How I Work

BONUS: Have we got work all wrong? Modern work principles with Almanac CEO Adam Nathan

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The way we work has never changed quite as much as it did during the pandemic. Sure, you probably knew a couple of people with home offices or flexibl...

Why Adam Alter’s to-do list system is so simple

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Alter might just have the simplest productivity system of anyone I’ve interviewed. He uses a to-do list app, but it’s barely more advanced th...

What if you turned into a different person overnight? Interviewing my dad, Martin Imber

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite living in Australia for his entire life, my dad speaks with a Polish accent. But that’s not all that’s different about him since he suffer...

Susan Carland on simplicity, discipline and the power of play

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re into productivity or life-hacking, you’ve probably come across some pretty unusual tips and tools recently: we’re talking automatic ic...

Tom Boyd on life after AFL, making better decisions and working for a purpose

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No two careers will ever look exactly the same, but few of them look anything like a professional sporting career. Former AFL player Tom Boyd is the p...

Katy Milkman wants to leave things better than she found them

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What matters most when pursuing a goal? Discipline? Routine? Accountability? All of those are important, sure, but how come nobody ever mentions fun? ...

My Favourite Tip: Matthew Dicks - How to craft a great story

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The greatest stories inspire, terrify, inform and change us. They might change our lives, or simply help us get through the day. But if we know how ce...

My Favourite Tip: Nigel Marsh - Identity after 60

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When he reached 60, Nigel Marsh realised his most ‘conventionally’ successful days might be behind him… But what does that actually mean?  Afte...

My Favourite Tip: Wil Anderson - What separates the professionals from the hobbyists

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wil Anderson knows you think your mates are funnier than him, but that doesn’t bother him. After more than two decades dominating the Australian com...

My Favourite Tip: Tim Urban - Does a picture really speak a thousand words?

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On his enormously popular blog, Wait But Why, Tim Urban writes about some pretty heavy topics. He’s covered North Korea, the state of American polit...

My Favourite Tip: Nick McKenzie - An unusual ice breaker

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Among great thinkers, the long walk or run is nothing new. Philosophers, artists, novelists and world leaders have long espoused the value of solitude...

My Favourite Tip: Matthew Dicks - The most critical ingredient of a great story

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Dicks is a master storyteller, and he’s just as committed to understanding great stories as he is to crafting them himself.  The author, sc...

Mel Silva shares leadership lessons from inside Google

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does it take to lead one of the world’s most creative and innovative companies?  Mel Silva’s been with Google for over 16 years, and now as ...

My Favourite Tip: Ann Handley - Train your writing muscles every day

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve heard it a million times - improving your writing will make you better at just about any job you can think of. But how do you actually improv...

My Favourite Tip: Melissa Doyle - We are all vital

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“We’re all cogs in a wheel,” Melissa Doyle tells her kids. “But we’re all vital…” As one of Australia’s favourite TV presenters, you w...

My Favourite Tip: Nigel Marsh - Great coaches ask great questions

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nigel Marsh doesn’t suffer fools - even when they pay him! After an enormously successful career in the commercial sector, Nigel’s now a bestselli...

HAPPY FAMILIES CROSSOVER: Practical ways to instantly remove stress from your life

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. In this episode of the Happy Families crossover series you’ll learn some low-effort and high-impact ways to...

My Favourite Tip: Elise McCann - A different kind of perfect pitch

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Workers in the modern age are already changing careers far more frequently than previous generations - but that doesn’t make transitioning any easie...

HAPPY FAMILIES CROSSOVER: Easy ways to make exercise fit into your busy life

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Staying healthy doesn’t need to be a pain. In this episode of the Happy Families crossover series you’ll hear some tips and tricks to get exercise...

BONUS: How does the Four Day Week actually work? Ask Me Anything

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve listened to How I Work for a while, you’ve definitely heard me talk about the Four Day Week, and how much we love it at Inventium. But i...

HAPPY FAMILIES CROSSOVER: How to achieve the elusive work-life balance

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Happy Families crossover series we cover all things work life balance. Is it even possible in 2023? Yes, but you have to set so...

Mason Cox isn’t your average athlete, and he doesn’t want to be

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In case you weren’t already aware - artificial intelligence is well and truly everywhere now. Even professional athletes are speeding up their onlin...

HAPPY FAMILIES CROSSOVER: How to get a great night's sleep

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn’t love a collaboration? This is the first episode in a four-week crossover series with the popular podcast Happy Families all about how to...

Do therapists take their own advice? Interviewing my mum, Doris Brett

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We psychologists tend to lean more on science and statistics when thinking about how best to live our lives… but sometimes numbers and statistics do...

Lucy Durack won’t wait for happiness to just happen

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Durack is on the edge of a nervous breakdown… Or at least, that’s how it can sometimes feel on opening night of a new play or musical. If she...

Mel Schilling shares the advice that changed her career forever

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When the smash-hit reality TV show Married At First Sight started airing in Australia, Mel Schilling wasn’t one of its relationship experts - but sh...

Christian O’Connell’s mission is to live in the moment

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After more than twenty years dominating the radio waves in both the UK and Australia, Christian O’Connell has talked to just about everyone, and the...

Writer and podcaster Jessie Stephens is learning how to switch off

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in the last few years, you’ve almost definitely come across something made by Jessie Stephens. If you’...

My Favourite Tip: Leo Babauta - Write like a software engineer

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the founder of the hugely popular blog, Zen Habits, Leo Babauta’s built a reputation for seeking simplicity in work and in life. So it might be s...

Libby Trickett applies the athlete’s mindset to life after the Olympics

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s hard to imagine a more disciplined and demanding lifestyle than that of a professional athlete. Whether it’s the countless hours of training,...

My Favourite Tip: Patrick Lightbody - Insider tips for mastering your calendar

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you want something done right, do it yourself. Or at least, that’s the approach Patrick Lightbody takes. After years of wrestling with different ...

My Favourite Tip: Wil Anderson - How to make anything funny

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s an old story about an aspiring comedian meeting Jerry Seinfeld, and asking his advice on success in the entertainment industry. Seinfeld tol...

My Favourite Tip: Matt Jones - Design frameworks to foster better decision-making

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why would Four Pillars Gin turn down the opportunity to open another distillery? That’s an important question, because the answer isn’t necessaril...

My Favourite Tip: Hugh Van Cuylenburg - Vulnerability is a speed-boost for connecting with others

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh Van Cuylenburg was not having a great time, to say the least. He was already unpopular with his then-pregnant wife for being out of town while sh...

My Favourite Tip: Leo Babauta - Simplicity is a process, not a goal

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to simplify our lives, and especially our work lives, and that’s hardly surprising: the modern age is defined by distraction and excess....

My Favourite Tip: Sarah Wilson - Harness the magic of hiking for mental clarity

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since publishing her beloved book about anxiety, Sarah Wilson’s been bombarded with questions about its opposite: calm. And her answer is almost alw...

My Favourite Tip: Daniel Flynn - Make time for blue-sky thinking

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“What the? Thirty companies? I can barely run one!” Daniel Flynn couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  As co-founder and managing director of ...

My Favourite Tip: Tim Urban - Beat procrastination for good, not just for now

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you actually solving your procrastination problem, or are you just putting duct-tape over it and hoping you’ll stay afloat?  Tim Urban, the wri...

My Favourite Tip: The Listies - Better decision-making for business partners

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do you break stalemate with your business partner? If you work alone, everything’s up to you, and if you’ve got three people at the helm, ther...

My Favourite Tip: Patrick Lightbody - How the calendar experts manage their time

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “what gets measured gets managed”, and when it comes to your time, it absolutely holds true. Knowing this, ...

My Favourite Tip: Ada Nicodemou - Switching off is serious work

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ada Nicodemou has just wrapped filming for the day on Home & Away, and she’s feeling anything but relaxed as she gets in the car to drive home. ...

Charlotte Rush breaks down Inventium’s culture experiments

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard of the Hybrid Paradox?  Since the pandemic, a huge portion of knowledge workers have moved to some form of hybrid working arrangement,...

My Favourite Tip: Eddie Perfect - Build procrastination into the process

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I have some bad news: no matter what you’re working on, you’re going to procrastinate at some point. Even if it’s a passion project, nobody can ...

Award-winning journalist Nick McKenzie on death threats, confirmation bias and the power of insecurity

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if your insecurity was actually your superpower?  While confidence is critical in almost any career, it can be a secret killer for journalists. ...

My Favourite Tip: Richard Wiseman - What are you giving your audience when you perform?

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why doesn’t psychologist and magician Richard Wiseman perform magic tricks for his friends?  Richard says the ‘social contract’ he has with his...

Matthew Dicks teaches you to think and write like a master storyteller

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If there’s anything I don’t miss about my school days, it’s homework - and I’ll bet you feel the same. So when my new favourite book on storyt...

My Favourite Tip: Sam Wood - You don’t have to think about it if you do it every day

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’re tackling a huge project - something that’ll take you multiple months, if not years. Maybe you’re writing a book, learning a new skill, or...

Marketing pioneer Ann Handley shares tools, tactics and attitudes that will make you a better writer

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When marketing expert and author Ann Handley says everyone should improve their writing skills, she doesn’t mean we should all be turning our email ...

My Favourite Tip: Matt Jones - Don’t underestimate aesthetics

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At Four Pillars Gin, they have a mantra: they’re ‘makers, not marketers’. Ironically, they have some of the best marketing in the world!  But i...

BEST OF: “Quirkology” Professor Richard Wiseman on using magic to up your public speaking game

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** If you know anything about magic, you know a true magician never reveals his secrets. While psychologist and author Richard Wiseman m...

My Favourite Tip: Hugh van Cuylenburg - It all comes back to ‘why’

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh van Cuylenburg hangs up the phone - he’s been speaking to his (very) pregnant wife, who’s struggling at home without him. He’s exhausted to...

BEST OF: Eric Barker on his Five-Four Rule and deliberate work-life imbalance

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** It’s the greatest productivity debate of our time: how do we achieve work-life balance? Or maybe the real debate should be: is work...

My Favourite Tip - Dom Price: Just do one thing

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Atlassian’s Dom Price is just like anyone else - some days, he just doesn’t want to get out of bed. The difference is: he stays in bed.  After de...

BEST OF: Learning on the job - how Brian Koppelman turned his first movie into a DIY film school

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** For productivity geeks like us, the professional writer can become a bit of a mystic figure. When we fantasise about finally perfecti...

My Favourite Tip - Catriona Wallace: Avoid bad money

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How much is a million-dollar investment worth?  If that feels like a trick question, maybe you haven’t come across ‘bad money’ the way Dr Catri...

BEST OF: Meetup CEO David Siegel teaches you to make better, faster, more purposeful decisions

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** David Siegel’s in his third CEO role, and if all his years of experience as a leader have taught him anything, it’s that most peo...

My Favourite Tip: Justin Coulson - A three-step plan for powerful presentations

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A good presentation can almost feel like alchemy; it requires deep and fascinating subject matter, delivered with confidence and style, and it needs t...

BEST OF: Dan Pink on how the “no regrets” life philosophy misses the point

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** There’s a moment in the 2013 comedy movie We’re the Millers that points to how pervasive - and misguided - the “no regrets” l...

My Favourite Tip - Frances Frei and Anne Morriss: Are devices eroding your empathy?

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How would you feel if we were in the middle of a conversation and I suddenly started talking to someone else from across the room?  Well, that’s ex...

BEST OF: Productivity expert Laura Mae Martin helps you "spring clean" your work habits before returning to the office

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**BEST OF 2022** If your job title is “Executive Productivity Advisor for Google,” you probably need a pretty refined definition of productivity, ...

My Favourite Tip - Dom Price: Are you working on the right time horizon?

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whatever happened to that huge, game-changing project you started working on last year? Or the idea you had a couple of months ago?  If you’ve got ...

Melissa Doyle shares stories of bravery, and practical tips for a purpose-driven career

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa Doyle is a picture of professionalism. She’s adamant that even when she had young children, and felt like she hadn’t slept for weeks on en...

My Favourite Tip - Catriona Wallace: Leading with empathy

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Picture this: you’ve just finished an incredibly important presentation. It was dense with crucial information… And you absolutely nailed it. At ...

Clarity, alignment and momentum with Nigel Marsh

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does success really mean? And more importantly, what does it mean to you? These are big questions, questions that author and executive coach Nig...

My Favourite Tip: Eric Barker - How the “Book of Me” stops you from fooling yourself

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to productivity, you are your own worst enemy. Nobody knows how to trick you into procrastinating or cutting corners quite like you do. ...

Theatre star Elise McCann on auditioning, time management and founding a tech company

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Not long ago, Australian theatre star Elise McCann was struggling. Like everyone else in the entertainment industry, her work ground to a screeching h...

My Favourite Tip: Richard Wiseman - Add a bit of magic to your presentations

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Wiseman’s love of magic has improved his work as a psychologist in some unexpected ways. Of course, it’s helpful when he’s conducting ex...

Wil Anderson’s on-the-fly creative process

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Creation of any kind is so complex - even when we do it ourselves, we sometimes wonder how it even happened. So if creation is so tricky, where do we ...

My Favourite Tip: Brian Scudamore - Paint a picture of your future

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the difference between goals and dreams? For O2E Brands founder and CEO Brian Scudamore, there isn’t one. After entering the hyper-competi...

Leo Babauta teaches you the Zen Habits of simplicity and self-awareness

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is your life too complicated? Sure, work’s always a bit hectic and keeping family life running smoothly is as challenging as ever - but have you not...

My Favourite Tip - Frances Frei and Anne Morriss: How to build discipline and self-confidence

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Want to improve the quality of your thinking? Well, then you need to improve the quality of your writing…Need proof? Look no further than Frances Fr...

Sarah Wilson wants you to make the beast beautiful - how to turn anxiety into a superpower

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Wilson’s work gives new meaning to the word ‘holistic’. She’s widely known for founding the I Quit Sugar movement, but is also an author...

My Favourite Tip - Laura Mae Martin: Zero-based calendaring

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do you need to reset? Whether you’re starting at a new company, starting a new position, or just starting a new season in your work-life, an effect...

thankyou co-founder Daniel Flynn on big ideas, mentorship and purpose-driven culture

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve got big ideas… Big dreams for your company… Maybe even for the world! But how do you keep those big dreams and ideas alive on a day-to-da...

My Favourite Tip: Anthony Zaccaria - Start your workweek in a flow state

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do your Mondays look like? Or more importantly, what do they feel like? You might be demolishing your to-do list and running meeting after meeti...

Tim Urban on seeing the bigger picture and beating procrastination

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You think you’ve got a procrastination problem? TIm Urban, the man behind the sensationally popular blog Wait But Why reckons he might have you cove...

My Favourite Tip: Katy Milkman - Copy and paste what your most productive mates do

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all have that ONE friend - that friend who somehow manages to get into the gym every morning, crush her workday, hang out with her family, and read...

Respecting your craft and your audience with kids comedy duo The Listies

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine trying to hold the attention of a child for a full, uninterrupted hour. Now imagine trying to hold the attention of a whole theatre full of th...

My Favourite Tip: Mamamia Out Loud - If you can help it, don’t get cancelled!

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you talk about big issues, on the internet, without getting cancelled? In our modern information age, most of our most heated and important deb...

Turn your calendar into a virtual assistant with Reclaim co-founder Patrick Lightbody

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most people who can hire EA’s or personal assistants struggle with the decision - especially if you’ve never had one before, it can feel like a lu...

My Favourite Tip - Eric Barker: How to use the five-hour timer

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How much deep work do you get done on the average work day? And I mean DEEP work - completely focused, distraction-free work… An hour? Two?Author Er...

Home & Away star Ada Nicodemou gives you a sneak peek into the life of a working actor

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stability might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the priorities of a working actor. But for Ada Nicodemou, she’s sought o...

My Favourite Tip: Brian Koppelman - Morning pages and other ways to kickstart your workday

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve heard it a million times by now: you need to start meditating. Maybe you’ve tried, like I have, but it just won’t stick. Maybe you can’...

Eddie Perfect breaks down his songwriting process

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Picture this: you’ve been invited to pop icon Bjork’s Big Day Out afterparty. You rock up to her trailer and dance music’s pumping. You step in...

My Favourite Tip: David Siegel - Great decision making starts with great people

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the first question you ask yourself or your team when you need to make a big decision? Do you double-check your processes, weigh out the pros...

BEST OF: Fresh starts, commitment devices and collaboration – changing for the better with Katy Milkman

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You know what it’s like when you move house – you’re tripping over boxes for weeks, eating takeout on the floor while you wait for that new dini...

My Favourite Tip: Janice Lintz - The ‘rule of fours’ for contacting people you admire

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You value your time pretty highly, right? That’s part of why you listen to How I Work - you’re trying to get the most out of what precious time yo...

Fitness expert Sam Wood on evening routines, the “every day” rule, and his hours of power

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Exercising every single day sounds like playing the game of fitness on the hardest mode, doesn’t it? It sounds like the kind of regime only the ultr...

My Favourite Tip: Dan Pink - The unexpected secret to great storytelling

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re pitching to your close-knit project team over Zoom, presenting as a keynote speaker to a packed conference hall, or writing an entire...

Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson says there’s more to life than “reaching our potential”

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do you actually want from life? It seems like a pretty simple question, but if it’s not properly understood, it could lead you and your family...

My Favourite Tip: Darius Foroux - Invert the question and figure out what not to do

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to be successful, and as a How I Work listener, you’re actively looking for tools, tips and tricks that’ll get you there. You’re see...

Just the right amount of mirror-time with Those Two Girls, Lise Carlaw & Sarah Wills

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you were anything like me as a kid, you had your fair share of idols, and the majority of them spoke to you through the covers of magazines. If you...

My Favourite Tip: Katy Milkman - Join or start your own “No Club”

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the internet era, there’s an infinite number of opportunities, information, activities and events we could get involved with, which is great… B...

Four Pillars Gin Co-Founder Matt Jones wants you to obsess over aesthetics

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Three men walk into a bar, and see a huge gap in the market - while wine, whiskey and beer were all receiving the craft treatment, gin was largely bei...

My Favourite Tip: Zoe Chance - How asking one magic question can lead to positive change

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a great question? Well, it depends on what you’re trying to figure out. Are you interviewing someone for a job, or on TV? Are you asking...

Hugh Van Cuylenburg demonstrates how a strong purpose fuels strong actions

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it take to make someone give up on their dream? Which straw breaks the camel’s back? For Hugh Van Cuylenburg, a simple but critical mistak...

My Favourite Tip: Ruth Gotian - The delicate art of finding a mentor

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Where do you go when you need career guidance? Maybe the right book or video or article can help, but what about when your questions are more specific...

Atlassian’s Dom Price wants you to up your communication game by designing a “working agreement”

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard praise showered on the concept of being a “lifelong learner”? You might’ve missed it in school, but our kids’ generation are re...

My Favourite Tip: Jordan Calhoun - Make your devices work for you, not against you

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trying to call Jordan Calhoun, Editor in Chief at Lifehacker, isn’t easy. Trust me - I’ve tried!Jordan simply doesn’t take chances when it comes...

Dr Catriona Wallace’s million-dollar nose ring and what it taught her about running a business

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Would you say no to a million dollars? Imagine if your business was minutes away from securing a huge investment boost, only for the founder to turn i...