Episodes
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Navigating the great paradoxes of the heart. What if everything we believed about perfect relationships was exactly what held us back from creating meaningful ones?
Consider a few classic paradoxes:
In our quest for closeness, we often create distance
Distance often brings you closer
Your partner's annoying habits, might actually be their best qualities....
This episode explores the delicate threads that weave together seemingly contradictory truths in relationships,
Key topics:
Learn to identify when your "weaknesses" are actually relationship superpowers
Stop trying to fix your relationship and start understanding its paradoxes
Why being "needy" isn't always bad (and why pretending you're not is worse)
Get real about what healthy conflict actually looks like
These paradoxes aren't problems to solve, but gateways to understanding the profound complexity of human connection.
Time to stop chasing perfection and start building something real. Your next breakthrough in understanding relationships isn't in resolving these paradoxes – it's in learning to dance with them.
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: The Matrix of Modern Love: Psychology's Guide to 18 Relationship Mysteries
Chapters:
00:00 Strength through vulnerability
02:43 The closest cuts are the Deepest
04:05 Disgusting is Delightful
05:14 Craving for attention vs. repulsing against it
06:54 Distance breeds Closeness
07:44 Unity Needs Conflict
08:36 Accepting vs Growing a Partner
10:17 Imperfect is perfect
11:16 Reality vs Expectations
12:56 Equality and diversity
14:49 Relationships are not easy
15:39 Selfishness to be altruistic
17:14 Nurture Transparency and Privacy
18:45 Paradox of Commitment for Freedom
19:42 Comfort vs passion
20:50 Independence vs Interdependence
21:56 Life is beautiful but cruel
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The paradox of loneliness: The more we fear loneliness, the more we scare people away.
Connection is our birthright. Yet in our rush to avoid loneliness, we often make things worse.
This is a story about the paradox at the heart of human relationships. But it's also a story about possibility.
Key takeaways:
Practical strategies to build confidence and attract healthy relationships
The 7 hidden ways fear of loneliness sabotages relationships
Understanding the distinction between solitude and loneliness
Building the courage to be authentically seen
Creating relationships that enhance rather than complete you
We're diving deep into the psychology of fear, relationships, and mindsets.
Whether you want stronger relationships romantically, with friends, or at work. This episode will help you learn about the subtle balance of independence, co-dependence and interdependence.
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: Relationship Psychology: How to Stop Being Needy and Start Being Magnetic
Chapters:
00:00 The dichotomy of friendship
02:51 7 Areas where fear of loneliness will cause us pain
03:36 Pushes us into making poor choices
04:02 Compunding small problems
04:33 Developing weakness in asserting our needs
04:55 Learned helplessness
05:28 Loss of freedom and missed potential connections
05:47 Fundamental disconnection from ourself
06:08 Acceptance of mediocrity
07:12 Forgiveness and evolution in friendships
09:05 The ultimate touchstone is witness
10:22 Adopting a growth mindset
15:41 How to build healthy long-term relationships
16:19 Communication strategies
17:45 Express appreciation more often
18:27 Deepening our understanding
20:11 Creating shared experiences
21:24 Solve companionship by overcoming loneliness
22:03 Trust yourself and take that leap forward
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Missing episodes?
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76% of people regularly break promises to themselves - Why do we keep letting ourselves down?
The uncomfortable truth about why your self-improvement efforts keep failing: it's not about motivation. It's about managing the gap between who you are and who you want to be.
This episode breaks down the exact psychology behind why we disappoint ourselves (hint: your brain is lying to you) and gives you 5 practical systems to fix it. No fluff. No guru BS. Just actionable frameworks.
What you'll learn:
How to kill your past self (respectfully)
Five counter-intuitive strategies that actually work (backed by science)
How to upgrade your mental software without becoming a self-help robot
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: 5 Science-Backed Ways to Stop Disappointing Yourself - Live Gracefully
Chapters:
00:00 W disappointing yourself
01:09 #1 - Past self vs. present self
02:26 Lesson 1 - Live in reality and change it if you don't like it
04:11 #2 - Future self vs the present
04:37 James Clear's advice
06:17 Lesson 2 - Forget any ideas of your future self that do not align with actions that you want to do in the present
07:28 #3 - Speaking vs. being heard
08:32 If you want to give opinions, it helps if you have authority
11:15 Lesson 3 - Actions are louder than words
11:22 #4 - Taking ownership
13:27 Lesson #4 Don't blame others
15:23 #5 - Expectation vs Reality
17:53 Systems to achieve your goals
20:28 Lessons 5 - Success is about systems, not expectations
20:54 Summary
22:36 Outro
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A high IQ isn't useful if you can't make decent life decisions.
