Why Having a Backup Plan Is Making You Fail - Burn the boats with Matt Higgins
13.03.2026 | 44 Min.
In 1519, Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico and promptly set fire to his own fleet. By any conventional measure of military logistics, this seems profoundly counterproductive. It wasn't.
Matt Higgins — Shark Tank investor, Harvard Business School lecturer, and accidental dropout — has spent his career studying what happens when humans remove their own escape routes. Spoiler: it tends to go rather well, and there's solid science to explain why.
A landmark Wharton study found that merely having a backup plan measurably reduces both your motivation and your likelihood of success. The safety net, it turns out, is cutting the tightrope.
Why the brain mistakes "prudence" for "self-protection" and how to catch it
The four-step process for synthesising your risk tolerance before you commit
How to extract more value from failure than was taken from you
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
00:00 Cortés Burning the Boats01:31 Introducing Matt Higgins04:08 The Problem with Plan B06:11 Managing Risks10:53 When You Should Be Able to Retreat15:18 Why We Should Not Romanticise Failure17:38 Life After Shark Tank24:30 Optimising Strengths vs Improving Weaknesses31:48 Importance of Commitment and Setting Intentions33:47 Inspiring Women37:00 The Investor Anxiety Exchange39:45 Rapid Fire Questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why You Have Great Ideas but Never Actually Do Anything With Them
10.03.2026 | 22 Min.
We are spectacularly good at having ideas and remarkably reluctant to do anything with them.
It turns out that the distance between "I've got it!" and "here it is" is not a step but a rather long, occasionally bewildering journey. Not unlike flying a plane.
It involves a terrifying amount of fuel, significant faith in invisible forces, and a desperate hope that everything holds together on landing. History's great innovators weren't just bold thinkers; they were stubborn completers.
Edison filed hundreds of patents before the lightbulb. Jeff Bezos accidentally invented cloud computing whilst trying to sell books.
Remember:
Ideas evolve mid-flight — your job is to keep steering
Feedback isn't optional; even Van Gogh had his brother
Consistency across many ideas beats obsessing over one perfect one
Fasten your seatbelt — your ideas deserve an actual destination.
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
00:00 Introduction to the Growth Mindset Podcast00:31 The Analogy of Ideas Taking Flight02:09 The Challenge of Execution02:59 The Importance of Persistence03:55 Learning from Historical Figures06:16 Consistency is Key08:01 The Role of Feedback10:01 The Power of Consistency11:03 The Myth of the Perfect Idea12:51 The Concept of Destiny15:07 The Legacy of Actions17:08 The Tragic Endings of Legends18:04 Cultural Insights and Farewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You Didn't Choose Your Attachment Style, but Here's How You Can Change It - With Jessica Baum
06.03.2026 | 53 Min.
Most people think their relationship problems are about the other person. They're not — they're about an 18-month-old version of you who learned the only way to survive.
In this episode, psychotherapist Jessica Baum breaks down why your nervous system is still running a programme it wrote in infancy. Attachment styles — secure, anxious, avoidant, disorganised — aren't personality quirks. They're adaptive strategies your brain built when connection was a matter of survival. The anxious person who chases, the avoidant who disappears, the couple stuck in a loop they can't explain — it all traces back to the same source: early experiences that taught your body what to expect from closeness. Understanding that isn't just interesting. It's the beginning of actually changing it.
Your attachment style isn't fixed — it shifts depending on who you're with
Co-regulation isn't neediness — it's how the nervous system was designed to heal
The goal isn't independence. It's interdependence — being whole and connected
If your relationships keep following the same painful script, this episode is where you start rewriting it.
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
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00:00 What Are Attachment Styles?01:55 The Origins of Attachment Theory05:39 Metacognition and Belief Systems in Development08:14 How to Intervene on Your Own Attachment Patterns12:10 Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation15:21 Codependency vs Interdependency19:14 Mirror Neurons and Attunement23:05 Cultural Impacts on Attachment24:56 Attachment Styles — Bug or Evolutionary Feature?28:24 Signs You Need to Explore Your Attachment Style29:54 Gender Differences in Attachment32:03 Narcissism, Borderline, and Attachment Wounds33:50 How to Help a Couple Heal Attachment Issues34:58 The Imago Dialogue Explained37:35 Expectations in Attachment Therapy38:43 What Else Causes Relationship Problems?40:07 Boundaries and Implicit Memory41:46 Neuroception and Building Awareness44:00 Closing Thoughts and Resources44:49 Earliest Memories45:20 The Kindest Thing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From Reactance to Resilience: How to manage psychological triggers and create freedom
03.03.2026 | 24 Min.
Most anger isn’t about the thing. It’s about what the thing means: “Someone just messed with my control.”
