
6 min
748
Don’t Keep the Peace EP: 59
It may seem like your highest goal in any difficult situation is to keep things from spilling over into anger or upset. But keeping the peace can look an awful lot like sweeping things under the rug, and ignoring what needs attention.
6 min
749
Embrace Order EP: 58
The average person spends 15 minutes a day looking for a lost item—that’s a lot of unnecessary stress on a daily basis, and over the course of a year, that’s more than 91 hours spent on rummaging through your bag or your house silently freaking out.
4 min
750
Try a No-Spend Day EP: 57
Today’s tip is about dedicating some amount of time to NOT spending money. Because sometimes NOT doing something is the best way to help you figure out how you want to do it in the future.
5 min
751
Validate, Validate, Validate EP: 56
We all long to feel heard and understood. Like, deep down in our souls we want to feel gotten. And it is so easy to do this for another person. So easy! And yet, it’s pretty rare that we actually do.
5 min
752
Share Your Pronouns EP: 55
I have something very specific to suggest that you do in honor of International Kindness Day. And it’s not be kind to others! I hope you already know to do that, right?
6 min
753
Know When to Pick Up the Phone EP: 54
Today’s tip is designed to help you be a better and more efficient communicator. And in this day and age of overflowing inboxes and texts a-plenty, it may surprise you, because I am going to encourage you to do something that may seem even a little...
4 min
754
Be a River, Not a Pond EP: 53
Today’s tip can nudge you into feeling more generous, which isn’t something you hear about nearly as much as you do about gratitude. Gratitude is focusing on what you have or what you get. And generosity is focusing on what you can give to others....
5 min
755
Soak Your Stress Away, For Real EP: 52
Today’s tip delivers self-care in all kinds of ways, helping you tend to your physical health, your mental health, and even your psychic health.
3 min
756
Write a Thank You Note EP: 51
Imagine how tickled you’d be to pick up your mail today and see a handwritten note from someone thanking you for something you did or said. It would make your day, wouldn’t it?
4 min
757
Give a Better Compliment EP: 50
There are many ways that compliments don’t end up being all that complimentary. Especially when they are related to appearance, compliments can get loaded, quick.
5 min
758
How to Truly Help Someone You Love EP: 49
Of course you want to swoop in and fix things for someone you love if it’s possible for you to do so. But I want to plant the seed in your mind that fixing things for other people is in no way guaranteed to actually be helpful.
4 min
759
Take an Objective Look at What You Eat EP: 48
While you might spend a fair amount of time thinking about what you’re going to eat, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t spend a lot of time observing what you eat.
4 min
760
Find Your Power Hour. Protect It With All You’v...
Everyone has a time of day where they are most likely to be operating at full capacity. I like to call that time of day your power hour. It’s kind of like you get to be a super hero for only one hour a day—what hour would you choose to don your...
4 min
761
Do What You Can While Can EP: 46
My mother in law raised 5 boys, she worked full time as a Spanish teacher and she had dinner on the table every night at 5:30. Once I asked her how she did it and said well, you just do what you can while you can.
5 min
762
Bless and Release EP: 45
We all have heard that to forgive is divine, and it is. But it can also feel like a pretty tall order sometimes. The desire to forgive may not come for a while, but there is a half-step a long the way, and that’s what I want to talk to you about...
4 min
763
Make One Thing Reusable EP: 44
I recently read that every single piece of plastic that’s ever been made—which adds up to 8.3 billion metric tons—is still on this Earth. Some plastic is recycled, sure, but, according to National Geographic up until 2015 only 9 percent was...
6 min
764
See the Fingerprints on Everything EP: 43
Today we’re talking about a way to look at the things you buy and consume as more than mere things. And that is to think about all the many, many people that went into creating those things.
3 min
765
Catch Them in the Act EP: 42
This is a little different than my previous tip to give someone a high five, although it’s definitely related. Giving a high five is about celebrating. This is more about training yourself to notice and call attention to something that’s positive,...
