It’s all well and good to have plans and goals, but you’re not going to have the same level of motivation or even the same energy levels or mood every day. Some days you’re tired, bored, feeling down or unmotivated and sticking to the plan and the goal feels extra hard, so what do you do on those days? When motivation is down, discipline is the underrated skill that can turn your day around and help you stick to the plan.

For more content, including newsletters, recommendations and bonus episodes, check out our Substack (it's free!)

Recommendations

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

THe Hack on ITVX

Also mentioned

The Impossible Fortune - Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

Fall Harvest Tea Blend from Trader Joes (REVISION: Helena takes it back, the taste is just as good as the smell, you have to let it brew for longer)

Helena's accountant practice: Strivex (find the practice co-owner, Rachel, here on Instagram)

Nolee Paproski - one of the coaches in Charlotte's fitness programme

What’s with the resurgence of teenage girlhood in the past few years? We had Barbie, we had the Eras Tour but it seems to have gone further than that. Pop is noticeably more ‘pop-py’ fashion is more fun, TSITP ruled the summer, we’re gravitating to offline hobbies and activities more than ever - it feels like it's more than nostalgia, is it about joy? restorative healing? or feeling more comfortable in adulthood to enjoy the things you felt self-conscious about when you were a teen?

For more content, including newsletters, recommendations and bonus episodes, check out our Substack (it's free!)

Recommendations

Woman of the Hour on Netflix

In Conversation: Louis Theroux - Shameless podcast

 

Also mentioned

The Hack

Frank Green Reusable Coffee Cup

YETI insulated cups

We’ve all got more choice than we’ve ever had before, and with the constant ‘state of the world’ being overwhelmingly negative, it’s not surprising that anxiety is also at an all-time high. We need a straight-forward, accessible, antidote, and that’s coming in the shape of ‘taking action’.

For more content, including newsletters, recommendations and bonus episodes, check out our Substack (it's free!)

Recommendations

The Compound by Aisling Rawle

The Roses

 

Why are we obsessed rebranding ourselves? There's always space for a rebrand now days, but does reinventing ourselves actually give us a fresh start or is there a root problem that we're not addressing? Whether it's girlbossing, soft life, a new health and wellness kick, a career pivot or an aesthetic change, is the rebrand just a new version of capitalism who loves a shift if it means we're buying more stuff. Actual growth and change is often gradual, quiet, personal, un-aesthetic, so is this pressure to reinvent ourselves manufactured?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

"Younger you would be so proud" - this trend is popping up online and it's made us question, do we actually want younger versions of us to be proud? 12-year-old us or even 21-year-old us would think we're really stupid for quitting what was once a "dream job" or would be really judgy for decisions that we make now that prioritise things like health, sleep and work-life balance. Do we really want to be impressing the younger version of us that didn’t have the context, world experience or information about where you are now and why?

The summer reading list (and so much more) can be found here https://growthinprogresspodcast.substack.com/

Recommendations

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Great Company Podcast with Jamie Laing and Dr Rangan Chatterjee

We all like to think we’re self aware people, and arguably we are all more self aware than we used to be as a society. However, just because we’re aware of our shortcomings it doesn’t mean we’re any good at addressing them. In fact, sometimes we’re left realising that we’ve done nothing to address them. Yes, acknowledging a problem is the first step to solving it, but if you never take the next step, what does that mean?

The summer reading list (and so much more) can be found here https://growthinprogresspodcast.substack.com/

Recommendations

How to fail with Elizabeth Day & Pamela Anderson

The Ridiculously Interesting World of American Accents on The Culture Studies Podcast

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

This week we’re discussing the importance of “picking your hard” and reminding yourself that you often have more choice than you realis. Often decisions are classed as either easy or hard, and we know picking the hard thing is often not all that appealing. But as with so many things, the reality is far les binary; instead even the easiest of things can end up leading to hard decisions down the line. So how do we pick our hard? How do we remind ourselves that whether it's big decision or just an everyday reaction, we have the opportunity to make a choice and pick which hard thing you're going to do.

The summer reading list (and so much more) can be found here https://growthinprogresspodcast.substack.com/

Recommendations

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Untammed on Netflix

In an era where boundaries are part of everyday conversation and something we are all trying to prioritise, we’re more comfortable than ever setting and maintaining our own boundaries. But part of life is doing things you don’t always want to do, it’s about showing up for the peope around you, so when boundaries are so important how do we actually balance that with staying accountable to ourselves and others? Are we really setting boundaries, or are we just avoiding something?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

Back In Action on Netflix

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Mel Robbins: Why adult friendship is so hard

Tamara Darden's Substack Char mentioned

We as millenials grew up in an era of hustle culture and we absorbed so much of the girlboss culture but it's led to our jobs being part of our identity and tying our worth to our job success. We know it's not a healthy mindset, but how do we go about breaking up with our job and identifying ourselves outside of that when our job makes up so much of our life?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

Working Hard podcast with Grace Beverley: Fearne Cotton - Why You're Tying Your Self Worth to your Job and How to Stop It

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel

Also mentioned:

The Rest is Entertainment AI conversation: Mushroom Murders episode

We're chatting books to read this summer (why are there so many meanings for the word canon?) and we're chatting about one of our favourite things: Nuance. Things in life are rarely black and white, many things in life exist in the grey area but have we lost the ability to involve or consider nuance? And why do we feel the need to caveat EVERYTHING.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Also mentioned:

Munroe Bergdorf's Loose Women Interview

No Cancellations at the box office - Shameless podcast (Brad Pitt conversation)

We are back this week with a conversation about the impact of digital burnout, how we're all affected by it, the overwhelm of the sheer volume of what is online and what is our responsibility when it comes to showing up online - we're all online, how do we work with it rather than against it?

