In this special crossover episode with my mate Shelley Johnson from This Is Work, we sat down with printed lists and compared notes on 25 things that 2025 taught us. Along the way, patterns emerged around how we show up, where our energy gets spent, and the ways our work is changing beneath us.

Shelley and I discuss:

• Why energy has become the most useful lens for thinking about performance, focus and resilience

• How boundaries, rest and creating margin changed the way I worked this year

• Why embarrassment can be an unexpected teacher and a healthy check on the ego

• The difference between psychological safety and psychological comfort at work

• Why connection matters more than charisma when it comes to influence

• How AI has shifted from being a tool to something closer to a coworker

• Why deadlines, postmortems and focusing on the problem instead of the person improve team dynamics

• Small posture and workflow changes that made a big difference to how I felt at work

KEY QUOTES

“Energy is the new KPI.”

“The wins are never as good as you think, and the losses are never as bad as you think. Keep going.”

Connect with Shelley Johnson on Boldside HR’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and listen to her podcast This Is Work.

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

Credits:
Host: Amantha Imber
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your team could feel more connected without ever mandating office days?

In this Quick Win episode, I’m joined by Avani Prabhakar, Chief People Officer at Atlassian. With over 13,000 employees scattered around the globe, Atlassian has learned that connection doesn’t come from casual coffee chats or watercooler moments. Instead, they’ve built a framework called Intentional Togetherness – bringing teams together once a quarter with a clear purpose. It’s a practice that creates bonds lasting far beyond a handful of office days.

Avani and I discuss:

• Why “remote” and “distributed” work are not the same thing

• The myth that office attendance automatically creates connection

• How Atlassian’s “Intentional Togetherness” framework works

• The quarterly gatherings that build bonds that last for months

• Why purposeful collaboration beats sporadic in-office days

Key Quotes

“Connection wasn’t built by sporadic office attendance – it was built when you bring people intentionally together with a purpose.”

Connect with Avani on LinkedIn.

Listen to the full interview with Avani here.

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

Credits:
Host: Amantha Imber
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking ahead to a new year can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time, especially when you’re not quite sure what you want the next chapter to feel like.

In part 2 of my end-of-year reflection episode with my good friend and ABC broadcaster Lisa Leong - we explore the questions, habits, and small structural tweaks that can help shape a more intentional 2026 - the things that genuinely influence how your days unfold.

If you’re planning out your 2026 and want a more thoughtful way to do it, this episode will give you plenty to play with.

Lisa and I discuss:

• The simple reframing that helps you imagine your next year as if it has already happened

• How Lisa approaches designing an “ideal week” and why I’m thinking about a “perfect average day”

• The role of the reticular activating system and why vision boards work for some people

• How values shape the projects and choices you prioritise for the coming year

• The habits we’re keeping, the ones we’re changing, and how identity influences behaviour

• Why I’m stepping back from Instagram (again) and rethinking my relationship with email

• How a “dumb phone” or burner phone can help create healthier digital boundaries

• Our favourite prompts from the Year Compass, including the surprising question that reveals your “secret wish” for the year ahead

KEY QUOTES

“Instead of asking what would have been, I love writing it like it’s already happened — it changes how you think about the future.”
“I want to design a perfect average day, because it’s something I can actually live up to and repeat.”

Connect with Lisa Leong on Instagram and LinkedIn. Listen to her show This Working Life, and check out her book with Monique Ross, This Working Life

If you want to try one of the reflection tools I mentioned in this episode, you can download the free Year Compass booklet here: https://yearcompass.com/

Listen to part 1 of my chat with Lisa here

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/

Connect with me on the socials:

Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

Credits:
Host: Amantha Imber
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.