Good Life Project
Jonathan Fields / Acast
Good Life Project is a podcast and video series for people navigating midlife with intention. Hosted by Jonathan Fields, each episode is a deep, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a life that feels like yours, through the reinventions, reckonings, and reclamations that define your 40s, 50s, and beyond. Grounded in science, fueled by genuine curiosity, and always in service of the real work of living well. Often top-ranked, it’s been listened to and viewed more than 100 million times. New episodes weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 11, 2026 • 52min
The Hidden Reason You Keep Putting Things Off | Jon Acuff
Jon Acuff, bestselling author on productivity and procrastination, reframes procrastination as a self-made solution rather than a flaw. He explains the four permissions that free action: dream, plan, do, review. Expect lively takes on broken soundtracks, why desire builds discipline, and what the real opposite of procrastination looks like.
10 snips
May 7, 2026 • 1h 2min
Your Childhood Patterns Are Still Running Your Life | Dr. Nicole LePera
Dr. Nicole LePera, clinical psychologist and author known for her work on self-healing and reparenting, explores how childhood survival patterns get encoded in the body. She discusses implicit emotional memories, why success can feel empty, nervous system flooding, midlife awakenings, epigenetic stress inheritance, and practical body-first reparenting steps to reclaim authenticity.
May 4, 2026 • 50min
You Probably Shouldn’t Say That. And Yet…(Groundbreaking Science of Disagreeing Well) | Julia Minson
Julia Minson, behavioral scientist and Harvard Kennedy School professor who studies disagreement, shares science-backed ways to stay connected across differences. She explains why arguments escalate, the HEAR framework for speaking without triggering defensiveness, why facts can backfire, and how practicing low-stakes drills and curious behaviors builds better conversations.
Apr 30, 2026 • 53min
Your Body Is Already Talking. Here's What It's Saying | Linda Clemons
Linda Clemons, a body language and nonverbal communication expert with 30+ years training leaders, explains how your posture, eye contact, and physical stance speak before words. Short scenes cover microexpressions, the four power zones of the body, how bias and trauma show up in posture, and the three hijack patterns—frozen, flooding, and flat. Practical tips on opening presence and shaping how others feel end the conversation.
Apr 27, 2026 • 1h 3min
The Science Behind Why Religion Actually Works | David DeSteno
David DeSteno, Northeastern psychology professor and author of How God Works, studies moral behavior and spiritual practices. He explores why active religious engagement boosts health and meaning. He explains rituals like gratitude, synchrony, and death contemplation, warns about stripping practices from their contexts, and considers how midlife shifts toward sharing wisdom and building new communal rituals.
Apr 23, 2026 • 51min
The Practice of Holding Nothing | Elena Brower
Elena Brower, a longtime yoga and meditation teacher turned chaplain and hospice volunteer, and author of Hold Nothing. She describes training for chaplaincy and sitting in hospice care. She talks about trading public impact for quiet presence. She explores silence as practice, the sutra 'welcome nothing, refuse nothing, reflect everything, hold nothing', and preparing to die well.
36 snips
Apr 20, 2026 • 52min
Is Sleep Procrastination Messing With Your Health & Mindset? | Vanessa Hill, PhD
Vanessa Hill, PhD, sleep scientist and research fellow who studies bedtime procrastination and digital habits. She explains why late-night avoidance feels like me time, how screens and content types interact with our night brain, why blue light is overstated, and practical habit swaps, alarms, and consistency strategies to reclaim rest.
24 snips
Apr 16, 2026 • 47min
The Unbusy Manifesto: Life is Short, Live it Now.
They unpack Reactive Life Syndrome and how daily compromises let other people steer your life. Cultural myths that glorify frantic busyness get challenged. Practical steps to swap reactivity for intention are highlighted. Simple practices like single-tasking, breath resets, pause days, and meaningful micro rituals are showcased.
6 snips
Apr 13, 2026 • 57min
Secure Attachment & The Good Life: Surprising Insights | Amir Levine, M.D.
Amir Levine, M.D., psychiatrist and attachment scientist (coauthor of Attached), explores how tiny relational signals shape our brain and sense of security. He explains why brief exclusion wounds, outlines the CARP pillars for dependable connection, and highlights simple rules and everyday “seamies” that quietly build deeper, more secure bonds.
9 snips
Apr 9, 2026 • 50min
An End to Chronic Pain? Surprising Science is Getting Us Closer. | Dr. Rachel Zoffness
Dr. Rachel Zoffness, pain scientist and UCSF clinical professor who wrote Tell Me Where It Hurts, reframes chronic pain through a biopsychosocial lens. She explores how the brain generates pain, the 65-year-old neuroscience behind it, the role of expectations and social connection, and practical pacing and real-time strategies to lower pain signals.
