How I Work

Visualising success feels productive. Vision boards, manifesting, picturing the finish line. It gives the sense that you’re moving closer to the goal.  But according to the research, that mental shortcut might actually be working against you.  In Part 2 of this two-parter (listen to Part 1 here), I continue my conversation with behavioural scientist and author Nir Eyal to unpack why. Nir spent six years researching how beliefs shape what we see, feel, and do, and why the stories we tell ourselves can dramatically change our behaviour.  We talk about the surprising power of “failure goals”, why lucky people often manufacture their own luck, and how leaders shape behaviour through the invisible simulations they create at work. Nir also explains why framing matters more than many leaders realise, and why the way you interpret discomfort can completely change how you perform.  And when it comes to visualisation, Nir shares a key insight from elite sport. High-performing athletes aren’t picturing themselves standing on the podium. They’re visualising the moment things get hard, and exactly what they’ll do next.  Nir and I discuss:  Why setting a failure goal can actually increase your chances of success  The study that shows why some people experience themselves as “lucky”  How beliefs shape what we see, feel, and do in everyday life  Why leaders are effectively designing simulations through workplace culture  The powerful role of framing when introducing ideas to teams  The “believe, anticipate, feel, confirm” loop that shapes our experiences  How expectations influence the way we experience products and brands  Why visualising the finish line can reduce motivation  What high-performing athletes actually visualise when preparing to succeed    Key quotes  “Failure without learning is a different story. But as long as you are failing and learning, that is progress.”   “Athletes aren’t visualising the trophy. They’re visualising the obstacles in their way.”   Connect with Nir Eyal on Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn and his website and check out his latest book Beyond Belief.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and the things you want in life isn’t your effort, your discipline, or even your circumstances? What if it’s the beliefs you didn’t realise you were holding.  In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, I sit down with behavioural scientist and bestselling author Nir Eyal to unpack how our hidden beliefs shape what we see, how we feel, and what we do. Nir spent six years researching his latest book Beyond Belief, exploring the science behind how beliefs influence our behaviour and how we can change the ones that are quietly limiting us.  We dive into why rumination feels productive but actually keeps us stuck, why venting about people can reinforce the very stories that make us miserable, and a practical tool called a reality log that helps you see situations more clearly. Nir also shares a powerful technique for questioning beliefs that are causing suffering, using a surprisingly relatable story about a birthday gift for his mum that didn’t go quite as planned.   Nir and I discuss:  The difference between facts, faith, and beliefs and why beliefs are open to change  Why many of our most important life decisions come down to beliefs rather than facts  How rumination feels like problem solving but often reinforces limiting beliefs  The surprisingly effective technique of scheduling “worry time”  How our beliefs shape what we literally perceive in the world  Why venting about people can strengthen negative assumptions rather than resolve them  How a reality log can help you challenge distorted perceptions  A four question technique to examine beliefs that are causing suffering  How collecting a “portfolio of perspectives” can help you reduce emotional reactivity    Key quotes  “Beliefs are tools, not truths.”  “We don’t see the world as it is. We see a simulation of the world shaped by what we already believe.”  Connect with Nir Eyal on Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn and his website and check out his latest book Beyond Belief.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have stories worth telling. Yet most of us decide ours aren’t interesting enough, important enough, or universal enough to share.  In this episode, I’m joined by Daniel Coyle to explore why that instinct is usually wrong. Daniel is the bestselling author of The Talent Code, The Culture Code, and his latest book Flourish. Together, we unpack how Daniel finds and constructs stories that truly pull people in, including the ingredients that make a story compelling and the simple techniques anyone can use to tell better stories.  We also dive into the small, powerful questions that move conversations beyond surface-level small talk, how to build genuine local community through what Daniel calls “yellow doors”, what leaders can learn from a makeshift building at MIT that became an innovation hotspot, and why change so often feels slow before it suddenly blooms.  If you care about deeper connection, stronger culture, and asking better questions, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.   Daniel and I discuss:  The simple structure behind every compelling story  Why great stories begin with a question and how to construct tension and mystery  How to “sandpaper” your stories by removing everything that isn’t essential  The reflective practice Daniel uses to zoom out and see the shape of his life  The specific questions that deepen connection  How to build local community through small habits, daily encounters, and noticing “yellow doors”  Why annoyance is the price of community  The difference between complicated and complex systems, and why that matters for navigating change  What leaders can learn from Building 20 at MIT about agency and the “rule of the beautiful mess”  Why change often happens slowly, then in a surprising bloom  A simple 30-second “council” exercise to reconnect with meaning  Key quotes  “Annoyance is the price of community.”  “Life is not a productivity contest. It’s a moments thing.”  