Good Life Project

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**Good Life Project**

Good Life Project is a podcast and video series for people navigating midlife with intention. Hosted by Jonathan Fields, each episode is a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a life that feels like yours, through the reinventions, reckonings, and reclamations that define your 40s, 50s, and beyond. Grounded in science, fueled by genuine curiosity, and always in service of the real work of living well. Often top-ranked, it’s been listened to and viewed more than 100 million times. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

Facing Fear as a Gateway to Purpose and Possibility Apr 16, 2015

Show notes

"Will you step into purpose and connection and expression, or leave them for dead?"

There's nothing quite like getting up on stage in front of a crowd to share something creative you made.

It's terrifying for most (if not all) of us.

But sometimes we feel compelled to do it because we know that facing THAT fear will open the door to purpose and potential.

On today's GLP Riff episode, I share the story of one of our GLP Immersion members, Barry Solway, how he literally and figuratively faced his fear of being a writer on stage at Camp GLP last year. And how the incredible GLP community rallied around him to help turn his poem into a published illustrated children's book in a matter of weeks.

This story is about more than facing fears however. It's about making the choice to either stay in your comfort zone, locked down by self-imposed stories, or to step outside of that and shine the light onto what you are capable of.

Here's an excerpt from the blog post where I tell Barry's story:

I love Barry’s story.

Not just because he’s part of our GLP family. Not just because he’s bringing a wonderful story into the world and stepping into his craft as a writer.

But because his journey has been a beautiful example of what can happen when you commit to a process of discovery and openness and vulnerability. When you allow all the assumptions about what you should be to fall away and step into what you are. When you’re willing to share your voice with the world, hold yourself out to be on the one hand, judged, but on the other, embraced and lifted.

If you'd like to read this full story, it's written on Jonathan's blog at http://www.jonathanfields.com/courting-monster/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overcoming Rejection: 100-Day Experiment That Changed Everything Apr 14, 2015

Show notes

"Creativity [happens] not necessarily because we have no limits, but because we have found ways to solve problems within limits."

Growing up in China, Jia Jiang dreamed of coming to the United States to make his mark as an entrepreneur. But his first attempt found him living with criminals in small-town Louisiana as an exchange student.

Jia didn't give up, though. He found a new family who cared, then devoted everything he had to build his career. Until he came face to face with a crippling fear of rejection.

If you're human, you're probably not all that different. To overcome this fear, Jia mounted a stunning and very public 100-day rejection adventure that not only "cured" his fear, but also turned him into a viral video phenomenon, speaking and author of the new book, Rejection Proof.

This story is both inspiring and vulnerable as Jia Jiang takes us behind the scenes of what it looks like to stare rejection down.

Follow Jia:

Website | YouTube | Twitter

Check out our offerings & partners:

My New Book Sparked
My New Podcast SPARKED
Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Some Entrepreneurs End Up Hating Their Lives (7 minutes) Apr 09, 2015

Show notes

So many people head into the world of entrepreneurship with high hopes, only to end up miserable and running back to a J.O.B. We call this "entrepreneurial failure to thrive."

It doesn't have to be that way.

We had great feedback on our first short and sweet Good Life Riff, so we're teeing up a new 7-minute piece about a huge miss in the world of startups and entrepreneurship One that leads to misery-infused money.

We also share 11 critical questions for every entrepreneur, business-owner and aspiring entrepreneur, oh heck, every living human with a pulse, to consider when trying to build something that both serves a need and also serves your own desire to craft a fantastic life.

Here's a quick excerpt:

Entrepreneurship is not about building a great business, it’s about building a great life!

But, you will never get what you want from the way you contribute to the world until you learn how to align your actions with your essence. And you cannot do that until you know who you are.

If you’d like to read the entire essay, read and answer the 11 questions offered, you can find it here on Jonathan’s blog.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Surprising Science of Workplace Bliss Apr 07, 2015

Show notes

"Rather than making perfection the goal, make improvement the goal."

If your work environment and culture empty you out, it will make it near impossible to live a good life. Along the way, it'll make the business you're working for grind to a halt. And, if you happen to own that business, then you end up in a personal and professional world of hurt.

So, what makes for a great work culture and environment?

We point to companies like Google as a shining example of incredible performance based on a creative culture, a beautiful campus and innovative and engaging projects with plenty of time to do crazy things.

