Episode 44: Holiday Check In + Year End Bonus!

Is this the most wonderful time of year or what?! Time for an impromptu check in to see who is showing up – Sustainable You or Burned Out You. There is still time to make adjustments to bring a little more peace and a little less chaos to your life this holiday season.

Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. Back to basics of maintaining a Sustainable You
  2. Managing FOMO around all the holiday fun
  3. Wrap up with an encore of the most listened to episode of the year

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

By |2023-12-04T12:21:40-05:00December 4th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Episode 43: Sustainable Sue’s Guide to Gift Giving

Welcome to the first annual Sustainable Sue’s guide to gifts and gift giving. Of course the purpose of holidays is to give a perfect gift, right? WRONG! But how do you manage the expectations in a way to make meaningful connections in a way that does not leave you broke, angry, disappointed, or all of the above?

Applying the Sustainable Productivity principles and questions to gifts and gift giving could offer you a new path forward this holiday season. Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. Susan offers a permission slip that could save your sanity this holiday season – it could be a gift to yourself!
  2. Real life strategies Susan’s family has adopted around gift giving
  3. Suggestions for gifts in each dimension of Sustainable Productivity, including a special section for teens and young adults

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

By |2023-11-27T15:01:30-05:00November 27th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Episode 42: Contributing to Your Own Sustainable Productivity

Let’s introduce you to a new component of Sustainable Productivity – contribution. For some it might be career, for others it might be raising kids or running your home. It might be a combination of these plus an active volunteer life. Only you know what contribution means to you. 

Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. Workshopping the expansion of Sustainable Productivity
  2. Momento Mori – what it means and how to embrace the concept
  3. Could doing more help relieve burnout?

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

By |2023-11-20T09:16:44-05:00November 20th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Fall Check-In

Hi – ready for a quick check-in? Life is running full out over here, how about with you? This week is a quick catch up.

Phoebe

Dear God, this puppy is going to kill me. She is lucky she is so cute. Between the 8 miles of walking every day, potty training, and her over the top farts I may not survive puppydom. Luckily Lucille seems to like being a big sister and she does a lot of the babysitting. The wrestling occasionally tumbles under my office desk and unplug my monitors. But then I get looks like this:

Phoebe

Expanding Sustainable Productivity

I have been reading about the value contribution has on women’s quality of life and the more I read, the more it seems like it is a lever that we can pull to reduce or prevent burnout. I am adding it to the Sustainable Productivity framework as a component of the Mental Well-being dimension. There will be an upcoming podcast about it explaining more. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe so you never miss an episode. If you need help downloading podcasts, check out this link.

One Day Hour by Hour

Last week was a fun annual social media challenge. One Day Hour by Hour (ODHH) encourages us to post photos of our daily life on social media. It is a lot to post every hour all day long, but when I look back at a whole day or past years it is absolutely worth it. Sort of like when habit change is hard and then pays off. Two years ago for ODHH, I was at my dad’s house for the end of his radiation treatment and help him pack up before selling his house. Looking back at how I spent the day was memorable and bittersweet. If you didn’t participate this year, think about it for next year! You can check out a day in the Sustainable Sue life on Instagram at this link.

Until next time remember to create productive results in a way that you can sustain and that work for you. 

By |2023-12-17T14:58:39-05:00November 14th, 2023|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Episode 41: A Girl’s Guide to Gratitude

Think about the things that you have gushed about loving or the fact they make life sustainably productive at some time or another. Then you find yourself grumbling about them because you are overwhelmed and feeling a lot of pressure. Generally overstimulated and your circuits are blown.

Can you relate? Now its time to learn about the Sustainable Sue go-to tool. That is gratitude. Sure, it might feel cheesy and cliche to you. But often cliches exist for a reason – they work! Let’s take a look at why gratitude can help when you are feeling overwhelmed and how to get started cultivating your attitude of gratitude. 

Join the Sustainable Sue Get Started with Gratitude program at this link!

Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. Short and long term benefits of gratitude
  2. How gratitude works in your body neurologically and chemically
  3. How to get started with your own gratitude practice

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

PS – I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

By |2023-11-13T11:27:21-05:00November 13th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Episode 40: Intentional Living with Candace Folden

Although it is not EASY, a simple way to live a more Sustainably Productive life is to connect thoughts, decisions, and actions with intentional living. The guest on this episode, Candace Folden, is the right person to teach us all about this.

Candace Folden is the owner of Solstice Counseling and Consulting in Greensboro, NC. Seven years ago Candace opened her practice to help people recover from the effects of toxic, neglectful parenting, as well as helping couples rediscover their intimacy and connection.  When she is not working, you can find Candace at the ballroom dance studio, hiking with her dog Felix and spending time with her partner and son. 

Here is what you can expect in this episode:

  1. Intentional living in small and big decisions.
  2. Real talk about juggling multiple roles.
  3. A common struggle Candace sees in women and where they might find relief.

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

PS: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

By |2023-12-15T09:07:56-05:00November 6th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

In Awe of Awe

October is such a beautiful month. I was reminded of that again this year as I spent half in Indiana and half in North Carolina. It truly struck me with awe to see not only the colors of the leaves, but how blue the sky gets and how the particular angle of the sun this time of year hits juuuuust right.

The trees in the above photo are on our daily dog walk. When we are on schedule, the return walk home coincides with the sun coming up across the field to the left. The leaves are stunning, of course the photo barely does it justice.

