# Struggling to reach your goals? Nir Eyal explains the beliefs holding you back (Part 1) Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-i-work-960132/struggling-to-reach-your-goals-nir-eyal-explains-the-beliefs-holding-you-back-part-1 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-i-work-960132/struggling-to-reach-your-goals-nir-eyal-explains-the-beliefs-holding-you-back-part-1.md Podcast: [How I Work](https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-i-work-960132) Published: 2026-03-11T19:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://omny.fm/shows/how-i-work/hiw-nir-part-1-v2 Audio file: https://mgln.ai/e/187/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/190bd54e-82e6-43fb-8f6a-af46001792de/aff7a96f-2f80-4183-9f50-b4090020015f/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=71f0c47d-eac4-4e42-b713-af46001792ec Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-i-work-960132/episodes/struggling-to-reach-your-goals-nir-eyal-explains-the-beliefs-holding-you-back-part-1 Duration seconds: 1846 ## Resource What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and the things you want in life isn’t your effort, your discipline, or even your circumstances? What if it’s the beliefs you didn’t realise you were holding.  In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, I sit down with behavioural scientist and bestselling author Nir Eyal to unpack how our hidden beliefs shape what we see, how we feel, and what we do. Nir spent six years researching his latest book  Beyond Belief , exploring the science behind how beliefs influence our behaviour and how we can change the ones that are quietly limiting us.  We dive into why rumination feels productive but actually keeps us stuck, why venting about people can reinforce the very stories that make us miserable, and a practical tool called a reality log that helps you see situations more clearly. Nir also shares a powerful technique for questioning beliefs that are causing suffering, using a surprisingly relatable story about a birthday gift for his mum that didn’t go quite as planned.   Nir and I discuss:   The difference between facts, faith, and beliefs and why beliefs are open to change  Why many of our most important life decisions come down to beliefs rather than facts  How rumination feels like problem solving but often reinforces limiting beliefs  The surprisingly effective technique of scheduling “worry time”  How our beliefs shape what we literally perceive in the world  Why venting about people can strengthen negative assumptions rather than resolve them  How a reality log can help you challenge distorted perceptions  A four question technique to examine… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-i-work-960132/episodes/struggling-to-reach-your-goals-nir-eyal-explains-the-beliefs-holding-you-back-part-1/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-i-work-960132/struggling-to-reach-your-goals-nir-eyal-explains-the-beliefs-holding-you-back-part-1.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.