

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

Nov 15, 2022 • 19min
Be more interesting by being yourself
Everyone wants to be more interesting and more liked but they can try too hard or simply not know where to start.We learn some ideas that you won't have heard before or at least not described in this way to give you a mindset boost to be more confidently yourself.What are the blockers that get in the way of being yourself and how can you become more interesting by being uniquely you?The fears and mindsets to grow more confident and more unique along with tips for mental health and managing your energy.- - -Growth mindset podcastHost Sam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)- - -Title: Be more interesting by being yourselfChapters:0:00 Why fit in when you were born to stand out?0:59 Create more interesting interests2:30 10x depth is 100x more interesting3:38 Examples of geeking out that are fascinating5:39 More interesting interests6:24 Become more interesting within yourself9:08 Wearing a dress a WebSummit14:16 Don't overprepare for everything15:00 Stand out vs Chill out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 2, 2022 • 36min
PreMint: Solve real problems and don't give up
PreMint founder, Brendan Mulligan shares his lessons from building several businesses.He sold LaunchKit to Google and led dev tool products for three years there.He's built a tonne of other projects and currently runs PodPage and PreMint.We learn:
The biggest mistakes founders make
His framework to solve real problems
The number 1 flaw that kills NFT projects
What it's like to sell a business to Google
The benefits and negatives of startup vs. corporate
How to prioritise work in your 20's for later success
Connect with Brenden Mulligan:
Launch a podcast website - PodPage
Create an NFT access List - PreMint
Follow Brenden on Twitter - @Mulligan
- - -Growth mindset podcastHost Sam Webster Harris explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create.Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset)- - -Title: PreMint: Solve real problems and don't give upChapters:0:00 Solve real problems and don't give up01:42 Why do you build so many things?02:49 Why did you go and work for google? How did career shape happen?04:30 How did you sell business to google?07:06 Running own buiz to working at google then leaving09:17 Big lessons from Google10:58 What you should learn from google14:37 Google fail to solve a problem15:10 Framework to know you're solving a problem17:13 Not putting a price on the pain 18:04 Pre-purchase decision + Patreon / Kickstarter18:30 Issues with Kickstarter19:24 Where do ideas come from + Podpage genesis21:53 Any other NFT projects? Why Premint is great23:04 Expected Pre-Mint to fail - Don't give up!23:45 Doubling down on your focus area24:25 NFT trends + Utility tokens24:54 NFT collections vs utility tokens26:30 Cycling movements of NFTS28:09 Metaverse thoughts?29:20 Advice to younger self - Music industry 20s30:21 Be a small fish in a big pond30:55 Derek sivers31:14 Derek call after leaving google32:53 BYEEEE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 18, 2022 • 17min
How we lose track of Reality and where to find it
“You must not fool yourself… and you are the easiest person to fool” Richard FeynmanWe all have goals and ideas for our future, but things don’t always go according to plan. There is a mismatch between the idea when it is in the safe space of our mind and when we try to bring the idea into the worldMost of our failures come down to a detachment from reality.This episode breaks down the psychological nature of ideas. Where the differeneces lie compared to the practicalities of life. It then covers practical steps to level up your game plan and confront reality in the face as it happens.Cohorts Sam likes:
Writing - Ship30for30
YouTube - CreatorNow
Podcasting - Podcast Marketing Academy
Free Resources Sam Likes:
Writing - Ultimate Writing Guide
YouTube - Ali Abdaal - Beginner Youtube SkillShare
Podcasting - Podcast Growth BluePrint
- - -Connect with Sam:
Join the conversation on the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking
Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday
Support the Show - Patreon
If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!- - -Timestamps
00:00 - The issue with goals and ideas
01:17 - Unrealistic Expectations
02:03 - Not Ready for the moment
02:16 - Psychology of ideas
03:25 - Reality in the moment
05:31 - Adjusting to new habits
06:07 - Personal Responsibility
06:55 - No Momentum
07:50 Get it out your head
08:45 - Cohort Learning
10:11 - Coaching
11:04 - Accountability Groups
12:47 - Future.me letters
14:07 - Standard tips
15:05 - Round up
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 7, 2022 • 12min
Journey vs. Destination - Optimising the right things
Goals are important to achieve, but they can distract us from living a life of meaning. Chasing the wrong things is a sure way to waste your life. Make better decisions by improving your mindset and appreciating what's important to you. Learn to focus your time and energy on the journeys you want to take instead of getting lost seeking goals to please others.Connect with Sam:
Join the conversation on the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking
Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday
Support the Show - Patreon
If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!Timestamps
00:00 - Journey vs destination
00:45 - Decision overwhelm
01:14 - Reality isn't sexy
03:44 - Focus on the now
05:47 - Optimise for the journey
07:25 - What makes a good game?
08:15 - The Rule of Thirds
09:04 - A cold dark night on the side of Everest
09:55 - Recap
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 20, 2022 • 16min
Better Decisions - Thinking in Bets
Annie Duke was a professional poker player and psychologist. Her book "Thinking in Bets" provides a brilliant set of rules and mental models for rationality in a confusing world.Connect with Sam:
Join the conversation on the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking
Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday
Support the Show - Patreon
If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!Timestamps
00:00 - Life is a game of chance
00:51 - Episode outline
02:01 - How Annie got into poker
04:27 - Rule 1 - Seek Truth
05:30 - Rule 2 - Never chase losses
07:05- Mental models
07:28 - Model 1 - Wisdom is statistically good choices
10:24 - Model 2 - Question common knowledge
12:51 - Model 3 - Bet on it
14:24 - Wrap up
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 6, 2022 • 16min
The overlooked solution to work-life balance
By treating work and life as opposing forces we inevitably end up tipping the scales the wrong way. We can't always subscribe time evenly and things get out of whack.We find there is a much better way by examining the term itself 'Work-life balance". This podcast will not only help you find better harmony with your different life projects but also help your awareness and mindsets to the choices you make.- - -Infinite Play - Nat EliasonThis episode was based on an article from Nat Eliason and his brilliant newsletter Infinite Play - I highly recommend subscribing.Connect with Sam:
Join the conversation on the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking
Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday
Support the Show - Patreon
If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!TimeStamps
00:00 - Work-life balance is the wrong goal
01:05 - Nat Eliason and Infinite Play
01:50 - Your time as heartbeats
02:57 - The issue with finding balance
03:42 - Why words are so important
05:30 - We are not rational, we are emotional
06:40 - The issue with the word "Balance"
07:40 - the main pillars of a happy life
08:25 - Good or bad obsession
9:15 - Integrating our priorities
11:05 - the secret to long term enjoyment
13:00 - Satisfaction without sacrifice
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 30, 2022 • 12min
Get noticed and be remembered
"People don't remember what you tell them, they never forget how you make them feel."In the episode, we learn how to use emotions to make ourselves memorable and stand out.You need to make a good impression if you want more friends, make sales, get a better job or impress dates. - - -Connect with Sam:
Join the conversation on the social podcast app - Podvine
Sam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking
Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday
Support the Show - Patreon
If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends!TimeStamps
00:00 - Why do you get forgotten?
01:01 - Emotions and memory
01:37 - Oren Klaff, sales advice
02:19 - Don't tell people you are funny, make them laugh
03:28 - Focus on actions, not descriptions
04:28 - Prove you are who you think you are
05:18 - Why I'm doing world records
07:25 - What do you want people to think about you?
08:32 - How to be noticeably kinder
10:16 - Thanks x
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Aug 23, 2022 • 22min
Increase output, learn faster, avoid burnout
Discover how to increase your output and learn faster while avoiding burnout by optimizing your mindset, reframing brain training, and making work enjoyable. Explore the differences between mind and muscle, learn from memory champions, and find joy in gamifying tedious tasks. Uncover the secrets of Alexander the Great, Steve Jobs, and Jason Mraz in shaping hard things into enjoyable experiences.

Aug 16, 2022 • 20min
Master finishing things
Explore the art of finishing tasks and overcoming blockers, focusing on strengths and interests to enhance efficiency. Learn about effective delegation, prioritization, and the importance of task completion and self-reflection. Discover unconventional advice and strategies for improving creativity and productivity.

Aug 9, 2022 • 19min
Own how others affect you
We are often told we are the product of the 5 people we spend the most time with. This episode explores the cases where this isn't true and what we can learn from examining the relationships we have. We learn that actually, the most significant effect is from those that prevent us from being ourselves. Otherwise, we are free to choose the qualities we are inspired by regardless of how much time we spend with people. Questions to reflect on What are my strengths? When do I feel like I am being myself?
I am putting my energy directly into the thing I want to do or is it postponed for some reason?
Is there a faster way to reach the lifestyle I want?
Who are my idols? Why do I look up to them? Could I have better idols?Who are 5 cool but very different friends to me, what would they tell me to do? Connect with Sam: Join the conversation on the social podcast app - PodvineSam's newsletter on creativity and entrepreneurship - Explosive Thinking Sam's podcast on books - Wiser Than Yesterday Support the Show - Patreon If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Timestamps
00:00 - What is a growth mindset
00:20 - You are not the 5 people you spend time with
01:00 - Be yourself
01:23 - The skier parable
04:08 - Don't be blocked from being yourself
04:40 - Best friends
06:30 - Opposite can work
08:50 - Choose your inspiration
09:36 - Small encounters can have butterfly effects
10:53 - Prioritise healthy relationships
11:30 - Avoid being generic groups/cliques
12:08 - Sahil Lavingia and GumRoad
13:53 - Variety is the spice of life
14:53 - Questions to journal on (see above)
16:05 - Life tips
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