We've also got some rogue conversations about bedbugs, pickles and the kid's table at family gatherings.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

I'm Not Ready for a Baby - Call Her Daddy podcast

How 2000s Culture Messed Us Up - Culture Study Podcast

Also mentioned:

Helli's Bedbugs reel

We're back, we've got stories from our latest trips and more than enough recommendations to make up for our (slightly) longer-than-planned break! Reality TV, books that will end a reading slump, podcasts...we've got it all. And then we're chatting about trolling, accountability and the fine line between constructivly criticising people and just piling onto the hate. We are discussing it all and want to hear your thoughts too!

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

We will be back in a couple of weeks after our end of season break, if you have any topics you'd like us to cover, send us a message. Or you can join us on Substack where we regularly post content even during our break.

This Family by Kate Sawyer

Sirens on Netflix

Also mentioned: America's Sweethearts on Netflix, Should I Delete That with Harriet, Shameless "Toddle Off" episode

Charlotte has got an exciting trip coming up and Helli had a much less exciting weekend involving a blown tyre and flagging down cars on the side of the road. We're lamenting the clothing sizing issue that women face, especially when shopping for jeans and have a surprisingly long sports chat (unexpected, we know). We're chatting about how we often feel like we should wait for the "perfect time" to do things and the problems that causes. How do we know when to just start and how do we find the confidence to do something even when it's outside our comfort zone?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

We will be back in a couple of weeks after our end of season break, if you have any topics you'd like us to cover, send us a message. Or you can join us on Substack where we regularly post content even during our break.

Recommendations:

Drops on Skyscanner App for 20% drops in flight prices

Simone Biles documentary on Netflix

Also mentioned:

Unchained on Netflix

Never Enough on Netflix

We all know what we *should* be doing to recover from burnout, but how to do manage that when you're already in the process of burning out? Plus we've got an interesting chat about privacy - is it the ultimate luxury and how do we protect it?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations:

Salaryman on Amazon Prime

Things I do BTS to Protect my Privacy as an Influencer

It's picky tea season in the UK but there's a rogue revelation that someone doesn't like picky tea... Helli has only just discovered a British staple podcast and Charlotte is repeating last week's recommendation... we're here for the chaos! We're also chatting about why sharing our ambitions outloud feels so exposing, particularly as women and the tension between going after what you want but not being "too" ambitious and not wanting to be seen to fail.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Want a taste? Here's the bonus episode from March where we're talking about Gwen Stefani, her right wing values and the discourse around that.

Recommendations

Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble - the episode with Jeff Goldblum

P.Diddy: The Rise and Fall on BBC iPlayer

Boyzone, cosy murder-mysteries, and all the regular chaos you've come to expect from us this week, plus we discuss whether we even enjoy half the things we do, or are we just good at them?

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Want a taste? Here's the bonus episode from March where we're talking about Gwen Stefani, her right wing values and the discourse around that.

Recommendations

Boyzone Documentary on Now TV

The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

We're mixing heavy recommendations with a sprinkle of lighter ones this week, and we're chatting all about Soft Life...

The Soft Life Aesthetic is supposed to be the antidote to Hustle Culture, the idea is to have more self-compassion, more intentionality, slow mornings and effortless routines. But the very nature of this curated trend means there is a lot of hypocrisy and privilege in what the soft life aesthetic stands for and the nature of creating content online means it is far from effortless. But there are some fundamentals of this trend that are important and speak to a wider craving of our generation for a more gentle, slower and compassionate lifestyle.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

IYCMI podcast - Have Influencers Become to Normalized to be Mocked?

Louis Theroux: The Settlers on BBC

Also mentioned

Bad Influence on Netflix

Ransom Canyon on Netflix

You know when you're about to make the big scary decision, and you know it's the right one and that you're being brave and courageous, but it feels the total opposite? Well that's what we're discussing this week. People are always quick to tell you to make the brace decision but fail to mention that when you're making the decision it can feel pretty terrifying. We're looking into why that is, how to overcome it and how you can take comfort in knowing that you have great things waiting for you on the other side.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

Will & Harper on Netflix

Complicating The Plastic Surgery Conversation 

After we've both had wholesome Easter bank holiday weekends, of course we're back with chaos! And this week we're talking about how real self care is not sexy, content-worthy or "aesthetic" like the wellness and self-care we're sold online. Instead self-care is boring, it's effective, it's preventative. But the online aesthetic over-complicates it and creates the pressure to do it "right", rather than doing it genuinely for you. The self-care we're sold online is very privileged and assumes that journalling, meditation, skin care and morning routines are a one-size fits all, without taking into account the unique needs of everyone.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

Franks RedHot Fire Roasted Jalapeno Sauce

A Case for Stagnant Summers

Also mentioned:

https://sabrinamolu.substack.com/

Back to the Future

Nosferatu

Helli is back from a Bahamas cruise and Charlotte has booked a trip to Antibes so it's safe to say we're both ready for summer! But before then, we're chatting about how to embrace cringe. You need to embrace cringe and be seen trying (and possibly failing) to reach success and the things you want, but so often the fear of failing or looking stupid or feeling embarrassed is a barrier that stops us persisting and going after what we really want.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

Last One Laughing on Amazon Prime

Toxic Town on Netflix

Also mentioned:

Adolescence on Netflix

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown