Why You Know What to Do, But Still Don’t Do It

Mark Hyman

19 may 2025

Episode description

Lasting change begins with a shift in both mindset and behavior. Many people remain stuck in self-defeating patterns because of unconscious narratives, emotional triggers, and a disconnection from their body’s inner wisdom. Change isn’t just about willpower or information—it’s about learning to rewire the brain through small, intentional actions that generate powerful emotional feedback loops. Identity transformation happens not through repetition, but through experiences that create a sense of success. In a world flooded with conflicting advice and manipulative marketing, reclaiming agency requires tuning into your own signals, building self-trust, and recognizing that behavior change is a design challenge—not a character flaw. Empowerment comes from realizing that the ability to change is built into who we are as humans.

In this episode, I speak with Tom Bilyeu, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, and Dr. BJ Fogg about cracking the nut of behavior change.

Tom Bilyeu is a filmmaker and serial entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Quest Nutrition, a billion-dollar company built to combat metabolic disease through value-driven innovation. After nearly a decade of chasing financial success and feeling unfulfilled, he realized the importance of loving the struggle itself. This insight led him and his partners to shift focus from profit to purpose. Quest quickly became the second fastest-growing company in North America, according to Inc. Magazine. After achieving significant personal wealth, Tom turned to the other global crisis he saw—disempowering mindsets. To address this, he co-founded Impact Theory, a media studio with his wife, Lisa Bilyeu. Their mission is to scale mindset transformation by producing empowering content that shifts the cultural subconscious. Just as Disney built the most magical place on Earth, the Bilyeus aim to build the most empowering one.

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential doctors in the UK. A practicing GP for the last two decades, Dr. Chatterjee wants to inspire people to transform their health by making small, sustainable changes to their lifestyles. Host of the #1 Apple podcast, Feel Better, Live More, and presenter of BBC 1’s Doctor in the House, Dr. Chatterjee is the author of 5 Sunday Times bestselling books and his TED Talk, “How to Make Diseases Disappear,” has now been viewed over 4.8 million times. His newest book is Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of Mental Well-Being.

Dr. BJ Fogg is a behavior scientist, author, and founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, where he has researched human behavior since 1998. He developed the groundbreaking “Behavior Design” system, which explains how behavior works and how to design it effectively. Over the past decade, his lab has focused on practical applications—from helping people navigate coronavirus-related challenges to training climate change professionals in behavior chan

Episode description

In this episode, I speak with Tom Bilyeu, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, and Dr. BJ Fogg about cracking the nut of behavior change.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Cultivate positive emotions to form lasting habits

It is a myth that repetition creates habits; habits are actually formed by the positive emotions, like the feeling of success, that you experience after performing a behavior.

#emotion

#habits

Embrace adaptability to thrive as apex predators

Humans are the ultimate apex predator not because of strength, but because we can adapt to change better than any other animal, even physiologically.

#adaptation

Listen to your body: understand vagal nerve communication

The vagal nerve is estimated to be 80% afferent, meaning the body is telling the brain what is going on far more than the brain is instructing the body.

#nervous-system

#vagus-nerve

Write a letter to yourself to break negative emotional loops

To break out of a negative emotional loop like an argument, write a letter to yourself instructing you to laugh out loud, and have your partner read it to you.

#emotion

#regulation

Praise effort to foster a growth mindset

To build a growth mindset, praise the process, such as hard work, rather than innate traits like intelligence, to avoid creating fragility when facing challenges.

#growth-mindset

#resilience

Reevaluate microdosing psilocybin for creativity and focus

Contrary to popular belief, microdosing psilocybin may not increase creativity or focus, but instead can feel like a low-grade buzz without any unpleasant after-effects.

#microdosing

Recognize your mindset as the reality you swim in

Your mindset is like the water a fish swims in; it's the constructed reality you exist in, and you're often the last to realize it's there.

#awareness

#mindset

Believe in your ability to improve for lasting change

The only belief that truly matters is that you can improve, because without it, you won't have the energy or motivation to put in the effort to change.

#motivation

#personal-growth

Utilize 'Feel, Feed, Find' framework to conquer cravings

To overcome cravings, use the 'three Fs': identify what you Feel, understand how the craving Feeds that feeling, and then Find an alternative behavior to satisfy the need.