1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imba. I'm an 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed with 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: finding ways to optimize my work day. Now, today's show 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: is another episode in the series of what I'm calling 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: My Favorite Tip. So if you haven't listened to one 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: of these episodes before, hopefully the title is pretty self explanatory. 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: It's essentially about picking up my favorite tip from each 10 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: of the interviews that I conduct, because I feel myself 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: as a podcast listener that with some interview shows, I 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: just want to get in, get the most value that 13 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: I can, and then get out, as opposed to listen 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: to the entire interview. So in this format, I'm trying 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: to do just that. So I'm going through past episodes 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: of How I Work and digging up my favorite tip 17 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: from each interview. So my guest today is Carolyn Creswell. 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: As Australian listeners probably know, Carolyn is the founder of 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: Carmen's Musli, which is pretty much in every supermarket in 20 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,559 Speaker 1: Australia and it's exported to thirty two countries around the world. 21 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: Over the last twenty five years, Carolyne has built Carmen's 22 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: into one hundred million dollar business. Now, Carolyn is someone 23 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: who thinks really deeply about the way she works, and 24 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: she's constantly improving herself. This is such a core part 25 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: of who she is. So Carolyn has a lot of 26 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: different systems that she's adopted in her life to make 27 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: things more efficient and productive. But one of my favorite 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: ones was to do with the process that she goes 29 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: through in the summer holidays. So, without further ado, let's 30 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: hear about what this annual self improvement ritual looks like 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: in Carolyn's life. 32 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: The main reflection I do is in my summer holidays. 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: So I set myself this big thing, which is saying, 34 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: for my New Year's resolution, who do I want to 35 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: be next year? What are the little changes that I 36 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: want to make in my life? So for example, you know, 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: and they're about work or they're about my personal life. 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: So one of my little changes last Christmas was saying, 39 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 2: I want to see my parents more. But I but 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: I sort of I want it just to happen normally. 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: So I did this thing of saying, why don't you 42 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: come for dinner every Monday night? And so we started 43 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 2: off and we always knew we're going to have the 44 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: same thing. It was always that we're going to have 45 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: roast chicken every Monday night, and they would come. And 46 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 2: now it's just become this part of my kid's life 47 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 2: that you know, the grandparents are there and they love it. 48 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: The family loves it, and it means I don't have 49 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: to think about seeing like organizing. Oh gosh, it's been 50 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 2: three weeks and I haven't seen mom and dad. So 51 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 2: that's just a little change that I've made. And each 52 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: year I might have a dozen of those, and then 53 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 2: that culminates of going wow, you know, over a period 54 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 2: of a few years, the different things that you have done, 55 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: the little tweets you've done, or you know, so you know, 56 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: in a period of time, I remember saying I'm just 57 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: not going to paint my fingernails again, right, that's just 58 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: going off. Or I'm not allowed to watch TV. I 59 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: just gave up, you know. And sometimes it's hard, but 60 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 2: if you want to create the life that you want 61 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 2: to live, you have to go what's not serving me 62 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: or what's maybe sucking up time? And so I've also 63 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: liked this year, which is kind of hard. I've said, 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: I don't have to respond to every email if it's something, 65 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: if it's someone asking something or just cold calling or 66 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: somehow they've got it, you know that's something that they need. 67 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 2: I have to focus on what I need. So that 68 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 2: I find hard because I'm a nice person. But it's 69 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 2: constantly assessing how you're behaving and whether it's serving you. Yeah, 70 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 2: it's interesting. 71 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: And so it sounds like you've almost got this annual 72 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: planning cycle with yourself. I'm curious in terms of self discipline, 73 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: like you come across as someone with a lot of 74 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: self discipline and with some of those changes like just 75 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: not watching TV anymore and you know, not responding to 76 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: emails and potentially having to deal with the guilt that 77 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: comes with that. Like have there been I guess, resolutions 78 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: or goals that you've set that you have struggled with 79 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: that have been a challenge to change your behavior. 80 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: I mean often you say to yourself, what I try 81 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 2: and say is well, what's serving my life? So if 82 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 2: you have a look at what are the stuff that 83 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: you're doing that you think is a good thing that's 84 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: benefiting your life and on the other side of the 85 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: seesaw what's probably dragging you down. And so for me, 86 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 2: not being tired is a really important thing. I need 87 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 2: enough sleep. I need eight hour sleep. I wish I 88 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: needed less, but unfortunately that's not the case for me. 89 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: So I know that I really need to almost set 90 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: my alarm to go to bed, like I really need 91 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 2: to be in my bed by ten o'clock. So I'm 92 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 2: sort of asleep, so I can be fine at the 93 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 2: other end, and I just and I would find that, 94 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 2: you know, if you choose to do something, so for me, 95 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: like if I choose to go and spend that hour 96 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: watching TV. And I'm not saying at Christmas, I don't 97 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 2: binge on the crown or do something, you know, but 98 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: I have to have a little bit of discipline to 99 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: lead the life that I do. And also to say, 100 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: I genuinely love my life. And so there's nothing I've 101 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: given up. If watching television was my big, delicious pleasure, 102 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: well that would be fine, but it's not. So I'd 103 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 2: much rather watch a movie on the weekend than just 104 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: watch whatever's going on. I mean, even I too, something 105 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 2: that was sort of hard and challenging was I gave 106 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: up listening or watching the news, so I don't have 107 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 2: any kind of real news. Like someone said the other day, 108 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 2: the Prime minister had changed. I didn't know because I 109 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 2: just don't like that. I'll listen to a podcast in 110 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 2: the car or I will. You know, I just don't 111 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: consume news and often find it's okay, you survive. 112 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Amantha here again. Now. What I loved about 113 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: this practice of Carolyn's is that it's fundamentally about making 114 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: a series of small changes and then systematizing them to 115 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: make the new changes effortless. So I think that the 116 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 1: systematization part is key here because what we know from 117 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: behavioral psychology is that if we can eliminate the need 118 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: to use willplow out power or discipline to change our behavior, 119 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: and instead change our context to make it effortless, we're 120 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: so much more likely to stick to the change. So, 121 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: with Carolyn wanting to see her parents more often, translating 122 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: this goal into a weekly ritual that gets locked in 123 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: the diary at the beginning of the year was really 124 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: key to making this behavior change stick in a way 125 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: that truly is effortless. So that is it for today's episode. 126 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: If you liked it, please share it with other people 127 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: that you think could benefit. And if you're enjoying how 128 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: I work, then feel free to leave a review. I 129 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: just love reading feedback and reviews from listeners brings a 130 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: massive smile to my face. So please take you know, 131 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: five seconds, that's all it takes to do that, leave 132 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: a star review or maybe write some nice words. And 133 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: that is it for today, so I will see you 134 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: next time.