I don’t know about you, but no matter how old I get, September will always feel like that fresh back to school milestone where you get back into your routine and set new goals and habits. And today’s episode is a must-listen to help us get back on track — we called in the internet’s favourite habits and brain expert, neuroscientist Nicole Vignola.

I’ve always struggled with perfectionism and getting caught up in an endless cycle where no success is ever enough, I’m constantly dissatisfied with my achievements, and always in search of something I can’t grasp because I’m forever moving the benchmark of what success should be.

If an endless supply of “what ifs” are keeping you stuck in fear and inaction every time you need to make a decision or move forward, this tool could be a game-changer for you.

In the words of Sharpay Evans “I want it all!” and we’re conditioned to believe that we should have it all — a career, a family, good health, a social life, nice things, without having to give anything up. But let’s be honest, our time and energy are finite resources and everything in life comes with tradeoffs. So the real key to “balance” is figuring out what you want to prioritize right now, and what can take the backseat.

Unpopular opinion: It’s NOT always healthy to find the silver lining in everything. Some things just suck, and we don’t always need to look on the bright side, at the expense of *actually* processing hard feelings.

Our culture is obsessed with a “good vibes only,” and “everything happens for a reason” state of mind that makes us feel like we’re failing if we’re not happy 100% of the time. Trying to see the positive isn’t always positive, sometimes shit happens that doesn’t make us stronger, and we’re ready to break up with toxic positivity so we can fully experience our emotions AND our loved ones’ feelings. (Because nothing is worse than platitudes.)