How I Work

Latest Episodes:

Writer and podcaster Jessie Stephens is learning how to switch off May 17, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in the last few years, you’ve almost definitely come across something made by Jessie Stephens. If you’re a podcast junkie, you’ll have heard her on Mamamia Out Loud, or Cancelled. If you’re more of a reader, you’ll find Jessie writing articles about everything from Married At First Sight to the proliferation of gambling ads for Mamamia, for whom she’s also the Executive Editor.

Oh, and she’s now a best-selling author, having released her debut book, Heartsick, in 2021.

In other words, Jessie clearly knows how to get a lot done. But she’s learning that her extreme productivity can’t last forever, and right now she’s focused on finding effective ways to recover and recharge, so that whenever she’s working, she’s at her absolute best.

Connect with Jessie on Instagram, pick up a copy of Heartsick, or listen to Mamamia Out Loud

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Leo Babauta - Write like a software engineer May 15, 2023

Show notes

As the founder of the hugely popular blog, Zen Habits, Leo Babauta’s built a reputation for seeking simplicity in work and in life. So it might be surprising to hear that he often looks to the tech world for inspiration…

After looking into the “agile software development” process, Leo realised he didn’t need to hide his creative work from the world until it was completely finished. Watching tech companies release software while it was still in development and then constantly updating it live, Leo decided to do the same with his writing.

He now treats many of his blog posts as “iterations”, seeking feedback immediately, updating his work in real time, and constantly testing ideas for bigger projects like books and courses.

Connect with Leo on Twitter or at the Zen Habits website

You can find the full interview here: Leo Babauta teaches you the Zen Habits of simplicity and self-awareness

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Libby Trickett applies the athlete’s mindset to life after the Olympics May 10, 2023

Show notes

It’s hard to imagine a more disciplined and demanding lifestyle than that of a professional athlete. Whether it’s the countless hours of training, the highly regimented eating, or the mounting mental pressure of upcoming competitions, athletes leave little to chance.

But what happens when an athlete retires? Which elements of the spartan lifestyle serve them well beyond the area, and which ones are they happy to leave behind?

Figuring out this balance has defined much of Libby Trickett’s personal and professional life since retiring from swimming. While she often misses the sense of purpose that comes from doggedly pursuing peak performance, she’s also enjoying the freedom to dive deep into other passions.

In this episode of the new mini-series, How I Live, Libby Trickett shares the most impactful advice she’s ever received, the advice she gives most often, and reflects on what being an athlete taught her about life at large.

Connect with Libby on Instagram or at the Unlocking Her Potential website

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Patrick Lightbody - Insider tips for mastering your calendar May 08, 2023

Show notes

If you want something done right, do it yourself. Or at least, that’s the approach Patrick Lightbody takes. After years of wrestling with different physical planners and calendar apps, Patrick decided to make his own.

So how does someone who designs calendar apps actually use it himself? Well, it begins with the past…

Patrick believes that he can’t possibly be oriented towards what matters to him if he’s only looking forwards. Instead, he needs to periodically look back on what he’s already done, and make changes from there.

When it comes to making changes, Patrick employs a “Four Ps” status report, measuring his plans, progress, priorities and problems whenever he needs to overhaul his schedule.

Connect with Patrick in the support chat at Reclaim.ai

You can find the full interview here: Turn your calendar into a virtual assistant with Reclaim co-founder Patrick Lightbody

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Wil Anderson - How to make anything funny May 01, 2023

Show notes

There’s an old story about an aspiring comedian meeting Jerry Seinfeld, and asking his advice on success in the entertainment industry. Seinfeld told the budding comic that great comedy is nothing more than great jokes, so the aim is to get as good as possible at writing jokes - and to get good at anything, you have to do it every day.

Australian comedy legend Wil Anderson concurs - and he’s spent a good chunk of time thinking about the creative process behind comedy himself. Wil shares how he writes a joke from scratch, beginning with simple observations about what’s going on around him or in his life at large. He also reflects on how his process has changed over his decades-long career in the spotlight.

Connect with Wil on Twitter or Instagram

You can find the full interview here: Wil Anderson’s on-the-fly creative process

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Matt Jones - Design frameworks to foster better decision-making Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Why would Four Pillars Gin turn down the opportunity to open another distillery? That’s an important question, because the answer isn’t necessarily obvious. After all, more must be better, right?

That depends, and to avoid falling into a never-ending cycle of discussing what it depends on, Four Pillars co-founder Matt Jones and his team have developed a series of frameworks to aid their decision-making.

Opening another distillery might service some of some of the company’s goals, but is it the right decision for right now? What if instead, the better option is to open not a distillery, but to open a ‘home’, where the goal is not to further the craft of making gin, but to celebrate the craft of making cocktails?