But, what's really going on there? Turns out there's science behind it.

Today's guest, Ron Friedman, is a genius in this realm. He has spent years of his career researching, coaching, and writing about the actual levers that aid in creating the best places to work.

In our conversation, he breaks down the academic studies into layman's terms, cites fascinating examples from real companies who are changing the norm, and shares nuggets from his new book The Best Place to Work. We even talk about video games and how we should structure work progression like them.

No matter if you're an entrepreneur, working in a large company, or preparing to enter the workforce, this episode is so important to understand what is changing in our work methods and what still needs to change.

Some questions I ask:

Is having meetings outside scientifically supported as being more productive?
How do you deal with managers who are the problem with the company culture?
Is it possible to grassroots a cultural change in a company from the bottom up?
What have you seen around the culture of failure?
What surprised you the most about what benefits work in your research for this book?

Follow Ron:

Website | Twitter

Check out our offerings & partners:

My New Book Sparked
My New Podcast SPARKED
Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Killer App Is You: A Good Life Riff Apr 01, 2015

Show notes

This episode is a Good Life Project "Riff."

What's that? A short, punchy riff on one particular topic that matters to a life well lived. Generally no more than 5 to 10 minutes.

As always, these won't replace our weekly in-depth conversations, but if you like them, we may produce more and add them in as supplements to the weekly conversations. So let us know if you want more over on Facebook or Twitter.

This week's Good Life Riff is entitled - The Killer App is You. It's about the mistake we've all made when we try to make a mad grab at success by doing the wrong things and relying on delusion and illusion.

Here's a quick excerpt:

The best of the best, the people who are now and will in the future eat you for lunch, build themselves, through fierce effort and expert guidance, into unstoppable human engines of intelligence, creativity, intuition, compassion, service, expression and heart. Then, they build a culture that empowers the people they bring into their endeavors to do the same.

They exalt self-knowledge, personal growth and meaningful expression as the heartbeat of success.

And they are hyper-aware that they, on an individual level, are both the keys to the castle and the sand in the machine. Equally capable of fueling acceleration and impact or delusion and collapse.

"If you really want to invest in something, invest in you."

If you'd like to read the entire essay, the story was originally told on Jonathan's blog.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Woman’s Journey to Help Thousands Find Freedom Mar 31, 2015

Show notes

"Nothing about them without them."

Sometimes you hear stories about the horrors of what people go through in other parts of the world and it just seems hopeless.

Who are you to help change traditions and practices that have existed for centuries?

And why would people listen to you as an outsider?

These questions and challenges have not deterred today's guest from making an incredibly important impact in places like Africa and India.

Jane Mosbacher Morris spent years working in the US Department of State, the McCain Institute, and with organizations around the world learning about the actual issues that surround practices like early childhood marriage and violence against women. And then she made an important discovery.

No matter how much you give aid to a woman who is a survivor of these kinds of trauma, you can't give her freedom without helping her become economically independent.

Jane founded a company to do just that last year, To The Market, and in our moving conversation, she explains how it helps women survivors gain income and freedom.

We talk about her experiences meeting women and girls in the red light districts of India, her work with the UN, and her vision for what this company can become.

This is a powerful and raw conversation that will inspire and educate you about what you can do to share what you have where it matters most.

Some questions I ask:

What is a woman's life actually like in the parts of the world you are working in?
How do you bridge the gap between the rules on the books and the deep-rooted beliefs of the culture?
How do you tell the stories of these survivors while still honoring their humanity?
What's your greatest hope for the survivors?

Links we mention:

Follow Jane:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Check out our offerings & partners:

My New Book Sparked
My New Podcast SPARKED
Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fine Art of Finding Your Calling, With Jeff Goins Mar 26, 2015

Show notes

"Your activity needs to flow from your identity."

It seems that A LOT of people struggle with the question, "What should I do with my life?"

So I was really interested to have a conversation with today's guest, Jeff Goins, because that very question is at the heart of his new book, The Art of Work.

Interestingly, he ended up re-writing entire book after realizing he had sanitized his own story of becoming a writer, and needed to find and share a deeper set of truths.

In this conversation, we also talk about the idea of polymaths - multi-talented people - and what a "portfolio life" is.