When your expectations get violated... plans change,d a process breaks, a person does something “unreasonable”. Your nervous system reads it like a little mugging.
And then you get reactance: that hot impulse to push back, prove a point, slam the door, unsubscribe from the whole situation.
What we look at today is simple, but not easy: trade courtroom mode (“who’s wrong?”) for lab mode (“what’s true?”):
Label the “freedom threat” out loud before you react
Swap blame for one clean question: “What assumption just broke?”
Redesign the trigger: reduce surprise, increase choice, add clarity
Press play and turn your next spike of anger into an experiment that sets you free.
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NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
00:00 Introduction to the Curious Episode00:36 The Newsletter Mishap03:01 Understanding Cognitive Load Theory03:14 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Load Explained04:25 Germane Load and Tangents07:07 Applying Cognitive Load Theory to Newsletters08:53 Expectation Violation and Perceived Control11:21 Reactance Theory and Personal Freedom13:54 Overwhelm and Habits14:38 Embracing Curiosity over Anger18:40 Innovative Ideas for Blog Consumption20:55 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How To Train Your Mind: The surprising benefits of play
24.02.2026 | 23 Min.
Turns out you don't learn faster when you're stressed, you learn faster when you're happy! So let's talk about treating your brain like a friend, not a factory worker.
Muscles respond to stress with pretty linear upgrades; brains don’t. Brains upgrade through meaning, novelty, and attention—especially when something feels like play. That’s why memory champions don’t “grind” digits: they build absurd stories and mental rooms and suddenly their recall looks like magic. Same with skills.
Stress is useful—but mostly as a signal: “avoid that.” If you want real output, your job is to become a better teacher to yourself: make the hard thing interesting enough that you’ll come back tomorrow.
Turn one task into a game (score it, time it, level it up).
Find the “fun entry point” and start there, not with drills.
Listen in—and pick one thing to make genuinely enjoyable today.
SPONSORS
👨💻 NordStellar
Cyber threat visibility across your business
10% off: GROWTHMINDSET-10
https://nordstellar.com/growthmindset/
NEW SHOW - How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
00:00 Training Your Mind - Have we got it wrong01:03 Who Is Sam Harris?02:30 Alan Watts - Work Is Play03:28 Memory Champions04:17 Rapid Transformation06:03 Fundamental Differences Between Brains and Muscles10:09 The Different Responses to Stress11:40 Good vs Bad Teachers13:31 Gamifying Boring Tasks14:47 Alexander the Great and Conquering16:47 How to Enjoy Exercise17:56 Make Hard Things Enjoyable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Über Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement
Most self-help advice is guesswork dressed up as wisdom. We dig into psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science to find what actually changes lives.
WHY LISTEN?
Over 8 million downloads because we answer the questions that matter: How do I build mental strength? What creates lasting motivation? How can I understand my own mind well enough to work with it, not against it?
This podcast is for curious skeptics who want frameworks backed by psychology studies, not Instagram quotes. Whether you're navigating procrastination, building self-discipline, or designing your own philosophy for a life well lived—we explore the hidden psychology behind real change.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
Mental models and simple techniques from cognitive psychology, positive psychology, and ancient wisdom traditions like Stoicism and Buddhism.
Being a human can be confusing, learning about it doesn’t have to be.
We cover everything from emotional intelligence and habit formation to brain health and the nervous system.
WHAT YOU DON’T GET
No pseudoscience. No oversimplified "hacks." No hustle porn.
Just practical insights on mindset improvement, self-development, and human psychology that respect your intelligence and mental health.
THE APPROACH
Instead of telling you what to think, we explore how thinking works. Armed with psychology studies, social science research, and relentless curiosity, we uncover the mechanics of belief change, attitude change, and personal development.
Success is personal. You might want to leverage your neurodiverse strengths, build a business, or simply discover how to be happier. We provide the mental frameworks to pursue your definition of success with mental strength and self-care that fits your life.
YOUR HOST
I'm Sam Webster Harris—a lifelong learner with ADHD and an obsession with finding answers to hard questions. After launching businesses, traveling the world, and nearly dying a few times, I concluded that psychology and science are where real wisdom lives.
This show is my excuse to dive deep into health and fitness research, behavioral psychology, and cool science while helping you build genuine self-discipline and motivation.
PREMIUM
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PAST SERIES
Previous guests include Olympians, Scientists, Billionaires, and Sam's Mum.
Past series:
— Psychology vs Stoicism
— Time Management for Busy Mortals
— Independence and Knowing Yourself
— Cognitive Biases and Rational Thinking
— Psychology of Connection and Relationships
— Carol Dweck and the Multiverse of Mindsets
— Addiction and Behaviour Change
— Nervous System Mastery and Polyvagal Theory
— Mental Strength and Self-Discipline
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