28.4K
Downloads
674
Episodes
Do you feel overwhelmed with your todo list? Is "creating fulfilling happiness" missing from that list? Everyday Happiness with Katie Jefcoat is here to help you. In 2-minutes a day, over time, you’ll discover how to reduce overwhelm and create lasting happiness through Katie’s signature method of Intentional Margins, happiness science, and musings about life. Start your day with a positive mindset. Many of us can get deep in the feeling of overwhelm. The anxiety of our own ambition can weigh heavily on our thoughts and emotions. We lay down and close our eyes at night and our chest begins to feel heavy. More items on the to-do list than the day before. How will we ever going to get off the hamster wheel of to-dos? When are we going to start living life for more than the hustle? As a recovering lawyer and passion driven entrepreneur, Katie knew something had to change. What she found is that you can have harmony, be intentionally productive and create massive impact, all at the same time - without feeling guilty. So she asked herself a simple question: "How can I get off the hamster wheel and how can I show others how to do the same? She knew she'd had a system for herself, but she’d never put it into defining words. On August 15, 2019, she sat down at her dining room table with her friend Jenna (her business bestie). Post-It notes covering the table. This is where she first defined the concept of Intentional Margins. What are Intentional Margins? INTENTIONAL MARGINS™ (n): A buffer of space and time to create harmony between your to-do’s and your priorities. Now you can get the support you need to manage your overwhelm, one little tip at a time. Regardless of the industry, Everyday Happiness blends inspiration with a pragmatic approach to finding Harmony. You'll be encouraged to throw “balance” out the window for a more achievable approach called harmony. Through Intentional Margins™, you'll be encouraged to develop what harmony means to you, by identifying your priorities at work and at home. Every day, we'll end the podcast help you feel equipped to jump off the hamster wheel of overwhelm and go out there and crush your day. --About the Host-- Katie Jefcoat is a community curator, speaker, author and motivator who supports ambitious women (and a few good men) move from feeling hectic to harmonious. As a recovering trial lawyer, she knows first hand what it feels like to have a demanding job. As an entrepreneur with a passion that lights her hair on fire and a busy family she’s in the thick of it with you. Many people strive for balance and think overwhelm is just a part of life. Sadly, the hustle culture and our never-ending to-do list is creating a life where our priorities are getting the leftover scraps of time. Katie introduces people to what she calls - Intentional Margins™ - a kind of life in which they reduce randomness, create harmony between their to-dos and their priorities and intentionally enjoy the meaningful parts of life - without feeling guilty. Without exposure to a different way, we remain stuck on the hamster wheel of to-dos and never find the “balance” we yearn for. Katie works diligently to expose her community to different ways of doing things, because she fundamentally believes we deserve to make time for our priorities. We deserve to live a life of harmony. And it’s within our control to create it. Katie curates a smorgasbord of content related to managing your calendar, handling overwhelm, setting boundaries, reducing randomness, saying no, self-care, the power of your choices, and more in her Intentional Margins™ Membership Community -- which she calls the coziest virtual coffee shop (on Facebook). Connect and learn more at www.katiejefcoat.com.
Episodes
Friday Jun 25, 2021
Friday Jun 25, 2021
Creating the “haves” list is showing me that my wants are nice, but not what will truly make me happier. I have everything I need to be as happy as I can be, right now.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and I started my reverse bucket list that we talked about in the last episode.
The reverse bucket list is writing a list of your haves and trying to detach yourself from the wants (a traditional bucket list) by focusing on the haves - what you already have, what you already have accomplished.
It’s also, over time, eliminating the “wants”. Will that elusive “thing” really make you happier?
For now, I’m keeping it simple and writing down my haves. Some people might think this is writing down all the things they are grateful for.
I have this chair in my living room. It brings me so much joy to sip warm coffee in this chair.
I have a body that serves me. Hands that work, legs that allow me to walk. I have a mind that sees lightness through the dark that innately searches for the positivity when life feels hard. I have a family that I am obsessed with. Kids who are healthy. A marriage where we prioritize one another and a husband who is kind, patient, generous and who loves me. I get to give and receive love with the people that I love.
I’ve traveled the world to amazing places and had incredible experiences.
My haves list is beautiful and long. And it’s showing me that my wants are nice, but not what will truly make me happier. I have everything I need to be as happy as I can be, right now.
I’m curious if you have any ah-ha moments when you starting writing out your haves list?
Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram.
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Instead of making a bucket list filled with “wants”, Arthur Brooks says that you will feel more satisfied with the dreams you've accomplished and the things you already have. Here’s how you create a reverse bucket list.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today I’m sharing The Reverse Bucket List by Arthur Brooks, of The Atlantic. He created this concept called the REVERSE BUCKET LIST to improve satisfaction - which improves happiness.
