The Science of Success Podcast

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How You Can Create Lasting Change and Effortlessly Alter Your Destiny with James Fell

Lace Gilger
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In this episode we discuss what causes the big moments that can transform your entire life in an instant and we show you how to create that kind of motivation and inspiration in your every day life so that you can be more productive and happier. We also expose why the common wisdom about willpower and “ego depletion” is completely wrong and what you should do instead. All this and much more with our guest James Fell.

James Fell is an author, owner of BodyForWife.com, and science-based motivator for lasting life change. He is one of the most read health and fitness writers in North America and currently writes articles for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous publications including TIME Magazine, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and much more. He is the author of the recently released book The Holy Sh!t Moment: How Lasting Change Can Happen in an Instant.

  • When we have a transformative experience it’s not about behavior change, its about a change in your CORE IDENTITY or your VALUES

  • What causes the big moments that can shift or transform your life in an instant?

  • “I didn’t have to struggle with my motivation, it came built in"

  • The “crystallization of discontent” 

  • There are layers to the personality

  • Behaviors

    1. Belief

    2. Values

    3. Identity

  • Minimizing the discomfort of change so that it doesn’t combat your core identity to much 

  • In order to create lasting behavior change and form sticky habits its a slow and painful process

  • Identity and value change can happen in a flash, effortlessly 

  • Often identity change is like a volcano bubbling beneath the surface and then exploding 

  • Do we have to use willpower and grit? Do we have to tough it out and suck it up? 

  • The idea that people can’t change because they lack willpower is DEEPLY FLAWED 

  • The 1996 Case Western Study - would you rather eat chocolate or radishes? 

  • “Ego depletion” - the idea that willpower is a limited resource - is a flawed and dated idea

  • The 2 big flaws with the studies about ego depletion and willpower

  • “Probability hacking” - drudging through the data to FIND a result

    1. Publication Bias 

  • Willpower is often irrelevant to the equation of motivation

  • “Identity Value Model of Self Control” - those people who engage in behaviors that are directly in line with their identity are far more successful in sustaining their behaviors and seeing results

  • Willpower training and efforts to increase willpower have never shown any effect

  • “Willpower is an irrelevant concept”

  • Having to power through and do things you hate has negative mental and physical consequences 

  • The “Rage to Master” and how it drives people to work relentlessly on things they are overwhelmingly passionate about 

  • Rather than trying to CREATE GREATNESS - find the thing that makes you WANT TO CREATE GREATNESS - the field that naturally makes you want to strive for greatness 

  • What If I’m SUPER passionate about Watching TV of Playing Video Games? Or eating donuts.

  • Happiness vs Flourishing 

  • Happiness is a state of mind - it’s temporary

  • What really drives people is flourishing - finding something where you a contributing to your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others

  • “Inspiration favors the prepared mind” 

  • The science of epiphanies and eureka moments - how you can prep and prepare your brain for insights 

  • What could I accomplish if I had an endless fountain of motivation to do it? What could that be?

  • What’s holding me back from that?

    1. Who do I look up to?

  • Life changing epiphanies typically happen after you’ve done deep analytical preparation work 

  • THEN - you distract yourself. Analyze and then DISTRACT yourself. 

  • “Creative incubation” 

  • The answers don’t come when you’re trying to solve the problem, they come later when the conscious mind is distracted. Go for a walk. Do something to distract yourself. You can’t be listening to a podcast, listening to an audiobook etc - you can’t be distracted in any way. 

  • You have to get inside your own head and let data meander and collide until you see a novel solution.

  • "We do not know what egg we’ve been sitting on until the shell cracks.” T.S. Elliot

  • Embrace the audacious.

  • “Most people tip toe through life trying to make it safely to death."

  • What if life could be more of a thrill ride? 

  • How do you make rapid mindset shifts that immediately change your life?

  • Keys to creating life changing epiphanies

  • Understand and believe that it can happen to you

    1. Engage in mental contrasting - focus and find the roadblocks to achieving your dreams 

    2. When you fantasize about your goal attainment you demotivate yourself to actually achieve it 

  • You may need to do some uninspired work for a time to realize and understand what truly has meaning for you - to find or uncover a "sudden gain" in motivation 

  • Homework: As soon as you finish listening to this podcast, go lie down in a quiet place with no distraction. No TV, no radio, no phone, no one talking. Be alone with your thoughts for ten or fifteen minutes and free associate, think about anything. 

  • It’s possible your mind is already prepared for a transformative moment - just give it the opportunity to listen and come out! 

    1. Spending time alone with your thoughts is WHEN you get these breakthrough insights and creative bursts

    2. The more focused you are, the less likely an insight is to happen. 

    3. Lay in bed for 5 or 10 minutes with no phone when you get up tomorrow

Thank you so much for listening!

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We’re proud to announce that this week’s episode of The Science of Success is brought to you by our partners at Athletic Greens!

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