Change Academy
Episodes
The freedom in embracing our finitude, with Oliver Burkeman
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the pursuit of happiness is NOT the path to greater life satisfaction? What if being more productive and getting more done isn’t actually th...
We now return to your Future Self
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ready for some time travel? Your Current Self was once your Future Self. And I’m guessing that Past You had big plans for Current You (previously, F...
Wellness is Big Busine$$. So why is it such a hard sell?
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of our Business of Being Well series, wellness strategist and speaker Cassie Christopher joins me to explore how insights from t...
The underrated power of the (right) mission statement
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your values weren’t just something you thought about once during a journaling workshop, but a real-time compass for how you show up—especi...
How to find (and fix) your rate-limiting step
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, the system isn’t broken—it’s just bottlenecked.In this episode, we’re continuing our series on translating business strategies into...
How to "Recession-Proof" Your Commitments to Yourself
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When the economy gets rocky, smart businesses don’t panic—they prepare. They focus on what really matters, streamline what they can, and make sure...
Success always lags. Here's how to take the lead.
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will you succeed in reaching your next big goal? Only time will tell. Because success (or failure) generally comes at the end of the process. Except ...
Should you walk away or double down? How to know.
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you feel like your progress (or your motivation) has stalled, you have options. You can redouble your efforts. You can take an entirely different a...
A sure-fire way to set yourself (and others) up for failure
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you guilty of holding yourself (or others) to impossibly high standards?In this episode, we're exploring the concept of Ought implies can—the no...
Transcending the grind: How to thrive in the job you have now
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling stuck in the daily grind? Quitting isn’t the only way out. In this episode, Dr. Jessica Grossmeier shares how to find meaning, connection, a...
When we know better, we do better. Here's why.
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered why some changes seem impossible to sustain while others just click?It’s not magic—it’s science. In this episode, we’re talking...
How to cope when your life goes completely off the rails
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever we make plans or set goals, it's important anticipate the inevitable bumps in the road, and be ready to adapt and course-correct. But someti...
Resolution Remix: A 3-Step Ritual That Sets You Up for Success
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These final few days of the year are a great time to reflect on the year that’s past and think about what we’d like to focus on or accomplish in t...
Going beyond pros and cons to get to the heart of tough decisions
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wrestling with a tough choice? Trying to weigh the pros and cons but going in circles? In this episode, I've got a systematic approach to decision-mak...
Escaping the pleasure trap: How to break highly rewarding habits
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling with hard-to-quit habits? Whether it's the nightly glass of wine, mindless snacking, or endless social media scrolling, in this episode we'...
What to do with your negative thoughts
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our thoughts powerfully impact our lives—but we don't always pay enough attention to what we're telling ourselves. In this episode, we’ll take a l...
How to overcome your resistance to change
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of a three-part series, we are digging in to why we so often resist making positive changes in our lives. Resistance isn't sim...
Year-End Recalibration: Let's Make These Last Two Months Count
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the end of the year looms into view, you may feel some regret or disappointment about unmet goals or unrealized ambitions. Add in the chaos of holi...
The Surprising Secret to Enjoying Weekends and Vacations
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Craving a break from your routines? Discover why that might actually be sabotaging your happiness…as well as your progress.Molly Watts returns to th...
Why Change Takes Forever (and Why That’s So Awesome!)
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discover why viewing change as a lifelong journey is not just realistic, but liberating and exciting. Learn how to reframe personal growth as evolutio...
The Alchemy of Failure: Finding the treasure hiding in our mistakes
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a world obsessed with success, embracing failure seems a bit counter-cultural. But if it’s good enough for the some of history’s smartest and m...
What (and how) you practice matters hugely. Choose well.
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the role of practice in habit formation and how a thoughtful approach can accelerate your progress more than just mindless...
The ultimate guide to giving feedback that gets positive results
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Bethy Campbell joins Monica to explore the delicate dance of offering constructive criticism while maintaining positive relationships. Learn pract...
How to create a more effective support strategy
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Change is challenging, for all kinds of different reasons. But one thing that can make it more challenging than it actually needs to be is when we ins...
