Eric ZimmerEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

What if lasting change isn't about reinventing yourself overnight—but learning how to make the next good choice? In this conversation, Fleet sits down with author, teacher, and The One You Feed podcast creator Eric Zimmer for a deeply personal exploration of addiction, recovery, self-compassion, identity, and the mechanics of meaningful change. Eric reflects on reaching a point in his twenties when he was homeless, severely addicted to heroin, physically ill, and facing the possibility of decades in prison. Entering long-term treatment mattered—but Eric explains that the real transformation came from the thousands of choices that...

Most of us are familiar with this frustrating pattern: you set a goal, start off strong, but then lose motivation and end up right back at square one. Why does it seem so hard to change — even when you have a plan in place? Turns out, you may be aiming too high, too soon. Laurie breaks down the science behind this pattern with Eric Zimmer, host of the award-winning podcast “The One You Feed” and author of the new book How A Little Becomes A Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Eric spent years struggling to overcome a heroin addiction before eventually turning his life around. He explains why lasting change often comes from making consistent progress in the right direction rather than attempting one dramatic transformation, and shares what he’s learned about building momentum, overcoming setbacks, and finally reaching the goals we’ve been striving for. Experts Mentioned: Eric Zimmer, author and host of “The One You Feed” Steven Pressfield, author Resources Mentioned: How A Little Becomes A Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life, by Eric Zimmer (2026) “The One You Feed,” hosted by Eric Zimmer  The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield (2002) Related Episodes: "Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant" "How to Kick Bad Habits (and Start Good Ones)" "You Only Live Once… So Commit" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A little of something beats a lot of nothing every single time. How a Little Becomes a Lot author Eric Zimmer explains the math of meaningful change. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1327 What We Discuss with Eric Zimmer: Real change isn't the cinematic rock-bottom epiphany we love to romanticize — it's the thousands of unglamorous, repeated micro-decisions that follow it. Calling the sponsor instead of the dealer. Driving the long way home. The watershed moment only matters because of what comes after.What feels permanently insurmountable can genuinely vanish as a problem. Eric drove oxycodone to his mom for weeks without flinching, when years earlier he'd have robbed someone at gunpoint for those same pills — proof that cravings don't always require lifelong white-knuckled willpower.All-or-nothing thinking is the silent killer of progress. The protein-powder-and-two-hour-gym-sessions fantasy keeps people doing literally nothing, when a 15-minute walk after dinner would honor the underlying goal and keep momentum alive. A little of something beats a lot of nothing.You can't pull a "feel happy" lever — emotions don't have one. But behavior does, and acting your way into right thinking is often more reliable than thinking your way into right action. Show up, shake hands, do the small thing, and the inner state tends to follow.Get honest about what you actually value by noticing what stays constant across different rooms and moods, not what flickers based on whoever you were just hanging out with. Then make those values easier to live — shrink the action, remove the friction, and let the next good choice be the path of least resistance.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanArticle: Visit article.com/jordan for $50 off your first purchase of $100 or moreBooking.com: Book your getaway now with booking.comButcherBox: Free protein for a year + $20 off first box: butcherbox.com/jordanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Eric Zimmer has learned the hard way that the path to big life changes starts with small everyday behaviors. Whether it’s kicking an addiction, building a business, or writing a book, Eric starts with habits and a clear focus on what he wants to do. The host of the podcast “The One You Feed” and the author of the new book “How a Little Becomes a Lot,” Eric joins Chris to discuss his recovery journey and why he values consistency over perfection. Featured guest Follow Eric Zimmer on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at oneyoufeed.net/Buy How a Little Becomes a Lot by Eric Zimmer Connect with the team Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.comBuy Chris’ book, Humor Me Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollectiveFollow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTokVote for our show in the Signal Awards for Best Advice & How To podcast! For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Fill out our survey at bit.ly/BHSurvey6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why don’t we choose the things we know are good for us? It’s usually because we’re struggling with self-regulation, one of the most important (and most misunderstood) skills out there. In today’s episode, Forrest talks with Eric Zimmer about what healthy self-regulation actually looks like,  the gap between insight and action, how shame can derail us, and why most change comes down to small steps taken consistently. They discuss how to figure out what actually matters to you vs. what you want right now, the tension between acceptance and change, and how to get back on track after a slip without making it worse. About our Guest: Eric Zimmer is the creator of The One You Feed, an award-winning podcast with over 50 million downloads. He’s also the author of the new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Key Topics:  0:00: Intro: Why is self-regulation so important? 4:32: Moving from insight to action 8:14: Values versus desires 14:25: Eric’s sobriety journey 20:57: Changing our relationship to shame 32:05: When to accept things as they are, and when to move from acceptance to change  38:17: Choosing the more useful meaning 42:51: How to get over self-doubt 46:41: Having a backup plan for when things go sideways 53:54: Balancing striving with non-craving 1:06:16: Recap Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Sleep Reset is offering a free 7-day trial, available only at thesleepreset.com/podcast. Start your first week of real, clinician-designed insomnia treatment tonight.Visit https://carawayhome.com/BEINGWELL to take an additional 10% off your next purchase of non-toxic cookware made modern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop blaming willpower and start building the skill of making change stick for good. Pretty much every person wants to change something, about themselves, their lives, or situation. But, so few ever succeed at creating change, let alone sustaining it. In this conversation, we explore why real transformation is a learnable process rather than a test of grit. We look at the emotional hurdles that stop us and how to navigate the "alphabet" of success. Our guest today is Eric Zimmer, the host of the award-winning podcast The One You Feed and author of the new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Eric has spent decades studying behavior change, transforming his own life from addiction to becoming a leading voice in personal growth. Together, we explore: The Three-Part Direction Rule: A specific strategy that ensures your small efforts actually accumulate into big results over time.The Still Point Method: A practical tool to interrupt negative thought patterns before they ruin your day.The Truth About Value Clashes: Why your inner conflict between security and freedom is the secret culprit behind your procrastination.Neutral Thinking: A critical mindset shift that allows you to bypass the emotional drama that usually makes you quit.The 90 Percent Rule: Why most of the change process happens before you ever take a single action. If you are tired of the cycle of starting and stopping, it is time to change your approach. Play this episode to learn the practical, science-backed steps to finally becoming the person you want to be. You can find Eric at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript Next week, we're sharing our conversation with Arthur Brooks about The Meaning of Your Life and practical, science-backed ways to find purpose and discover your deepest calling. Check out our offerings & partners:  Join My New Writing Project: Awake at the WheelVisit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Zimmer joins me on this episode of the podcast. He is a serial entrepreneur, coach, and host of the podcast, The One You Feed. Eric is endlessly inspired by the quest for a greater understanding of how our minds work and how to intentionally create the lives we want to live. At the age of 24, Eric was homeless, addicted to heroin, and facing long jail sentences. In the years since, he has found a way how to recover from addiction, and build a life worth living. While Eric doesn't know if he has ADHD, he does know a lot about doing hard things in order to live the life you want to live. In this conversation, you will hear Eric, and I talk about perfectionism, battling depression, and meditation and other forms of self-care. We also discuss the balance of being content and striving for growth. We even get a little "woo woo" in this conversation! Your Resources: The Spirituality of Imperfection - Ernest Kurtz and Katherine KetchamHappiness is a Choice You Make - John Leland You'll Learn: [02:37] - Eric explains where he got the name of his podcast, The One You Feed. [05:05] - Half a lifetime ago, Eric was homeless. He tells us his path to that point in life. [09:15] - "The nature of addiction is that it's chronic." [10:40] - We talk about recovering from failure. [13:19] - Eric shares his thoughts on perfectionism. [18:51] - Eric says you need to throw the kitchen sink at depression. He shares what is in his kitchen sink. [26:29] - Eric talks about trying to balance being content and striving for growth. [32:17] - Eric describes why he feels that he is a spiritual person. [39:23] - I share my recent experiences with meditation and journaling. [45:18] - Eric describes his meditations, and says to try things and see what works for you. [48:43] - Eric talks about open meditation. [51:48] - Self-care is exhausting, but trying harder is even more exhausting. [54:19] - Eric states that we aren't built well for long-term rewards. We share tips for people who are not in an exercise routine. [1:00:30] - Eric explains how we figure out how to unlock the key to our mental health. [1:05:22] - Eric says that learning life lessons like a spiral staircase. [1:07:46] - The more we do hard things, the easier it is to do hard things. Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: http://www.audibletrial.com/ADHDreWired ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group Early registration for ADHD reWired's Spring season of our online, video-based coaching and accountability group is underway. There are three registration events left. The earlier you sign up, the more you save! RSVP for one of our registration events by visiting http://coachingrewired.com Support the podcast on Patreon Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me. With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks. One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall. Learn more at http://patreon.com/adhdrewired ADHD reWired Facebook Group: If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to EricTivers.com/community and fill out an application. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm. Go to http://erictivers.com/events. Want to be a guest? Hey, What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a Coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions and you'd like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call here.