How To Stop Limiting Yourself (Backed By Science) with Nir Eyal

**Nir Eyal** (0:00)
If there's one thing we know, is that the brain hates changing its mind.
Evolution doesn't care if you're happy. Evolution doesn't care if you make those YouTube videos or write that newsletter. Evolution has one purpose, it just wants to keep you alive.

**Jay Clouse** (0:29)
Hello, my friend. Welcome back to another episode of Creator Science. Today, I have Nir Eyal back on the show. Nir is a globally recognized authority on behavior change and human potential. His frameworks have empowered millions of people to build better habits, enhance their focus, and unlock greater agency in their lives and work. He's a former lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, the D School.
Today, Nir spends his time as a speaker and writer. He's the author of international bestsellers, Hooked, How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and Indistractable, How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, which have sold over 1 million copies in more than 30 languages. I first had Nir on this show back in episode 171 in November 2023
Nir just published his third and newest book, Beyond Belief, The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough, which became an instant New York Times bestseller and reveals how to identify and replace the hidden beliefs that define our limits. And that is what we are talking about here today. If you've been listening to the show since it was originally named Creative Elements, by the way, you may have noticed that the element featured on the original cover art at the time was belief. It's one of the most powerful forces in my life as a creator, but belief also isn't static. It's never totally done. You'll hear me talk about this with Nir towards the end of the episode. Belief is an area where I believe I currently need to improve, and maybe you do too. I was lucky to read an early copy of this book, and I absolutely breezed through it. It's so well-written. I was so amazed by the research and the examples, which are fantastic, and you can get your own copy at the link in the show notes.
In this episode, you'll learn why beliefs are tools and not truths, how to turn limiting beliefs into liberating beliefs, the problems with positive thinking and visualization, and why your beliefs are the foundation of motivation. If you enjoy this episode, tag me on Instagram, at Jay Clouse and tag Nir at Nir Eyal to let us know that you're listening. We'd love to hear from you. We'll get to that full conversation with Nir right after this.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:40)
Thanks for watching.
Listening to your coworker talk about his fantasy team. Digging a hole. Digging an even larger hole next to that original hole. Unfortunately, TaxAct's filing software can't make taxes fun.
We'll see you next time. Tax Act. Let's get them over with.

**SPEAKER_5** (3:08)
K-Pop Demon Hunters, Saja Boys Breakfast Meal and Huntrix Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle.

**SPEAKER_6** (3:18)
So glad the Saja Boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

**SPEAKER_7** (3:22)
It is an honor to share.

**SPEAKER_5** (3:24)
No, it's our honor. It is our larger honor.

**Jay Clouse** (3:28)
No, really, stop.

**SPEAKER_5** (3:30)
You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side.

**SPEAKER_6** (3:37)
Participate in McDonald's while supplies last.

**Jay Clouse** (3:42)
Nir, it's great to have you here on the show. Glad we got some time to spend together last week.
I love the area you're exploring in this book, and it's such a great and I think unique and necessary book. I'm curious to hear when the idea of beliefs and interrogating your own beliefs really entered your world and became something you want to dedicate so much time to researching.

**Nir Eyal** (4:05)
So Jay, it started with my last book, I Do These Office Hours. I've done them for years where anybody who reads one of my books can call me up and I do 15 minutes every week and they can ask me a question about anything they want. And I started getting this strange phone call that every once in a while, maybe one out of 20 callers would call me and say, oh, and by the way, there was a bit of a wait sometimes, you know, people would have to wait a few weeks, maybe sometimes months to get the time. What was unusual is that every once in a while, someone would call and say, hey, Nir, I read your book, I read Indistractable, but it didn't work. Didn't work for me. I'd say, oh, wow, that's that's interesting. You know, I spent five years writing this book and 30 pages of citations to peer reviewed studies. It changed my life. You know, let's go step by step. Let's start with step one. Tell me how that went for you.