Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
1,100 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsFinding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing!
Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even.
For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there.
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Episodes
Reframe the Bad EP: 250
August 13, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesYou can tell yourself that absolutely everything is horrible and focus on what’s stressing you out. Or you can take some care in deciding how you’re going to think about it and choose a more empowering view. This is called reframing, and knowing how to do it, and then doing it, is a key part of not getting worn down by life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Leisure Is a Skill EP: 249
August 12, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesLeisure isn’t something we tend to value. But pursuing what my husband calls "leisure skills" is crucial for warding off burnout because it helps you be in-- and stay in--the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let that Stuff Go Already EP: 248
August 11, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesSomething each of us can do to make it so that we don’t get as far as burnout is to let some stuff go. (I feel the need to tell you that I really want to say s-h-i-t right now but I’ve been hearing from a lot of folks lately who listen with their kids so I will keep it clean!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before You Burnout EP: 247
August 10, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesThere are many things you can do to keep yourself from crossing over in to burnout, which I will get into in the rest of the episodes for this week. But before we jump into solutions, I want to talk about what burnout is and what it's NOT, which is a personal failing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confrontation Nation: Expert Tips on Having Difficult Conversations from Sheila Heen EP: 246
August 07, 2020 09:00 - 17 minutesBestselling author of "Difficult Conversations" and 20-year member of the Negotiation Project at Harvard Sheila Heen comes on to share some pointers on how to have these tough talks--including those that involve calling out or calling in racism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confrontation Nation:Things to Say EP: 245
August 06, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesToday I'm giving you four phrases to keep in your back pocket for when you get into difficult conversations/disagreements with folks that will help steer you away from getting into an "I'm right," "No, I’m right?" dynamic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confrontation Nation:Embrace Your Influence EP: 244
August 05, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesThis episode is especially for all my fellow conflict avoiders. And the big idea I want to explore today is that each of us has influence. And when we avoid controversial subjects because we’re afraid of getting into ig, we violate one of the tenets of being a better person, which is to use your power for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confrontation Nation: We Can’t All Be Right EP: 243
August 04, 2020 09:00 - 10 minutesThere’s a principle we can grasp onto that will help us navigate tough discussions, and that is that it is impossible for everyone to be right. So stop trying to prove your point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confrontation Nation: What’s the Better Person Thing to Do When It Comes to Disagreeing With Friends? EP: 242
August 03, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesYou used to more or less be able to decide when you wanted to wade into a potentially heated conversation. Now you can stumble into them multiple times a day. What's a person who's trying to be a better person to do? Face them head on, or keep the peace? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 10: It’s All About Stamina: When You Can’t Do a Lot, Do A Little EP: 241
July 31, 2020 08:00 - 5 minutesDoing the things that help you stay strong isn’t an all or nothing proposition. And when you can’t do a lot, doing a little is a great second place option. (Featuring many listener-submitted things to do that help you keep going.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 9: It’s All About Stamina: Hello Discomfort My Old Friend EP: 240
July 30, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesThe way you think about the things that are requiring you to develop your stamina has an awful lot to do with how much you are able to take. To increase your wherewithal, you've got to increase your tolerance for discomfort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 8: It’s All About Stamina: How to Cultivate Grit with Shannon Polson EP: 239
July 29, 2020 09:00 - 10 minutesTo help us all think about how to go about cultivating more grit I wanted to talk to a pro, so I reached out to Shannon Huffman Polson, the youngest woman ever to climb Mt. McKinley, one of the first women to be trained to fly an Apache helicopter during her time serving in the Army and author of The Grit Factor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 7: It’s All About Stamina: Take a Schlub Day EP: 238
July 28, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesWhen you are living through a challenging time, you’ve got to let some things slide. And because they help refill your well, you really don’t want those things to be your self-care. So… what gives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 6: It’s All About Stamina: Listen for what’s dragging you down EP: 237
July 27, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesThe things that are weighing heavy on your mind and your heart are also detracting from your stamina. And Lord knows, there are so many of them right now, particularly in the realm of interpersonal interactions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 5: It’s All About Stamina: Fast Forward 50 Years EP: 236
July 24, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesThinking about how you’ll think about what you’re going through today in 10, 20, or even 50 years really helps problems feel smaller, and when your problems feel less daunting, it’s easier to keep going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 4: It’s All About Stamina: Embrace Downtime EP: 235
July 23, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutesBuilding in some white space into your life will help you have more stamina for when things are busy, and help you have less stress when they aren’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 3: It’s All About Stamina: Eating for Resilience EP: 234
July 22, 2020 09:00 - 15 minutesThere are lots of different ways to build your stamina, from adjusting your mindset to getting good sleep to eating the foods the fuel you up instead of deplete you. That’s why today I’m talking with the Queen of All Things Nutrition, Mary Sheila Gonella of Occidental Nutrition in Northern California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 2: It’s All About Stamina: Strengthen Your “Keep Going” Muscles EP: 233
July 21, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesEvery challenge has an opportunity wrapped up inside it. Even the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad challenges, like, say, a global pandemic. And one of those opportunities now is to strengthen and hone our ‘keep going’ muscles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 1: It’s All About Stamina: Find A Rhythm and Work It EP: 232
July 20, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesGiving your days a basic rhythm will help ground you and make sure you’re doing the things that sustain you without having to spend a lot of effort on having to find the time or the motivation to do them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 5: Operation De-Escalation: Work Out the Issues from Your Tissues EP: 231
July 17, 2020 09:00 - 16 minutesToday I’m talking with fitness expert and author Ellen Barrett about how to pump up your own happiness and give your stress a release valve by moving your body--not by pounding out a workout, but by enjoying some energy-raising movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 4: Operation De-Escalation: Declare a Moratorium on Complaining EP: 230
July 16, 2020 09:00 - 9 minutesComplaining, while tempting, and human, only heightens tension rather than defuses it. Here's what you can do instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 3: Operation De-Escalation: 3 Surefire Ways to Make Things Worse (Don’t Do These!) EP: 229
July 15, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesThere are certain things that you just don’t want to do if your goal is to de-fuse tension. And we all do them. So let's take a look at them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 2: Operation De-Escalation: It’s All About Tone EP: 228
July 14, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesTone matters. It has always mattered, but it matters now more than ever. (And it's what helped me not get into a fight with a stranger in the coffee bean aisle.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Day 1: Operation De-Escalation: It’s TENSE Out There! EP: 227
July 13, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesThis week, I’m devoting all the episodes to what I’m calling Operation De-Escalation, because we are all on our last nerves. We'll explore ways you can help take things down a notch, both in the outside world and in your own mind. And today is all about acknowledging that we're all on edge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Are You a Tortoise, a Hare, or a Tortare? EP: 226
July 10, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesThis is one of my personal favorites because when I answered this question for myself, it helped me find a process that helped me get my work done without feeling guilty or stressed--and it can help you do the same thing. See you next week with new episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": What Pink Elephants Are Talking to You? EP: 225
July 09, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesOoh, this is a juicy episode that helps you poke around in your subconscious and figure out why you do the things you do AND why you don’t do the things you don’t do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Forgive YOUR Mistakes EP: 224
July 08, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutesThis episode helped put How to Be a Better Person podcast on the map when it got mentioned in an article called "The 7 Podcasts Will Help You Achieve Your Goals in 2020." It offers a deceptively simple, and deceptively powerful, forgiveness exercise that is NOT about forgiving someone else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Don’t Be an Interrupting Cow EP: 223
July 07, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesThis is another 'best of' episode that gives you one simple task to do for the rest of the day, and that is to do whatever it takes to not interrupt anyone. It's harder than it might sound (and shows just how challenging it can be to truly listen). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Let Someone Else Go First EP: 222
July 06, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutesKnow that awkward moment, at a 4-way stop sign or on a sidewalk, when you don't know who should go first? Just for one day, be the person who waves the other person on. It's nice, yes, but it also alleviates decision fatigue (and dispels awkwardness). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Your Ticket Out of Judgment-Land EP: 221
July 03, 2020 09:00 - 9 minutesAs you head out to celebrate the 4th of July, you are probably going to see plenty of examples of behavior that you are going to want to judge something fierce. This 'best of' episode will help you either a) head judgment off at the pass, or b) at least not get stuck in it when it does settle in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": The Need for Alone Time Is Real EP: 220
July 02, 2020 09:00 - 10 minutesAlone time is an important component of emotional hygiene, but since Covid-19 struck, it's been in limited supply for those folks who live with other people--especially when those other people are your children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": The Importance of Being Naughty EP: 219
July 01, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutesYes, it's a worthy effort to try to be and do better. But if that's all you do, it can start to feel like you're wearing a too-tight jacket. And then you want to just give up. This 'best of' episode helps you keep making progress while also cutting yourself some slack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": Say What You Mean, But Don’t Be a Jerk EP: 218
June 30, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesHere's another one from the vault that pertains to relationships. It's a mantra that helps you find the right balance between being truthful and being kind. (And includes a story about my daughter that will send you straight back to 6th grade.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Best Of": If You Want to Be a Better Partner, It’s All About Repair EP: 217
June 29, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesRepairing after a fight is a rarely taught skill that helps you keep your relationship strong even when there’s been a disturbance in the force. And let's face it, with all the upheaval 2020 has brought with it thus far, it's easier than ever to pick fights with the folks you love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby Steps for Better Health: Vitamin Nature EP: 216
June 26, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutesGetting more nature in your life helps ease everything from inflammation to anxiety and depression. Even more importantly, in my mind, is it gives you a mental reset, and oh my goodness gracious, who doesn’t need a mental reset right about now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby Steps for Better Health: Smoothies for President EP: 215
June 25, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesI truly believe that smoothies are the perfect food for this moment because they’re delicious, chock full of whole foods, and require minimal prep and minimal cleanup. Smoothies for president! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby Steps for Better Health: Embrace Movement with Katy Bowman EP: 214
June 24, 2020 09:00 - 26 minutesYou're stuck at home, your gym is probably still closed (or maybe you're nervous about going)--how can you keep up with moving the ole bod during quarantine? Biomechanist, author, and all-around smarty pants Katy Bowman can help you think about meaningful ways that address your movement needs that also make you a better person and the world a better place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby Steps for Better Health: Do This as Soon as You Wake Up EP: 213
June 23, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutesWe’ve all heard the advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but most of us are still drinking the same amount of water that we ever were. Which is, let’s face it, probably not enough. Here's an awesome way to boost health by boosting hydration that takes less than a minute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Baby Steps for Better Health: Ask Yourself This One Q Before You Do the Thing That's Helping You Get Through EP: 212
June 22, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesThere are probably things you’ve been doing to help you cope with these weird, weird times that maybe aren’t the healthiest choices. That is totally OK and very human of you. But it’s very possible that the coping mechanisms we adopt now will calcify into a habit that will be hard to undo. Asking yourself this one Q will help you keep it in check. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Inner Work of Anti-Racism: Don’t Go It Alone EP: 211
June 19, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesIf you are committed to doing the work required to become an anti-racist, it’s a wonderful thing, but you don’t want to go it alone. We need anti-racism to spread beyond ourselves and to do that, we have to link up with other people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Inner Work of Anti-Racism: Owning Your Own Education EP: 210
June 18, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesToday’s big idea is that each of us has to take responsibility for our own education about the issues we care about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Inner Work of Anti-Racism: Separating Personal Offense from Moral Offense EP: 209
June 17, 2020 09:00 - 15 minutesAndrea J. Lee is a master coach who helps people do the things that feel impossible--kind of like dismantling racism might feel. She's here to help us discern the difference between feeling personally offended and morally offended, so that we can be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Inner Work of Anti-Racism: Being OK With Messing Up EP: 208
June 16, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesToday’s big idea is that a huge, monumental piece of the inner work that it will take for white people to truly become anti-racists, both in their own minds and out in the world, is getting more comfortable with messing up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Inner Work of Anti-Racism: It’s Time to Admit This Fundamental Truth (That Everyone Worries About) EP: 207
June 15, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesToday we're wrestling with with a basic, fundamental question that is on more people’s minds than ever at this particular point in history: are you racist or not? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welp, That Sucks: We've Got to Break Up with the Past EP: 206
June 12, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesToday’s big idea is something that’s tough to swallow and also a path to hopefulness. And that is that we need to accept the reality that the past is not anything we’re going to get back to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welp, That Sucks: Are the Kids Alright? EP: 205
June 11, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutesThis is a tough time for everyone, for a lot of reasons. But our kids are really taking this on the chin, at all ages. So let's check in on how they're doing and how we might be able to better support them through it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welp, That Sucks: Moms Are Taking It on the Chin EP: 204
June 10, 2020 09:00 - 21 minutesNow that kids are home pretty much all the time, there’s been a lot of coverage in the media about how women are bearing the brunt of taking care of kids while schools, daycares, and now camps are shut down. I want to take a look at the reality of this, and not just what the headlines say, so I interviewed Rachael Ellison, co-host of The Breadwinners podcast and an expert on work-life balance, for her take Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welp, That Sucks: And the Hits Just Keep on Coming EP: 203
June 09, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutesAs the coronavirus continues to be a factor in our lives, we’re having to continually deal with new and different shades of grief. Because that’s really what’s at the crux of so much of the news regarding the pandemic--loss. And the tricky thing about grief is that it’s a slippery little devil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Planning in a Time When Planning Is Impossible EP: 202
June 08, 2020 08:00 - 8 minutesWill schools be back in the fall? Is it safe to fly, and even if we decide it’s safe, will flights be canceled? If you’ve been furloughed, when will you get called back? Will you get called back? How long will COVID be part of our mental calculations. There are just so many things we don’t know. And that is a really tough place to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#podcastblackout EP: 201
June 02, 2020 08:00 - 3 minutesIn solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, I am not posting new episodes this week. In this quick episode, I explain why I'm participating in the #podcastblackout. I'll be back next week--and in the meantime, let's stay connected on Facebook or Twitter (where I'm KateWHanley) or Instagram (katehanleyauthor). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices