

Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement
Sam Webster Harris | Growth Mindset Psychology
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
Go ad-free and access exclusive content, AMAs, and our community Discord.
Growth Mindset Premium
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
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
Go ad-free and access exclusive content, AMAs, and our community Discord.
Growth Mindset Premium
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
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 7, 2023 • 49min
Abundance vs. Ego: How to Shift Your Mindset and Take Control of Your Life | Kyle Livingston
Learn how Kyle Livingston overcame scarcity and developed a growth mindset. Discover the importance of recognizing opportunities. Understand the value of failure and working with experienced business owners. Gain sage advice about problem-solving and critical thinking. Explore the power of pausing and facing your fears.

Jan 31, 2023 • 40min
The Art of Adventure: How to Create Incredible Experiences That Will Change Your Life
Elite athlete Shane Ohly shares his mindset behind elite performance, pushing boundaries, and building resilience. Topics include breaking climbing records, nutrition for endurance, accepting consequences, reasons for failure in endurance events, creating unforgettable experiences, and the importance of being true to your values.

Jan 24, 2023 • 12min
Overcoming Ageism: 3 Strategies for Living Life on Your Own Terms
We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.The secret to peace is found in examining our troubles. With so much stress and business in our lives, we feel like we are constantly behind. Every year we see our failures and regret our losses and need to swap our negative thoughts for a positive mindset. Aging should not be a reason to smile less and worry more. Every year is a new adventure to enjoy and savor for what it is. - - -Connect with Sam:
Join the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking
- - -Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Why we are frustrated about aging
02:44 - Not panicking about death
05:20 - Our changing abilities
07:03 - Preventing expectations
09: 10 - Enjoying the moment
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 17, 2023 • 40min
Jim Mann: Pragmatically pushing your potential
Jim Mann has broken several Ultramarathon records whilst also scaling his business Undo, with the goal to remove a billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030.He is one of the most ambitious and yet grounded individuals you will ever meet. To call him understated would be understating his understatedness. As a child, he was a very average runner but his love of challenge and ability to outwork others has led him to break some of the hardest Ultra running records such as the Spine Challenger and the 30 Munros as well as winning the infamous Dragons Back race across Wales. He studied ecology and after running several businesses set his sights on climate. He started with reforestation building the Future Forest Company. He is replacing himself as CEO there to set his sights on the carbon removal company Undo.- - -Sponsored by LinkedIn JobsCreate a free job posting in months on the world's #1 rated recruitment site for small businesses.https://www.linkedin.com/growthAd airs - 11:30- - -Connect with Jim:
Carbon removals - Undo
Forest regeneration - Future Forest Company
Chat business - Jim's Linked In
Tweet - Jim's twitter
- - -Connect with Sam:
Join the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking
- - -Chapters:0:00 Pushing your potential03:03 Building mindsets through ultramarathons 03:49 Jim's running routine / training regime04:27 Running as therapy and inspiration for Future Forrest05:08 Jim's company - Climate06:33 Jim's entrepreneurial mindset07:53 Jim's mindset when he started running - Winning was a journey 09:53 Jim's founder journey10:52 Sam's founder journey12:57 Example of Jim's experience where he tried pleasing everybody and took their advice 14:12 Hiring mistakes14:12 Dyslexic and running a business15:00 Jim's future role in 5 years16:40 Making the same mistake twice18:12 Mental health21:02 Scalability of businesses23:04 Jim's journey with Future Forest and Undo24:23 Inspiration for the enhanced weathering idea26:09 Problem with climate and geopolitics28:46 The importance of being optimistic30:36 Any dark moments in ultra marathons32:38 Scariest thing Jim has done34:02 Earliest memories - tomatoes 34:40 Kindest thing - little acts of kindness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 10, 2023 • 14min
Making friends with time
The podcast discusses the value of time and how to make the most of it, emphasizing personal responsibility. It highlights the importance of cultivating a positive relationship with time, offers questions for self-reflection, and explores the benefits of silent meditation retreats in managing time and relationships.

Dec 27, 2022 • 20min
2023 goals - Enjoy the year
There are plenty of people telling you to 10x everything next year. How about trying to enjoy the year?2023 will come and it will go and you will never have that year again. So please make a point to enjoy it whilst it's there. Then see what else you can do whilst you're in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 21, 2022 • 19min
Do you know when to stop?
Do you have a reverse gear? We spend so much time with our heads down trying to make forward progress that we often fail to be sure we are making progress in the right direction.We discuss the importance of doing the right things for the right reasons and the problems many aspirational entrepreneurs run into by following the hype.--- Dan Murray-Serter is the host of the Secret Leaders podcast and founder of Kindling Media. He is also the founder of the brain care company Heights.Dan shares his top mindsets for success and tools for positive psychology. We dive into many lessons learnt from podcasting that apply to life and also discuss the rising issues of cancel culture and polarization.Connect with Dan Murray-Serter
The BrainCare company - Heights
Dan's epic podcast - Secret Leaders
Twitter - @DanMurraySerter
Connect with Sam:
Join the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:34 - Why are you doing what you're doing?
03:02 - Mental resilience through failure
04:20 - Most people are not suited for entrepreneurship
09:29 - Top lessons for staying positive
12:45 - Balance and priorities
16:10 - roundup
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 13, 2022 • 15min
Learning faster by doing less
Learn how to learn faster by doing less with skill breaks. Discover the power of consistent daily practice and starting small. Benefit from breaks to aid in rapid learning and break through initial barriers.

Dec 7, 2022 • 22min
Your Mind on food
We discuss how to improve our relationships with food and ultimately ourselves. How we think about our body and how we treat it directly impacts our health and mental health. Toni Marinucci is a registered dietician and runs Tips With Toni, one of my favourite podcasts on the topic of food, health and happiness. Connect with Toni:
Read her blog - Tips with Toni
Instagram - @tips_with_toni
Connect with Sam:
Join the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:03 - Fad Diets
04:20 - Long-term solutions instead of quick fixes
07:24 - Essential food mindset - your worth is not your food
11:59 - Instagram and expectations
14:10 - IBS, marathons and hydration
16:05 - Hangovers, sodium and athletes
19:01 - Kindness
20:15 - Take action
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 29, 2022 • 26min
Dan Murray-Serter: Know your purpose
Dan Murray-Serter is the host of the Secret Leaders podcast and has bootstrapped it into an entire media company. He is also the founder of the brain care company Heights. Dan shares his top mindsets for success and tools for positive psychology. We dive into many lessons learnt from podcasting that apply to life and also discuss the rising issues of cancel culture and polarization. Connect with Dan Murray-Serter
The BrainCare company - Heights
His epic podcast - Secret Leaders
Twitter - @DanMurraySerter
Connect with Sam:
Join the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Go deep or broad
02:36 - Don't overprepare
04:25 - Go with the flow
07:35 - Impact of cancel culture
11:51 - Bootstrapping a podcast into a media business (Secret leaders)
15:50 - Starting a podcast for your business (BrainCare)
18:25 - Balancing Energy vs. Time
20:30 - Do you want to do it OR are you unsure how to stop?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