The traditional bucket list is all the dreams and things you want to accomplish. That’s not a new concept. What Arthur Brooks is trying to achieve is a reverse bucket list so that you feel more satisfied with the dreams you've accomplished and the things you already have.
He says it can solve the satisfaction problem.
Satisfaction is not a function of what you HAVE - its actually an equation of what you HAVE and what you WANT. Think of it like a fraction: the top is what you have and the bottom is what you want.
When you don’t manage the denominator, the bottom, the wants will expand and sprawl. This is your traditional bucket list.
Instead, start a reverse bucket list. You have all the desires and wants.
Write a list of your haves and try to detach yourself from the wants by focusing on the haves. Then, your denominator will fall, and satisfaction will rise. That is the reverse bucket list exercise.
I’m working on my reverse bucket list and if you want to connect on this or work together, I’m on social @everydayhappinesswithkatie and on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram.
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Today we tackle the question: Do I need to feel satisfied to be happy? The problem is, are we ever truly satisfied?
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today we’re chatting about feeling satisfied.
Satisfaction is a key component of happiness. Feeling satisfied I wonder, do I need to feel satisfied to be happy?
There is this idea of satisfaction. That says: If you have what you want, you will be satisfied. But you know that’s not true because you know that when you get all the things you want, the satisfaction is elusive and doesn’t last. It’s like running on a treadmill and never getting to the destination.
Arthur Brooks and many other thought leaders define satisfaction as what you HAVE divided by what you WANT.
So many of us think we will be more satisfied, happiers even if we get more of what we want. But there is this scientific theory called hedonic adaptation that tells us that we get comfortable with what we have and we always want more. So it’s basically impossible to “get more” and be happier, long term.
We’re chasing the wrong thing. We’re chasing the “want” of the satisfaction equation instead of the “have”.
Tomorrow, I am going to dive into exactly how to do this using Arthur Brooks’ reverse bucket list technique.
In the meantime, Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
What we think will make us happy is often not what will actually make us happy.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today we’re talking about social comparison because we’re all feeling it at some point, me included.
What we think will make us happy is often not what will actually make us happy.
There is so much outside pressure, social comparison, keeping up with the Joneses.
You could be a millionaire, but you feel bad because there is another guy, making more money. Someone else has a bigger yacht. Or perhaps, your more money just equates to different problems. Now, it’s “where am I going to park my yacht”? Is it in the right yacht club? How do I become a member of the prestigious yacht club?
You see where I am going with this. We do this too, in our daily lives, even if we don’t all own yachts. It’s schools and cars and houses and jewelry and clothing and sports.
The science says we need to recognize that tendency to feel the outside pressure and social comparison, so that we can shift social comparison and feed our brain more realistic reference points.
Not everyone makes more money than you. Not everyone has a nicer car. Not everyone is having Instagram worthy family vacations every second of the trip. Social media is a highlight reel that we all can get caught up in.
So, the next time you want something that you think will make you happier. Ask yourself? Is this for social comparison?
Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram.
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Monday Jun 21, 2021
Writing a letter of gratitude is so simple and the effects are incredible. Not only does it increase the happiness of the person receiving the letter, but it boosts your happiness too.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and recently I heard of a technique to raise my personal happiness, and it actually can increase someone else's happiness too.
It’s a letter of gratitude. It’s so simple. Yet, we often don’t take the time to do it - let alone, be intentional on thinking about these gratitudes.
You could write your partner a letter of gratitude, so you can be mindful of the things you are grateful for. Look, we all have those days when it seems like we are not seeing eye to eye. It’s kind of nice to look at this letter and be reminded of why you love and appreciate your partner.
Recently, I wrote an email to my kids’ teachers, sharing with them how grateful we are for their patience and dedication to teaching. It’s a job that takes a special person and knowing how I would crash and burn in that type of job gives me immense gratitude for our teachers. Yet - so many times, we may feel it, but we don’t take the time to write the letter.
Let’s be clear. The letter is for you. If they get a bump in happiness, that’s a bonus. So, will you write a note of gratitude today? Share with me who you wrote a letter to today, you can DM me on Instagram @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram.
Sunday Jun 20, 2021
Sunday Jun 20, 2021
What do you appreciate?
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today this is your simple reminder to appreciate.
Sometimes we get caught up in the hustle and the responsibilities and it’s hard to pause and take a deep breath.
So today, these two minutes are your pause. What do you appreciate about today? What are you looking forward to today? Spend two minutes thinking about those things.
Today, I appreciate you. Without consistent listeners like you, Everyday Happiness would not be possible, and it brings me so much joy to create these episodes. I hope they are helpful.
So, let us know what you appreciate today, so we can all celebrate you. Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
How can thinking about negative things actually make me happier? This doesn’t seem right? Let me explain.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today we’re talking about negative visualization.
Negative visualization is sometimes referred to as the gap of what we want and what we have. It was developed by the ancient Greeks to create more happiness in your life.
You visualize yourself deprived of whatever it is that you really value in your life.
You imagine that you lost this thing. Imagine that you lost your family. Imagine that you lost your house. Imagine that you lost your job. Imagine that you lost your health.
For example, my marriage isn’t there forever, something could happen to my spouse, this life is fragile. This helps our brain appreciate our spouse, so in this experience of negative visualization, we start to feel gratitude and appreciation for our spouse and we go on to appreciate them while we have them. And perhaps, not sweat the small stuff that day.
What happens, as humans, we adapt to our environment, we take things for granted - we assume they will always be there. Our marriage, our job, our house, our health.
How would your life be negatively impacted if something drastically changed. What if you broke a foot or lost your eyesight, your house burned to the ground.
For a few minutes today, visualize how things would be different if you lost something you take for granted. And then, feel appreciations for what you have. The science and the Greeks seems to think this will make us happier.
Let me know how this worked, what do you appreciate? Head over to @everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie
Friday Jun 18, 2021
Friday Jun 18, 2021
How much of my happiness is genetic and how much can I influence? Those are the questions we answer today.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and the science says that part of our happiness is genetic. But researchers think almost 40% of our happiness can be influenced by us. This means, we can take actions to improve our happiness and release those happiness chemicals in our bodies so we feel happier. That’s incredible.
The research tells us that we are really bad at forecasting our own happiness over time. We think that a lottery ticket will make us happier for life, but after interviewing hundreds of lottery winners, the research suggests that even becoming a millionaire overnight doesn’t increase your happiness for very long.
The fact is, we get used to stuff.
The new car smell, it’s great for about 2 weeks and then, it’s just your car.
So, to counteract this data, we can be proactive in our happiness. Moments of joy and happiness throughout the day can increase happiness. I call this, using our Intentional Margins®. Doing something that brings you joy, lights your hair on fire. Perhaps it’s a cup of coffee with a friend, a simple pleasure of reading in your favorite chair. If you feel like you don’t have time for this, I invite you to organize your day with just one simple pleasure. Perhaps it’s cranking the music in the car with your favorite song as you drive to the next thing you get to do.
What did you do today? Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram
Thursday Jun 17, 2021
Thursday Jun 17, 2021
Asking ourselves the “right” questions can actually help us increase our happiness. This episode uses the global pandemic as an example, but this re-frame can be applied to anything, and is especially important when we have big changes in our lives.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and today we’re talking about our circumstances. I was listening to a seminar by Authur Brooks, who writes for The Atlantic. He says we can re-frame and mitigate our unhappiness by asking ourselves - and our friends - the right questions.
This is especially important as the United States starts to move its way out of the global pandemic. But we don’t need a pandemic to highlight this important re-frame.
Instead of asking “what do you miss about pre-pandemic times?”
We could ask ourselves and our friends,
“what do you not miss about pre-pandemic times and you do not want to go back to?
We could even celebrate this once in a lifetime chance to be away from things that did not bring us happiness and not go back to them.
There is so much trauma, heartache, emotion around the pandemic and I am certainly not trying to minimize that. We need to walk through those emotions. But we can also, as complex humans, look for the good.
Ask yourself, what are the 6-7 things that you LIKE during the pandemic? What will you miss?
Some examples for me include:
- Lunch with kids
- Walk around neighborhood
- Family game night
- Intentional time with friends
If you can do these two questions, you will come out ahead.
What will you NOT go back to?
What will you KEEP?
This is an enormous chance to re-set. I invite you to ask yourself those two questions,
What will you NOT go back to?
What will you KEEP?
And then, let me know over on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Are you living your best life? Sometimes we need to be reminded.
Transcript:
Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day, through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life.
I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and the other day, my little boy was sitting in the bathtub, my little boy loves baths, and he said “hey mommy, I’m living my best life”. It’s not the first time he’s said this and I thought it was so interesting. So it got me thinking.
Because he “thinks” he’s living his best life, he probably is. Our mind is such an interesting tool when it comes to our happiness.
A couple of years ago, he was riding in the big basket of the Target cart as we were running around picking up a few things. Before we started, I got him a small slurpee at the refreshment stand at Target, you know the one ;). He was thrilled, and didn't fuss for a larger size. Happy to get what we gets. And then, as we were zooming down the aisles and was sipping his bright red cherry slurpee filled with food dye and excessive amounts of sugar, he said to me for the first time “mommy, I’m living my best life” and I replied, “yes, yes you are”.
So I invite you to think about this today, are you living your best life? Is there one moment that you can be so grateful for today, that you think to yourself, hey, I’m living my best life at this moment.
And, don’t hide it. I want to hear what your best life moment is today. Let’s connect on social at @everydayhappinesswithkatie and join the community on the hashtags #IntentionalMargins and #everydayhappinesswithkatie on Instagram