505: How Small Changes Create Real Transformation | Eric Zimmer
The Adult Chair Podcast with Michelle Chalfant
Michelle Chalfant
4.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 9 April 2026
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, I'm joined by Eric Zimmer for a grounded and honest conversation about what real change actually looks like and why lasting transformation usually doesn't happen all at once. Eric shares his powerful recovery story, what finally helped him create lasting change, and why the smallest daily choices often matter more than the big breakthrough moments we tend to chase.
We talk about how to work with the parts of ourselves we'd rather avoid, what to do when we shut down, shrink, or feel overwhelmed, and why true growth comes from learning how to relate to ourselves differently over time. Eric also shares practical tools for changing the meaning we assign to situations, building wise habits, and taking small steps that add up to a meaningful life.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why overnight transformation is a myth, and what actually creates lasting change
- How small, consistent actions can build real momentum over time
- What it means to befriend the parts of yourself you want to avoid
- How awareness helps you catch patterns like shutting down, shrinking, or going blank in real time
- Practical ways to regulate your nervous system and stay connected to yourself in difficult moments
- Why having a simple phrase prepared can help when emotions take over
- How to rethink overwhelm and shift out of the feeling that life is happening to you
- A simple 3-question tool to help you challenge discouraging thoughts and choose a more supportive perspective
Resources from this Episode:
Eric's website
Eric's podcast: The One You Feed
Eric's book: How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, hello, everyone. This is Michelle Shelfont and welcome to the show today. I'm delighted to be here with you as always. |
| 0:14.1 | Boy, today we have a beautiful guest on. His name is Eric Zimmer. He is the host of the One You Feed podcast. He's also the author of how |
| 0:24.6 | a little becomes a lot. And this is a lot of what we talked about as far as a little becomes a lot. |
| 0:31.5 | It's a powerful conversation about transformation and especially why real change usually does not happen overnight. Instead, |
| 0:41.4 | it happens through small choices we make again and again and again over time. |
| 0:48.9 | And in this episode, we talk about overwhelm, behavior change, parts work, emotional regulation, and how to |
| 0:55.8 | actually begin shifting the patterns that keep us stuck. Eric shares with us so much wisdom, |
| 1:02.6 | both from his own life, and he really, really talked a lot about his own life, which was beautiful |
| 1:07.9 | to hear. And not only that, but from the work that he's doing in |
| 1:10.8 | the world to help others create meaningful change. So if you've ever felt frustrated with |
| 1:16.6 | yourself for not changing fast enough, or if you're in a season where life feels really |
| 1:20.9 | heavy or overwhelming, I think this conversation is really going to support you. So here we go |
| 1:26.8 | with my conversation with Eric Zimmer. |
| 1:34.9 | So Eric Zimmer, welcome to the show. Good to see you. Yes. Hello, Michelle. It's nice to see you. Thank you for |
| 1:42.1 | having me on. Yeah. It's so nice to see you again. So you were so kind to have me on your show. And I was like, yes, come on. Of course I want you to come on. And you got an incredible book coming out, how a little becomes a lot, the art of small changes for a meaningful life. This sounds incredible. I love it. Tell us who you are. If the audience |
| 2:03.0 | says, who the heck is Eric Zimmer? Who are you? And why do people want to tune in today? |
| 2:08.9 | International man of mystery would be one answer. Another answer might be my, you know, I am, |
| 2:14.6 | I am God inside. But a real answer, well, those are both probably true to some |
| 2:20.6 | degree. But the more simple answer is I am the host of the One You Feed podcast, which has been |
| 2:27.6 | around for a long time and has done fairly well. I also authored this book. I do coaching. I do speaking. I do workshops. I'm, |
| 2:37.2 | you know, I'm similar to you in that way. We just, you know, we're overlapping in what we do. |
| 2:42.2 | I think so. But different. Yeah. We were just talking earlier about emotional regulation, |
... |
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