Whichever option ends up being better, Matt and his team are far more likely to choose wisely when they can consult a series of carefully designed decision-making frameworks. When you have many reasonable choices in front of you, the discussion then needs to be guided by a higher goal, and that’s exactly what these frameworks facilitate.

Matt teaches you how to design your own decision-making frameworks, and shares the ones that have most helped Four Pillars.

Connect with Matt on Twitter or at the Four Pillars Gin website

You can find the full interview here: Four Pillars Gin Co-Founder Matt Jones wants you to obsess over aesthetics

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Hugh Van Cuylenburg - Vulnerability is a speed-boost for connecting with others Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Hugh Van Cuylenburg was not having a great time, to say the least. He was already unpopular with his then-pregnant wife for being out of town while she and their children all had COVID (and fair enough, he says!), when a previously minor medical problem unexpectedly became very serious. After some painful injections, he managed to get on stage for a speaking engagement, only to finish his presentation suddenly feeling ill.

So, when he finally sat down for a podcast interview with someone he barely knew, and she asked how he was doing, he said he’d been better. After launching into the story for a good twenty minutes, Hugh realised his vulnerability was having an unexpected effect: his guest could relate, and she shared her own similarly vulnerable experiences, and their rapport developed at lightning speed.

Hugh teaches you how to use your low moments for high impact when trying to build a connection with other people, both at work and beyond.

Connect with Hugh on The Resilience Project’s website or listen to The Imperfects podcast

You can find the full interview here: Hugh Van Cuylenburg demonstrates how a strong purpose fuels strong actions

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Leo Babauta - Simplicity is a process, not a goal Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

We all want to simplify our lives, and especially our work lives, and that’s hardly surprising: the modern age is defined by distraction and excess. But Leo Babauta, the founder of Zen Habits, worries that our culture’s desire for simplicity might inadvertently be sending us down the wrong path.

Simplicity, Leo says, isn’t about deprivation. When you imagine the simple life, you might picture a monk, or a writer living in a cabin in the woods, but this isn’t the whole picture. Instead, simplicity is a process of expanding and contracting, just like breathing.

True simplicity is a process of determining what matters, and then making space for it. But if we don’t expand our world, our collections, our attention, we can’t discover what matters. While Leo believes many of us spend too much time expanding and not enough time contracting, he’s adamant that both components are crucial, and it’s the balance between them that fosters fruitful simplicity.

Leo gives examples of his process for seeking simplicity, and explains why deprivation isn’t the goal.

Connect with Leo on Twitter or at the Zen Habits website

You can find the full interview here: Leo Babauta teaches you the Zen Habits of simplicity and self-awareness

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Sarah Wilson - Harness the magic of hiking for mental clarity Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Since publishing her beloved book about anxiety, Sarah Wilson’s been bombarded with questions about its opposite: calm. And her answer is almost always the same - go for a hike!

The combination of sustained but not too intense physical activity and the exposure to nature make hiking a uniquely powerful practice. When hiking for at least an hour, you enter an elevated, almost euphoric mental state, which is perfect for creative problem-solving. As Sarah puts it, this state allows the right ideas to naturally “bubble up to the surface”, and they begin to seem intuitively correct and magnetic.

When hiking, Sarah will often carry nothing but a piece of paper and a pen, trying when she can to steer completely clear of technology. And if you’re wondering how best to start hiking for mental clarity, Sarah says: don’t! Just get out there and walk, the rest will take care of itself.

Connect with Sarah on Twitter or LinkedIn

You can find the full interview here: Sarah Wilson wants you to make the beast beautiful - how to turn anxiety into a superpower

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber

Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Favourite Tip: Daniel Flynn - Make time for blue-sky thinking Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

“What the? Thirty companies? I can barely run one!” Daniel Flynn couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

As co-founder and managing director of thankyou, Daniel was struggling to keep a cool head, and asked a mentor for some advice. That mentor ran 30 companies, and his advice was that Daniel should clear his calendar for one day a week, every week, and use that day for thinking.

Initially, it sounded impossible. How do you remove yourself from the day-to-day work of your company a fifth of the time without everything falling apart? And yet, his mentor was doing it while running a small empire!

So Daniel decided to try it out, and he hasn’t looked back. He calls them “blue sky days”, and while he might sometimes use them to write content or to solve an immediate problem, they’re usually blocked off for, well, blue sky thinking. For the kind of untethered, meandering daydreaming that produces big ideas.

Daniel shares some of the prompts that guide his thinking on blue sky days, and his methods for protecting his time when more “urgent” concerns pop up.

Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn or the thankyou website

You can find the full interview here: thankyou co-founder Daniel Flynn on big ideas, mentorship and purpose-driven culture

***

My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.

Connect with me on the socials:

Twitter

Instagram

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

CREDITS

Produced by Inventium

Host: Amantha Imber