The Behavior Coach Who Spent 18 Years Solving Why We Don't Do What We Say We Will

Most people already know what they should be doing. Sleep more. Put down the phone. Exercise. Eat better.

So why don't they?

In this episode, I sit down with Erin Laverone — behavior coach, author of Do the Thing, and someone who has spent nearly two decades helping over a thousand clients close the gap between intention and action.

This isn't another motivational pep talk. Erin breaks down the actual psychology behind why behavior change is so hard — and gives you real tactics that work even when life gets messy.

We talk about:

• Why motivation works like junk food — and what "quality motivation" actually looks like
• The three psychological needs that drive lasting behavior change
• How to design your environment so good habits happen automatically
• The internal vs. external triggers keeping you stuck
• The 80% rule that beats perfectionism every time
• How Erin launched a book to under 400 people — and got 90 reviews

If you've ever known exactly what to do and still not done it… this one's for you.

📖 Grab Do the Thing: www.dothething-book.com

⏱ Timestamps:

00:00 Why Is It So Hard to Do What You Know?

01:17 Behavior Is More Complex Than You Think

03:18 Junk Motivation vs. Quality Motivation

06:08 The Holy Grail: Self-Determination Theory

07:37 Stretched But Not Strained

09:24 The 80% Rule for Habits

12:40 Connection Is the Most Underrated Driver

13:38 Internal vs. External Triggers

16:15 Surfing the Urge

19:42 Infinite Scroll and the Guy Who Invented It

20:47 Environment Design — The 80/20 of Behavior

22:32 Why Hiring a Coach Hits Multiple Levers at Once

25:33 Easy, Enjoyable, Effective Framework

29:00 Making Behavior Immediately Rewarding

30:11 How Erin Wrote a Book (While Running Two Businesses)

34:23 Book Launch with a Small Audience

36:50 The 3-Tier Pre-Commitment Strategy

40:13 Involving Your Community in the Process

41:17 From Idea to Committing to the Book

44:47 Final Challenge: Give Yourself Grace, Then Take Ownership

🔗 Connect with Mitchell:

💻 Website: https://mitchelllandon.com/

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👥 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchelllandoncohen/⁠

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🔗 Connect with Erin Laverone:

💻 Website: https://www.erinlaverone.com/

📩 The Habit Coach Professionals Newsletter:⁠ https://www.habitcoachpro.com/newsletter

👥 LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlaverone

📸 IG:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/vitality.central/