{"podcast":{"title":"First Principles","slug":"first-principles-7708985","podcast_index_feed_id":7708985,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN4765221373","website_url":null,"image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/06eebd2a-0779-11f1-826e-37926ac18342/image/fca7c8febd1441fc3b0d54084418b06d.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Adrian Wells","episode_count":324,"summary":"First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most \"revolutionary\" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T16:19:48.696188+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985"},"episode":{"title":"Why Your Brain Sabotages Your Productivity (And How to Fix It Today)","slug":"why-your-brain-sabotages-your-productivity-and-how-to-fix-it-today","published_at":"2026-07-11T06:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/why-your-brain-sabotages-your-productivity-and-how-to-fix-it-today","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN2815225253.mp3?updated=1776258289","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN2815225253.mp3?updated=1776258289","summary":"Your brain processes 60,000 thoughts daily, and 95% of them are just reruns from yesterday. Adrian Wells breaks down why your mind works against your productivity goals and shares the science-backed fixes that actually stick. Most people think meditation is about emptying your mind. Wrong. It's about training your brain's attention muscle, and new research shows just 10 minutes daily can slash cortisol levels by 23%. That's not wishful thinking, that's measurable stress reduction. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why chronic stress literally shrinks your hippocampus and kills your memory • The prefrontal cortex hack that stops mental loops before they spiral • Simple awareness techniques that boost focus without apps or gimmicks • How to spot the thought patterns sabotaging your best intentions 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners tired of productivity advice that ignores how your brain actually works. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the 60,000 thought problem [01:45] Why 80% of your thoughts are negative by design [03:30] The stress-memory connection most people miss [06:15] Meditation myths that keep smart people from trying it [08:45] Three awareness techniques you can start today [11:00] Key takeaways for immediate implementation Your mind doesn't have to be your enemy. Understanding these patterns changes everything about how you approach work, stress, and daily decisions. The research is clear: awareness beats willpower every time. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: meditation, productivity, stress management, mindfulness, neuroscience Find all episodes at First Principles ------- Keywords: ai dangers, social media addiction, b…","meta_description":"Your brain processes 60,000 thoughts daily, and 95% of them are just reruns from yesterday. Adrian Wells breaks down why your mind works against your prod…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2026,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/why-your-brain-sabotages-your-productivity-and-how-to-fix-it-today/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/why-your-brain-sabotages-your-productivity-and-how-to-fix-it-today.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}