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Mary Oliver

The above photo is the view from my dad’s back porch in Indiana. I was sitting inside working on my laptop and the sun came through the window with a piercing brightness. I went to look out the window at the sun off the fountain in the middle of the pond and saw this spectacular view.

Luckily with a new puppy we are getting LOTS of time to spend in nature looking at all of this gorgeous scenery. Its good to take time to look around and appreciate what you see around you – even if it is the same thing you pass every day, multiple times per day.

What if you considered the same about yourself? You live in your own mind and body, but what happens when you look back at how far you have come. Sort of like when you feel fat and ugly, then look back at photos from 15 years ago when you felt fat and ugly. All of a sudden more is revealed and you love what you see and remember.

Be in awe of who you are today, how far you have come. And in awe of what more could be revealed.

By |2023-10-22T12:55:28-04:00October 31st, 2023|Mental Well-being|0 Comments

Episode 39: Three Tools to Prevent Holiday Burnout

Imagine a holiday season that is productive – you enjoy the activities that are meaningful to you with the people who are meaningful to you. 

Now imagine that same holiday season is one you actually want to repeat or even continue long term. 

Here at Sustainable Sue, our wish for you is to create a holiday season that you can wrap up without feeling glad it is over and that you need a vacation to recover from. Or worse, a holiday season that you cannot get through without numbing out on the ever present excess of food, drink, spending, and general over-doing it. 

Learn three strategies you can use now to avoid holiday burnout!

Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. Susan climbs on her time management soap box
  2. How holidays amp up unvoiced expectations leading to premeditated resentments
  3. How to choose yourself over others to prevent holiday burnout

Listen at the link below or search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

By |2023-10-30T17:45:49-04:00October 30th, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Episode 38: Stress Resilience = Immunity Shield

You cannot remove all stress from your life. Nor can you manage stress – that is like pinning jello to a tree. But you can change how you respond to stress – this is stress resilience. Since there is no right or wrong way to approach stress resilience, each person can have a unique way of designing a life that increases stress resilience. Don’t accept that voice in your head that says you don’t have time for one more thing. Stress research has proven over and over that if you don’t take time for stress resilience, your body will force a break on you with injury or illness.

Here is what you can expect to hear on the episode:

  1. A $15 glimmer Susan resisted for weeks
  2. Mistakes 20-something Sue made regarding stress prevention and stress management, plus a story that is guaranteed to make you laugh
  3. Why you need to increase stress resilience starting today

Search for “Sustainable Productivity with Susan Sanders” everywhere podcasts are available.

Links to Learn More

Links mentioned in this episode of the Sustainable Productivity podcast:

We would love to hear from you. Send your feedback on the episode, suggestions for future show topics or guests, and anything else to Susan@SustainableSue.com or in a DM on Instagram.

PS – I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

By |2023-11-12T17:53:07-05:00October 23rd, 2023|Show Notes|0 Comments

Redefine Success

In order to keep my Sustainable Sue hat on I need to redefine success this season. This fall is very different from last year when I was planning fun outings and such (link). These days are all about transitions. I did a couple podcast episodes about it as I was heading into the season (Managing Transitions and Sustainable Sue Takes a Sabbatical). These served as more of a pep talk for Future Sue because I know my patterns. I often fall into overwhelm because I don’t give myself the grace to let things fall by the wayside. 

While I am figuring out a revised Sustainable Sue routine to work around my new day job, hobbies are falling away. While I visit my dad for a few weeks, my exercise routine drops off. It is really obvious when I look at my habit tracker for a month or two. But I have been tracking my habits for over six years and have learned some lessons that help redefine success. 

Widen the Time Period

Lesson one is that success happens over longer periods of time than today’s culture defaults to. I may not average 10 miles of walking each week during October 2023. But if I look back at the whole year of 2023, I likely will meet or exceed that target. 

“The years teach much which the days never know.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you start to feel the hours and days closing in around you, take a few deep breaths and zoom out your perspective of time. If you don’t see or feel any white space in the next foreseeable future, you might need to make some hard decisions. Last month when I was feeling that constricted feeling I had to cancel two volunteer commitments. Guess what – no one cared. Except for me who had a couple hours back to restore. That was everything. And in the scope of a year, those couple hours did not matter one bit to the volunteer agency.

Long Haul

Lesson two is that life will ebb and flow like the tides. To a certain extent, you have control over your to do list and calendar, but the fact of life is there are seasons that are busier than others. Allow yourself to balance work and rest today and more importantly – over long haul.

It seems counterintuitive to schedule rest in a hectic time. If you have a free hour you should accomplish a task while you have a free second. Consider that the task should be to restore yourself to sanity. Because running on empty is insane, non-productive, and not sustainable. Ask me how I know.

Defining Worthiness

Lesson three is that your worth as a person is not defined by miles on a treadmill, hours in your office or emails in your inbox. Each of us has the ability to let go of the messages we are clinging to that tell us we need to earn worthiness and love. 

By definition, habits that are Sustainably Productive need to have well-defined time parameters that take the current season into account. Shift your mindset to accept that there will be seasons of life that are busier than others, knowing that over time it balances out. 

Sustainable You Reflections

  1. Which of these three lessons resonated most with you? What action item can you consider to enforce that lesson?
  2. Which of these three lessons felt most prickly to you? Why do you think that is?

Until next time remember to create productive results in a way that you can sustain and that work for you. 

By |2023-09-12T10:10:07-04:00October 17th, 2023|Habit Change|0 Comments
Go to Top