3 min
766
Somewhere You Would Normally Drive EP: 41
I’m not talking about getting more steps on your Fitbit, although this can help you do that and that’s a perfectly lovely thing to do. It’s really just about interrupting the impulse to do things the no-brainer way.
4 min
767
Re-Motivate Yourself EP: 40
A powerful way to get re-motivated is to really think about the difference your work is making for people. You don’t have to be working for a nonprofit that’s saving the world in order to do this. Here’s how.
5 min
768
Build Your Boredom Tolerance EP: 39
At some point today, you’re going to be somewhere where for a few moments you have nothing in particular to do. And I’m willing to bet that after about, oh, 10 seconds of waiting, you’re going to get this great idea that says, I could check...
4 min
769
Check in With Yourself EP: 38
It’s easy to get in to the habit of checking in with everyone else in your household or on your team at work to see what they think, prefer, and need. But it’s really damn hard to remember to do the same thing for yourself.
5 min
770
Make a Difference Day EP: 37
Make a Difference Day has been a national holiday since 1992. I’m sure you can easily find several volunteer opportunities you could do in your city or town today, and I hope you’ll do that! But I want to suggest another way you can make a...
4 min
771
There’s More Where That Came From EP: 36
When you start thinking “there’s more where that came from”, you shift your focus FROM the money you no longer have and TO the additional money you could invite into your life.
4 min
772
Don’t Be an Interrupting Cow EP: 35
Getting interrupted is so frustrating. It impedes your train of thought, for one. Worse, it can feel like you’re being silenced and that what you have to say doesn’t matter. And it’s something we can do to other people even when we have the best...
5 min
773
Get in Bed When You’re Tired EP: 34
Falling asleep is a little bit like re-entry of a space shuttle – there are certain windows you need to hit for best results. Here’s a dead simple way to make sure that you’re in the right place at the right time for falling asleep.
3 min
774
Give a Feedback Sandwich EP: 33
One of the trickier things about working with other people is that you often have to give them feedback on how they’re doing. And few people actually enjoy getting feedback, especially when that feedback contains something that could be...
3 min
775
Celebrate Others’ Successes EP: 32
You know how when you see someone doing something really cool, sometimes you get jealous? Or maybe even think, “That bee-yotch!” C’mon, you can admit it. Today’s tip is here to help you shift out of that mentality.
3 min
776
Soothe Yourself to Sleep EP: 31
It can be hard to sleep on Sunday nights when you’re thinking about the things you want to and need to get done that week. To help us all get more zzzzs tonight, I’m sharing 2 simple DIY things that help you get to sleep.
4 min
777
Let Someone Else Go First EP: 30
Being in a hurry makes it easy to wish everyone would just get out of your way already. It’s a little bit like, how dare you slow me down, can’t you see I’ve got important things to do here! I mean, right? Here’s a simple way to step...
3 min
778
Make an Extra Monthly Debt Payment Every Year w...
If you’re a homeowner, financial gurus and advisors (and my Dad) will tell you to make one extra mortgage payment a year. I say, that’s a great idea! The problem is, it’s not exactly easy to find extra money just lying around waiting...
3 min
779
Don’t Be a Snowplow EP: 28
Today we’re taking aim at something that so very many of us do--especially those of us with kids, although it’s certainly not reserved for the parents of the world--and we tend to do it unconsciously. Or, if we’re aware of it, we...
5 min
780
Take a Stretch Break EP: 27
It’s really, really hard to be a person of any kind without a body, am I right? So, a better cared for body helps you do the things that being a better person will call on you to do. #wellnesswednesday
4 min
781
Take a Transition Between “Work” and “Life” EP: 26
Today’s tip is intended to help you build more of a boundary between your work time and your personal time. It’s not a solid wall – if you need to work for an hour after the kids go to bed, there’s no shame in that. It’s more like...
3 min
782
Look for the Loving Reason EP: 25
I suppose this gets a little woo-woo. So I hope you can go there with me. I’m basically asking you to try on the idea that life is happening for you instead of to you. Also, the blog post I mention is here:
7 min
783
Forgive YOUR Mistakes EP: 24
What I want to share with you today is a deceptively simple, and deceptively powerful, forgiveness exercise. What’s deceptive about this? Well, for starters, it is NOT about forgiving someone else.
