With 88 working days left until the end of the year, how will you choose to spend your time? September can bring a 'new pencil case' feeling – a useful opportunity to reset and refocus on what matters most. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share eight questions to help you use the rest of your working year well and wisely. Exploring priorities, time, people and skills, they reflect on their own answers and the actions they're going to take as a result. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Identify your number one priority for the rest of the year and whether your diary reflects it – Map out the key people who will influence and support your success – Decide what to start or continue saying no to – Identify the boundaries you want to protect so you can be at your best – Explore five-minute favours and ways to borrow brilliance from other people – Choose one skill you want to get 10% better at – Decide what role you want AI to play in your work For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Setting goals is one thing. Knowing when to let go of them is another. In this Shortcut, Helen explores the idea of productive quitting and why trying to hold on to too many goals can get in the way of making progress. Drawing on research from the Goal Adjustment Scale and a New Scientist article on goal adjustment, she shares a practical way to review your goals so you can focus your time and energy where it matters most. 🎯 What you'll learn -How to use the Goal Adjustment Scale to understand your starting point -How to identify the goals that deserve your time and attention -The difference between goal shielding, goal shifting and goal shelving -How to review your personal and professional goals -Why letting go of the right goals can improve both your progress and your wellbeing Resource mentioned: Why giving up on goals is good for you, and how to know which to ditch by New Scientist: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2501420-why-giving-up-on-goals-is-good-for-you-and-how-to-know-which-to-ditch/ For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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How can you make sure the 80,000 hours you spend at work are truly well spent? In this episode, we challenge the traditional advice to "follow your passion" and look at how to build a career that makes a meaningful difference. This episode of part 4 of 4 in the 'Career Well Spent Series'

Drawing on Benjamin Todd's book, 80,000 Hours, and his research on effective altruism and career impact, they explore what it really means to find long-term career satisfaction and how to apply your skills to the world's most pressing problems.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Why "follow your passion" might lead you down the wrong path

– The four essential ingredients for long-term career satisfaction

– How to identify and evaluate the world's most pressing problems

– Why your personal fit matters more than a prestigious job title

– How to use a "ladder of tests" to experiment with new career directions

– Practical ways to make a difference in your current role or pivot

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Most of us focus on preparing for the questions we'll be asked in an interview, but what we ask at the end is just as important. It is your ultimate opportunity to take control of the conversation and leave a brilliant lasting impression. In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah explores how to ask powerful culture and commercial questions, and what the answers reveal about whether a company is the right fit for you. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Why the questions you ask are your best opportunity to take control of an interview – How to use culture questions to find out what it is really like to work somewhere – What a company's response to culture questions reveals about their team dynamics – How to stress-test a business's performance with smart commercial questions – What we can learn from competitors and collaborators to stand out – How to end your interview with high energy and make a lasting impression For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Are you feeling lost in a career fog or facing a major transition? In this special episode, Sarah is joined by legendary author and researcher Jim Collins to explore what it really takes to build a fulfilling life and career. This episode of part 3 of 4 in the 'Career Well Spent Series' Drawing on Jim's new book 'What to Make of a Life', they explore what it really means to navigate life's 'cliffs' and 'fog'. 🎯 What You'll Learn – Discover 'simplex stepping' to make progress when you are lost in a career fog – Identify your unique 'encodings' and how to develop them into super strengths – Flip the arrow of money to align your work with your inner fire – Explore why your biggest and most creative years can happen later in life For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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AI is changing quickly, which can make it hard to know where to start. If you're feeling overwhelmed by everything there is to learn, you're definitely not alone. In this Shortcut, Sarah shares how to use the Squiggly Careers Learning Navigator to turn AI into something practical and personal. Instead of trying to learn everything, you'll identify what matters most for your role, connect learning to your day-to-day work, and create a simple plan you can build on over time. 🎯 What you'll learn - How to decide what's most useful for you to learn about AI right now - How to use the Learning Navigator to prioritise your learning - How to connect AI experiments to your everyday work so learning sticks - How to create a simple, practical plan for building your AI skills over time Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Do you feel constantly defeated by a packed calendar and rushed for time? Reclaiming control of your schedule starts with changing how you view your 168 hours.

This episode of part 2 of 4 in the 'Career Well Spent Series'

Drawing on Laura’s bestselling books '168 Hours' and 'Big Time', Helen explores what it means to achieve true time abundance, and what your default response to a busy calendar reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Understand the difference between time abundance and time scarcity

– Apply the 'Would I do this tomorrow?' test to new commitments

– Track your time to separate feelings from facts

– Establish a weekly planning routine to reduce panic

– Build your career capital with four simple actions a week

– Reclaim control and autonomy over your daily diary

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Outsourcing your thinking to AI erodes the value of your contribution and means you are less likely to make a distinctive difference. Using AI as a thought-partner is a skill which can help you to refine your thinking, communicate more clearly and spot gaps before you share your perspective with other people. In this shortcut, Helen talks through how you can use AI as a thought-partner for your career, your weekly work and the relationships you build to help you to be at your best. 🎯 What You'll Learn - how to use AI as a squiggly career coach - how to use AI to help you reduce overwhelm and find focus - how to use AI to better understand your stakeholders and adapt your approach For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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How do we design a career that lasts a lifetime without running out of energy? In this episode, Sarah talks to world-renowned expert Lynda Gratton about how to navigate a multi-stage, 100-year life. This episode of part 1 of 4 in the 'Career Well Spent Series'

Drawing on Lynda Gratton's groundbreaking research and her new book 'Living the Hundred-Year Life', Sarah and Lynda discuss what it really means to design a multi-stage career, and what your balance of productivity and nurture threads reveals about your current career design.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– How to manage the tension between productivity and nurture

– Why 'calm' is often our weakest thread and how to rebuild it

– What the pivotal 40s mean for the future of your career

– How to use AI to amplify your human strengths

– Why curiosity is your most important career skill

– How to run small experiments to test new career paths

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Do you struggle to speak up in meetings or find yourself watering down your ideas? Assertiveness isn't about being the loudest person in the room; it is built through small, daily actions. In this episode, Helen shares simple actions to increase your assertiveness. 🎯 What You'll Learn – How to quash qualifiers like "maybe" and "just" – The power of being the person who creates clarity – How to offer alternative perspectives to stop groupthink – Making a habit of offering a question and a suggestion – How to identify and fix your default assertiveness mistakes For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] Need some more squiggly career support? 1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/ 2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/ 3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod 4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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Do you feel like you were never meant to master just one thing? It is time to move beyond the traditional career path and embrace the potential of an M-shaped career.

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore what it means to develop mastery across multiple areas.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Define the M-shaped career model and why it is a competitive advantage

– Identify your existing areas of deep expertise

– Learn how to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated skills

– Use reflective questions to map your own M-shaped development

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Post-it® Brand. If today’s episode sparked an idea, stick it down, find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/

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