When you feel stuck, do you push harder—or get curious?
In this episode
In this Expert Topic episode of The Accomplishment Project, I’m joined by my friend and business partner Gary Ware (founder of Breakthrough Play and author of Playful Rebellion). We dig into how curiosity helps you overcome obstacles, reframe anxiety and overwhelm, and find momentum in your accomplishment journey.
Our origin story: the "sliding into" DMs that kicked off a 10-year friendship and collaboration
Curiosity vs. anxiety: openness, possibilities, and getting the prefrontal cortex back online
Gary’s health/running story: shifting from all-or-nothing to small experiments
A team exercise that exposes the multitasking myth and helps leaders delegate
Simple curiosity prompts you can use today: What else could be true? What am I not seeing yet? What’s surprising me?
A playful “curious questions” game that reveals insights from Filipino culture to musicals
The closing reflection: Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Episode Timestamps
00:00 The Story of Our Connection
05:42 Why Curiosity Matters
12:12 Curiosity vs. Anxiety
16:20 A Real-Life Curiosity Reframe
20:36 How to Practice Curiosity
22:10 Curiosity in Teams and Leadership
25:52 Creativity and Flow at Work
30:56 Improv as a Curiosity Gym
34:46 Curious Questions Game
40:56 Final Takeaway: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
About Gary
Gary Ware is a facilitator, keynote speaker, and the founder of Breakthrough Play. He helps teams boost creativity, connection, and collaboration through play and improv. He’s also the author of Playful Rebellion.
Connect with Gary:
Resources & Links
Bonus: Curious about the workshop that first connected Gary and me? Watch the webinar version here.
Hi friends! I’m so excited you’re here for the very first episode of The Accomplishment Project! This project has been brewing behind the scenes for years, and today I’m sharing where it came from, what it’s about, and what you can expect going forward.
💡 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
How writing Finding Success in Balance pushed me to burnout
Why productivity isn’t the full picture when it comes to accomplishment
The role of stories, experiments, and emotional honesty in this project
The four formats I’ll be exploring in future episodes
A real-life look at why I decided to launch a podcast (finally)
If you’ve ever questioned your definition of success or felt disconnected from traditional goal-setting advice, you’re in the right place.
📚 Books Referenced
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang
🔗 Resources & Links
🙏 A Note of Thanks
This show is supported by the Accountability Success Circle — a small but mighty community where I’ve spent the past eight years testing ideas, finding support, and exploring what meaningful accomplishment really looks like. If you’re craving encouragement and structure around your goals, come join us.
💜 Want to Support the Show?
If this episode resonated with you, here are a few ways to help:
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app
Share the episode with a friend or two
Sign up at theaccomplishmentproject.com to get future updates and behind-the-scenes content
Thanks so much for tuning in! And now that the first episode is out of the way, it's all on the up and up from here!
💜 Apryl
This isn’t your typical productivity podcast. In this short trailer, I introduce The Accomplishment Project and share what it’s all about—from honest stories to the emotional side of getting things done. It’s part pep talk, part productivity, and 100% human.
Watch the video trailer and video versions of each episode on my YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@thecheerfulmind
