Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them.
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In today’s episode, you’re going to learn exactly how to achieve your goals, stay motivated, and create real, lasting change in your life.

If you’ve struggled to create change that sticks…
If you know exactly what you want to change, but can’t follow through…
If you’re tired of blaming willpower…

This conversation will give you clarity, relief, and a proven way forward.

Joining Mel today is Dr. Katy Milkman, PhD, one of the world’s leading behavioral scientists, an endowed professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and co-founder of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative.

In her lab at UPenn, Dr. Milkman consolidated the findings from 192 researchers and found that there are 7 hidden barriers that stop people from changing, even when they desperately want to.

Today, she walks through each of the 7 barriers and explains why each barrier requires a different, evidence-backed strategy. Trying harder doesn’t work. Using the right tool does.

Dr. Milkman will also share the secret weapon for creating real change in your life called the Fresh Start Effect.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
-The real reason change feels so hard – and why you’re not lazy, broken, or lacking discipline
-The 7 hidden barriers that quietly stop you from following through
-How to identify which barrier is blocking you
-Why willpower keeps letting you down and what works when motivation disappears -Why procrastination, impulsivity, and forgetting are predictable and the simple tools that stop them
-How to make hard habits feel easier and more rewarding, so they finally stick
-The science-backed way to design your environment for success instead of relying on self-control

In this conversation, Dr. Milkman gives you a practical framework to stop fighting yourself and start working with how your brain actually functions.

If you’re ready for this year to be different, this episode is for you. You’re not broken. You’re not behind. And once you understand the science, change finally becomes possible.

As a gift to listeners of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel has created a free 20-page workbook to help you make 2026 a great year. This workbook is designed using the latest research to help you get clear about what you want and empower you to take the next step forward in your life. Get it here: https://www.melrobbins.com/bestyear/

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-356/

Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast

I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode.

In this episode:
00:00 Meet the Guest
04:17 What You Get Wrong About Making Change Stick
07:30 The 7 Barriers to Change
12:31 The Fresh Start Effect
23:02 How to Make New Habits Fun u0026 Easy
31:17 The Real Reason You Procrastinate
36:53 How to Make Healthy Habits Automatic
44:46 Overcome Laziness and Build Better Habits
49:38 Boost Your Confidence With this Simple Trick
01:00:54 You Don’t Need Willpower, You Need a Plan
01:07:51 The #1 Rule for Creating Lasting Change

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