If you've ever wondered what your calling is (and if you have one), you'll find this episode with Jeff Goins very interesting.

Some questions I ask:

How do you define vocation?
Is there just one purpose for each of us to accomplish in life?
What is a "portfolio life"?
Can you master multiple talents? Or just practice them?
What do you think about leaving a legacy?

Follow Jeff:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Check out our offerings & partners:

My New Book Sparked
My New Podcast SPARKED
Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Things: Dying For Fame, Manly Beards, Online Dating and More Mar 24, 2015

Show notes

Over the next few months, we'll be testing a few different show and segment ideas. Not to replace our current weekly in-depth interviews, but to potentially add to them.

Yes, you heard right. There just might be more GLP to engage with on a regular basis, real soon.

And, today's our first experiment, with a new show format we're calling 9Things™.

What is it? A three-person roundtable, where each person shows up with three topics to jam on. And, the thing is, nobody knows what the other person's topics will be until they hit the conversation.

My guests for the premier episode of the 9Things format are two good friends, Gabra Zackman and Erin Moon.

As you can imagine, this leads to moments that range from seriously funny to seriously soulful and, well, seriously not-safe-for-work (headphones might be advised for this one, toward the later parts).

We absolutely want your feedback on this new format and episode, so please share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me @jonathanfields.

As I mentioned, it's not going to replace out weekly conversations, we're just playing with potential additional show formats to add into the mix.

Covered in this episode:

Bronies: adult men My Little Pony lovers - Freaky or soulful?
Depression: is it okay to own it, and what's the opposite?
Maniacal taskmasters: do you need one to become the best in the world?
Negotiating with terror: where do human rights begin and end?
Vision-boarding: silly myth or scientific tool?
Paying for faith: will people give more if they don't have to give at all?
Online dating: full frontal pics, where's the line
True love, twice found: is it possible to have two loves of a lifetime?
Manly beards: because, c'mon, hipsters are people too!

Links we mention:

Follow Gabra and Erin:

Gabra Zackman

Erin Moon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gretchen Rubin: How To Build Habits That Change Lives Mar 16, 2015

Show notes

Everything you've been told about building and breaking habits may well be wrong. Or, at the very least, missing a critical middle step.

In this week's episode, we bust myths and share how to do it right (hint, there are 4 different approaches and if you choose wrong, you will fail).

Creating good habits is one of the master keys for living a good life. But, it's hard. Really hard. And, it turns out, the reason it's so hard may not be your fault. It may, in fact, be that you've been given misinformation.

According to mega NYT bestselling author of The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin, in her new book, Better Than Before, there's been a missing piece in the habit puzzle, and she's got the answer.

In this fast-paced, incredibly-revealing conversation, Rubin lays bare they myth of the one-method-for-all-people approach to habits. To create or change a habit, she offers, you first need to understand which of four key personality types you are. Then, tailor your approach to your specific personality needs.

We dive into each type, how to figure which you are and how that changes the way you'll need to build or change your habits. By the end of this episode, you will definitely be interested in knowing which you are, so I've linked the online personality typing tool she's created below to figure out yours.

Some questions I ask:

What are your thoughts on how The Happiness Project has evolved into a brand?
Is the audience that loves The Happiness Project who you thought it would be?
What's the difference between a behavior and a habit and why does it matter to turn one into the other?
What is the role of forming habits in living a good life?

Links we mention:

Follow Gretchen:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Check out our offerings & partners:

My New Book Sparked
My New Podcast SPARKED
Visit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time Is a Matter of Choice: Laura Vanderkam Mar 11, 2015

Show notes

As busy, productive humans living in the 21st century, one of our most common responses to the question "How are you?" is "Fine. Busy."

Especially if you're a New Yorker.

And it's true. We are.

But have you stopped to think about what you fill your time with that makes it slip through your fingers so quickly?

Today's guest, journalist and author, Laura Vanderkam, analyzed peoples' time diaries recorded over 1001 days and came up with some startling discoveries. You may not be nearly as "at the will of life's demands" as you think you are.

In our conversation, we start out exploring the truths of the writer's life, then dive right into the truth about time, how to really harness it, how we lie to ourselves about sleep and so much more. In, the end, we find more hope than anything else.

How we spend our time, it turns out, is not a matter of fate, it's a matter of choice.

Some questions I ask: