Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement artwork

Self-Improvement · Sam Webster Harris | Growth Mindset Psychology

Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement

by 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

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

How to Enjoy Your Imperfect Life

Simple mindset shifts to build more gratitude, without reworking your entire personality. We imagine success as a destination where the problems finally stop. But the li

Oct 20
21 min

What Your Relationship With Food Is Trying to Tell You - w/ Toni Maranucci

Most people think healthy eating means following stricter rules: fewer carbs, fewer calories, fewer “bad” foods. But strict rules often create the exact behaviour they’re

Oct 16
23 min

AMA: Accountability and Procrastination, Lasting Enthusiasm and Auditory Processing Issues

Why we procrastinate, lose enthusiasm and struggle to process spoken information—and what actually helps. In this listener AMA, I answer three questions: how auditory pr

Oct 13
38 min

How to Make Your Ideas Survive a Changing World

A life is brief. An idea can travel further than its inventor ever will. What determines which ones last? We follow life’s story from the first organisms to the systems

Oct 9
36 min

How to Catch Your Brain Lying to You: A Practical Guide to Self-Awareness Over Ego

It's easy to spend our lives defending a story about who we are, instead of finding out who we could become. This episode is an invitation to stop protecting your ego an

Oct 6
30 min

Faster Than Normal - Living well with ADHD

The peculiar thing about attention deficit is that everybody seems to have it these days, whether they've earned it through proper diagnosis or simply absorbed it from an

Oct 2
38 min

The Deep-Thinking Habits That Quietly Change Your Life

Train your brain to resist distraction, form your own opinions, and think like an intellectual. When every answer is one click away, we’ve forgotten how to enjoy the str

Sep 29
36 min

Can Psychedelics Really Help You Change Your Patterns?

Have you ever wonder if the thing keeping you stuck is yourself? Invisible rules your brain runs on that you have no choice over... In this episode, we go inside guided p

Sep 25
56 min

34 Unconventional Life Lessons That Changed My Definition of Success

Beyond money, status, and attractive partner where do we find meaning, and happiness? Across 34 unconventional life lessons, we explore the inner machinery behind a mean

Sep 22
37 min

Why So Many People Secretly Struggle With Porn Addiction

An honest conversation on addiction, depression, and identity with recovery coach Powerful Eric. This week we talk about the strange modern epidemic of porn addiction, a

Sep 18
49 min

Psychology of Mistakes: 7 Lazy Thinking Habits You Don't Notice You Have

Human beings, it turns out, are magnificently good at fooling themselves. Sadly the mind has developed an elaborate way of hiding our worst thinking mistakes from us. Ou

Sep 15
32 min

8 Questions I asked Myself after 30

The World Record Breaking Jack Cai is back on the show. Asking Sam some of the deep life questions he asks himself a lot. To say this was a discussion on a single topic

Sep 11
25 min

How To Solve Complex Problems

This episode asks a simple question: what if the way forward isn't a bigger vision, but a smaller unit of thought? We trace this idea through history, biology, and the qu

Sep 8
33 min

How to Shift Your Mindset and Take Control of Your Life - w/ Kyle Livingston

Scarcity whispers that there isn't enough. Ego insists you deserve more anyway. Abundance is the quiet third option nobody mentions. Most of us were handed scarcity as a

Sep 4
49 min

7 Painful Paradoxes of Self-Improvement (And what they teach us)

You know that feeling when you try so hard to seem normal that you become a weirdo? Self-improvement works the exact same way. The more you chase happiness, the further

Sep 1
29 min

Seeking Difficulty: The Habit System Behind Three World Records and a Remarkable Life – Jack Cai

What if the thing you're avoiding is exactly what you should pursue? Jack Cai broke three world records solving Rubik's Cubes blindfolded, for teh same reason America su

Aug 28
46 min

Psychology of Mental Strength: 3 Habits to build resilience, Inner toughness & Growth Mindset

We've been sold a myth: that mental toughness means gritting your teeth and pushing through, disregarding their emotions entirely. The people who actually build lasting

Aug 25
25 min

A Growth Mindset Alone Won’t Make You a Better Leader: The psychology principles that will /wRyan Gottfredson

Explore the psychology of effective leadership and the hidden mental patterns that influence how you handle fear, failure, and change. A leader can learn new skills, ado

Aug 21
51 min

Master Finishing Things - Psychology vs Productivity, Perfectionism & Creative Constipation

Productivity gurus insist we must engineer ourselves into completion machines. This is nonsense, rather like insisting everyone should enjoy opera. The truth, as behavio

Aug 18
34 min

AMA - How to choose meaningful opportunities, take intelligent risks, and build an audience around your ideas

A meaningful life is not built by choosing perfectly. It is built by learning how to choose, revise, and continue. In this AMA, Sam examines the hidden forces that shape

Aug 11
26 min

Chart trend

Position in the Self-Improvement chart (US), last 90 days.

#42
all-time peak
30
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 21, 2026).

#164 ▲ 8 Education US
#87 ▲ 5 Self-Improvement US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I’ve been listening to this podcast for at least a year now and I’ve really been enjoying it. Sam’s voice is not only soothing, but the information that he shares is so relatable and it feels like talking to a very knowledgeable friend. I love his fascination with MrBeast and just how much of a real human he seems to be. Thank you, Sam for your time and knowledge!

Moletroll · Sep 2026

I’m almost 69 years old and have come to the conclusion that I need to work harder at having a growth mindset, especially since I recently retired, but I’m not ready to retire from life. I came across this podcast and I love it. Diverse topics. Simple applications. Appreciate the “5 seconds” at each episode end. Highly recommend.

sleeperguy57 · Jun 2026

Just beginning to get into the podcast thing and I ran into this one—WOW, I am mind blown! This has become my favorite! Yes, I’ve listened to a few podcasts before, but this is the first podcast that I’ve actually downloaded, saved, shared & replayed. I appreciate your knowledge & perspectives. My mind operates similar as yours, but you help broaden my mind perspectives, theories, etc. Thank you for sharing! God bless

LBYCFWMIYWT · Apr 2026

Just discovered this! I’ve read so many self improvement books and I feel like this podcasts sums them all up so concisely. It’s an information packed podcast!

teresa0807 · Dec 2025

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About Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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