Revisiting the Joy Choice with Michelle Segar
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Michelle Segar is an NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan. She’s also a best-selling author and health coach. She’s spent close...
3 types of goals and what they reveal about you
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Goals come in different flavors--and they don’t all work same way. By understanding the differences, we can uncover ways in which our goals may be a...
Sense foraging: How to do an end run around your DMN
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Default Mode Network, or DMN, is the part of your brain that drives your habitual actions and thoughts. When we feel “stuck” in unwanted behav...
Why even a great plan isn't always enough
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's definitely an art to planning. And we'll get into that in this episode. But here’s the thing everyone forgets to tell you about planning: Th...
We're told to "Be curious!" Why that's easier said than done.
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being curious about our experiences (both internal and external) really is key to unlocking our progress and potential. But to be honest, it’s a tri...
How we cheat ourselves of the future we dream of
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm betting you aspire to a future life that is at least a little bit better than it is now—perhaps you'll be a bit healthier, less stressed, more c...
How being selfish can be an act of service
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past 9 or so months, Karen has lost about 25% of her weight. Which is a big deal. But it’s really not the headline of her story. Her story ...
Roadmap for Success: The practices that lead to real change
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what separates the people who achieve lasting change from those who stay stuck? I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years and ...
Growth Factor: How to ask for (and receive) feedback
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Bethy Campbell joins Monica to discuss the rewards and potential pitfalls of seeking feedback–in both your professional and personal relationshi...
When motivation is a struggle, it's time to realign your why
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re exploring an aspect of change that can be really tricky: figuring out why making this change is important to you. It doesn’...
How to make sure you've set the right goals
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are a society of goal-setters. If you’re not setting and achieving goals, you’re not living your best life. Or so we’re told. And goals do ha...
How to do the things that you don’t want to do
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it sometimes so darned hard to just do the things that we KNOW will make us healthier, happier and more effective in our jobs and lives?Behavio...
How behavior change experts work on their own difficult habits
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kurt Nelson and Tim Houlihan are the co-hosts of the Behavioral Grooves podcast and heavy hitters in the behavioral sciences. In this episode, the thr...
Why we can't help comparing ourselves to others
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a very natural human tendency to compare ourselves to the people around us–and even to the people we see portrayed in the media. And like so ...
Why behavioral economics shouldn't be the only tool in the toolbox
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Behavioral economics has given us a lot of insights into how we can influence our own and other’s behavior. But the approach has some serious limita...
Looking for happiness in all the wrong places, with Oliver Burkeman
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if the pursuit of happiness is NOT the path to greater life satisfaction? What if being more productive and getting more done isn’t actually th...
How to get back on track instead of sabotaging your progress
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, I have worked with a lot of people on various aspects of behavior change–mostly having to do with health behaviors. I have witness...
How to stop complaining and find the path to positive change
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is there something in your life that’s been driving you crazy for a while? Some situation at work that you find yourself venting to your spouse abou...
The inner work that makes outward change more possible
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation with a recent “graduate” of the Weighless program, Lauren shares some of the key insights that helped her permanently transfo...
Why it’s so hard to convert good intentions into action
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s clearly no shortage of good intentions in the world, and most of them actually have to do with health. People want to get into shape, they w...
How to know when it’s time to make a big change
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Careers are one of the ways that we find meaning and purpose in our lives. Not the only way, of course. But what if you wake up one day and realiz...
What if you didn’t have to be more disciplined to succeed?
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I was recently exchanging emails with someone who was struggling to change some unhelpful behaviors. He wrote: “I do really well for a couple of d...
Making the most of a reboot (Behind the scenes)
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve decided that my special word for 2024 is Reboot. Much of my last year was consumed by the reboot of the Weighless program–a coaching program...
Special Series: Mindset Reset #5
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the last of a special 5-part Mindset Reset–a little bonus series to help us get our mindset tuned up as we head into the New Year, and into ...
Special Series: Mindset Reset #4
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have reached the fourth installment our special 5-day Mindset Reset series and this reset is a juicy one. Many of us have learned the unhelpful hab...
Special Series: Mindset Reset #3
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is the third installment our special 5-day Mindset Reset and we're talking about balancing our approach to food as a source of both nourishment a...
Special Series: Mindset Reset #2
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is Part 2 of our special 5-part Mindset Reset series–a little bonus series to help us get our mindset tuned up as we head into the New Year. ...
Special Series: Weighless Mindset Reset # 1
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this last week of the calendar year, we're departing from our usual format to bring you a special 5-day series called the Weighless Mindset Reset....
Is your diet-tracking app helping or hurting?
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are apps and devices that help us what we eat, weigh, spend, save, how much water we drink, how many steps we take. But what is all of this trac...
In order to succeed, you must risk failing (again)
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If anyone is telling you they can guarantee that you will succeed (as long as you follow their method or their strategy or whatever), they are not bei...
How to build the circle that supports your best work
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I’m sharing a bit about my circle of support and inviting you to evaluate your own network. Who are you grateful for? Where might your suppor...
Stages of change: what they forget to tell you
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology class or done some reading on human behavior and development, you’ve probably stumbled across the ...
If it feels good, it must be bad for me…and other fairy tales
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hedonic self-care involves activities that we find pleasurable. A massage or a nap or time spent with dear friends. Eudaimonic self-care includes tho...
Festive food season is approaching. What's your plan? (Extracurricular)
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, I sat down with Kelly Howard of the Fit is Freedom podcast. You may remember Kelly from a Change Academy episode on how incorporat...
How community and connection build healthier habits
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, I talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we put corporations in charge of our wellbeing. In this episode, I s...
Are these really the people we want in charge of our well-being?
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of employers and health insurers are now offering wellbeing apps and portals. They're obviously hoping that giving people tools to help them man...
Recalibrating your reward system: treating yourself better
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The theme of treats and rewards is coming up in a lot of my conversations right now…with my coaching clients, with people who have reached out to ta...
Why a healthy self-image is essential to your future growth
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How we see ourselves has an enormous impact on our mental health and wellbeing, how we function in our relationships, even what sort of goals we set f...
Three things you need to change in order to succeed (ft. Molly Watts)
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been listening to the Change Academy for a while, you’ll remember Molly Watts from several previous episodes. But if you’re newer to t...
How to transform difficult emotions into powerful insights
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All of us occasionally struggle with negative or overwhelming emotional reactions. But few of us have been taught to handle difficult feelings effec...
Feeling uninspired or unmotivated by your goals? This could be the missing element
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Late breaking news! Kelly is giving Change Academy listeners an electronic copy of her new book for free! Scroll down for the link to that I met Ke...
How satisfied are you with your life? (Your health may depend on it)
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Part of living your best life involves thinking–at least a little–about how you can set yourself up to live a good life in the future. If you’r...
How much can we realistically do to improve our lives?
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is based on the premise that –with the right tools, insights, and support, we can create meaningful lasting changes in our habits, impr...
Better habits aren’t the solution, according to this behavioral expert
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have we put habit formation on too high a pedestal? Dr. Michelle Segar is an NIH-funded researcher who has spent close to thirty years studying how ...
How to succeed: What I’ve learned from my most successful clients
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm convinced that watching Wimbledon actually improves my game. Granted, when you’re as bad as I am, it doesn’t take much. But there is definitel...
How do we create the conditions that foster positive change?
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Whether you are trying to create positive changes in your personal life or in your workplace or community, you ar...
Change is hard. Maintaining the status quo can be even tougher.
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Working toward a big goal takes a lot of grit and discipline. You may imagine that everything will be so much easier once you reach your goal. You c...
Designing your Future: How to Make a Successful Career or Life Pivot
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a must-listen episode for anyone contemplating a career shift, But even if you’re not necessarily looking for a new job right now, this conv...
Insight is worthless unless you're willing to do this with it
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you are an insight junkie like me, this episode is intended to be the tough love we both need.A lot of the coaching I do involves helping people be...
Pushing past discomfort: How to create behavior change that lasts
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not only is it fun to share success stories, but there’s always something valuable to learn by hearing how people navigate the process of change. In...
