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Episode 9

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Published on:

15th Apr 2026

Quick Spoon: Get comfortable being uncomfortable

If you could learn one skill to change your life — this might be it.

In this Quick Spoon, Jill Stoddard explains why willingness — not confidence — is the real key to growth.

A simple practice you can try immediately.

People Soup: Real conversations about work, leadership, and being human — grounded in behavioural science, with practical ideas you can actually use.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider following People Soup, leaving a rating or review, or sharing it with someone who might find it useful.

Every recommendation helps more people discover practical, evidence-based conversations about work, leadership and being human.

Here's the People Soup Website.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life

He's now also on Bluesky

Dr Jill Stoddard

Jill's Website.

Jill's Books.

Jill's TEDx Talk - How to Succeed in Every Moment Even When You're Failing

Connect with Jill on LinkedIn.

Transcript

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Jill: [:

Speaker 4: Hi there, and welcome to People Soup, quick Spoon, real conversations about work leadership and being human grounded in behavioral science. With practical ideas you can actually use. I'm Ross Macintosh and here's your quick spoon.

Jill: And so this is what I'm going to give the PSupers as a takeaway is I thought, God, if I could only teach human beings one thing, because if you only have 20 minutes, it's one thing

Ross: Sure.

't want to have. And I think [:

I won't say there's nothing you can't do. Like, obviously, no matter how willing I am, I'm never going to be an NBA basketball player. Right? I mean, obviously, obviously, there are some limits to what we can do. But if you have dreams and goals and aspirations, That you're not moving forward with, it's probably because you don't want to feel the feelings that come with that.

And if you're willing to feel feelings, there's like almost nothing that you can't move forward with that matters to you. And I like to teach people, silly ways to start practicing this because If I said to you like, Oh, just like, accept your panic attacks. That's not going to happen.

itch it so you're one finger [:

And so you can sort of use that expansion to make space for discomfort. But especially notice the urge to switch it back or the urge to let go. Because that's the feeling we so often respond to. On autopilot. I don't like this feeling. I'm just going to stop doing it. And so can you make space for both the funny feeling of the fingers and make space for the urge to like, get rid of the funny feeling, to go back to the right quote unquote, right way and just be with that.

Speaker 4: Growth often sits just on the other side of discomfort. If this landed for you, please pass it on. And if you'd like the full conversation with Dr. Jill s You'll find it wherever you get your podcasts.

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About the Podcast

People Soup
Real conversations about work, leadership and being human
A podcast exploring work, leadership, and being human through real conversations - grounded in behavioural science and full of practical ideas you can apply straight away.

The name People Soup was inspired by a quote from the psychologist Abraham Maslow:

"A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting."

I've always loved that idea. Creativity isn't confined to art, it can be found in the way we live, work, lead and relate to one another.

Work can sometimes feel like a soup: a rich, sometimes bewildering mix of people, personalities, decisions, pressures, relationships and unexpected challenges. Every day we're trying to make sense of the ingredients we've been given.

Behavioural science can't remove the complexity, but it can help us work with it. It offers practical ingredients, useful tools and simple ways of thinking that help us respond more effectively—to ourselves, to other people and to the situations we face.

That's what People Soup is all about.

Work is rarely tidy. It's a soup rather than a recipe. We don't get to choose every ingredient, but we can learn how to work skilfully with what's already in the pot.

About your host

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Ross McIntosh

I'm Ross McIntosh, a business psychologist, coach and facilitator, with over 30 years' experience helping people thrive at work.

People Soup grew from a simple belief: work is an important part of life, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of our wellbeing, our relationships or our values.

Each episode explores the realities of work, leadership and being human through the lens of behavioural science. Sometimes that's a conversation with an inspiring guest. Sometimes it's a short "Quick Spoon" offering a practical idea you can put into practice straight away.

My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach that helps people develop psychological flexibility: the ability to stay purposeful, adaptable and effective, even when life gets messy.

Whether you're leading a team, supporting others, or simply trying to navigate the pressures of modern work, my hope is that People Soup gives you practical tools, fresh perspectives and the confidence to take your next meaningful step.

A few things about me
Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.
Fellow of the Association for Coaching.
Research collaborator with City St George's, University of London.
Speaker, facilitator and leadership development consultant.
Founder and Host of the People Soup podcast.

When I'm not recording the podcast or working with clients, you'll usually find me reading, cycling, improving my Spanish, or enjoying life in southern Spain with my husband.