Connect with Daniel Coyle on X (Twitter), and LinkedIn and his website, and check out his latest book Flourish.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re aiming for a promotion this year, here’s a slightly awkward thought: the skills that got you here might not be the ones that get you there.  Work is shifting fast. Not incrementally. Fundamentally. And according to LinkedIn data, around 70% of the skills we’ll need over the next five years are about to change.  In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author of Work Backwards, Tim Duggan, to unpack the five skills that are becoming disproportionately valuable right now.  Tim has identified five capabilities that are becoming increasingly valuable: judgment, storytelling, collaborative intelligence, unlearning, and conflict management.  We explore what each of these really looks like in practice, why they matter more than ever in the age of AI, and how to start building at least one of them straight away.  Tim and I discuss:  Why judgment is becoming a critical skill as AI produces more work for us  How to strengthen your judgment muscle, even without decades of experience  Practical tools I use, like pre-mortems and avoiding “whether or not” decisions  Why storytelling roles are on the rise and how to make your ideas stick  A simple framework for better stories  What collaborative intelligence really means and how to work with AI without outsourcing your brain  How Tim uses AI as a research partner  The true cost of workplace conflict and why avoiding it is not a strategy  The one tiny word that can completely change how you handle conflict  Key quotes  “This is a skill that would not have existed two years ago.”  “Pick one skill, try one small shift.”    Connect with Tim Duggan on Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn and his website, read his column at The Sydney Morning Herald, and check out his latest book Work Backwards.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week there’s a new study telling us what not to eat.  Coffee is bad. Eggs are dangerous. Spinach blocks nutrients. Or so we’re told.  Add in cholesterol numbers, preventative scans, detox trends and a constant stream of “toxic” food warnings online, and it’s easy to start second-guessing what’s on your plate.  Eating was never meant to feel this stressful. So I sat down with Dr Joanna McMillan - nutrition scientist, dietitian, author of The Fibre Factor, and one of Australia’s most trusted voices in evidence-based nutrition to cut through the noise.  Joanna has spent decades translating complex research into practical advice, and she brings much-needed sanity to the way we think about food and health.  If you’ve ever panicked over a blood test result, felt unsure about whether to book another scan, or wondered who to trust when it comes to nutrition advice, this conversation will steady you.  Joanna and I discuss:  The risk of becoming part of the “worried well” and over-testing your health  The big ticket preventative checks Joanna prioritises at milestone ages  What a coronary calcium score is and when it might be useful  Why full body MRI scans may not be the smartest health investment  The biggest nutrition myths circulating online, including anti-plant rhetoric  Joanna’s core eating philosophy as a plant-rich omnivore  Why diversity of fibre matters more than just soluble vs insoluble  What actually happens in your gut when you suddenly double your fibre intake  The supplements Joanna personally takes and how to assess supplement quality  Why joy at mealtimes might be one of the most underrated health habits  Key quotes  “There is a risk of overdoing it. We talk about the worried well, and sometimes you can become so worried about your health, you forget about celebrating the things that are good.”  “Your body, given the right tools, does detox beautifully all by itself.”  Connect with Dr Joanna McMillan on Instagram, LinkedIn, and her website, and check out her latest book The Fibre Factor.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 12 years as the Work Futurist at Atlassian, Dom Price made the decision to leave a role so intertwined with who he was that even introducing himself meant saying those two things in the same breath. In this episode, Dom and I explore the human side of change - the fog, the discomfort, the loss of structure, and the surprising freedom that comes when you finally say out loud, “I don’t know yet.”  Dom walks me through the reflection process that led to this moment, how he’s sitting with uncertainty rather than trying to outrun it, and the identity untangling that comes with stepping away from a global brand. We also dive into what he’s seeing inside boardrooms right now, why so many leaders are struggling to adapt to AI, and the mindset shift that separates those who thrive from those who wait it out.  Dom and I discuss:  The realisation that it was time for change - even without knowing what came next  How Dom uses the “five Ls” every 90 days to check in on what’s working and what’s not  The emotional rollercoaster of losing structure, status, and the adrenaline of a big corporate role  How trusted friends helped Dom challenge his assumptions and experiment with “trying before buying” in his next chapter  What leaders are getting wrong about AI and transformation - and the three patterns Dom sees repeatedly in boardrooms  The human side of tech change and why organisations must upgrade their human systems, not just their technical ones  Why productivity gains don’t matter unless you know how to reinvest the time  The leadership behaviours that matter most in times of rapid change    KEY QUOTES  “Even though it was just one word, it felt like the wrapper around my whole identity.” “I had to say out loud, I’m okay not knowing what that is — and that was the hard bit.” “When you take away those foundations, it’s like a shot of discomfort I hadn’t felt for a long time.”  Connect with Dom Price on Instagram, LinkedIn and his website.    My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au  Credits:Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.