Good Life Project

It’s not you. Your goals weren’t built for real life.You did what you were told would work. You set the goals. You made the plan, followed the formula. And yet, that big achievement, the life-changing goal, still eludes you. It’s probably not you, it’s the wildly unrealistic, impractical way you’ve been taught to pursue goals that doesn’t survive contact with the real world.In this episode, Jonathan explores a radically different, practical approach to achieving big, meaningful goals that honors the life you’re actually living, and comes from a mindset of wholeness and abundance, rather than lack, shame, or pain. This conversation offers a humane, sustainable reframe for ambition called Success Scaffolding that allows you to keep growing without tying your worth, happiness, or nervous system to the next win.In this episode, discover:• The Happiness Delay Trap: Why achievement so often fails to deliver lasting fulfillment, and how the “I’ll be happy when…” mindset keeps moving the finish line.• Why Goals Collapse After Motivation Fades: How real life, not lack of discipline, is usually what derails even the most meaningful intentions.• Success Scaffolding: A practical, science-informed framework for building goals that can actually survive a human life.• The Seven Elements That Make Growth Sustainable: How to design goals with structure, support, flexibility, and compassion, without pressure or self-criticism.• Enough as the Fuel for Growth: Why grounding your goals in worthiness, not scarcity, leads to more resilience, creativity, and follow-through.• A Kinder Way Forward: Simple practices to help you stay in relationship with what matters, especially when you wobble.This episode is an invitation to stop blaming yourself for not feeling satisfied by success, and to start building goals that support who you already are, rather than asking you to become someone else first.You don’t need to earn your okay-ness.You need a structure that can hold your life.Episode TranscriptFollow us on Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.If you LOVED this episode:You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE.Find all of the New Year four-part mini-series episodes.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Stop outsourcing your peace. Feeling better is an inside job.We often feel exhausted, not because life is so difficult (which it can be), but because our minds are full of old wounds, unresolved feelings, self-destructive stories, and subconscious rules that secretly run the show…and leave us empty. In this episode, Jonathan sits down with acclaimed spiritual teacher and 19-time bestselling author, Iyanla Vanzant, to explore a radically practical idea: spiritual hygiene.Drawing from her new book Spiritual Hygiene: A Practical Path for Clean Living, Inner Authority, and Divine Freedom, Iyanla offers a grounded, compassionate framework for clearing emotional residue, reclaiming inner authority, and tending to your inner life with the same care you give your outer one.In this episode, discover:• The hidden inner rulers like fear, shame, and unforgiveness that quietly shape behavior, identity, and decision making.• Why we feel spiritually congested, and how constant reliance on external fixes keeps us disconnected from our own inner power.• What spiritual hygiene actually looks like as a daily practice, not a belief system, and why small, consistent acts matter more than dramatic breakthroughs.• How to reclaim inner authority without fixing, forcing, or bypassing pain, and why presence is often more powerful than effort.• A gentler path to healing that does not require perfection, years of struggle, or becoming someone new before you begin.This is a conversation about cleaning from the inside out. About creating space for clarity, honesty, and peace. And about remembering that your inner life is not something to outsource, avoid, or conquer, but something to care for with intention and respect.You can find Iyanla at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Thema Bryant about healing trauma and reclaiming your true self.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes 

You are not behind. How to find enough right now.We've all played the "I'll be happy when..." game, constantly moving the goalpost and living in the anxiety of "not enough yet." In this episode, Jonathan challenges the myth that you have to "fix" yourself or acquire "more" to feel worthy of a good life.He offers a counter-cultural approach to setting your intentions: making this The Year of Enough, a radical internal commitment that your current self is a valid starting point for growth.In this episode, discover:The "Happiness Delay": Why achieving big goals often fails to deliver lasting contentment, and how to get off the hedonic treadmill.Enough is the fuel for growth: A new definition of enough that is the opposite of settling, but instead frees you from the pressure of "not being enough," while still honoring your desire to growth and achieve big, meaningful things.Three Practices for Sufficiency: Simple daily and weekly exercises (like The "Already" List and The "What's Not Wrong?" Check-In) to gently train your nervous system to register moments of peace and contentment.The Inverse Resolution: A powerful subtraction technique: what to intentionally stop doing this year to create spaciousness, joy, and peace.This is a quiet, powerful invitation to stop postponing your okay-ness and to let your goals flow from a place of belonging, not desperation.Episode TranscriptFollow us on Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.If you LOVED this episode:You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE.Find all of the New Year three-part mini-series episodes.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Samin Nosrat on taking back your life, overcoming overwhelm, and redefining success. A candid conversation about joy, grief, rebellion, rest, food, and what actually sustains us when achievement isn’t enough.In this soul-stirring conversation about her new book "Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love," the Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat creator offers a masterclass in how small rituals can become profound acts of love, and why letting go of striving might be the key to finding what we're all really hungry for.You can find Samin at: Website | Instagram | Home Cooking podcast | a grain of salt substack | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Samin about her journey from anxiety and depression to finding joy through food, writing, and community at Chez Panisse. Her earlier visit also offers a wonderful complement to today's conversation.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

New Year’s resolutions fail, not because of discipline, but because the system is broken. In this episode, Jonathan Fields introduces The Unresolution, a calmer, more reliable way to change that replaces rigid promises with fun and forgiving experiments, kind reflection, and compassion. This episode is for anyone who wants genuine growth without burnout, shame, or starting over yet again.Episode TranscriptFollow us on Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.If you LOVED this episode:You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE.Find all of the New Year three-part mini-series episodes.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Showing up as your true self is terrifying, but it’s also the unlock key for so much of what makes your life good. Through powerful stories and research-backed insights, this conversation reveals why showing up as your real self unlocks extraordinary possibilities, and how embracing imperfection creates deeper connections than striving for perfection ever could. Whether you're leading a team, raising children, or pursuing creative work, you'll discover practical tools for choosing courage over comfort and building genuine connections in a world that often fears being real.You can find Brené at: Website | Instagram | Brené's Podcasts | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Elizabeth Gilbert about bringing your whole self to your life.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

You don’t have to erase yourself to feel more alive. Nor do you have to deny your past or who you truly are. What if the secret to real transformation isn't becoming someone new, but understanding who you already are? This episode challenges the "clean slate" myth of New Year's change, revealing why treating your past as valuable data rather than baggage unlocks genuine, lasting growth.Episode TranscriptFollow us on Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.If you LOVED this episode:You can find the 1-page worksheet HERE.Find all of the New Year three-part mini-series episodes.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

Are you tired of never feeling good enough? In this insightful Best of conversation, psychologist Ellen Hendriksen, author of How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists, shares strategies to escape the perfectionism trap. Learn how to pursue excellence without harsh self-criticism, shift from rigid rules to living by your core values, and make room for imperfection - allowing you to live the life you truly want.You can find Ellen at: Website | Instagram | How to Be Good to Yourself When You're Hard on Yourself Substack | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Ellen about overcoming social anxiety.Check out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes

How I made peace with the sound in my head, turned my inner tormentor into one of my greatest teachers, learned to live with uncertainty, and tamed relentless anxiety.Through his story, Jonathan reveals how an unexpected approach became not just his salvation but a powerful tool for living well amid uncertainty, offering listeners both inspiration and practical guidance—including a special guided meditation practice to bring peace and open your heart.Episode TranscriptCheck out our offerings & partners: Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes