** Grab tickets for The Energy Game Melbourne launch (29 July, 6:30pm) here and pre-order The Energy Game book here.** 

 

You have the calendar colour-coded. You time block. You deep work. You have iterated on your to-do list more times than you can count. And yet somehow, you are still exhausted - falling further behind, producing less than you know you are capable of, and wondering what on earth is wrong with you. 

Nothing is wrong with you. But the solution you have been sold almost certainly is. 

This episode is a little different. It is an excerpt from my new book, The Energy Game, read by me, and it picks up close to the start of the book where I get into how we ended up in this energy crisis in the first place, and how to spot those early warning signs of chronic depletion before they tip into full-blown burnout. 

The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can pre-order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

 

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.substack.com/ 

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: Martin Imber 

**&nbsp;Grab tickets for The Energy Game Melbourne launch (29 July, 6:30pm)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/whats-on/hirer-events/the-energy-game-amantha-imber-in-conversation-with-lisa-leong">here</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;pre-order The Energy Game book&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.asia/d/0fsTmpfK">here</a>.**&nbsp;
&nbsp;
You have the calendar&nbsp;colour-coded.&nbsp;You&nbsp;time&nbsp;block. You deep work. You have iterated on your to-do list more times than you can count.&nbsp;And yet somehow, you are still exhausted&nbsp;-&nbsp;falling further behind, producing less than you know you are capable of, and wondering what on earth is wrong with you.&nbsp;
Nothing is wrong with you. But the solution you have&nbsp;been sold&nbsp;almost certainly&nbsp;is.&nbsp;
This episode is a little different. It is an excerpt from my new book, The Energy Game, read by me, and it picks up close to the start of the book where I get into how we ended up in this energy crisis in the first place, and how to spot those early warning signs of chronic depletion before they tip into full-blown burnout.&nbsp;
The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can&nbsp;pre-order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
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&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp; Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp; Sound Engineer:&nbsp;Martin Imber&nbsp;

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets - the daily strategies behind their success through to life hacks and productivity hacks they’d rather keep to themselves. We’re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that’ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who’ve cracked the code.

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets&nbsp;- the daily strategies behind their success through to&nbsp;life hacks and productivity hacks they&rsquo;d rather keep to themselves. We&rsquo;re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that&rsquo;ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who&rsquo;ve cracked the code.

Have you ever wondered if the worlds leading entrepreneurs, writers, musicians and business people construct their day differently to you?

How I Work

The early warning signs of burnout you're probably ignoring (feat. my new book The Energy Game)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/8c00e9a6-cbed-4032-b72e-b46e006efac0/transcript

There is a question most of us skip past entirely in our daily lives: do I actually matter? Not "am I useful?" or "am I successful?" but do I matter, as a person, independent of what I produce or achieve? 

It sounds simple. But the research suggests we are terrible at actually living like the answer is yes. 

In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Breheny Wallace, journalist and bestselling author of Mattering, a book that unpacks why so many of us have tied our sense of worth to our output, and what it costs us. Jennifer has been researching this topic for nearly a decade, and her work is one of those rare combinations: rigorously grounded and deeply personal. 

Jennifer and I discuss: 
The two sides of the mattering equation: feeling significant versus being useful, and why both are essential 
The crumpled $20 bill story and what it teaches children (and adults) about unconditional worth 
The "impact file" and why what goes in it might surprise you 
Three different paths you can take when envy hits, including one called mudita that reframes another person's success as your own 
What managers get wrong about mattering, and the small everyday moments that actually move the needle 
The 30-second nightly practice that can override your brain's negativity bias 

Key Quotes 

"Mattering is found in the small everyday moments of life. It was never the big moments, it was the small moments." 

"We all crave to feel needed and relied on. Letting young people know that you are valued for so much more than your achievements, you are needed here, you have a role in this world." 

Connect with Jennifer Breheny Wallace on Instagram, LinkedIn and her website, and check out her books Mattering and Never Enough 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'd love a chat I had with bestselling author Daniel Coyle on how to avoid small talk and the questions that create real connection. Listen here.

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

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.substack.com/ 

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 

There is a question most of us skip past entirely in our daily lives: do I&nbsp;actually matter? Not "am&nbsp;I useful?" or "am&nbsp;I successful?" but do I matter, as a person, independent of what I produce or achieve?&nbsp;
It sounds simple.&nbsp;But the research suggests we are terrible at actually living like the answer is yes.&nbsp;
In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Breheny Wallace, journalist and bestselling author of Mattering, a book that unpacks&nbsp;why so many of us have tied our sense of worth to our output, and what it costs us. Jennifer&nbsp;has been researching this topic for&nbsp;nearly a&nbsp;decade, and her work is one of those rare combinations: rigorously grounded and deeply personal.&nbsp;
Jennifer and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">The two sides of the mattering equation: feeling significant versus being useful, and why both are essential&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The crumpled $20 bill story and what it&nbsp;teaches&nbsp;children (and adults) about unconditional worth&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">The "impact file" and why what goes in it might surprise you&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Three different paths you can take when envy hits, including one called&nbsp;mudita&nbsp;that reframes another person's success as your own&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">What managers get wrong about mattering, and the small everyday moments that&nbsp;actually move&nbsp;the needle&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">The 30-second nightly practice that can override your brain's negativity bias&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Key Quotes&nbsp;
"Mattering is found in the small everyday moments of life. It was never the big&nbsp;moments,&nbsp;it was&nbsp;the small moments."&nbsp;
"We all crave to feel needed and relied on. Letting young people know that you are valued for so much more than your achievements, you are needed here, you have a role in this world."&nbsp;
Connect with Jennifer Breheny Wallace on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrehenywallace/?hl=en">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-b-wallace/">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/">website</a>, and&nbsp;check out her books&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/mattering-the-book">Mattering</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/about-never-enough">Never Enough</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'd love a chat I had with bestselling author Daniel Coyle on how to avoid small talk and the questions that create real connection. <a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/feel-stuck-in-small-talk%3F-daniel-coyle-shares-the-questions-that-create-real-connection">Listen here</a>.
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
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&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:
Host: Amantha Imber
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

Always chasing the next achievement? Jennifer Breheny Wallace has a better way to measure your life

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/72477335-6bab-47b9-89b9-b46c00752f00/transcript

What happens when a team generates a thousand ideas - and kills most of them within minutes? 

In this Quick Win, I speak with Exploding Kittens co-creator Elan Lee about how he and his team turn chaos into creativity during their quarterly design retreats. Over three intense days, they generate, test, and ruthlessly discard ideas - all without bruising egos. 

Elan shares how he’s built a culture of trust where killing ideas isn’t failure, it’s focus - and why showing your team it’s safe to let go might be the most powerful leadership move you can make. 

Elan and I discuss: 
Inside Exploding Kittens’ quarterly design retreats 
Why Elan ditched the “yes, and…” rule for “no, kill it” 
How to create psychological safety in creative chaos 
The leadership habit that helps teams detach from their ideas 
Why rejecting ideas fast can unlock better ones 

KEY QUOTE 

“All the best ideas start out as terrible ideas - they just need room to evolve.” 

Explore Elan’s games at explodingkittens.com and connect with him on Instagram,X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.  

Listen to my full conversation with Elan here. 

 

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  

Visithttps://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 

What happens when a team generates a thousand ideas - and kills most of them within minutes?&nbsp;
In this Quick Win, I speak with Exploding Kittens co-creator Elan Lee about how he and his team turn chaos into creativity during their quarterly design retreats. Over three intense days, they generate, test, and ruthlessly discard ideas - all without bruising egos.&nbsp;
Elan shares how he&rsquo;s built a culture of trust where killing ideas isn&rsquo;t failure, it&rsquo;s focus - and why showing your team it&rsquo;s safe to let go might be the most powerful leadership move you can make.&nbsp;
Elan and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Inside Exploding Kittens&rsquo; quarterly design retreats&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Why Elan ditched the &ldquo;yes, and&hellip;&rdquo; rule for &ldquo;no, kill it&rdquo;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">How to create psychological safety in creative chaos&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">The leadership habit that helps teams detach from their ideas&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Why rejecting ideas fast can unlock better ones&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
KEY QUOTE&nbsp;
&ldquo;All the best ideas start out as terrible ideas - they just need room to evolve.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Explore Elan&rsquo;s games at <a href="https://www.explodingkittens.com/">explodingkittens.com</a> and connect with him on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrelanlee/">Instagram,</a> <a href="https://x.com/elanlee">X (Twitter)</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elanlee/">LinkedIn</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Listen to my full conversation with Elan <a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/the-counterintuitive-brainstorming-rule-that-made-exploding-kittens-a-global-hit">here</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: <a href="https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/">https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;
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 <a href="https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe">https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
Visit<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast"> </a><a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a> for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Get in touch at <a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

Quick Win: The creative secret behind Exploding Kittens’ thousand-idea design retreats 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/abb7951c-4f24-4b01-87e4-b38e00fe684f/transcript

In a portfolio career, requests have a funny way of multiplying. A speaking gig here, a board invite there, a coffee catch-up that sounds valuable but drains you for days. The answer to all of them is technically "yes" right up until the moment it isn't. 

Katie is 18 months into consulting and a portfolio career, and she came to me with a problem a lot of people share: she's getting busier, she cares deeply about protecting time for values-driven work, and saying no is a muscle she's still building. 

This episode is part of The Work Edit, a format on How I Work where I sit down with someone facing a real professional challenge and we work through it together live. 

We cover my yes triage framework, the no club concept, the to-don't list, the never again list, and a simple rule called the next Tuesday test. 

Katie and I discuss:
The yes triage: three questions to run every request through before deciding, and why you need a "hell yes" to at least two of them 
Why saying yes out of flattery or guilt is so common, and how to catch yourself doing it 
The no club: how a small group of trusted colleagues can give you the objective perspective you can't give yourself 
The to-don't list and how to use it monthly to protect your energy from the things you already know drain you 
The never again list for the spectacularly bad decisions you keep forgetting you made 
Why a slow no is not polite and why a fast no within 24 hours is almost always the kinder move 
The next Tuesday test: how to reality-check a far-off commitment by imagining it was happening this week 

Key quotes 

"A slow no is actually unkind because the other person is just waiting and probably following up when they could already be finding someone who'll say yes." 

"What all these strategies do is reduce cognitive load. There's no longer a decision to make. There's just a rule to follow." 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

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.substack.com/ 

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 

In a portfolio career, requests have a&nbsp;funny&nbsp;way of multiplying. A speaking gig here, a board invite there, a coffee catch-up that sounds valuable but drains you for days. The answer to all of them is technically "yes" right up until the moment it&nbsp;isn't.&nbsp;
Katie is&nbsp;18 months&nbsp;into consulting and a portfolio career, and she came to me with a problem a lot of people share: she's getting busier, she cares deeply about protecting time for values-driven work, and saying no is a muscle she's still building.&nbsp;
This episode is part of The Work Edit, a format on How I Work where I sit down with someone facing a real professional&nbsp;challenge&nbsp;and we work through it together live.&nbsp;
We cover my yes triage framework, the no club concept, the to-don't list, the never again list, and a simple rule called the next Tuesday test.&nbsp;
Katie and I discuss:
<ul>
<li>The yes triage: three questions to run every request through before deciding, and why you need a "hell yes" to at least two of them&nbsp;</li>
<li>Why saying yes out of flattery or guilt is so common, and how to catch yourself doing it&nbsp;</li>
<li>The no club: how a small group of trusted colleagues can give you the objective perspective you&nbsp;can't&nbsp;give yourself&nbsp;</li>
<li>The to-don't&nbsp;list and how to use it monthly to protect your energy from the things you already know drain you&nbsp;</li>
<li>The never again list for the spectacularly bad decisions you&nbsp;keep&nbsp;forgetting you made&nbsp;</li>
<li>Why a slow no is not polite and why a fast no within 24 hours is&nbsp;almost always&nbsp;the kinder move&nbsp;</li>
<li>The next Tuesday test: how to reality-check a far-off commitment by imagining it was happening this week&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Key quotes&nbsp;
"A slow no is actually unkind because the other person is just waiting and probably following up when they could already be finding someone who'll say yes."&nbsp;
"What all these strategies do is reduce cognitive load.&nbsp;There's&nbsp;no longer a decision to make. There's just a rule to follow."&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: <a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
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&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp;
Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp;
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

The Work Edit: Struggling to say no? The method I use that makes every decision easier

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/d73a071d-4921-42e2-96a9-b4650024934f/transcript

The early warning signs of burnout you're probably ignoring (feat. my new book The Energy Game)

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