Drawing from neuroscience and behavioural psychology, this episode delivers practical frameworks for cognitive development. You'll discover:
No-nonsense tools to stop overthinking and start actually learning from your mistakes
Real-world examples of how reflection beats raw intelligence
A simple system for turning life's patterns into practical wisdom
Research-basked methods for implementing reflection practices and deliberate learning
Backed by real examples and zero fluff, this episode shares timeless principles that work for anyone, regardless of IQ.
Perfect for ambitious professionals seeking to optimize their cognitive performance and decision-making capabilities.
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Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: Intelligence By Design: 10 Ways to Engineer Your Mind For Wisdom
Chapters:
00:00 Making more intelligent decisions
01:05 Behaving intelligently
08:31 Spotting patterns in your environment and learning from them
12:27 Experiment and adapt quickly
13:54 Lesson about spotting patterns
16:57 Put more time
18:55 Be an intelligent investor
25:32 Questions that will give a motivational boost if you're feeling lost
27:10 Journaling prompts
29:31 Feedback from peers and friends
32:05 Therapy and coaching
33:40 Deliberate practice
37:10 Send off
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Ego loves company. But success? Success loves silence.
Ever noticed how the loudest person in the room rarely has the most interesting thing to say? There's a reason for that. And it's the same reason why Elizabeth Holmes is in prison while the world's best operators are probably people you've never heard of.
In this episode:
- The "Washington Protocol": How America's first president used strategic humility to build an empire (and why modern leaders keep missing the point)
- Lehman Brothers' $600 billion ego trip: A masterclass in how NOT to handle success
- The Blockbuster Effect: When being the best becomes your worst enemy
This isn't just another episode about ego. It's a blueprint for building the kind of confidence that whispers instead of shouts. Because real success? It doesn't need a megaphone.
Related reading:
Ego is the Enemy - Ryan Holiday
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself - Michael Singer
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Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: Ego and the Prisoner of Success: 3 ways to build silent confidence
Chapters:
00:00 Ego as a blocker for growth
03:35 #1 Ego and new starts
08:31 Lesson from George Washington
09:16 5 problems of ego when starting new things
11:12 #2 Ego and success
13:16 5 areas where ego can block you
18:57 #3 Ego and Failure
21:52 5 areas that ego can blind us
24:50 Accepting and learning from your failures
25:59 Wrap up
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Make time your secret weapon.
Our success and happiness are often eroded by the 7 habits of highly impatient people. We are losing the ability to focus and glorify instant success. Thus we lose the ability to stick with anything and create meaningful work.
This episode goes through the psychology and philosophy of taking a slower and deeper approach to life:
Understand the causes behind our poor attention spans
Create resilience in your work
Grow lasting momentum instead of bursts of speed
From ancient stoic philosophers to the latest neuroscience. The signs are all put together in the episode that will help you focus your life and make time work towards your success.
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Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: Instant Gratification and the Death of Mastery: How to Refocus Your Life
Chapters:
00:00 Slowing down as a key to success
01:45 The allure and pitfalls of instant gratification
03:56 Building momentum
06:40 Optionality diminishes focus and inertia
10:35 Michael Jordan vs. high school star
12:03 Modern dating and the problem with optionality
12:54 ADVERT
13:03 Social media fuels our addiction to speed
15:38 Marcus Aurelius on the power of slowing down
16:53 Evaluating daily choices that speed you up or slow you down
17:38 Slowing down for happiness and growth
20:04 Realizations of ADHD
20:45 Going "all in" builds momentum
21:26 Send off
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What If Everything You Knew About Success Was Backward?
Our lives are shaped by contradictions:
The harder we chase happiness, the further it seems.
The more freedom we gain, the more constrained we feel.
You need money to be happy, but then chasing money makes you miserable.
The more we learn, the more we realize we know absolutely nothing
These are some of life’s paradoxes, and they are as profound as they are puzzling.
In this episode, we explore 16 of these paradoxes, breaking down their underlying logic and what they reveal about the human condition.
