About Progress

Ever wonder why you feel like you have to hustle for everything, or why one critical comment can undo a whole good day? In this clip, Jessica Hottel gets honest about growing up in survival mode and how those early beliefs followed her into adulthood: the approval-chasing, the trouble resting, and the shutting down when she felt triggered.

If you're a mom trying to figure out how to be happier without adding one more thing to your to-do list, this one's for you. Jessica talks about why the stories we carry about ourselves start so early, and why getting curious about where they began is a powerful piece of personal development. It's not self improvement in the fix-yourself sense. It's about understanding the daily habits and reactions you built to protect yourself, and meeting them with kindness instead of criticism.

That's where self-compassion comes in. When you can see why you hustle, why you go quiet, or why "good enough" feels so out of reach, it gets easier to stop being a perfectionist and start treating yourself the way you'd treat a friend. Self care for mothers isn't only bubble baths and naps (though we're pro-nap). It's also giving yourself permission to understand why you are the way you are. Small shifts like that are what personal growth and development actually looks like, and they're often how to feel happy on an ordinary day, not just in the big moments.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.aboutprogress.com/blog/5-steps-to-better-process-emotions-and-heal-your-souls-story
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After months of interviews for my book Sticky Habits, one question kept coming up: "How do you make time for self-care habits?" And it stopped me in my tracks. We love to say "just make time," but honestly? I think that reeks of toxic positivity. I spent a year and a half waking up at 5:00 AM to write my book while walking, doing strength training, and running on fumes — and it nearly broke me. You will never make time for everything — need, good, or worthy — and that's not just okay, it's the whole point. So let's talk about what it really means to make time for what matters, without losing yourself in the process.

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Have you ever looked around your home and thought, "I'm just bad at this"? I've been there too — wrong-size rugs, bad paint colors, the works. In this episode, I talk with interior decorating educator Dani Watson about why perfectionism — not lack of talent — is what really keeps us stuck. Dani shares her own messy learning journey and teaches us that decorating is a skill anyone can build.

We dig into her four principles for confident decorating: defining your personal aesthetic, choosing how you want your home to feel, telling your family's story through meaningful pieces, and working within your budget. Dani also makes a beautiful case for "slow decorating" — the idea that a home with soul can't be bought in a weekend, but is curated over time. If you've been waiting for permission to stop chasing Pinterest perfection and start enjoying the process, this one's for you.

Dani's Instagram, website, design guide

Order Sticky Habits! (now available as an audiobook!)

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Get the Archive Pass for the More for Moms Conference with $10-off code: “LISTENER.”

Join the Supporters Club to keep About Progress around for good.

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Somewhere between the to-do lists and the school pickups, a lot of us lose track of the thing that used to light us up. In this clip, Just Thrive founder Tina Anderson talks about what it looks like to find that spark again and decide whether it's a hobby you love or something you could turn into your life's work.

Tina shares her simple test for telling the difference: if you can figure out how your passion serves people, you can probably monetize it. She also explains why the best investment you can make isn't the stock market, it's yourself. Her advice is to take a class, learn a skill, and borrow ideas from people who've already done it. It's personal development in its most practical form, and you don't have to have it all figured out to begin.

Her big takeaway is to start small but think big, and that's an easy permission slip to take with you.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.aboutprogress.com/blog/how-do-you-turn-your-passion-into-your-lifes-work-with-tina-anderson-of-just-thrive

Order my book "Sticky Habits" today! https://www.aboutprogress.com/stickyhabits

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Get the Archive Pass for the More for Moms Conference with $10-off code: “LISTENER” at https://www.aboutprogress.com/moreformoms

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This monthly series features an episode sharing my recent highs and lows, how my habits are going, a Do Something List update, plus what I'm loving lately and my commitments for the upcoming month. I hope this glimpse into my life, my family, my work, and my own self development encourages you in your own journey.

Around here the goal is never perfection, just to keep trying, even if in very simple ways. I think you'll see that with all of the big changes going on for me, taking the smallest of steps has helped to keep me afloat and feeling like myself. As always, I encourage you to get messy, too!

Order Sticky Habits (now available as an audiobook!)

Leave a review of the book

Get the Archive Pass for the More for Moms Conference with $10-off code: “LISTENER.”

Join the Supporters Club to keep About Progress around for good.

Watch this episode on Youtube

This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠Quince⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns; and from REBEL, your next favorite find is waiting at fromrebel.com.

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