The Joy of Missing Out: The simple way to reducing overwhelm and increase focus
You’re not lazy. You’re overloaded. And no, another productivity hack won’t save you. In this episode, I talk about how minimalism isn’t about white walls and hidden kitchen bins—it’s about your calendar, your relationships, your identity. I unpack the joy of missing out using stories from travel, creative burnout, and watching a guy walk around Britain with nothing but a backpack. Turns out, when you’re doing too much, you're not living—you’re buffering. We explore how having too many goals is like trying to break a window with a handful of dust. Want more focus? You have to do less. Three things you’ll learn: Why doing less actually makes you better at what matters How owning less clears mental space (not just your room) A question to instantly identify what’s worth saying “no” to Want your brain back? Hit play. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: The Joy of Missing Out: The simple way to reducing overwhelm and increase focus Chapters: 00:00 2 ways to be rich 02:23 Doing too many things stresses us out 06:36 More things = more responsibilities and more problems 09:12 Less stuff = Less problems, less complaining and more happiness 09:12 Are you doing things that exhaust you or you actually enjoy 10:09 Analogy of Breaking A Window 10:45 Story of A Recent Hiking Trip with Jamie Lloyd 14:28 A Year Can Make A Huge Difference 16:07 Make Full Use of Your Stuff 17:25 Send Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Mai 202520min
The Science of Love, Desire and Attachment - Psychology vs your Biology
Love isn’t just a feeling, it’s a pattern. And patterns, when understood, can be changed. We are the descendants of beings who bonded, lusted, and survived—not by chance, but by biology. In this episode, we explore the elegant architecture of love, divided into three distinct experiences: lust, attraction, and attachment. Each has its own hormonal symphony: testosterone’s drive, dopamine’s thrill, oxytocin’s warmth. But these chemicals, while essential, are not our destiny. We must choose how we respond to them. The opportunity lies in seeing love not just as passion, but as a practice—a practice of self-awareness, empathy, and intentionality. Reframe love from chaos to conscious experience. Observe your emotions without becoming them. Build connection that outlasts dopamine spikes. Your biology is the system, but your awareness can evolve it. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: The Science of Love, Desire and Attachment - Psychology vs Biology Chapters: 00:00 The 3 main components of love 01:27 Biology of Love 02:33 Lust and the role of sex hormones 05:42 Attraction and reward pathways 08:25 Attachment and bonding hormones 10:37 Love's addictive power and irrationality 11:44 Infatuation, dependence and controlling behaviours 12:51 Reckless and destructive tendencies 14:11 How we lose rational thinking 16:46 Choosing the right partner 18:02 Cultivating healthy relationship habits 18:23 Send Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13 Mai 202521min
Anti-Fragile: How to benefit from uncertainty and build resilience into your systems
A system that grows stronger from chaos? That’s not science fiction. It’s nature’s original design. Nassim Taleb's Antifragile isn't just a book. It’s a lens—a way to see the world not as a series of risks to be avoided, but as opportunities to evolve. In this episode, we explore what it means to thrive in disorder. From ancient myths like the Hydra, to modern jobs and biological systems, we trace the pattern: fragility is punished, antifragility is rewarded. What if you built a life where setbacks made you better, not bitter? Where unpredictability wasn’t a threat, but a catalyst? That’s the shift we’re inviting you to make. Takeaways: Design your systems to gain from shocks, not just resist them. Embrace small failures—they prevent catastrophic ones. Seek environments where your upside grows with uncertainty. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Anti-Fragile: How to benefit from uncertainty and build resilience into your systems Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Book Overview 03:38 The Central Triad: Fragile, Robust, Anti-Fragile 03:38 Mythological Examples of Anti-Fragility 05:14 Real-World Examples of Anti-Fragility 08:16 Anti-Fragility in Careers and Jobs 11:05 Economic Systems and Anti-Fragility 18:27 The Barbell Strategy for Anti-Fragility 21:21 Optionality: The Key to Anti-Fragility 25:54 The Narrative Fallacy and Practical Applications 28:52 The Path to Invention: Jet Engine and Beyond 29:42 Investing in Thinkers, Not Theories 30:11 Scientific Research vs. Practical Tinkering 31:05 Discussing 'Elephant in the Brain' 32:18 Understanding Favorable Asymmetries 33:41 Bitcoin as a Hedge Against Hyperinflation 35:00 Perishable vs. Non-Perishable: Longevity of Ideas 36:05 Nature's Anti-Fragility and Diet Choices 38:57 Neo Mania: Obsession with Newness 39:56 Medicine: Less is More 45:05 Ethics of Fragility and Anti-Fragility 45:30 Wrap up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9 Mai 202550min
How to Be Less Wrong: The psychology of self-deception and silly things we believe
Cognitive bias. False memory. The Dunning-Kruger effect. What do they all have in common? They show how unreliable our minds can be. In this episode, we explore the science and philosophy of self-knowledge. From flawed reasoning and failed planning to empathy gaps and epistemic humility. But explained using normal English... Along the way, we uncover powerful tools to help you become more reliable, more curious, and a little less wrong. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: How to Be Less Wrong: The psychology of self-deception and silly things we believe Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: The Illusion of Understanding 01:34 The Unreliable Nature of Our Minds 06:04 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Cognitive Bias 08:00 The Limits of Empathy and Understanding Others 10:40 The Flaws in Our Reasoning and Decision Making 12:39 No awareness or feedback 14:24 Our tendency to fail 16:45 Building Reliability and Resilience18:44 Nonreacting - Chinese farmer parable 21:20 Conclusion: Embracing Our Ignorance for Growth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 Mai 202527min
Emotional Intelligence: Why the FBI Trains for Empathy, and You Should Too w/ Steven Stein
People avoid you for reasons that have nothing to do with your deodorant. You can be smart, talented, even funny—but if people feel unseen or misunderstood around you, your life gets smaller. Dr. Steven Stein has tested emotional intelligence in everyone from Air Force recruiters to reality TV contestants. And the results are weirdly human. EQ isn’t about being soft. It’s about knowing when to shut up, when to speak up, and when to walk away. This episode breaks down emotional intelligence like it’s a muscle group: you’ve got to work it, stress it, and recover from it. Steven explains the science, shares unexpected stories (like lighthouse keepers and narcissists), and makes EQ feel practical We explore: 🔹 Spot the everyday signs you're low on EQ (and how to fix them) 🔹 Build empathy without becoming a pushover 🔹 Train your emotional intelligence like going to the gym 🔹 The biggest traits of success in the FBI, air force, army and navy 🔹 The psychology of reality TV Come away with the practical side of emotional intelligence in real life - not just in theory How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Steven Stein Bestselling author and psychologist who has worked with leading corporates, defense agencies and some of the biggest reality TV shows. Steven J. Stein Books: EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and your success Emotional Intelligence for Dummies Hardiness: Making stress work for you to achieve your goals Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Emotional Intelligence: Why the FBI Trains for Empathy, and You Should Too w/ Steven Stein Chapters: 00:00 Emotional Intelligence - Steven Stein Intro 02:18 Everyday signs of emotional intelligence 05:40 Improving Emotional Intelligence 08:02 Emotional Intelligence in Different Professions 11:30 Coaching for Emotional Intelligence at Work 14:20 The US Air Force Emotional Intelligence Study 17:00 Empathy Training Course 18:39 Emotional Intelligence and Neurodiversity 23:22 Trainable Aspects of Emotional Intelligence 24:40 Building Empathy by Using Drugs 27:11 Personal Growth in Emotional Intelligence 30:41 Reality TV and Emotional Intelligence 34:54 Cross-Cultural Differences in EQ 38:20 General Likability vs. Emotional Intelligence 40:42 Tips to Build Assertiveness 43:40 Relationship between IQ and EQ 49:59 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 Mai 202554min
Doing the thing - a short sharp masterclass on creating focus
There are a million ways to waste time. We don't need a million and one ways to be productive. We just need to - Do The Thing It's easy to overcomplicate productivity: Over analysing your habits Over examing your past Over sharing your strategies. These are all effective ways to not be productive. In this episode, we cut through the fluff and focus on the pure, simple truths. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Doing the thing - a short sharp masterclass on creating focus Chapters: 00:00 The many ways to tackle productivity 01:35 Essay - "Doing the thing" 03:08 Busy vs productive 04:47 Productivity for a podcaster 07:00 False productivity - Hiking 08:43 Psychology of productivity 09:27 Procrastination - Temporal Motivation Theory 10:49 Planning Fallacy 11:26 Zegarknik effect - Just start 13:19 Adverts 13:25 Questions and answers 13:34 When should I do the thing? 13:44 What if I don't have time? 13:58 How do you make time? 14:59 What if it's hard? 15:48 What if I am not ready to do the thing? 18:45 What if I don't know how to do the thing? 20:01 What if I fail? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Apr 202525min
Overthinking: The psychology of catastrophizing and how to stop assuming the worst
We don’t see the future. We predict it — and sometimes we predict disaster before it’s even possible. Catastrophizing is a mental reflex. It’s your mind, desperate for control, drawing monsters where none exist yet. In this episode, we explore the quiet space between stimulus and story — the moment you could choose curiosity over certainty. Relationships, careers, self-worth: all suffer when we confuse our imagined outcomes with inevitable truths. But if we learn to watch the story unfold without believing it, something remarkable happens. We reclaim possibility. You’ll leave with: Understanding of how the brain creates fear to protect itself Tools for building awareness instead of reaction A framework for making peace with uncertainty — and using it to grow The psychology that makes false fears feel real Stop letting your brain run disaster drills for things that haven’t happened. Tune in. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 AD-FREE with Premium: 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs + Bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Overthinking: The psychology of catastrophizing and how to stop assuming the worst Chapters: 00:00 Why this topic is popular 01:45 What is catastrophising 04:18 Build awareness 07:10 Magnifying and minimising 08:32 More details feels more real. 10:16 The human tendency to just invent stories 13:22 ADHD 15:31 Catastrophizing and being diagnosed with ADHD 16:17 Balancing worst and best scenarios 17:23 Social anxiety example 19:09 Write a journal 20:31 Alex Hormozi selling gym subscriptions 21:09 Want and don't want chair 23:26 4 stages of intrusive thoughts 28:50 4 step method for mitigating catastrophization 28:50 Step 1 - Awareness 29:57 Step 2 - Challenging the thought 30:40 Step 3 - Imagine the best 31:11 Step 4 - Accept uncertainty 32:55 Catastrophizing is the opposite of Growth mindset 33:14 Episode summary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 Apr 202536min
Bad Habits: The Psychology of Behavioural Debt—and How to Pay It Off
What if the person you think you are is an outdated idea? In this episode, we explore how habits form—not from logic, but from history. From childhood rules to adult rituals, your behaviours aren’t just choices. They’re echoes. We look at behavioural debt: how the past continues to extract payments from your present and what you can do about it. We look expansively at different ways we pick up all these habits and identities, and then use 5 ideas from psychology and philosophy to fix them. There’s a monk shedding illusions, a writer who redefined his identity, and a cycling team that changed everything with 1% improvements. These aren’t just stories. They’re invitations—to become intentional, to design rituals that serve who you want to be, not who you used to be. Takeaways: Reframe your identity as something you craft, not inherit Use “identity microshifts” to pay off your behavioural debt Hack your own Fresh Start Effect—even on a random Tuesday Learn how to become yourself through subtraction instead of adding more things If you’ve ever felt like your habits were someone else’s or like your current actions no longer serve who you are, this episode will make a lot of sense to you. The real work isn’t in learning more—it’s in unlearning what no longer fits. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 AD-FREE with Premium: 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs + Bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Bad Habits: The Psychology of Behavioural Debt—and How to Pay It Off Chapters: 00:00 What makes you, you? 02:52 Memory and the self 04:20 British Accents and lessons of children 05:58 Attachment and behaviour 07:58 Small Actions Compound 09:36 Advert - Magic Mind 09:38 Opening our minds 11:01 Every story has a villain 14:24 Path Dependence: The Continuity Trap 16:21 Self Schema Theory: The Stories We Tell Ourselves 17:52 Neuroplasticity - Hebb's Law and rewiring brain connections 19:56 Friedrich Nietzsche and becoming who you are 21:27 Psychological Rebirth: The Fresh Start Effect 23:20 Conclusion - Paying of behavioural debt 24:36 Feedback 25:07 Send Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Apr 202528min
