Mere Mortals Conversations

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.<br /><br />Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?<br /><br />Stan Link: <a href="https://stan.store/meremortals" target="_blank">https://stan.store/meremortals</a><br /><br />Timeline:&nbsp;<br />(00:00:00) Intro<br />(00:01:40) April review (Juan): running ramp-up, Achilles issues<br />(00:06:09) April review (Kyrin): energy, social push and AI chats<br />(00:20:55) Podcasting 2.0 update: AI slop, indexing, and curation challenges<br />(00:24:51) Setting May goals (Juan): body, mind, soul focus<br />(00:30:14) Setting May goals (Kyrin): energy, courageous conversations<br />(00:37:31) Streamlining podcast workflows: thumbnails, uploads, automation<br />(00:42:31) Thumbnails by AI? Tools, costs and what to keep<br />(00:44:54) Interviews vs effort: where the time really goes<br />(00:48:00) Always-on media: "Monitor the Situation" and live nuance<br />(00:50:12) Fitness wins: 2-minute handstand and one-arm progress<br />(00:56:41) Life admin rant: hail damage, insurers, and time trade-offs<br />(00:59:30) Wrap-up and next week’s plan&nbsp; <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />V4V: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

Can you succeed without setting expectations &amp; goals to hit?<br /><br />In Episode #520 of 'Meanderings', Juan &amp; I discuss: riff on dreaming big: how our top‑level life aims can stay steady for decades while the reasons and execution evolve, whether you truly need a “big dream” to reach elite performance, how to cultivate direction in your twenties by chasing curiosity and I tease a 20‑year out‑of‑this‑world goal that’s resurfaced from childhood. <br /><br />Stan Link: <a href="https://stan.store/meremortals" target="_blank">https://stan.store/meremortals</a><br /><br />Timeline:<br />(00:00:00) Intro<br />(00:03:22) Decades, seasons of life and planning horizons<br />(00:07:56) Hinting at a 20-year goal out of this world<br />(00:10:29) Belief, luck, and the role of drive<br />(00:14:29) Stumbling into success and the power of effort<br />(00:18:14) Visualisation that works: mindset vs magic<br />(00:23:01) Aspirations shift: presence over prestige<br />(00:29:56) Massive Transformational Purpose and skill discovery<br />(00:32:01) Follow your obsession? Benefits and pitfalls<br />(00:36:00) Meaning, contentment and age<br />(00:40:13) Small dreams, goals, and purposeful practice<br />(00:45:26) Wrap-up and value-for-value sign-off&nbsp; <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />V4V: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

When does training become trickery become manipulation?<br /><br />In Episode #519 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: the messy art of celebrating wins, the difference between admiration and genuine celebration, how expectations can warp our enjoyment of milestones, how to separate rewards from celebrations, why minimum thresholds matter, and how to design simple, sustainable rituals that create real memories and why routine can quietly erase the impulse to recognise achievements. <br /><br />Stan Link: <a href="https://stan.store/meremortals" target="_blank">https://stan.store/meremortals</a><br /><br />Timeline:<br />(00:00:00) Intro<br />(00:02:00) State of the podcast: cadence, book reviews, life updates<br />(00:03:45) Milestones hit but rarely celebrated: listens, views, totals<br />(00:06:50) From optimisation to ease: audio quality, AI cleanup, and routines<br />(00:10:40) Gratitude for better gear versus big milestone parties<br />(00:13:44) Tiny rewards after effort: beer in the shower and habit loops<br />(00:16:56) Long‑term mindset: willpower, running mileage, and durable rewards<br />(00:21:58) Birthdays, experiences, and low‑key celebrations for others<br />(00:24:52) Do milestones create memories worth keeping?<br />(00:30:00) Expectations shape feelings: two athletes, same silver, different joy<br />(00:32:14) Should celebration be separate from expectations?<br />(00:35:15) Rewarding effort vs outcome: half marathon thought experiment<br />(00:40:05) Positive manipulation, parenting and intent behind rewards<br />(00:44:45) Overblown rewards backfire: the doughnut race cautionary tale<br />(00:47:56) Ritualising post‑run rewards without overdoing it<br />(00:51:41) Wrap‑up: goals for next week and tongue‑in‑cheek yacht plans<br />(00:55:18) Closing thanks and sign‑off&nbsp; <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />V4V: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>What do Michael Gerry, Big Brother and Clavicular all have in common?<br /><br />In Episode #518 of 'Meanderings', Juan &amp; I discuss: broadcasting everyday life (potentially 24/7), how feasible it is to capture more of life with minimal setup, early backpack rigs to Michael Gerry’s 2019 year-long life stream, the pull toward performative behaviour, the appeal of using life streaming as a mirror for self-improvement, why human interest in real humans won’t vanish in an AI-simulated world, predictions on “life media”/consent challenges/audience capture risks and why intent matters more than ever if you’re thinking about streaming your life. <br /><br />Stan Link: <a href="https://stan.store/meremortals" target="_blank">https://stan.store/meremortals</a><br /><br />Timeline:<br />(00:00:00) Intro<br />(00:01:06) Wearables and the dream of frictionless livestreaming<br />(00:05:56) Social impact: cameras change behaviour and relationships<br />(00:08:46) Predicted effects on relationships and self-discipline<br />(00:14:56) NSFW pivot: audience shift, consent, and consequences<br />(00:17:38) Costs, logistics, and why fame is unlikely<br />(00:20:55) Community, new friends, catfishing, and fallout<br />(00:24:56) Why even boring streams get views<br />(00:27:50) Motivations: fame, money, connectionand a private pensive<br />(00:31:02) The sexual attention problem and why lines matter<br />(00:34:39) If we did it: gyms, runs, handstands, and zero-edit streams<br />(00:38:53) The consent minefield and protecting loved ones<br />(00:41:04) Audience capture and changing your life later<br />(00:45:25) AI editors, multimodal search, and the end of manual cuts (00:47:18) AI characters vs human messiness: what viewers really want<br />(00:56:00) Forecast: life media expands; humans keep watching humans<br />(00:58:16) Try-before-you-go: real-time looks at venues and events<br />(01:06:01) Housekeeping: Boostagrams paused, V4V still valued<br />(01:09:18) One-person unicorns and why wed watch their day<br />(01:11:23) Wrap-up and Easter sign-off&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />V4V: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.<br /><br />Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?<br /><br />Stan Link: <a href="https://stan.store/meremortals" target="_blank">https://stan.store/meremortals</a><br /><br />Timeline:<br /> (00:00:00) Intro<br />(00:00:33) Juan's March 2026 Recap<br />(00:03:32) Kyrin's March 2026 Recap<br />(00:10:46) Support Overview<br />(00:15:55) Juan's April 2026 Goals<br />(00:23:17) Kyrin's April 2026 Goals<br />(00:38:35) Fitness</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />V4V: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>