Unlocking the Power of Identity: How Small Changes Lead to Big Transformations in Your Life with James Clear (Part 2)

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

🗓️ 2 January 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

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 second part of the 2-part episode with James Clear, we explore practical, research-backed strategies for habit formation, including making habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Through personal stories and examples, they discuss how environment, social groups, and small behavioral tweaks can help build good habits and break bad ones. The episode emphasizes starting small, celebrating progress, and designing supportive surroundings, offering listeners actionable advice for lasting behavior change. 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 Practical strategies for habit formation and behavior change The role of environment in shaping habits Techniques for making habits obvious and accessible The concept of habit stacking (anchoring new habits to existing ones) The importance of social groups and community in habit adoption The impact of technology on finding supportive communities for habit change The significance of reducing friction for positive habits and increasing friction for negative ones The “two-minute rule” for simplifying habit initiation The emotional payoff and satisfaction associated with habits The importance of tracking progress and celebrating small victories in habit formation 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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Eight years ago, I was completely overwhelmed. Career, two teenage boys, a growing podcast, a mother who needed care.
0:08.6	That's when I stumbled into something I now call the Stillpoint method, a way of using small moments throughout my day to change not how much I had to do, but how I felt while doing it.
0:20.9	So I built something I wish I'd had back then.
0:24.0	Overwhelm is optional, tools for when you can't do less.
0:28.1	It's an email course that fits into moments that you already have
0:32.0	less than 10 minutes total a day.
0:34.7	It's not about doing less.
0:36.7	It's about relating differently to what you do.
0:39.9	Holiday price is $29. Check it out at one you feed.net slash overwhelm.
0:46.4	If I leave the phone in another room, then I never go get it in the morning, which is always so
0:51.0	funny to me because I never wanted it enough to put in 45 seconds of work.
1:03.0	Welcome to the one you feed. Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the thoughts we have.
1:09.8	Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out,
1:12.3	or you are what you think, ring true. And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen
1:18.1	or empower us. We tend toward negativity, self-pity, jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have
1:25.7	instead of what we do. We think things that hold us back and
1:29.1	dampen our spirit. But it's not just about thinking. Our actions matter. It takes conscious,
1:35.3	consistent, and creative effort to make a life worth living. This podcast is about how other people
1:41.0	keep themselves moving in the right direction, how they feed their good wolf.
1:47.8	Most of us set up our changes like a finish line problem, and then we're surprised when we don't
1:53.5	want to run the race. James Clear makes a shift that I keep coming back to, optimize for the starting line,
2:00.1	not the finish line, not the finish line.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 27 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.