3 min
784
Actually Silence Your Phone EP: 23
There’s no denying it—it hard to resist the allure of a ringing or dinging phone. Sometimes, I even flinch when I just imagine I’ve heard my phone vibrate or buzz. (I’m not the only one, right?)
3 min
785
Check the Urge to Buy New EP: 22
I’m guessing you’ve had the experience where you’ve gone to the store to pick up something you need, only to realize once you get back home that you already had it. Or that there’s at least one thing hanging in your closet right now that still...
3 min
786
Don’t Treat Gifts Like a Burden EP: 21
Today your mission is to recognize how you might be contributing to your own unease by treating good things as if they were bad things. (This is such a common thing to do.)
2 min
787
Let There Be (the Right Kind of) Light EP: 20
Today I want you to think about light, and what types of light you’re exposed to at what times of day. Why does this matter? Your body has something called a circadian rhythm, which is a really cool hormonal orchestra that is deeply influenced by...
4 min
788
When You Make Your To-Do List Matters EP: 19
This is something that, when I do it, makes my whole week go better. It helps you take the effectiveness of your to-do lists to another level, by being savvy and strategic about WHEN you make them. And don’t you just love being savvy and strategic??
3 min
789
Give Someone a High Five EP: 18
We just don’t get a lot of opportunities to high five each other outside of sports settings. Let’s bring it into real life more and encourage each other to do the hard stuff, the cool stuff, the stuff that deserves at least a little recognition....
4 min
790
Stop Taking Things Personally EP: 17
Imagine you’re driving to work, or your kids to school, and an impatient driver swerves to pass you and calls you an a-hole or flips you the bird as they zoom by. What’s going through your mind at that moment?
4 min
791
Make Space to Chill EP: 16
Where do you go when you need “me time,” or when you’re tired, or when you just need a minute to think? We’re all moving in so many different directions; you need a space that’s dedicated to rest and restoration so that you have the energy...
4 min
792
Set a Weekend Spending Budget EP: 15
Today’s Friday and that means we’re either talking about friends, finances, or fun. And on this particular Friday, I’m sharing a strategy that applies to all three of these various topics
4 min
793
Check Your Body Language EP: 14
Most of us haven’t ever stopped to observe our own body language. And it’s a crucial part of our relationships. In fact, studies of married couples have found that body language is a big predictor of divorce.
4 min
794
Stick Your Butt Out EP: 13
Because this episode is airing on a #wellnesswednesday, I’m talking about how to be a better person in your own body by doing one simple thing that can have a big ripple effect. And it all starts with your butt!
5 min
795
Nominate Yourself EP: 12
Here me when I say this, especially my fellow women or women-identifying folks, who may have absorbed the message that confidence is somehow bad: There is not now, nor has there ever been, any shame in voting for yourself.
4 min
796
Good Thing, Bad Thing, Good Thing EP: 11
Today I want to share a fun little something you can do to train yourself to see the positive. And it’s something you can do with kids, or friends, or partners, so it’s a good bonding experience too.
4 min
797
Listening, Revisited EP: 10
Today I want to go back to a topic I talked about last week, which is listening. Because since I recorded that I heard a really cool story about the power of aiming to simply listen better that I wanted to share.
5 min
798
Leave a Positive Review EP: 9
Challenging yourself to leave more positive reviews will help you remember to look for the experiences that go well. And what we focus on grows.
4 min
799
Love Up a Friend EP: 8
Our friends help us be better people because they help us see ourselves more objectively. They make us laugh. They also help us remember who we are outside of our responsibilities.
5 min
800
Admit a Mis-Step EP: 7
I know our first reaction is typically to hide something we did wrong, but owning up to a mistake is SUPER freeing. When you admit a mistake, you don’t have to expend energy on either trying to ignore it, or justifying why you were right to do it.
5 min