Podcast Summary: The Secrets to Achieving Your Goals & Origin Stories of Our Favorite Phrases

Podcast: Something You Should Know
Host: Mike Carruthers
Guests: John Acuff (author, "All It Takes is a Goal"), Caroline Taggart (author, "Humble Pie and Cold Turkey")
Date: September 13, 2025

Overview

This episode is divided into two main themes:

1. The Secrets to Achieving Your Goals (with John Acuff):
   Host Mike Carruthers interviews productivity expert John Acuff about why so many people fall short of their potential, why some goals "stick" and others don't, and practical strategies for focusing on and achieving the goals that truly matter to you.

2. The Origins of Favorite Phrases (with Caroline Taggart):
   Author and language expert Caroline Taggart explains the colorful and surprising history behind some of the English language's most interesting idioms—from "raining cats and dogs" to "scapegoat," "let your hair down," and beyond.

Throughout, Mike shares actionable advice and fun facts, keeping the tone lively and relatable.

Detailed Breakdown & Key Insights

1. Making Reading (and Learning) More Effective

(02:00–03:00)

• Slow Down to Learn More:
  Mike recommends slowing your reading pace for entertainment and deeper absorption:

  "Reading slower allows your brain to more slowly absorb the facts... and make valuable associations between what you already know and what you're learning." (02:30)

• Reduces stress and improves focus by minimizing distractions.
• "Reading slower makes you smarter... allows you to really connect and absorb the information." (02:50)

2. Why We Struggle to Achieve Our Goals

Guest: John Acuff, author and podcaster
(05:36–31:00)

The Core Problem: Untapped Potential

• Staggering Stat:
  "96% of people said they are not living up to their full potential." (05:48, John Acuff)
• “That’s like walking down the stairs on Christmas morning and only opening half of your presents.” (06:13, John Acuff)

What's Getting in the Way?

• Common Barriers:
  • Family messaging that discourages ambition ("Scoggins don't get ahead. Scoggins get by.") (06:45)
  • Never seeing other options, lack of role models
  • Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, deep-seated patterns
  • Distraction: “50,000 of the smartest developers are at Facebook... their whole goal is your time.” (08:50, John Acuff)

Too Many Goals, Not Enough Time

• Acuff observes people rarely have zero goals—most have too many.

  “The average number [of goals] for people that read my stuff is... 22.5 goals. So they have more than they could possibly do.” (10:34, John Acuff)

• Eye-opening Exercise:
  Calculate the total time all your goals would take vs. your actual free time. If there’s a mismatch:

  “…you’re trying to fit a 40 hour load of new goals or desires into a two hour spot in your week.” (11:06, John Acuff)

The Wrong Approach: All or Nothing

• People try to make drastic leaps (“jumping the river in a single leap”) instead of incremental steps.
• The Ladder Metaphor:

  “If I had a ladder and it was 12ft tall... and it only had two rungs... that's a useless ladder... Let's come up with a lot of rungs so climbing the ladder is something you're able to achieve.” (12:15, John Acuff)

Small Steps with Real Desire

• Break Goals Down:
  • Instead of “write a book,” aim to write a page, or even 100 words.
  • Set up small, encouraging finish lines—like mile markers in a marathon. (13:42)
• Go Beyond ‘Break into Small Steps’:
  • Step one: Figure out which goals you deeply care about.
  • “Desire check”: List what tangible rewards you'd get from achieving each goal; your real priorities will become clear. (22:10)
• Fake & Inherited Goals:
  • Many goals are adopted from family/society, not self-driven:

    “Sometimes we inherit goals… you see this in college students... they don't want to go [to law school]... but my mom said I'd be a good lawyer...” (20:36, John Acuff)

How to Test Your Real Goals

• 10-Hour Pilot:
  Try investing just 10 hours in a would-be goal (e.g., interviewing people in the field, trying the work itself).

  “…do a 10 hour experiment… and you can shape the 10 hours a million different ways...” (24:37, John Acuff)

Psychological Traps

• “Pre-congratulation” Trap:
  Just telling others your goal provides a dopamine hit—making you feel accomplished without doing the work.

  "You get pre-congratulated... and your body releases dopamine... and it's enough to satisfy." (27:00, John Acuff)

Shift Your Perspective

• Don’t view goals as problems to fix, but as gifts to open:

  "I like to look at goals not as a problem to fix, but as a present to open." (29:03, John Acuff)

• Pursuing goals via shame or “fixing brokenness” doesn’t work long-term.

3. Fun & Origins: Why Do We Say That?

Guest: Caroline Taggart, author and language expert
(32:32–51:36)

The Role of Idioms

• Idioms make language more vivid and memorable:

  “It makes it easier, more picturesque, more visual, more fun.” (33:17, Caroline Taggart)

Memorable Expression Origins

• It’s Raining Cats and Dogs

  • The phrase invokes strong visual imagery.
  • Similar expressions exist globally (“it’s raining spears”, “shoemakers’ apprentices” in Danish). (33:30)
  • Possible roots in heavy rain literally sweeping animals away; or simply, heavy things falling from the sky.

• Galvanized into Action

  • Named after scientist Galvani, who discovered electrical impulses could animate dead frogs’ legs—hence, to be “galvanized” is to be jolted into action. (34:49)

• Mortician

  • A created term—submitted to a trade magazine to modernize job titles for undertakers, blending “mortal” and “physician.” (35:43)

• Nest Egg

  • Derived from farmers leaving a literal egg in a nest to encourage hens to lay more. Became a metaphor for personal savings. (36:45)

• Salt of the Earth

  • From the Bible’s Sermon on the Mount. Salt was highly valuable (even inspired “salary”), so to call someone “the salt of the earth” is high praise. (37:30)

• Know the Ropes

  • Originates in sailing—knowing which ropes to use for which sail. Directly tied to nautical training. (38:10 & 38:51)

• Bats in the Belfry

  • Alliteration, not just meaning—“belfry” is a church bell tower. (39:53)

• Lay of the Land

  • Originally literal: knowing the physical terrain; now figurative for understanding a situation before action. (40:51)

• Caught Red Handed

  • Scottish in origin; referred to being caught poaching with blood on one’s hands. (41:32)

• Riding Shotgun

  • Popularized by Western movies, not actually used in the Wild West era. (42:58)

• Beyond the Pale

  • Traditionally thought to refer to an Irish boundary but actually predates that usage—an example of a folk etymology. (42:58)

• Thinking Outside the Box

  • Modern business jargon from the 1970s/80s. (43:49)

• Freelance

  • Originally a “free lance”—a mercenary knight offering his services to any bidder. (44:33)

• Scapegoat

  • A biblical “escape goat” that symbolically took away the sins of the people. (45:21)

• White Elephant

  • From Thailand—rare white elephants were prestigious but useless for labor; gifting one was a subtle burden. (45:21)

• Pipe Dream

  • Allusion to opium pipe use; wild, unattainable dreams. (46:34)

• Let Your Hair Down

  • A sign of relaxation or impropriety for women of past generations. (46:59)

• Humble Pie

  • Comes from “umbles,” the less desirable parts of a deer eaten by servants—later associated with humility. (47:31)

More Phrase Origin Highlights

• Many phrases start with literal, industry-specific meanings before morphing into general idioms (e.g., “show your true colors” from military flags). (38:51)
• Shakespeare contributed many now-common metaphors ("wild goose chase," "milk of human kindness," "short shrift"). (49:44)

4. Win More Arguments: A Quick Psychology Tip

(51:41)

• Don’t Start by Preaching—Start by Listening:

  “No one is interested in what you have to say until they're convinced you understand what they have to say.” (Mike Nichols, 51:45)

• In argument, first listen and paraphrase back the other person’s view. Only once they feel heard will they really listen to you.
• “We fear that it will come across as agreeing, but really, it lowers conflict.” (52:10)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Fake Goals:

  "I heard somebody say once they love the noun, not the verb... that I'm a writer versus that I write." (20:36, John Acuff)

• Summing Up the Challenge:

  "The only thing easier than accomplishing a goal is not trying the goal." (09:50, John Acuff)

• On Breaking Down Goals:

  "Don't write a book. Write a chapter. Or don't write a chapter, write a page. Write a hundred words." (13:42, John Acuff)

• Language Gems:

  “If you look out the window and it’s raining really hard... you say it’s raining cats and dogs—that’s a really visual image. In Danish, it’s ‘raining shoemakers’ apprentices.'” (33:17, Caroline Taggart)

Timestamps of Main Segments

• Reading for Learning & Stress Relief: 02:00–03:00
• John Acuff on Potential, Goals & Motivation: 05:36–31:00
• Caroline Taggart on Idioms & Expressions: 32:32–51:36
• Mike Nichols: How to Win Arguments: 51:41–53:09

Takeaways

• Achieving Your Goals:
  Start by figuring out what you actually want (and why). Strip away inherited or fake goals, and break big ambitions into small, doable steps. Test-drive your aspirations before making big commitments.
• Language as a Living Thing:
  Everyday sayings often have fascinating, odd, and global histories—knowing them can add fun to conversations and deepen your appreciation for language.
• Argument Advice:
  Make people feel truly heard, and watch your ability to persuade and resolve conflict soar.

For more, check out:

• John Acuff’s "All It Takes Is a Goal" (book and podcast)
• Caroline Taggart’s "Humble Pie and Cold Turkey"

(See show notes for links.)