Squiggly Careers

Do you struggle to speak up in meetings or find yourself watering down your ideas? Assertiveness isn't about being the loudest person in the room; it is built through small, daily actions.

In this episode, Helen shares simple actions to increase your assertiveness.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– How to quash qualifiers like "maybe" and "just"
– The power of being the person who creates clarity
– How to offer alternative perspectives to stop groupthink
– Making a habit of offering a question and a suggestion
– How to identify and fix your default assertiveness mistakes

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you feel like you were never meant to master just one thing? It is time to move beyond the traditional career path and embrace the potential of an M-shaped career.

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore what it means to develop mastery across multiple areas.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Define the M-shaped career model and why it is a competitive advantage

– Identify your existing areas of deep expertise

– Learn how to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated skills

– Use reflective questions to map your own M-shaped development

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Post-it® Brand. If today’s episode sparked an idea, stick it down, find out where to buy Post-it® products at go.3M.com/squiggly

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you find yourself constantly checking your phone or email instead of focusing on your most important work? In this squiggly shortcut, Helen shares practical ways to beat distraction and reclaim your attention.

Drawing on Nir Eyal's research on becoming indistractable, they explore what it really means to develop this skill, and what your default response to it reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– Identify your personal distraction downfall
– Understand why you are attracted to distractions
– Learn why avoidance triggers procrastination
– Audit your environment for high-attention work
– Master the "not yet" rule to build focus
– Find the best timing for your deep work

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not all problems are created equal, and trying to solve them all the same way is likely to result in frustration.

In this episode, Helen and Sarah explore how to identify whether you are facing a tame, critical, or wicked problem and the specific approach needed to make progress on each.

Drawing on the work of Keith Grint, they explore what it means to develop this skill, and what your default response to it reveals about you.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Identify the three distinct types of problems you encounter at work

– Apply the right process to clear up recurring tame problems

– Manage high-stakes critical problems without losing control

– Reframe wicked problems to move from stuck to progress

– Use 'What if' and 'What would' questions to unlock new perspectives

– Prioritize actions to stop overthinking complex challenges

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to achieve your biggest career goals this year? The answer might lie in planning exactly how you could fail first.

Drawing on research from New York University on mental contrasting, Helens explore how balancing your biggest career opportunities with your realistic obstacles can significantly increase your chance of success.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– What is mental contrasting and why does it build resilience?
– How to identify what you want to be true in 12 months
– Why optimism blindness might be holding your career back
– How to honestly audit the obstacles in your way
– What practical actions can reduce your risk of failure
– How to take one simple step this week to move forward

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: helenandsarah@squigglycareers.com

Need some more squiggly career support?
1. Download our free career tools: https://www.amazingif.com/toolkit/
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints: https://www.amazingif.com/squigglysprints/
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools: https://bit.ly/squigglynewsletter_pod
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster: https://www.amazingif.com/books/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices