Unlocking the Power of Identity: How Small Changes Lead to Big Transformations in Your Life (Part 1) with James Clear

The One You Feed

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

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

4.6 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t have the luxury of doing less, Overwhelm Is Optional offers simple tools you can use in under ten minutes a day. Learn more at⁠⁠ oneyoufeed.net/overwhelm⁠⁠ Help us make the podcast better—share your input in a short survey:: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠oneyoufeed.net/survey. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thank You! In this part 1 of a 2-part episode, James Clear, discusses how to unlock the power of identity and how small changes can lead to big transformation in your life. They explore the compounding power of habits, the importance of focusing on systems over goals, and how identity shapes behavior. James explains practical strategies for building good habits and breaking bad ones, emphasizing patience, persistence, and the role of self-perception in lasting change. The conversation offers actionable insights for anyone seeking to improve their habits and overall well-being. 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 The compounding effect of habits over time and their significance in personal growth. The metaphor of the "two wolves" illustrating the choice between positive and negative habits. The importance of patience and persistence due to the hidden lag time in habit formation. The distinction between focusing on systems versus goals for achieving lasting change. The concept of the "goal trap" and how it can hinder happiness and satisfaction. The role of identity in behavior change and how self-perception influences habits. The mechanics of habit formation, including the stages of cue, craving, response, and reward. The impact of environmental cues on habit formation and the challenges of changing habits. The four laws of behavior change as a framework for building good habits and breaking bad ones. The relationship between happiness, desire, and practicing contentment in the pursuit of growth. 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 Katy Milkman, check out these other episodes: ⁠How to Stay Motivated with Ayelet Fishbach⁠ ⁠Tiny Habits for Behavior Change with BJ Fogg⁠ 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: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uncommon Goods ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠has something for everyone – you’ll find thousands of new gift ideas that you won’t find anywhere else, and you’ll be supporting artists and small, independent businesses. To get 15% off your next gift, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UNCOMMONGOODS.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Post your job for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/oneyoufeed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Eight years ago, I was completely overwhelmed.
0:03.5	Career, two teenage boys, a growing podcast, a mother who needed care.
0:08.5	That's when I stumbled into something I now call the Stillpoint method,
0:12.7	a way of using small moments throughout my day to change not how much I had to do,
0:18.4	but how I felt while doing it.
0:20.7	So I built something I wish I'd had back then.
0:23.6	Overwhelm is optional, tools for when you can't do less. It's an email course that fits into
0:29.8	moments that you already have less than 10 minutes total a day. It's not about doing less. It's about
0:37.1	relating differently to what you do. Holiday
0:40.1	price is $29.00. Check it out at one you feed.net slash overwhelm. The same way that money
0:47.2	compounds or multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat
0:52.2	them over time.
1:06.8	Welcome to the one you feed. Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have. Quotes like garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think,
1:12.5	ring true. And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us. We tend
1:18.3	toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have instead of what we do.
1:25.6	We think things that hold us back and dampen our spirit.
1:29.0	But it's not just about thinking. Our actions matter. It takes conscious, consistent, and
1:34.4	creative effort to make a life worth living. This podcast is about how other people keep themselves
1:39.9	moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
1:51.4	Have you ever been doing the right thing for weeks and it still feels like nothing is changing?
1:58.6	James Clear has a metaphor that I love. It's like heating in an ice cube. You can go from 20 to 25 to 31 degrees and nothing looks different. And then you hit 32 and everything
2:03.8	changes. This episode is a re-release and it's a perfect one to revisit as we look towards
	...

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