The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose

In this episode, David Epstein explores why doing more can leave us overwhelmed, and how the right constraints can help us focus and make meaningful progress. Drawing on his book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, David shares why unlimited freedom can be surprisingly paralyzing and why adding another self-improvement habit isn’t always the answer. He and Eric discuss how to protect your attention, stop endlessly preparing, and make room for what matters before your to-do list is finished.

Feeling overwhelmed in your life? Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠

Key Takeaways:

Why limits can spark creativity by pushing us beyond our most familiar ideas

How simple routines and clear boundaries reduce the burden of constantly deciding what to do next

Why making progress often requires removing a commitment before adding something new

How frequent task switching fragments attention and increases stress—even when we feel busy

Why identifying the real bottleneck can accomplish more than optimizing everything else

How to “consolidate your caring” by choosing commitments that reflect your values and fit your finite capacity

To learn more, ⁠⁠click here!⁠⁠

If you enjoyed this conversation with David Epstein, check out these other episodes:

From Overwhelm to Empowerment: Harnessing Tiny Shifts for Emotional Resilience with Elisha Goldstein

Are You Playing a Game You Actually Want to Win? | Seth Godin

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠Ka’Chava ⁠⁠is your daily all-in-one shake, with protein, fiber, greens, superfoods, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more. Go to⁠⁠ KaChava.com ⁠⁠and use code FEED for 15% off your first order.

⁠⁠David Protein⁠⁠ bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to ⁠⁠www.davidprotein.com/FEED
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In this episode, Eric joins Dr. Laurie Santos on The Happiness Lab to explore why lasting change takes more than willpower—and how to develop the skills that make it easier. Drawing on his recovery from addiction and his book, How a Little Becomes a Lot, Eric shares how manageable actions help us build momentum and regain trust in ourselves. They also discuss how to choose goals that reflect what matters to you and keep making progress when motivation fades.

Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/ebook.⁠

Key Takeaways:

Why struggling to change doesn’t mean something is wrong with you—and how treating change as a skill opens up new possibilities

How starting smaller than you think you should can build motivation and confidence

Why resistance can persist even when an activity consistently makes you feel better

How to distinguish your own values from desires shaped by comparison and your surroundings

How specific plans and small adjustments to your environment make following through easier

Why planning for setbacks and asking for support help you sustain change over time

To learn more, ⁠click here!⁠

If you enjoyed this conversation with Eric Zimmer and Dr. Lauri Santos, check out these other episodes:

Small Steps to Happiness: The Science of Mindful Living with Laurie Santos

How a Little Becomes a Lot: A Conversation with Eric Zimmer and Sahil Bloom

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠Ka’Chava ⁠is your daily all-in-one shake, with protein, fiber, greens, superfoods, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more. Go to⁠ KaChava.com ⁠and use code FEED for 15% off your first order.

⁠David Protein⁠ bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to ⁠www.davidprotein.com/FEED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Zaldy Tan explores how to live well with memory loss and what an Alzheimer’s diagnosis means for individuals and the people who love them. Drawing on his own experience caring for family members with Alzheimer’s, he discusses the questions many of us carry about forgetfulness, aging, and the fear of losing our independence. Together, they discuss how to stay connected as memory changes, make important decisions early, and approach caregiving with compassion—including for yourself. His new book is What to Remember When You Are Forgetting: How to Live and Thrive with Memory Loss, Alzheimer's, and Other Dementias

Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at oneyoufeed.net/ebook.

Key Takeaways:

How to distinguish everyday forgetfulness from changes that warrant a closer look

What Alzheimer’s blood tests and genetic testing can—and can’t—tell us

Why addressing health risks in midlife matters for long-term brain health

How honest conversations about a diagnosis can help preserve friendships and meaningful activities

Why familiar routines and reassurance can help when reasoning with someone with dementia doesn’t

How caregivers can prepare for changing needs and find support before reaching exhaustion

To learn more, click here!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Zaldy Tan, check out these other episodes:

Eating for Brain Health with Lisa Mosconi

The Science of Emotions: How Your Brain Predicts Your Feelings with Lisa Feldman Barrett

This episode is sponsored by:

Ka’Chava is your daily all-in-one shake, with protein, fiber, greens, superfoods, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more. Go to KaChava.com and use code FEED for 15% off your first order.

David Protein bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to www.davidprotein.com/FEED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you playing a game you actually want to win? In this episode, Seth Godin explores how to make intentional choices about the life you’re building—and recognize when someone else’s definition of success is steering you off course. Drawing on his book, This Is Strategy, Seth shares why chasing more can distract us from what matters, how the systems around us shape our behavior, and why a disappointing outcome doesn’t necessarily mean we made a bad decision.

Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms.

Key Takeaways:

Why strategy matters in everyday life, beyond business and career goals

How to recognize the systems shaping your choices—and find opportunities to act differently

Why measuring the wrong things can pull you away from the change you want to make

How to shift your attention from achieving more to doing work that matters

The difference between a good decision and a good outcome

How to think about whether to keep going or change your approach

Why community helps us sustain meaningful change

How today’s choices shape the person you’re becoming

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with Seth Godin, check out these other episodes:

How to Integrate Behavior Change with Your Values with Spencer Greenberg

How to Get Unstuck with Adam Alter

How to Think More Clearly and Make Better Decisions with Shane Parrish

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Ka’Chava ⁠⁠⁠⁠is your daily all-in-one shake, with protein, fiber, greens, superfoods, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ KaChava.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠and use code FEED for 15% off your first order.

⁠⁠⁠⁠David Protein⁠⁠⁠⁠ bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.davidprotein.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, John R. Miles explores the mattering effect and how to find your way back to meaning and connection when you feel invisible in your own life. Drawing on his experience of achieving career success while feeling increasingly disconnected, John explains how we can slowly lose our sense of worth when life becomes a constant effort to prove our value. He also discusses how to recognize that gradual withdrawal, reconnect with the meaning in everyday actions, and make more room for relationships that help us feel seen. This conversation offers a starting point for anyone who’s getting things done but struggling to feel fully present in the life they’re living.

Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms.

Key Takeaways:

Why feeling like you matter involves both feeling valued and knowing you make a difference

How the “slow fade” can leave you physically present but emotionally absent in your own life

The importance of belonging, having a say, and feeling safe enough to be yourself

How connecting everyday tasks to what you care about can restore a sense of meaning

Why reclaiming your choices starts with questioning the expectations you’ve been living by

How protecting time for meaningful relationships helps interrupt the cycle of disconnection

For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today!

If you enjoyed this conversation with John R. Miles, check out these other episodes:

How to Unlock Your Potential and Strategies for Intentional Living with John R. MilesLearning to Take Action for a Meaningful Life with Gregg Krech

This episode is sponsored by:

⁠⁠⁠Ka’Chava ⁠⁠⁠is your daily all-in-one shake, with protein, fiber, greens, superfoods, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more. Go to⁠⁠⁠ KaChava.com ⁠⁠⁠and use code FEED for 15% off your first order.

⁠⁠⁠David Protein⁠⁠⁠ bars deliver up to 28g of protein for just 150 calories—without sacrificing taste! For a limited time, our listeners can receive this special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to ⁠⁠⁠www.davidprotein.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices