Podcast
Sage Solutions
Hosted by David Sage · EN
Advice and insight about personal growth, personal development, and becoming your best self.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Power Of Listening
May 1900:29:42Tap to summarizeMost communication problems aren’t caused by “bad speaking.” They’re caused by attention that keeps slipping away. Today we slow everything down and get brutally practical about a skill that sits at the center of relationships, leadership, and self-confidence: active listening. We unpack the difference between hearing (your brain’s automatic sound intake) and listening (a deliberate focus that takes real energy), and why modern sensory overload trains us to hear constantly while understanding less and less. We also call out one of the biggest silent killers of connection: listening to reply. The moment your mind starts building a counterpoint, a fix, or a story of your own, you stop receiving the person in front of you. We walk through what it looks like to listen to understand instead, including how to tolerate silence, stay curious, and track what’s being said beneath the words. Then we take it deeper with social neuroscience. Feeling heard can activate the brain’s reward circuitry, which helps explain why genuine presence lowers tension and builds trust fast. From there, we give you concrete tools you can use immediately: tactical silence, open-ended questions, supportive body language, nonverbal mirroring, and emotional paraphrasing that reflects meaning without absorbing someone else’s emotional weight. If you want stronger communication skills, better relationships, and more influence without forcing your point, press play. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these tools.We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Decisiveness: What If Indecision Is The Real Risk
May 500:44:09Tap to summarizeStanding in a grocery aisle, rewriting the same email line, or sitting in your driveway wondering if you should change careers can feel like three totally different problems. We argue they share the same root: indecision drains your cognitive energy and quietly steals your agency. If you have ever felt that behind-the-eyes mental fatigue, we connect the dots to the “open tabs” of unresolved choices and explain why waiting for 100% certainty keeps your life stuck in park.We redefine decisiveness in a way that actually helps: not a loud, hyperconfident personality trait, but the courage to make a choice, accept uncertainty, and commit to handling the outcome. From there, we lay out the compounding costs of choice paralysis, including cognitive drag, opportunity cost, and the erosion of self-trust that can sabotage confidence over time. Then we pivot to what changes when you train decisiveness, including time savings, faster learning through feedback, and real psychological peace from closing mental loops.To make it practical, we dig into decision fatigue and the neuroscience of executive function, including a famous study on parole judges that shows how depleted brains default to the safest status quo. You will also hear two high-leverage mental models for better decision making: one-way door versus two-way door choices, plus the 10-10-10 framework for short-term emotion vs long-term alignment. We close with a step-by-step plan to build decisiveness like a muscle: reduce low-stakes decisions, use the 45% to 70% information rule, run micro decisive drills, and get crystal clear on your values.If this helps, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. What is the one decision you are ready to make today?We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Perfectionists Anonymous: A Guide To Setting You Free
Apr 2100:23:03Tap to summarizePerfectionism can look like a badge of honor, but it often behaves like a 20-ton suit of armor that keeps us stuck at the starting line. I’m David Sage, a self-worth and confidence coach, and I’m digging into the real reason so many smart, capable people freeze when it’s time to begin: perfectionism isn’t mainly about excellence, it’s about avoiding pain. When “doing it wrong” feels unsafe, your brain treats a mistake like a threat, kicks you into survival mode, and drains the willpower you think you’re missing.We unpack the difference between the pursuit of excellence and perfectionism through the lens of approach vs avoidance motivation, plus the high-achiever paradox of pressing the gas and the brake at the same time. I also share why this problem feels so loud right now, including research on socially prescribed perfectionism and how comparison culture can widen the gap between our taste and our current skills, fueling burnout and anxiety.From there, we get practical. I walk you through tools to break paralysis by analysis, make decisions without chasing a mythical “perfect” option, and build momentum with meaningful, messy action. You’ll hear about the 80% rule for “good enough,” how to reframe failure as necessary friction for growth and mastery, and why self-compassion is a proven performance tool, not a free pass. We close with a simple weekly challenge: do one thing badly, on purpose, to break the seal and get moving.If this helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s stuck, and leave a review so more people can find the show.We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Moral Licensing: Why Being “Good” Can Wreck Your Goals
Apr 700:32:23Tap to summarizeYou know that moment when you do something disciplined and instantly feel like you “earned” the right to blow up the rest of your day? A brutal workout turns into donuts, a big savings win turns into a spending spree, a focused work block turns into hours of scrolling. That pattern isn’t a lack of character. It’s a powerful cognitive bias called moral licensing, and it quietly drains willpower, derails habit change, and delays the goals you care about most. We walk through what moral licensing actually is, why the brain creates a hidden moral ledger, and how treating self-control like a moral test makes progress backfire. I break down a landmark psychology study that shows how quickly “proving you’re a good person” can lower your guard, then we bring it back to everyday life: dieting and fitness goals, budgeting and personal finance, productivity and procrastination, even “good intention” traps where planning a healthy future makes you indulge today. If you’ve ever said “I’ve been so good” right before a choice you later regret, you’ll recognize yourself here. To help you break the cycle, I share four practical shifts you can start using immediately: dropping good vs bad language, reconnecting to your why, changing identity from “forcing discipline” to “becoming the person,” and the tomorrow-is-today rule that crushes the fantasy of a magically perfect future you. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest “I earned it” trap you’re working on.We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Curiosity Conversation #2: Role Models
Mar 2400:49:03Tap to summarizeWe challenge the idea of a single perfect role model and trade it for something more useful: picking specific traits we want to emulate without putting anyone on a pedestal. We connect role models to creativity, ADHD focus, and practical time management so admiration turns into real behavior change. • role models as traits and compartments rather than whole people • fandom and idolization versus grounded admiration • aggressively creative people and the pressure to match their output • creativity, depression, motivation, and giving yourself credit • ADHD hyperfocus as a strength and a liability • directing attention with reframes and “mental tricks” • habit stacking by pairing enjoyable media with chores • reward systems versus pairing strategies for activation energy • the urgent important quadrant method for prioritizing tasks • learning the “how” behind someone’s growth and skill • becoming the role model you would have wanted Take action, subscribe, and share this podcast with them We'd love to hear your feedback, so click the link in the description and let us know what you think If you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on more Sage advice We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Dealing with Disappointment
Mar 1000:29:58Tap to summarizeDisappointment can hijack your whole day with one heavy moment, especially when reality doesn’t match the picture you already lived in your head. I’m getting candid about my own struggle with it lately, and then we break down what disappointment actually is: a gap between anticipation and reality that your brain experiences as a real threat to safety, certainty, and control. We dig into the psychology of expectations and why disappointment often comes with a unique kind of powerlessness. Then we go deeper into neuroscience and reward prediction error, the dopamine “crash” that explains why a letdown can feel so visceral, like a literal weight in your stomach. If you’ve ever wondered why you can feel wiped out after bad news even when you “know it’s not that big,” this will click. From there, we build a practical toolkit for emotional regulation and resilience that doesn’t rely on pretending you don’t care. You’ll learn how to use mindfulness with the 90-second rule to ride out the chemical wave without attaching a story, how to take control of your self-talk with sharper questions that reframe the moment, and how to focus on your locus of control to reclaim agency fast. The goal isn’t to lower your expectations to zero. It’s to keep reaching while getting better at recovering. If this helped, subscribe to the Sage Solutions Podcast, share it with someone who’s feeling stuck, and leave a review so more people can find these tools. What’s one disappointment you want to handle differently this week?We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →Temporal Discounting: It Lies & Steals From Everyone
Feb 2400:31:08Tap to summarizeSunday night you has a master plan. Tuesday afternoon you is tired, stressed, and suddenly a donut, a scroll session, or an impulse buy feels like the only sane option. If that cycle makes you question your self-worth or your self-discipline, I want you to hear this clearly: you’re not defective. You’re dealing with a predictable brain bias called temporal discounting, and once you can see it, you can beat it.I break down what temporal discounting is and why instant gratification so often overrides long-term goals in health, money, relationships, and personal development. We talk about the real neuroscience behind it, including the tug of war between the limbic system (your emotional, impulsive wiring) and the prefrontal cortex (your planning brain). I also share a personal story about stress, cravings, and making the same short-term choice two days in a row, not to normalize quitting, but to replace shame with clarity. Shame feels productive, but it usually demotivates and keeps the pattern running.Then we get practical. I walk you through three systems you can start using immediately: episodic future thinking to make your future self feel vivid and emotionally real, a Ulysses pact style precommitment to lock in better choices before temptation hits, and temptation bundling (from behavioral economics researcher Katie Milkman) to pair hard tasks with a small reward that keeps you moving. If you’ve been relying on willpower and wondering why it runs out by midweek, these tools help you design your environment so follow-through becomes more automatic.If this helped you, subscribe so you don’t miss future Sage advice, share it with a friend who’s stuck in the same loop, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. What’s the biggest “right now” temptation you want to stop trading your future for?We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →3 Mindset Tools: 1st Principles, 2nd Order & Inversion
Feb 1000:15:23Tap to summarizeYour day doesn’t need another hack; it needs a better way to think. We’re walking through three mental models that help you design a life that works under pressure: first principles to cut through assumptions, second-order thinking to see the ripple effects before they hit, and inversion to remove the hidden traps that keep you stuck. This is a practical, tool-first guide to making clearer choices in work, relationships, and health.We start by challenging “that’s how it’s always done.” First principles thinking asks what’s fundamentally true about your problem, like a chef who understands why salt matters and can pivot when ingredients change. From there, we explore how most of us stop at first-order cause and effect and pay for it later. By asking “and then what?” you expose short-lived wins that create long-term costs—like grinding through an 80-hour week that burns trust, sleep, and creativity. The compounding effect of better second-order choices is often the quiet engine behind sustainable success.Finally, we flip the script with inversion. Instead of forcing a perfect plan, we map a guaranteed disaster day—doomscrolling, reactive email, yes to everything, heavy lunch, constant worry—and use it as an anti-map. Remove those predictable pitfalls and your odds of a productive day jump, even before you add new tactics. Along the way, we reference Stoic fear-setting and Charlie Munger’s wisdom to show why avoiding obvious failure can be the most optimistic path forward.You’ll leave with a simple action step: pick one model, one problem, and one safeguard to test this week. Want more clear thinking and fewer self-inflicted setbacks? Follow along, then tell us which tool you’ll try first. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so we can bring more practical, no-fluff conversations to your feed.We would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →The Sage Solutions Podcast Highlights of 2025: Part 4
Feb 300:57:41Tap to summarizeWe explore how emotions drive action, why confident vulnerability is strength, and how to turn tiny steps into momentum. We define real boundaries, explain pragmatic optimism without toxic positivity, examine sticky cognitive biases, and show how resolve and grit shape your legacy through daily choices.• emotions as the engine behind behavior• confident vulnerability and open body language• practical tools for gym insecurity and activation energy• friction, inertia, momentum, and habit formation• clear boundary definitions and graceful enforcement• pragmatic optimism with contingency planning• love, connection, and legacy built by small daily acts• grief as validation and an invitation to live fully• cognitive biases that stall change and how to counter them• resolve powering discipline; grit as a trainable muscleSubscribe and share this podcast with themIf you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on more Sage adviceWe would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
Transcribe →The Sage Solutions Podcast Highlights of 2025: Part 3
Jan 2700:44:41Tap to summarizeWe share John’s moving journey with terminal liver cancer and how gratitude, faith, and family helped him shift from anger to agency. We explore identity beyond thoughts, mastering state with the triad, the power of framing, interdependence in relationships, and the true meaning of forgiveness.• the goal of free, helpful tools for growth• John’s diagnosis and the mental shift from anger to acceptance• the impact of depression on loved ones and choosing grace• support from family, faith, and Tuesdays With Morrie• savoring small moments and rejecting materialism• identity as awareness, not thoughts• stories, bias, and editing your narrative• mastering state with physiology, focus, and language• framing reality to change perspective• moving from dependence to interdependence• authenticity, intent, and social masks• letting go, internal forgiveness, and reclaiming control• format update to longer, biweekly episodesTake action, subscribe, and share this podcast with themAnd remember, you are enough, and you deserve to fill up your inner cup with happiness, true confidence, and resilienceIf you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on more sage adviceWe would love to hear your feedback! Click here to tell us what you think.https://sagesolutions.buzzsprout.com If you are interested in one-on-one coaching, email us at:sagecoachingsolutions@gmail.com**Legal Disclaimer**The Sage Solutions Podcast and content posted by David Sage is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. No coaching client relationship is formed by listening to this podcast. No Legal, Medical or Financial advice is being given. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a psychotherapist, physician, professional coach, Lawyer or other qualified professional. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. The opinions of guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the podcast.
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