Dying To Ask

3 Ways To Make A Habit Stick

Have you ever kept up a streak? A mini streak is a great way to start a new habit.

A mini streak is a short period of time of intense focus on a behavior you hope to make a long-term habit. It's a bite sized commitment that can be easily attainable and perhaps inspire bigger, more meaningful change at a later date.

In this re-release of a "5 with Fitz," episode, we're looking at three ways to try out a habit mini streak.

Stop Procrastination With The Pomodoro Technique

Grab a timer and get ready to say goodbye to procrastination.

The Pomodoro Method is a data-backed way of getting stuff done.

The time management technique is named after Francesco Cirillo. He was an Italian student in the 1980s who struggled with procrastination.

Francisco had a tomato-shaped kitchen timer on his desk. Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato.

He set it for 25 minutes and committed to focusing on his work until the timer went off. Then he took a five-minute break.

Timing work and break intervals had a remarkable effect on his productivity and mood.

And the Pomodoro Technique was born.

It's easy to try and very effective with getting work, homework and even household chores done.

It's easy to try and very effective with getting work, homework and even household chores done.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How pomodoro intervals work
• Why this procrastination technique is effective
• What happened to Francisco Cirillo after he developed this time management method

Other places to listen

CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes
CLICK HERE to listen on Stitcher
CLICK HERE to listen on Spotify

Tracking Time With Laura Vanderkam

All I need is three more hours in the day and life would be great.  I've told myself that a million times.  

But Laura Vanderkam says it's not the number of hours in a day that's the problem. It's how you use them.  

This episode is a re-release of one of my favorite author experts to follow on social media. Vanderkam is a time and productivity expert. 

Vanderkam is the New York Times best-selling author of eight books on time management and host of the daily productivity podcast Before Breakfast.

Her books include "What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast" and "168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think."

"We all have 24 hours in a day," she said. "And many of the things we think are happening in our lives are based mostly on impressions."

Vanderkam says the easiest way to unlock free time is to keep a time log of what you actually do in a day. Often, we think we're busier than we are and can change our relationship with the clock.  Vanderkam has tracked every minute of her day for years.  

"People track their time, and they tend to realize well, maybe I do have some free time. It's probably not as much as I want, but it's some. And then once you realize that you're like well, let's figure out ways to work with this," says Vanderkam.

In this Dying to Ask:

• Where we tend to waste the most time
• How to keep a time log
• Why Fridays are the best day to plan your next week
• What is "effortful fun" and why it's worth planning some

Mentioned in the episode:

Want to see our documentary 'Always Remember Your Name?'

• Watch in 4k on YouTube here.
• Watch on KCRA.com and see lots of web extras about the Bucci family here.

Working Out With Jonny Moseley And ChatGPT

Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley's workout secret? ChatGPT.

"You can be like hey, give me a give me a six week routine for getting ready for skiing that Olympic champion Hannah Kearney would do. And it just like spits out stuff that they used to have whole departments for at the U.S. Ski Team," says Moseley.

Moseley is a two-time Olympic freestyle skier who won gold in moguls at the 1998 Nagano Games.

He transitioned easily into a TV career. Decades later, he's still active in his sport and mentors the current team of mogulists hoping to podium at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Decades after winning gold, Jonny approaches health and fitness in a totally different way than he did as a pro athlete.

"I do like high-intensity stuff. But now I have to prioritize a lot of stuff. Like the yoga comes first. Otherwise, I pay for it!" Moseley said.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How the Olympic mindset still shapes Moseley's health and fitness views
• Why restorative and mobility exercises are critical as you age
• A funny, not funny story about an injury Jonny got shooting a promo for the U.S. Freestyle Championships
• And how to use ChatGPT to hack your health like an Olympian

 

Taking The Woo Out Of Wellness With Maryam Sharifzadeh

From burned out to fired up. Maryam Sharifzadeh takes the woo out of corporate wellness.

Maryam is a corporate wellness consultant.

Companies hire her to create and implement wellness strategies to improve employee mental and physical health. Healthy employees tend to be happier employees. Happier employees tend to clock in and be productive.

"There's a lot of good research coming out that when we feel good we do better. Our work is better. We're more productive. The research is out there," says Maryam.

Maryam founded a company called Office Yoga 10 years ago. That program went global and was used in more than 475 companies around the world including Amazon, Oracle and Twitter.

The pandemic changed everything. Employers are turning to wellness programs to reinvigorate staffers and build engagement.

But, it goes both ways. Taking advantage of wellness programs can energize an employee to better manage and enjoy their personal life too.

Maryam's latest company is ZaaS. It stands for Zen-as-a-Service.

And she's sharing some simple work wellness hacks that can make a day at the office feel like a day at the spa. Kidding. But, you will feel a mood and energy boost with just a few minutes of conscious stretching or focusing.

85% of American companies offer some kind of a wellness program. If you're not taking part, you're missing out.

Maryam is an entrepreneur and endurance athlete. She's the first woman and only the second person to swim around San Francisco. And she even swam across the English Channel.

She's done big things by focusing on little things that matter. And you can too.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The true cost of burnout
• The link between mental health and the bottom line
• The number one reason corporate wellness programs fail (heads-up bosses!)
• The two minute break you can take at work that will give you energy and improve your mood

Why you can't sleep

Springing forward got you down, or up? Check out this re-release of our episode with U.S. News & World Report sleep expert Julia Forbes.

Can't sleep? You're not alone but getting some good ZZZ's could be one hack away.

The U.S. News & World Report annual survey on sleep is out. Survey says: 75% of us are too stressed out to get a good night's sleep.

Julia Forbes is the magazine's sleep editor. She says there's a lot keeping us up.

"Life stressors. You have work. You have kids. There are big world events that are top of mind that we also cover in our sleep survey," says Julia.

Julia's journey to becoming an expert on all things sleep is fascinating. And, she reports getting nine hours of sleep a night so she practices what she preaches.

Bad sleep is linked to everything from health issues to mood problems.

That phrase "everything is better after a good night's sleep?" It's legit.

Want to increase productivity? You need to sleep.

Want to be in a better mood? You need to sleep.

Having issues with your partner? Try sleeping with or without that partner.

Sleep divorces are on the rise for the third year in a row and Julia says some sleep honesty can be great for relationships and she makes a great pitch for a sleep split.

"I'm not sleeping well, I don't think you are either. So here is something. We can try to fix that," says Julia.

On this Dying to Ask:

[iframe title="How Julia Forbes Gets Nine Hours Of Sleep A Night" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=jwc6x-175b11a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=60a0c8" loading="lazy"][/iframe]

• How Julia became a sleep expert
• A simple hack to get better sleep tonight
• Why mattresses matter and how to pick a good one
• A deep dive into the sleep divorce trend
• And advice for people like me who work non-traditional hours on how to feel better when nine hours isn't an option

5 Reasons Why You Need A Digital Sunset

Go to bed. Saying night-night to your devices at the same time every night could do wonders for your sleep and overall happiness.

It's called a digital sunset and the new trend is easy to try.

Start by setting an alert on your phone or iPad to remind you to wind down. That's your cue to put the phone or any other device away for the night.

The goal is to set it at the same time every night at least 30 minutes before you want to be in bed.

Next, start whatever bedtime ritual you need to relax and nod off.

Yes, it's just like putting a kid to bed.

And double yes, going through your *own routine can make a big impact in your life.

On this Dying to Ask:

5 reasons you should embrace a digital sunset and a plan to pull it off

 

How to achieve financial wellness with Jean Chatzky

How much attention do you give to your financial wellness. The answer is likely "not enough."

Jean Chatzky wants to change that.

Jean is the CEO and creator of Her Money, a personal finance brand that teaches money through media. It's a website, newsletter, podcast and more designed primarily for women, by women.

You likely know Jean from her more than 20 years as the financial editor of the "Today" show. She went out on her own a few years ago to help women embrace taking control of their finances.

Jean has a knack for breaking down complex economic ideas into simple, digestible facts. And, she has empathy and insight for some of the curves life can throw your financial situation.

In this Dying to Ask:

• How Jean became a financial expert on TV
• What it was like leaving the Today Show and launching her own media brand
• How to build wealth at any age
• Why female wealth is growing faster than ever

 

How To Make New Friends When You're An Adult

Is it just me or is making new friends as an adult harder than when you were a kid? 

There are entire Reddit boards dedicated to helping people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond make new friendships. 

The reality is we form new connections differently as we age. Some of it is location based.  College students have built in opportunities to meet new people through classes and shared living arrangements. 

But, things change when you graduate and move into the real world. Get married or become a parent and they change again.  You find yourself in new environments and those opportunities to form new connections shrinks based on your responsibilities. 

But having good friends is key to managing stress and happiness. But it's definitely harder to meet new friends as an adult. 

I met Cindy Muchnick, an educational consultant and co-author of The Parent Compass, during the pandemic when I interviewed her on Zoom.  We found ourselves chatting about all kinds of things after the interview.  Years later, we've only seen each other in person one time. But, we now exchange Christmas cards! 

Cindy recently moved and has gone all-in on cementing her friend circle.  In one case, that meant trying to re-establish a friendship with a college classmate turned Facebook friend she hadn't talked to in 30 years!  

"One day I just sent her a private message, and I said, hey, do you want to Zoom? I haven't talked to you in like 30 years. I'm super embarrassed, but I'd love to hear what your life has been since college, and she said, yes," said Cindy.  

 On this Dying to Ask:

• How your age impacts your friend circle
• How to reconnect with an old friend
• Where to find new friends
• And the 'Real Housewife' Cindy reconnected with through an email

Loving Your Day Job With Olympic Gold Medalist David Wise

It's easy to leave a job when you're miserable. It's way harder when you're happy. And David Wise loves his day job. 

And that's why the 34-year-old freeskier has decided to push to make his fourth Olympic Team despite being one of the older competitors in freeskiing. 

"I still love going out there and grinding and doing this day in and day out, and so I don't want to stop before I feel like I'm done," David said. 

David is a three-time Olympian who has won two gold medals and a silver in ski halfpipe. 

His trophy case is full of titles and awards he's won since he was a teenager. At 34, he's a veteran of his sport. But that's not the only thing that makes him stand out. 

David is also married and a father of two.  That's unusual in his sport and he's always said having a family has given him a balance many athletes lack. His daughter homeschools and sometimes travels with him to training and competitions.

"Now, my daughter's 13 years old," Wise said. "She has teenager problems."

On this Dying to Ask: 

• How to know if you're really happy at work 
• The question David asked himself and his family when deciding to go for a 4th Olympic Team.
• What David is not willing to do to stay in his job
• And advice on how to achieve work-life balance from an Olympic dad

 

Check out my TV story on David Wise here: 

 

Other places to listen

CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes
CLICK HERE to listen on Stitcher
CLICK HERE to listen on Spotify