Why workplace wellness is not the solution for burnout (and what is)
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone is burned out. Employees are burned out. Business owners are burned out. Caregivers are burned out. But the solutions that are being promoted...
Why your attempts to solve the problem keep failing
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s an issue that you can’t seem to get a handle on, a goal that you've had forever, or a problem that just won’t stay solved, this epi...
Change comes to the Change Academy
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been on Spring Break for the last few weeks but we haven’t spent the time lounging on a beach. We’ve been doing some big thinking about th...
Spring Rituals (Extracurricular)
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brock and I (Monica) are taking our traditional Spring Break from the podcast and using that time to take a fresh look at our goals, objectives and co...
Why it’s OK if you don’t reach your goal
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked a lot about goals in this podcast: the purpose and function of goals, how to set good ones, and how to pursue them more effectively, ev...
Separate the Thought from the Thinker
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get stuck in your thoughts, even when (or maybe, especially when) they aren’t helpful? We all do. There is even a name for it - Cognitive Fus...
Countering Your Addition Bias
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some new research caught recently our attention because it reinforces and expands on a concept that we introduced about 6 months ago in our episode on...
Mind the (Motivation) Gap
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Motivation gaps are those times where you feel as if you are not motivated enough to do what it takes to get a particular result. In this episode, we ...
Not Wanting It Enough
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our last episode, we were talking about feelings of unworthiness and how that can affect our ability or willingness to work on ourselves and our li...
Are You Worth This Effort?
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our recent episode "Will I succeed?" we offered some questions to evaluate your chances of succeeding at whatever goal you are working toward. One ...
Goals vs. Commitments: Why you need both
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know the difference between goals and commitments? Both play an important role in creating a life that is both meaningful and purposeful. In th...
Join us LIVE on January 3rd!
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This free workshop will be on Tuesday, January 3rd, at 6 pm Eastern (3 pm Pacific) and you can sign up at weighless.life/action Interested in having M...
Will I Succeed?
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Creating change can be difficult. It can also be great…but it is rarely easy. So it makes sense that we want some assurance that we have a reaso...
What if this actually worked? (Encore)
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore episode, we revisit an interview with one of the excellent individuals that we coach in our Weighless.life program. Marieka has, at the...
The Surprisingly Simple Reason You Stay Stuck
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why you seem to be stuck at a particular weight, or a particular level of fitness, or a particular amount of money in the bank?...
Why We Sabotage Our Own Success
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Change can be scary. And sometimes, fears about what transformation might cost us can lead us to sabotage our own success. We may have mixed feelings ...
Acquiring a New Skill Will Require *This*
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For some endeavors, all you need to succeed is knowledge and a good reason to follow through. As long as you have a good set of instructions, you sh...
Lashing Yourself to the Mast
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you have ever come up with a scheme to keep yourself from succumbing to temptation, you have experimented with a thing called a commitment device. ...
Be Careful What You Optimize For
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a society, we place a very high value on optimization. Now that it’s so easy to track your nutrition, sleep, exercise, productivity, your stock g...
Why We Crave What We Crave
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our evaluation of a certain experience can be heavily influenced by things that actually have nothing to do with it. For example, if we happen to be v...
Stress vs. Stressor
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about the importance of distinguishing between stress and stressors. Because this can be the first step toward reducing their...
What to Focus on Next
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Focusing on a lot of projects at once is a good way to make sure none of them get done. In this episode, we dig into why focusing our efforts on one c...
How to turn Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll show you how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones on the road to success.We may stumble when we’re trying something ...
It's not me, it's my ADHD (with Dr. Monica Johnson)
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, psychologist Dr. Monica Johnson talks with Monica about the ways in which people with ADHD often struggle with various aspects of beh...
Law of Subtraction: Why you should do less to reach your goals
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we become aware of a gap between our present reality and our desired reality, our inclination is to add something. A new practice. A new program....
Opening up Your Options with Dr. Michelle Segar
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Monica talks with Dr. Segar about the research she’s laid out in her newest book, The Joy Choice, as well as her 3-step process for...