Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away.
Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann.
The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today.
For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Squiggly Careers is a weekly podcast that will help you take control of your career development. Hosted by the founders of Amazing If (https://www.amazingif.com/), Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, together they cover all things work: from how to manage stress and overcome your confidence gremlins to micro-aggressions and discovering your strengths. Each episode is full of ideas, actions, hints, and tips that you can put into practice straight away.
Every so often they take a break from talking to each other to interview other people who are leading the way in making work better. Past guests include entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley, author of The Joy of Work Bruce Daisley, and neuroscience expert Amy Brann.
The Squiggly Careers podcast has been recommended by Harvard Business Review, Stylist, Marie Claire and Management Today.
For more ideas, tools and inspiration every week, you can also sign up to their newsletter Squiggly Careers in Action.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from a sweet source — the marshmallow experiment — to explore how the science of delayed gratification applies to our work and career choices.
Inspired by the famous psychology study, they unpack what it means to make one marshmallow versus two marshmallow decisions — the everyday trade-offs between instant satisfaction and long-term success. From replying to emails and saying yes to everything, to applying for jobs and building relationships, Helen and Sarah share real-life examples of how to recognise and reframe your choices for greater impact.
You’ll learn how to spot your own marshmallow moments, connect them to what motivates you most, and choose progress over quick wins (at least some of the time!).
Episode 510
🦞 Pre-order Learn Like A Lobster:
PRH US - https://bit.ly/3KxTeBn
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/3KcRZaR
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
03:53 The Marshmallow Experiment explained
05:43 Why delayed gratification matters for squiggly careers
06:43 The shiny object trap — instant wins vs. long-term goals
08:13 One vs. Two Marshmallow choices at work
10:53 Email decisions — control vs. quality
16:23 Saying yes vs. saying no — and why “no” can lead to more impact
24:03 Career choices — applying vs. creating opportunities
29:03 Building relationships and the “giant marshmallow” payoff
30:53 How to spot your marshmallow moments
🎯 What You’ll Learn
- How to apply the concept of delayed gratification to your career
- Why awareness of short-term vs. long-term trade-offs boosts progress
- How to make intentional choices that lead to more impact
- Ways to balance quick wins with meaningful goals
📚 Resources Mentioned
The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshmallow-Test-Understanding-Self-control-Master/dp/0552168866
Delayed Gratification article by James Clear https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification
For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com
More ways to learn about Squiggly Careers:
📩 Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
🏃♀️ Join the Skills x AI Sprint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQl9gsac8BXnWe2qoGuHkLKwsygjP_Ma&si=l7kODG3JpopH0Irz
📮 Get Squiggly Careers in Action in your inbox: https://bit.ly/SquigglyCareersInAction
📚 Read our books: The Squiggly Career and You Coach You: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.