Dying To Ask

Start a Habit Mini-Streak in 5 With Fitz

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 5 with Fitz, learn three ways to try out a habit mini streak.

 

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How Jill Martin Made It Through Breast Cancer And A Divorce In The Same Year

Jill Martin is coming off one of those "what's next" kind of years. And, she says she's kinder and more grateful because of it.

"I mean this year. First it's breast cancer, and you know, through the kitchen sink then a divorce. A new company. But it's it's turning around," says Jill.

For 18 years, lifestyle host Jill Martin has dazzled Today Show fans with her style and energy. Her trademark 'Steals and Deals' segments carved a niche in morning television that's been replicated all over.

But Jill's uncanny ability to tap into trendy products she believes in have set her apart.

Life was going great until it wasn't.

Last year she dealt with breast cancer and a divorce while launching a new company.

"I would go and do Steals and Deals and then go for chemo, and then lay in bed for the rest of the time," says Jill.

A product from that new company was just named to Oprah's Favorite Things. Her health and personal life are back on track.

And Jill is sharing her journey about how kindness and gratitude have helped her emerge stronger than ever with a new purpose.

She's using her platform to encourage women to test for the breast cancer gene.

Jill says, "I am so grateful that I told it because I've saved so many lives, and like that is what I feel. God has put me on this earth to do. I really do feel like that. And I wasn't. I didn't speak like that prior to this, but that's what I believe.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How Jill balanced chemo and her Today Show duties
• Why launching a company *while going through the worst year of her life ended up being a great thing
• The role kindness and gratitude played in her physical and emotional recovery
• And Jill takes us behind the scenes of "Steals and Deals"

Why You Should Text And Don't Call With Etiquette Expert Diane Gottsman

Is a phone call an act of aggression? The answer is it depends.

The latest digital trend recommends texting before calling someone and it's a dividing people based on their communication preferences.

Diane Gottsman is the founder of the Protocol School of Texas. She coaches professionals across the county on modern etiquette which often comes down to communication styles.

"My best advice is to read the room," Diane says. 

Not sure how your boss wants to communicate with you? Ask.

But what about the rest of us? Is it really bad to call a friend who crossed your mind? What about a friend who rapid-fires text missives like they're wiffle balls?

It's a digital minefield out there!

On this Dying to Ask:

• How phone calls became so polarizing.
• How to end an endless text exchange.
• Why you should never leave a voicemail.
• What to do when your teens ghost you for hours but expects you to answer immediately.

How Julia Forbes Gets Nine Hours Of Sleep A Night

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:

• 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

Road Test Your 2025 Goals Now In 5 With Fitz

Planning on making a goal for 2025? Don't set it until you road test it.

The start of a new calendar year seems like a great time to start a new challenge or resolution. But is it?

In this Five with Fitz, we're making the case for road testing a personal challenge in December. Listen to this short episode for hacks on how to make sure that resolution is worth setting.

Why You Should Make AI Your Bestie With David Pogue

A recent poll finds Americans are getting more comfortable with AI. But, they're still worried about it. 

The survey was done by Bentley University and Gallup. You can check it out here. 56% of people polled say AI's influence is equally good and bad in society. Two out of three of us say we're learning more about it. But only one in 10 describes themselves as knowing a lot about artificial intelligence. 

David Pogue has forgotten more about AI than most of us will ever know.  He's one of the top science and tech reporters in the country and a popular keynote speaker on everything from climate change to crypto. 

"All people want me to talk about these days is AI," David told me when I moderated his appearance at the Sacramento Speakers Series. 

David's main message?  New technology is scary to humans.  Always has been. Always will be.  But resisting change is pointless.  And you might be surprised at some of the upsides of artificial intelligence. 

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why you need to understand and embrace AI
• How historically we tend to react to major tech advancements from the steam engine to elevators
• The impact AI is having on everything from how we learn to how we cure disease
• And David is known for his optimism and positivity. Where does that come from and how we can all share his spirit?

Save Time And Increase Productivity With Laura Vanderkam

Think you're busy? Try telling that to time and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam.

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.

"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.

Simone Biles, Mental Health And Life As An Olympic Doc With Dr. Marcy Faustin

Being bored at the Olympics is a good thing if you're Dr. Marcy Faustin.

Faustin is a co-head team physician for USA women's gymnastics. Paris will be her second Olympics.

The delayed Tokyo Games were her first Olympic experience. She thought protecting her athletes from COVID-19 and injury would be her main challenge.

Instead, she found herself thrust into one of the most seismic moments in sports when superstar Simone Biles had to withdraw from competition to take care of her mental health.

"What Simone was able to do is show that you need to take care of yourself first even if she feels the external pressure of the gymnastics community, the Olympics and the world needing her to be the face of the Games. It allowed other people to say, 'I'm not doing OK right now and I'm having a hard time,'" Faustin said.

"The Simone effect" rippled through the Games and the world, giving other athletes the freedom to admit the mental toll training and competing takes.

Protecting the mind is as important as protecting the body, according to Faustin. Athletes work with sports psychologists. The USOPC provides additional mental health help during the Games.

At USA Gymnastics, Faustin and Dr. Ellen Casey share the responsibility of taking care of the athletes and supporting personnel and their families. It's a holistic approach centered on making individuals feel safe, comforted and supported.

Faustin said, "Everyone who is a part of the team knows we have to do that physical aspect, but we also have to do that mental aspect. Whatever that is for that individual person."

Faustin is a former college athlete. Her primary job is working for UC Davis Sports Medicine in Sacramento taking care of non-Olympic patients and giving sports medicine lectures. Her love of sports and competitive nature make her a perfect medical ally and personal hype woman for Team USA.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How do you become an Olympic Team Doctor?
• How Simone Biles destigmatized mental health for athletes and everyday people
• What will a day in Paris look like for the medical team?
• Why female gymnasts are older and stronger than ever in 2024
• Dr. Faustin's phone-free hack to relieve athletes' stress during the games

 

3-Time Olympian Alex Obert Aims For Gold In Olympic Water Polo

Experience matters. And, it may be the U.S. men's water polo team's greatest asset heading into Paris.

Ten of the 13 guys on the roster competed on the Tokyo Olympic team, including three-time Olympian Alex Obert.

"There is a huge difference between your first Olympics and your second Olympics, the kind of nerves just knowing what you're going to go through every single day," Obert said.

Obert grew up in Loomis, California. He played for the University of the Pacific, the U.S. National Team, played overseas, and competed in two Olympics.

He retired after the Tokyo Olympics and took a finance job. Then came the call asking him if he'd come out of retirement for one more go at gold.

His wife and employer said go for it.

And, Obert made the cut, joining his third Olympic water polo team.

Obert says, "Even in retirement, I still had that itch to compete at the highest level. I didn't know if I was going to be able to make the comeback. But obviously I was able to make it enough to come back and help the team, and that's all I want to do is help the team compete and win."

On this Dying to Ask:

• How hard it is physically to come out of retirement
• How being a dad changed Alex as an athlete
• Advice for parents on how to best support your teen athletes
• The advantages of having 10 guys with Olympic experience on a roster of 13

Race Walker Robyn Stevens Is Back On Track For Paris Olympics

Robyn Stevens walks faster than most people run and is on track to make her second Olympic Team.

Stevens is the fastest female race walker in the country.

Growing up in Vacaville, she said a high school track coach suggested she try race walking. Stevens did and instantly fell in love with the sport. 

"It's super technical it's what drew me to it," Stevens said.

Women compete in the 20-kilometer distance in the Olympics. The sport relies on precision and power.

"With race walking, you have to land with one foot on the ground at all times. You have to land with [a] straight leg that stays straight until it passes beneath the hip," Stevens said.

Judges line the course watching for foot infractions and rely purely on what they see. There is no video review.

Athletes walk faster than most of us can run.

"In a 20k race, I'll average anywhere from a 7-minute to 7:15 a mile," Stevens said.

She contemplated retiring after the delayed Tokyo Games where she finished 33rd out of 58 competitors.

Two things kept her in the sport: One, she'd like her mom to see her compete at an Olympics in person. Fans weren't allowed at the Tokyo Olympics because of pandemic restrictions.

The second is that at age 41, she's still the fastest American race walker.

And that's despite having her 2023 training year disrupted severely by long-haul COVID-19 symptoms.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why Robyn wants an Olympic do-over
• The impact long haul Covid has on endurance athletes 
•  How she's changed her Olympic mindset to balance her personal and professional life
• What it's like to train for hours a day on your own
• And we break down the mechanics of race walking

 

Other places to listen

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