Change Made Easy

How to Rewrite the Stories That Keep You Stuck

What if the beliefs and stories you've carried about yourself for years aren't facts—but narratives you've learned to repeat?

In this episode of Change Made Easy, Paul Levitin sits down with author and memoir coach Shari Caudron to explore how the stories we tell ourselves shape our identity, decisions, relationships, and behavior.

Shari has spent years helping people write their memoirs and uncover the deeper meaning in their life experiences. But in this conversation, she shares how that same process of examining stories led her to question her own.

Shari's newest book, "The Second Story"

https://www.sharicaudron.com/

In this conversation, we explore:

• The power of personal narratives

• The “I'm not enough” story

• Why the story you think you're telling may not be the whole story

• When exhaustion is a signal

• How to question the stories you treat as facts

• The role of uncomfortable emotions

• How to stop reacting automatically

Perseverance: The Change Engine

GET THE E.A.S.I.E.R. FRAMEWORK HERE

Why do some people stick with a goal long enough to succeed, while others give up before they ever see results?

It's easy to think success comes down to talent, discipline, or motivation. But after working with thousands of people and interviewing hundreds of successful entrepreneurs, authors, and thought leaders, I've come to believe one skill matters more than most: perseverance.

In this episode of Change Made Easy, I break down why perseverance matters, how you can strengthen it, and why the early stages of changing a habit are often the hardest.

We'll explore:

• Why success rarely follows a straight line.

• Why perseverance is a skill you can build.

• The difference between failing and not seeing results yet.

• The ice cube analogy.

• Why doing the right things can feel like doing nothing.

• How enthusiasm and trust help you stay consistent. If you

• Why borrowing trust from an expert can help.

• The rocket ship effect.

What if the things you believe about yourself aren't actually facts?

In this episode, Paul sits down with Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and Beyond Belief, to explore one of the most powerful—and underused—tools we have for creating change: our beliefs.

Nir makes an important distinction between facts, faith, and beliefs. Facts are objective truths. Faith doesn't require evidence. But beliefs are convictions that can be revised when we encounter new evidence.

The problem is that most of us treat our beliefs like facts.

And when those beliefs become limiting, they can dramatically affect what we're willing to attempt, how much discomfort we're willing to tolerate, and whether we ultimately persist.

Make Change Easier: Paul Levitin’s E.A.S.I.E.R. Framework for Lasting HabitsWe introduces the core question “What would this look like if it were easy?” and explain that lasting results come from consistency, not willpower.

I shares my EASIER framework—a checklist for evaluating long-term changes in health, wealth, and relationships—so you can determine whether a new habit is realistic to sustain.

The episode breaks down each element: being enthusiastic about the process (not just the outcome), ensuring the change is available within your real constraints, defining a straightforward plan with clear sub-steps, accepting imperfection and setbacks, stacking benefits so the habit feels overwhelmingly worth it, and confirming the approach is repeatable for life.

SIGN UP FOR THE SUBSTACK AND MESSAGE ME FOR THE FREE PDF

What if your definition of “progress” is actually making change harder?

In this episode, Paul sits down with Monica Packer, host of About Progress, to rethink what progress, perfectionism, habits, and personal growth actually look like in real life.

What we cover:

• Why perfectionism can be a misplacement of identity

• The problem with believing there is a permanent “arrival point”

• Why certainty is so appealing—and why the self-help industry sells so much of it

• How black-and-white thinking can make sustainable change harder

• Why being an imperfect human is part of the process, not a problem to eliminate

• How to connect your goals to who you actually want to be

• Why your habits should function as a safety net rather than a prison

• How insisting on perfection can actually destroy consistency

• Monica's personal experience learning to find joy during an overwhelming season of life

• The power of taking one tiny first step instead of waiting until you're ready

When you hear the word "creativity," what comes to mind?

For many people, it's painting, music, or artistic talent.

But what if creativity is something much bigger?

In this episode, Paul sits down with Dr Tasha Golden to explore creativity not as an artistic skill, but as a human capacity—the ability to imagine that things could be different than they are today.

Together, they discuss flourishing, uncertainty, identity, mental health, and why creativity may be one of the most important skills for behavior change. They explore how we become trapped by certainty, how we lose touch with curiosity, and why opening ourselves to new possibilities can fundamentally change how we experience life.

This conversation is a refreshing reminder that change doesn't begin with action.

It begins with imagination.

https://www.tashagolden.com/changemadeeasy

What do successful people have in common?

After interviewing leaders, entrepreneurs, coaches, and high performers from a wide range of industries, Mylena Sutton believes she's found the answer.

In this conversation, Paul and Mylena explore the common patterns that separate people who grow from people who stay stuck. They discuss self-honesty, resilience, shame, forgiveness, personal responsibility, and the importance of having a clear direction for your life.

Along the way, Mylena shares lessons from her own upbringing, insights gathered through her Leadership Drives podcast, and a powerful story from a hospice chaplain that reframes how we think about time, regret, and living intentionally.

This episode is a reminder that success isn't about perfection—it's about consistently moving in the direction that matters most.

https://mylenasutton.com/invitations

Leadership Drives Podcast

Why do some messages create real change… while others get ignored completely?

In this episode, Paul sits down with Collin Henderson to explore the psychology of influence, behavior change, and the role storytelling plays in shaping identity and action.

Together, they unpack why logic alone rarely changes behavior, how curiosity creates connection, and why empathy may be one of the most important leadership skills in modern life.

This conversation bridges personal growth, communication, sales, leadership, and human behavior through the lens of understanding people before trying to change them.

Check out Master Your Mindset Podcast

Most high performers are taught to suppress emotions to stay rational. Chris Sparks argues the opposite: emotions are signals, and learning to read them is a superpower. Drawing on insights from Buddhist philosophy, the Hoffman Process, and executive coaching, this episode teaches you to decode what your emotional reactions are really trying to tell you.

Chris Sparks is an executive coach and founder of Forcing Function (forcingfunction.com), where he works with entrepreneurs and high performers to unlock peak productivity. A former professional poker player and turned executive coach, Chris brings a uniquely analytical yet human lens to performance and decision-making. Connect with him at [email protected].

KEY EPISODE POINTS

• Why outcome-focused thinking is a trap (and what to focus on instead)
• How to treat decision-making like a product you iterate over time
• The signals we underweight or ignore in key decisions
• How a process orientation makes you more resilient under pressure
• Playing the long game: why no single decision matters as much as you think

Why does change feel so hard—even when you know exactly what to do?

In this episode, Paul sits down with Wani Iris Manley, an attorney-turned-speaker and author of Get Out of Survival Mode, to challenge one of the most common beliefs in personal growth: that change is inherently difficult.

Wani offers a radically different perspective—change isn’t hard, it’s just unfamiliar and uncomfortable. And the real barrier isn’t effort… it’s identity.

Together, they explore how self-talk, conditioning, and the need for external validation keep people stuck in patterns that no longer serve them—and what it actually takes to break free.