The Science of Getting Unstuck: When to Keep Going and When to Let Go with Adam Alter

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

Buddhism, Education, Self-improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2026

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Adam Alter discusses the science of getting unstuck and learning to know when to keep going or when to let go. He explores why people get stuck in areas like work, creativity, and personal growth, and discuss the psychological and cultural factors behind feeling stuck. Adam also shares practical strategies for getting unstuck, such as breaking big goals into smaller steps, embracing curiosity, and taking action - even imperfectly. The conversation highlights the importance of acceptance, mindset shifts, collaboration, and self-compassion in overcoming plateaus and sparking breakthroughs. Exciting News!!!Coming in March 2026, my new book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life is now available for pre-orders!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Key Takeaways Exploration vs. Exploitation: The two-step process for achieving creative breakthroughs. The concept of "stuckness" in various life aspects, including creativity, work, and relationships. Psychological vs. physical stuckness and the emotional toll it takes. Cultural differences in perceptions of change and stuckness (Eastern vs. Western perspectives). The importance of acceptance and mindset in overcoming feelings of being stuck. Strategies for breaking large goals into manageable tasks to maintain motivation. The "plateau effect" and how to navigate periods of stalled progress. The role of curiosity in fostering creativity and challenging the status quo. The significance of action and starting small to overcome inertia. The impact of physical movement and changing environments on mental clarity and creativity. For full show notes,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠ Connect with the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheOneYouFeedPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed this conversation with Adam Alter, check out these other episodes: How to Create Emotional Agility with Susan David Thomas Sterner on How to Be Fully Engaged By purchasing products and/or services from our sponsors, you are helping to support The One You Feed, and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you! This episode is sponsored by: ⁠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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aura Frames⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AuraFrames.com /FEED ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames – named #1 by Wirecutter – by using promo code FEED at checkout. This deal is exclusive to listeners, and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	More often, people quit too soon. So they stop things too soon. That doesn't mean you shouldn't say,
0:05.1	all right, I'm done with this thing. I should move on. And it's great to try new things. But I think
0:08.9	our tendency is to say, this got hard and I'm just going to abandon it.
0:20.4	Welcome to the one you feed.
0:22.6	Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have.
0:26.6	Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think, ring true.
0:32.6	And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us.
0:36.6	We tend toward negativity,
0:38.7	self-pity, jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have instead of what we do. We think
0:44.9	things that hold us back and dampen our spirit. But it's not just about thinking. Our actions matter.
0:51.1	It takes conscious, consistent, and creative effort to make a life worth living.
0:56.3	This podcast is about how other people keep themselves moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
1:05.0	Here's a sneaky thing about getting unstuck. The moment it starts feeling difficult is often the moment we assume
1:12.5	we've hit a wall. Adam Alter calls this the creative cliff illusion. The idea that your best ideas
1:19.3	should come first, and if they don't, you might not have what it takes. But the research suggests
1:26.1	the opposite. The obvious stuff comes out early. The interesting
1:30.7	stuff shows up after you push through the hard part. We talk about how to get rid of the middle
1:36.2	by breaking big goals into smaller brackets, how to recognize plateaus without panicking, and how
1:43.2	to tell the difference between quitting too soon
1:45.8	and moving on wisely. I'm Eric Zimmer and this is the one you feed.
1:51.9	You subscribe to music, TV, your gym, maybe even your weekly flowers, so why not your car?
1:58.2	A pivotal car subscription comes with serious horsepower.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 28 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.