We’ll unpack why they exist, how they shape your life without you even noticing, and how to embrace the absurdity instead of letting it drive you insane.
Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and practical insights, we’ll show how embracing these paradoxes can lead to a richer, more intentional life.
It’s an invitation to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and find clarity in life’s complexities.
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Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement
Episode: 16 Strange but Beautiful Paradoxes of Life; The hidden keys to fulfilment
Chapters:
00:00 16 paradoxes of life
02:08 Advice Paradox
02:56 More can be less Paradox
03:39 Freedom Paradox
05:12 Growth Paradox
06:28 Wisdom Paradox
07:44 Intelligence Paradox
09:14 Persuasion Paradox
10:20 Insecurity screams and confidence whispers
11:47 Simple future paradox
13:33 Productivity Paradox
16:45 Stress relieves stress
17:40 Harder is easier
18:32 Unpleasant moments create pleasant memories
19:14 Failure Paradox
19:35 Control Paradox
20:17 Happiness Paradox
21:59 Death Paradox
22:53 Send off
Topics:
Understanding life's paradoxes psychology podcast episode
Exploring paradoxes in growth mindset and self-improvement
Freedom Paradox insights for personal development
Growth Paradox discussion in psychology and philosophy
Navigating the Wisdom Paradox in self-improvement journeys
Intelligence Paradox implications for growth mindset
Persuasion techniques and the Persuasion Paradox
Insecurity and confidence dynamics in personal growth
Simplifying complex thoughts for mental clarity
Productivity strategies and the Productivity Paradox
Using stress management techniques to relieve stress
Approaching challenges with the Harder is Easier mindset
Creating positive memories from unpleasant experiences
Learning from failure with the Failure Paradox
The Control Paradox in psychology and personal development
Finding true happiness with the Happiness Paradox
Memento Mori and the Death Paradox in life philosophy
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What if the path to true growth begins with admitting how little you actually know?
The teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates tells us to use questions to expose holes in conventional thinking.
If you enjoy learning about psychology, self-development, and the inner workings behind success, you’ll discover proven wisdom from ancient Greece on getting out of your own way.
Hear unique Socratic tactics for:
Questioning assumptions
Overcoming knowledge bias
Admitting what you don’t know.
Learn more about the psychology of Stoicism, critical thinking, and the inner workings of progress. Socrates is the master at helping us live more thoughtfully and discover our own blindspots.
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Get in Touch
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters
00:00 Socrates: The Father of Philosophy
01:02 Wisdom in Admitting Ignorance
01:43 Who Was Socrates?
02:15 Socratic Questioning and Human Thinking
05:15 The Charity Conundrum
06:42 Socratic Questions for Self-Improvement
09:56 Failure as a Path to Learning
10:54 Living with Honor and Integrity
12:01 The Hard Work of Personal Integrity
13:53 The Philosophy of Knowledge and Ignorance
14:34 Understanding Human Behavior
17:58 Achieving Inner Peace and Happiness
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Timeless laws to focus on what matters and live free of stress and anxiety.
No matter what life throws your way this year, adopting a Stoic mindset can set you up for both success and satisfaction.
Join our host, Sam Webster Harris, as he walks through 24 powerful Stoic rules that are just as important today as 2000 years ago. The lessons will help you develop more mindfulness, discipline, generosity, calmness, and contentment in your life. We'll tackle big ideas like controlling what you can control, letting go of resentment, and finding joy in simple things.
So tune in to learn how embracing voluntary discomfort, practising gratitude, and reviewing your actions can help you achieve equanimity and personal growth. With a little bit of Stoic philosophy in your back pocket, you'll be ready to handle whatever comes your way with grace and wisdom.
Episode recommendations:
Gratitude Lessons (That Don't Suck)
Diagnose and Fix Your Real Problems
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters
00:00 The answer for living a good life
01:31 Pre-roll advert
01:35 24 Rules of Stoicism
02:02 #1
02:49 #2
04:29 #3
06:47 #4
07:47 #5
09:43 #6
10:47 #7
11:46 #8
13:25 #9
14:45 #10
16:05 #11
17:27 BetterHelp ad
18:46 #12
19:42 #13
20:37 #14
21:31 #15
22:25 #16
23:25 #17
24:39 #18
25:21 #19
26:01 #20
27:01 #21
27:41 #22
28:53 #23
29:53 #24
30:33 Bonus
Topics:
biggest lessons of stoicism
stoicism principles and mindsets
ancient stoic wisdom
growth mindset psychology
resilience and grit
cultivating generosity
gratitude practices
Everyday mindfulness
self-discipline and growth
reflection, improvement learning
self-improvement podcast
ancient philosophy for modern times
live like a stoic
boosting inner strength
handling adversity
overcoming challenges and setbacks
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Strategic decision-making approaches to build wisdom in your everyday decisions.
Annie Duke is the author of Thinking in Bets - A book full of genius psychology and poker tips to help you build mental models to make better decisions.
Annie is a psychologist studying cognitive behavioural decision science and in her life as a professional poker player she won the World Series. She was even the highest-paid female player in history when she retired.
Her psychology helped her poker and her poker helped her psychology.
The summation of her lessons are wrapped up in the book 'thinking in bets' and in today's episode I break down my 5 favourite rules and mental models from the book that are worth using in your life.
At a simple level, building wisdom is the process of making better decisions. Nothing more. so that's what we're going to learn about today
Related episodes
163: Making bets that pay off - Annie Duke - 23rd March 2021
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/163-making-bets-that-pay-off-annie-duke-author-speaker/id1273606075?i=1000514050530
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1GXnNJqhPfZJtLxb7M3dCp?si=8e8a2edaa82f4ada
Thinking Fast and Slow - 12th July 2024
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Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters
00:00 Thinking in Bets summary - Understanding life's chances
01:56 How Annie Got into Poker
04:24 Rule 1 - Seek Truth
05:26 Rule 2 - Do not chase losses
07:08 Mental models
07:35 Model 1 - Wisdom is good choices - (you don't know what a good choice is)
10:32 Model 2 - Question common knowledge
12:55 Model 3 - Make bets
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The laws of physics are the only true limits, stop letting your brain set fake limits.
We accrue all sorts of limiting beliefs for different reasons. Our culture and reference points hide them from us. Or fear of failure keeps us small.
This episode explores the psychology of self-limiting beliefs and fixed mindset ideas that sit hidden and unchallenged in our mind.
These limiting beliefs sabotage our potential and the only way to stop them it to take ownership of your own thoughts.
We explore:
How mental barriers form and get accepted
What ingredients make a genius
Neuroplasticity and performance at any age
The best strategies to grow your comfort zone
As we launch into 2025 it's a great time to reflect on what has held us back and raise our bar for this year. This episode will help you set your sights higher and uncover the areas of potential you have untapped.
This episode carries on the mini-series on goals and achievement:
Journey vs Destination - Choosing the right goals
Stop dreaming, start doing - The magic of actually doing stuff
What are the top 5 Reasons we Fail to achieve our goals.
Previous season on Fear:
The Neuroscience of Fear: Understanding anxiety, trauma & tools to overcome fear
4 Hidden Fears that Secretly Sabotage Your Life
3 Tactics to Leave Your Comfort Zone and Overcome Fear of Failure
The Psychology of Fear, Security and Emotional Intelligence (PolyVagal Theory)
The Secrets Behind Curiosity Without Worry (Stephen Porges)
How To Stop Catastrophising
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Sponsors:
π° Acorns - Invest, earn & grow your money
$5 dollar starting bonus - Acorns.com/Growth
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 The Illusion of Limitations
02:18 Self-Efficacy Theory & The Brain's Security System
04:23 Safe Limits & Overcoming Social Anxiety
06:39 Reference Point Dependence
08:46 The Four-Minute Mile Barrier
09:52 Cultural Influences on Limitations
11:12 The Polgar Experiment: Genius is Made
13:18 Learning at Any Age
16:17 The Power of Environment
18:45 Advert Break
19:09 The Placebo Effect
20:46 Redesigning Your Environment
23:06 Strategies to Break Mental Barriers
24:08 Questioning Your Limits
26:40 Final Thoughts on Overcoming Barriers
27:19 Conclusion
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The psychology of beating procrastination, inaction, and confusion that lets you systematically work towards any goal.
Goal setting is easy - Goal achieving is a very different thing.
We dig into the main causes and the often small but subtle tweaks we can make that keep us in check.
Using ideas from psychology and ancient wisdom we see how humans have dealt with the big hairy ambitious goals over history and how you can too:
Task Initiation Paralysis - Shows us how Charles Darwin overcame the most complex tasks in history.
Ulysses Contracts - Teaches us how Victor Hugo wrote the timeless Hunchback of Notre Dame ahead of schedule by engineering his environment.
Effective vs Fluffy Intentions - How psychologists helped heart surgery patients double their success rates through a simple sentence change.
Sam also lists some of the most effective resources and tools you can access to stay on track to beat the common problems we face.
This episode carries on the mini-series on goals and achievement:
Journey vs Destination - Choosing the right goals
Stop dreaming, start doing - The magic of actually doing stuff
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Sponsors:
π Constant Wonder - The podcast for questioning why
Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 How we lose track of reality and where to find it
01:21 Unrealistic expectations
02:07 Not ready for the moment
05:36 Time to adjust to new habit
06:11 Personal responsibility - No external help - No momentum
07:49 Charles Darwin and Task Initiation Paralysis
10:02 Beating Motivation with "when - Then" contracts
13:06 Ulysses contracts and Victor Hugo's writing strategy
16:47 Get it out of your head
17:43 Cohort learning
19:10 Coaching
20:02 Accountability Groups
21:45 Future letters
23:02 Bonus tips
24:07 Temporal discounting and the real Marshmallow study
26:18 Keeping promises to ourselves
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Stop Dreaming, Start Doing - Action is more important than planning.
We are increasingly addicted to planning yet more and more allergic to doing.
Get your ducks in a row this year as we learn about the psychology behind our goals and dreams and what it takes to knuckle down, make some hard decisions and start taking action.
We discuss some key concepts:
What is our real work
The problem with motivation and aspirations
Waiting for life to blow us in the right direction
4 Burners theory
Sam also shares his own results, including the failures and successes behind taking bigger leaps and focusing on your main goals.
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Sponsors:
π Constant Wonder - The podcast for questioning why
Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history
π Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing
10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 Amateur vs Professional goal-seeking
00:38 Growth Minded ambition vs Fixed Minded
01:07 The trap of 'find your calling'
02:29 The real work behind your calling
03:21 "When I feel like it" - means "never"
04:36 Writing as a hobby or a profession
06:16 Podcasting at professional quality
08:12 Making your own path
10:26 Sam's results and reflections
14:40 4 Burners Hypothesis
16:26 Questions to stop dreaming and start doing
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What does it mean to live a good life?
The Stoics were the masters of asking the right questions to focus the mind on what's important.
At the year's end, it's a perfect time to reflect on who you've been this year and who you want to be going forward.
We juggle multiple priorities and hectic demands, so it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day. Today's episode will combine Psychology with Stoicism as we ask the most important questions we can of ourselves to help direct our lives in the direction we want them to take.
Topics include:
Turning obstacles into opportunity
Overcoming the fears that hold us back
Simplifying our life
Walking the walk
Taking control of our responsibilities.
Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul: Inner peace comes from self-awareness and reflection"
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Explorations of wonder and awe in science, art, & history
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10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 Connecting Stoic wisdom and growth mindsets
02:36 Am I Practicing What I Preach?
03:59 How can I simplify my life to focus on what's important?
06:02 Will this matter in one year or five years time?
08:20 What is within my control?
10:18 How can I turn obstacles into opportunities?
14:17 What fears are holding me back?
15:32 How am I contributing to my own dissatisfaction?
17:01 To be or to do?
18:34 Are you doing your job?
19:41 What would it mean to live a good life today?
21:13 Send off
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Why do we get off track, and how do we get back on track?
Humans love goals, but where do our goals come from?
How much do we choose them vs. have them chosen for us...
We learn how to stop working towards destinations that look good to others.
Instead, we dissect what makes a good goal that creates a journey we want to go on.
Topics include:
The reality of aspirational destinations
Focussing on the journeys of your life
A healthy relationship with money
How to stay motivated
The rule of thirds
As we learn more about appreciating the road less travelled and what a good life means to us we can step back from the frenetic distractions and occupations to think about what really matters.
As the famous saying goes "It's just another cold dark night on the side of Everest" - Sometimes our goals feel boring in the day-to-day and we lose sight of the big picture. Remember there is something worth fighting for.
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HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
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10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 Journey vs Destination and modern Decision overwhelm
02:09 Aspirational Destinations, Food Make-up and other myths
04:12 Reality is not sexy, Focus on the now
05:38 Think of your heartbeats
06:39 Beware chasing money
08:18 Enjoying the journey - What is a good game?
09:34 The Rule of Thirds
10:22 Another dark cold night on the side of everest
11:16 Take homes
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The science behind spreading Christmas cheer and getting people to like you.
Not only is Elf a wonderfully silly and enjoyable Christmas movie. Its premise is based on a fascinating concept that can be explored using psychology.
What happens when an adult is raised by elves?
Not only do we get to revisit a great story but we can learn about:
Attachment Theory
Identity Development
Social Contagion and spreading good vibes
Family Systems
Nuerodivergence and upbringing effects
The psychology of Jor and Wonder
A great way to learn some science and develop your own sense of curiosity and wonder is to dive headfirst down rabbit holes of psychology and overly analyse movies for the sheer hell of it.
It's a great movie and there's lots to learn about ourselves, Christmas and happiness when we look beyond the candy canes and maple syrup.
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Sponsors:
π₯ Hello Fresh - America's #1 meal kit provider
10 free meals across 7 boxes
HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
π Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing
10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 Diving into Buddy the Elf's Psychology
01:14 Psychological Underpinnings of Elf
04:47 Buddy's Positive Coping Strategies
06:04 Identity, Cultural Adaptation and Stages of Identity Development
09:20 Buddy's Social Interactions
11:43 Social Contagion Theory
13:38 Buddy's Authentic Enthusiasm
16:10 Neurodivergence and Buddy's Brain
21:10 Psychology of Joy and Wonder
24:27 Family Systems and Buddy's Impact
27:04 Lessons from Buddy the Elf
28:14 Conclusion: Spread Joy and Wonder
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What does psychology say about the role of information in building wisdom and lasting change in our lives?
There is an explosion in self-help content. From gurus on Tik Tok to 85,000 self-help books being published a year. But what actually works?
This episode explores the psychology of learning and how to put information into practice:
How to identify time-wasting nonsense?
3 steps to build a healthy content diet
The best forms of content for retention and lasting changes?
Take home strategy to build deeper wisdom
You'll come away with an improved growth mindset that doesn't fall for promises of instant results and is ready to put time and effort into cultivating wisdom instead of consuming it.
Recommended Books:
Slow Productivity - Cal Newport
The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
Pachinko - Min Jin Lee
Wild Swans - Jung Chang
Replay - Ken Grimwood
Dalai Lama's Cat - David Michie
And The Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini
The Mood Of Future Joys - Alastair Humphreys
Siddartha - Herman Hesse
Science References:
Dr Robert Sternberg - What is Wisdom and How Can We Develop It
Dr Patricia Alexander - The Development of Expertise: The Journey from Acclimation to Proficiency
Dr Paul Zak - The Neuroscience of Narrative Transportation: Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React
Dr Keith Oatley - Fiction: The Narrative Simulation of Social Worlds
Dr Richard Nisbett - The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently
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HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
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10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Growth Mindset
Chapters:
00:00 How to actually help yourself with self-help
01:18 The Paradox of Modern Self-Help
02:36 The Slow Wisdom of Ancient Cultures
03:06 The Harm of Fast Advice & Illusion of Instant Mastery
05:01 Cal Newport's Framework for Personal Development - Three Types of Self-Help Content
06:17 The Candy Bar of Self-Help: Social Media
07:06 The Protein Shake: Longer Form Content
07:50 The Full Meal: Books
10:08 The Power of Narrative Transportation
19:27 The Value of Diverse Perspectives
20:56 Building a House of Personal Growth
22:08 A Balanced Approach to Content Consumption
24:13 The Danger of Overwhelming Amounts Information and Instructions
27:07 Conclusion: Cultivating Wisdom
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Modern technology amplifies our fear and emotions. FOMO is on the rise.
Whether you are worried about being invited to a party, checking social media, or finding it harder to make decisions.
FOMO is increasingly driving our emotions and actions. It is a deeply natural feeling built into us through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. But it hasn't kept up with our incredible pace of technological change.
Part of the reason we have such a decline in mental health is we can compare ourselves to the perfect lives all around us in the digital world and feel we don't stack up.
This episode will help you understand what's really going on:
The evolutionary roots of FOMO
How our modern world is making us anxious
Why ADHD is on the rise
Where to take back our focus
What to celebrate and look up to.
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10 free meals across 7 boxes
HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
π Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing
10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - Grow
Chapters:
00:00 Psychology of FOMO
04:03 Evolutionary Roots of FOMO
08:15 Modern Technology and Social Media's Role in FOMO
10:18 Consumer Culture, Crypto and Parasocial Relationships
14:31 Psychological Costs & Impact on Mental Health
15:50 FOMO and Decision Making
17:17 The Rise of ADHD
18:54 Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset
21:09 The Joy of Missing Out (JOMO)
21:36 Practical Tips to Overcome FOMO
25:17 Conclusion: Embracing the Present
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The small but very real problems that hold you back in a big way.
Personal finances feel just that, personal. Yet most of our issues are fundamentally quite predictable and universal based on different mindset patterns and beliefs we pick up.
Money isn't a completely natural tool; it is a human invention that helps us overcome trade and resource accumulation problems. Learning the basics of how to think about money and deal with it allows for us to become a master of our own future.
From Lifestyle inflation to investing strategy or the issue of inaction feeling you have to learn more first
This episode covers the 14 biggest mistakes we make when we think about money.
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Sponsors:
π₯ Hello Fresh - America's #1 meal kit provider
10 free meals across 7 boxes
HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
π Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing
10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - GrowthMindsetPodcast.com
Chapters
00:00 14 habits that keep you poor
00:24 1st bad habit - Starting tomorrow
00:52 2nd - Starting too many and not finishing any
01:45 3rd - Paying yourself last
02:51 4th - Not investing in yourself
03:34 5th - Reading a lot and not doing
04:27 6th - Not knowing your income or expenses
06:02 7th - Getting comfortable with bad debts
07:28 8th - Not having an emergency fund
08:44 9th - Lifestyle inflation
10:17 Ad break
10:28 10th - Hanging with the wrong crowd
12:02 11th - Blaming your circumstances
12:35 12th - Focusing purely on saving now
13:16 13th - Investing without a strategy
14:38 14th - Waiting for perfect conditions
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The Psychology of the 5 Types of Non-Player Characters - How to Fix Them and Be a Main Character Thinker.
The same story plays out online every day. The same people are getting outraged about the same things again and again. Like Clockwork.
The human brain is highly optimised to rely on heuristics and simplistic decisions. Modern media hijacks this system to control our beliefs and emotions based on the agenda of other people.
This episode helps listeners build autonomy over their beliefs and emotions by learning the different types of Non-Player-Character:
The Conformist NPC - Believes the consensus politically correct ideas
The Contrarian NPC - Believes the opposite of the consensus and seeks conspiracy
The Disciple NPC - Believes their preferred leader
The Tribalist NPC - Follows the tribe and us vs them mentality
The Averager NPC - Seeks the middle ground without understanding the merits of an argument.
Learn the psychology of the processes behind each NPC type and how different types of critical thinking systems or defence systems get turned on and off based simply on who delivers the message.
Building your own worldview is one of the most important things you can do in an increasingly confusing and polarised world.
Sources:
Gurwinder - Why You Are Probably An NPC
People Shot to Death by US Police By Race
FBI Crime Data
USA National Suicide Data
Journal Review: Health of Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated Children
Vaccine Research Overview: The Vaccine Question
Upgrade to Premium:
ποΈ Ad-free listening
π€ Support the show
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Sponsors:
π₯ Hello Fresh - America's #1 meal kit provider
10 free meals across 7 boxes
HelloFresh.com/FreeGrowthMindset
π Unbound Merino - Highest quality Merino wool clothing
10% off with code 'PSYCHOLOGY'
UnboundMerino.com
Get in Touch
π Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset
π§ Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com
Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
πΊ Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)
π Website - GrowthMindsetPodcast.com
Chapters:
00:00 Psychology of Modern Culture and Predictability of Crowds
01:24 The Brain's Information Processing Shortcuts
03:09 Gurwinder on NPC's
04:48 System One and System Two Thinking
07:08 The Influence of Social Media and Algorithms
07:56 #1 The Conformist NPC
14:38 #2 The Contrarian NPC
21:49 #3 The Disciple NPC
26:03 #4 The Tribalist NPC
30:29 #5 The Averager NPC
36:51 Strategic Cognitive Resource Allocation
38:12 Recap of NPC Types and Strategies
39:31 The Importance of Selective Deep Thinking
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