In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University help a listener untangle a familiar problem: saying yes to everything and ending up exhausted, resentful, and burned out.

They diagram the hidden mental model behind overcommitment—a self-made loop of guilt, fear, and misplaced responsibility—and show how systems thinking can break it. You’ll learn how to set real boundaries without guilt, stop assuming what others think of you, and reclaim your time and energy.

From the “2x4 Guy” (you’ll get it) to emotional intelligence and the Rar Quad, this episode offers practical, mindset-shifting tools to help you stop reacting and start acting with purpose.