High Performance Longevity

#258 The Hidden Decisions Controlling Your Life (And How to Release Them) | Will Steel

23 Apr 2026

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What if the reason your wins never feel like enough isn't a motivation problem, but a decision you made at age 3 that you don't even remember? Executive coach and former RAF pilot Will Steel joins Nick Urban to unpack how unconscious childhood decisions become the invisible architecture of an adult life. Will trained in ontological coaching under Werner Erhard's lineage and now works with CEOs, Buddhist monks, imams, and aspiring heads of state. His core message: limiting beliefs aren't abstract thoughts you can affirm your way out of. They're precise decisions made in specific moments, and they keep generating evidence to prove themselves right until you get to the exact words you said to yourself. Meet our guest Will Steel is an executive coach, former RAF pilot, and author of Free to Lead. He helps leaders build authentic, high-performing teams by focusing on identity, purpose, and behavior. His work blends military discipline with deep ontological inquiry, and he won't coach anyone for less than 12 months because real identity work takes time. Thank you to our partners Outliyr Biohacker’s Peak Performance Shop: get exclusive discounts on cutting-edge health, wellness, & performance gear Ultimate Health Optimization Deals: a database of of all the current best biohacking deals on technology, supplements, systems and more Latest Summits, Conferences, Masterclasses, and Health Optimization Events: join me at the top events around the world FREE Outliyr Nootropics Mini-Course: gain mental clarity, energy, motivation, and focus Key takeaways Limiting beliefs form from silent decisions made in specific childhood moments, not from the events themselves Your behavior produces the exact evidence that proves your hidden decisions right "I am depressed" fuses you to a state, "I have depression" treats it like a stomach ache and releases identity Body symptoms often communicate unsaid words — sore throats, sprained ankles, and digestive issues can map to suppressed messages "Fly the airplane" is the RAF drill Will uses in boardrooms: wings level first, checklist second Subtraction beats addition when you're stuck, get the facts before adding more strategies Real coaching happens in the listening, not the prescribing Fitra is an Arabic word for true essence, the seed that grows into a perfect plant in any soil Episode highlights 00:53 Unidentified past decisions limit what's possible 02:13 How belief loops form and lock in 07:22 "You should have been a girl" — the 40-year story 12:44 What ontology actually is 18:08 "I am depressed" vs "I have depression" 22:00 Body symptoms as unspoken communication 33:04 Fly the airplane: the emergency drill for life 43:28 Why subtraction beats stacking skills 46:14 Coaching CEOs, monks, and imams 51:32 The scientist whose $600 rate hid an 11-year-old story 56:33 The art dealer and the $17 million question 1:05:15 What fitra means and why it matters Links Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eaBLmzfqf1s Full episode show notes: https://outliyr.com/258 Connect with Nick on social media Instagram Twitter (X) YouTube LinkedIn Easy ways to support Subscribe Leave an Apple Podcast review Suggest a guest Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you! Be an Outliyr, Nick

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13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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Fin de Semana

2ª PARTE | 06 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

3ª PARTE | 22 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

3ª PARTE | 04 MAR 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

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High Performance Longevity

#258 The Hidden Decisions Controlling Your Life (And How to Release Them) | Will Steel

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other recent transcribed episodes

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

2ª PARTE | 06 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

3ª PARTE | 22 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

3ª PARTE | 04 MAR 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

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