Squiggly Careers

Feeling overwhelmed at work? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah shares three strategies that got her through a particularly full-on week, starting with something most of us don't do nearly enough.

🎯 What You'll Learn
– Why signalling early to the people around you is one of the most useful things you can do when you're overwhelmed (and how to tell them what kind of help you actually need)
– Why emptying your head onto paper (without worrying about making it make sense) creates more space than any prioritisation system
– How to make an honest list of where good enough is fine this week — and where you genuinely need to be great

📚 Resources Mentioned
Episode 199: How to cope with overwhelm at work https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-cope-with-overwhelm-at-work/
For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

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/
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Could a framework change the way you think about your time, your strengths, or your team? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from three tried-and-tested strategic models, and put them to the test with AI prompts, Post-it® Big Notes, and a live coaching conversation to see how useful they actually are.

From a classic time management matrix to a strengths development tool to a team effectiveness framework that's been around since the 70s, this episode is brought to you in partnership with 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

🎯 What You'll Learn
– How to use the Eisenhower Matrix to see where your time is really going (and what to do if it doesn't give you new answers)
– How to adapt the Ansoff Matrix to grow your strengths into new contexts and with new people
– How the McKinsey 7S framework can reveal surprising gaps in how your team works together
– Which frameworks are best done alone, in a pair, or with your whole team
– How AI can help you get more from a model that feels too simple on its own

📚 Resources Mentioned
Podsheet with AI prompts and framework diagrams: amazingif.com
For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]
Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools
2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints
3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools
4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you stay or should you go? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Helen shares a simple matrix to help you think more clearly about one of the most common career questions she gets asked, and move beyond gut feeling alone.

🎯 What You'll Learn– How to use a two-by-two matrix to work out where you are right now in your career– What to do if you love where you work but aren't learning (and why this isn't a reason to leave)– How to make the most of a role where you're growing but not happy– Why "not learning, don't love it" is the one quadrant that calls for action, and how to make a considered move rather than a leap– What to do when you've got the dream scenario, because doing nothing would be a missed opportunity

📚 Resources MentionedEpisode 282: How to know whether to switch or stay in your role: https://www.amazingif.com/listen/how-to-know-whether-to-switch-or-stay-in-your-role/For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected] some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a "track everything" person or a "just do the thing" person? In this episode, Helen and Sarah borrow brilliance from the world of gamification — and have a genuinely fun debate about whether it actually works for your career.

Helen comes in as a convert (she gamifies her sleep, her deep sleep, her exercise, her steps, and possibly her vegetables). Sarah comes in as a sceptic. What unfolds is an honest, practical exploration of when gamification helps, when it doesn't, and how to design a game that works for you — not one that makes you feel judged by an app.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– What gamification actually is and why it taps into some very human motivations

– Four games you could play at work right now — from your to-do list to your energy, relationships and learning

– Why the question to ask of any game is: does this make me feel more capable, or just more compliant?

– How teams can play together without it turning into an uncomfortable competition

– The rules of the game: how to design your own two-week experiment

📚 Resources Mentioned

The Big Think

Tim Harford's newsletter

Squiggly Careers Skills Sprints

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

1. Download our free career tools

2. Sign up for our Skills Sprints

3. Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools

4. Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if mentoring had nothing to do with seniority — and everything to do with strengths? In this Squiggly Shortcut, Sarah makes the case for a more inclusive, more accessible approach to mentoring that every team can make happen straight away.

🎯 What You'll Learn

– Why strengths-based mentoring is more useful than traditional senior-to-junior mentoring

– Three ways to make it work: one way, two way (strengths swapping), and one to many

– How to make your ask for mentoring specific, easy to say yes to, and genuinely flattering to receive

– Why building a spreadsheet of team strengths could be one of the most useful things your team does this year

📚 Resources Mentioned

Episode 122 — How to make your strengths show up and stand out 

For questions about Squiggly Careers or to share feedback, please email: [email protected]

Need some more squiggly career support?

Download our free career tools

Sign up for our Skills Sprints

Sign up for our Squiggly Careers Newsletter, a weekly summary of the latest squiggly career tools

Order our new book Learn Like a Lobster

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices