Do The Thing, with Whole30's Melissa Urban

James Clear (he/him) is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement, and the author of the international best-selling book, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. In this episode, James breaks down the science of habit into practical, actionable steps to help you shift from feeling stuck to doing the thing, whether you’re trying to start something new or break a pattern that isn’t serving you. He’ll explain his two minute habit hack, why “casting votes” is the best way to solidify a new habit, and what friction has to do with behavioral change. We also talk about how to navigate social influence when you’re trying to stick with a new habit, and why systems matter far more than goals. Continue the conversation with me @melissau on Instagram. If you have a question for Dear Melissa or a topic idea for the show, leave me a voicemail at (321) 209-1480. Do the Thing is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, and Happier in Hollywood. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell your friends to Do the Thing!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gretchen Rubin (she/her) is a best-selling author, speaker, podcaster, and creator of the Four Tendencies framework. Melissa and Gretchen discuss the Four Tendencies (Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, and Rebel), how each tendency relates to inner and outer expectations, and how knowing your tendency can help you be more effective in changing any habit. They also break down how to approach the Whole30 for each archetype, so you can work with your tendency (not against it) to maximize Whole30 success. Continue the conversation with me @melissa_hartwig on Instagram. If you have a question for Dear Melissa or a topic idea for the show, leave me a voicemail at (321) 209-1480. Do the Thing is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, and Happier in Hollywood.If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell your friends to Do the Thing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Nicole LePera (she/her), also known as The Holistic Psychologist, is the founder of the Mindful Healing Center in Philadelphia, and trained in clinical psychology at Cornell University and the New School. In this episode, Dr. LePera breaks down the various forms of trauma therapy for the body and mind, sharing the practices that have proven the most effective. She’ll cover what trauma is (hint: it’s far more extensive than just the “Big-T” experiences like assault or abuse), how trauma affects our mind/body connection, and the bodywork and therapeutic practices that can best restore that connection. She’ll explain the various forms of trauma therapy and which are most effective, shares some in-the-moment strategies we can all do to calm an over-active nervous system, and leaves us with specific terms to search for when seeking out a trauma therapist. Continue the conversation with me @melissau on Instagram. If you have a question for Dear Melissa or a topic idea for the show, leave me a voicemail at (321) 209-1480. Do the Thing is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, and Happier in Hollywood. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell your friends to Do the Thing!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celeste Noche (she/her) is an editorial and documentary photographer based between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, CA. Through her photos of food, travel, and portraits, she advocates for diversity and inclusivity, seeking to share stories of underrepresented communities. In this episode, Celeste and I discuss the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation when it comes to food and recipes. We give examples from her home city of Portland, why working to identify and correct appropriation isn’t just a matter of “political correctness,” and how the centering of western culture through food styling, journalism, and recipe creation is harmful to the very communities we are trying to support through our work. At the end, Celeste shares strategies so that all of us who share food and recipes can be better allies, and better agents of cultural appreciation and exchange. Continue the conversation with me @melissau on Instagram. If you have a question for Dear Melissa or a topic idea for the show, leave me a voicemail at (321) 209-1480. Do the Thing is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, and Happier in Hollywood. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell your friends to Do the Thing!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Holley M. Kholi-Murchison (she/her) is an entrepreneur committed to shaping the future of work and learning for evolving professionals. She teaches and coaches through her communication studio Oratory Glory, and is a founding partner at HOLI. Brands, a think tank that prepares people from historically-marginalized communities to self-actualize. In this episode, we’ll discuss Holley’s book, Tell Me About Yourself, and why most of us suck at creating accurate and artful responses to this common query. Holley explains the purpose of networking (hint: it’s not transactional), how working through her self-actualization process can pave the way for professional success and more meaningful connections, and how to overcome common stumbling blocks in arriving at your own “what do you do?” response. I’ll also share my own experience of working through the TMAY workbook, and some real-time realizations about the true power of Holley’s method. Continue the conversation with me @melissau on Instagram. If you have a question for Dear Melissa or a topic idea for the show, leave me a voicemail at (321) 209-1480. Do the Thing is part of The Onward Project, a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Side Hustle School, Happier in Hollywood, and Everything Happens. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell your friends to Do the Thing!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices