For this episode, we sat down with Jennifer Wallace, the mastermind behind ‘Never Enough.’ Together, we’re diving deep into the toxic achievement culture that has us all in a chokehold.
Jennifer opens up about her journey to break free from the ‘yes’ trap, showing us how crafting personal policies in line with our values can be a game-changer.
Our conversation kicks off with a bang as we ask Jennifer about the defining moment that led her to where she is today. Brace yourself for her revelation: setting clear values and personal policies. She admits to struggling with saying ‘no,’ but these policies not only helped her write her book but also transformed her into a boundary-setting rock star. Plus, it turns out people love her even more for it!
Digging deeper, we asked for real-life examples of how she lives by these policies. Jennifer dishes out her experience as a parent juggling the demands of schools that thrive on parental involvement. Her solution? Only volunteer where she can interact directly with her kids, freeing up time for her freelance work.
Jennifer explains how personal policies eliminate decision fatigue and give her the unbreakable power of conviction. But wait, there’s more! We grill Jennifer on how to keep these policies from turning into rigid rules. Her secret? Most policies guard her work time, creating pockets of uninterrupted focus for research and writing. Oh, and she’s got a ceramic tiger as a reminder – it’s like a guardian of boundaries. She even shares tiger pics with her friends to nudge them to protect their limits.
For the grand finale? Jennifer’s book, ‘Never Enough.’ spills the beans on what inspired her: the madness of 2019. From high school anxiety to college scandals and her own Washington Post article on stressed-out students, she had to investigate further. The result? A guide to help us all navigate the unhealthy pursuit of achievement.
With ‘Never Enough,’ Jennifer peels back the layers of a society obsessed with success at any cost. Her journey and research offer crucial insights and strategies to break free from the toxic achievement trap. So, tune in to the FOMO Sapiens Podcast and discover how to prioritize your well-being and values in a world that always demands more.
Meet our guest:
Jennifer Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of the book Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It.
She is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and appears on national television to discuss her articles and relevant topics in the news.
After graduating from Harvard College, Wallace began her journalism career at CBS “60 Minutes,” where she was part of a team that won The Robert F. Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
She is a Journalism Fellow at The Center for Parent and Teen Communication at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Jennifer serves on the board of the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Learn more about her at https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/
For media and speaking requests, and to suggest a guest for the show, please email letsconnect@patrickmcginnis.com.
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