Life's Limitless Potential's with Kristen

Have you ever made a decision you regretted and started questioning whether you could trust yourself again?

Maybe you ignored the red flags in a relationship. Maybe you stayed in a situation longer than you should have. Or maybe you've second-guessed yourself so much that making even a simple decision feels overwhelming.

In this solo episode of Life’s Limitless Potential, Kristen explores the psychology of self-trust and why learning to believe in yourself isn't about always making the right decision. It's about learning to handle things when life doesn't go according to plan.

You'll discover:

• Self-trust vs. confidence: Why trusting yourself means more than believing you can succeed.
• The mistake trap: How one regretted decision can turn into a negative belief about who you are.
• Keeping promises to yourself: How small, consistent actions can help you build confidence in your ability to follow through.
• Intuition, fear, and facts: How to take your feelings seriously without automatically treating every thought as the truth.
• Making your own decisions: How to seek advice without giving everyone else control over your life.
• Rebuilding self-trust after betrayal: How to learn from painful experiences without blaming yourself for someone else's choices.

Kristen also shares a practical Self-Trust Reset with three steps you can start using today to make decisions with greater awareness, learn from mistakes, and become someone you can count on.

Because self-trust isn't about promising yourself you'll never get it wrong.

It's about knowing you can learn, adjust, and keep showing up for yourself when you do.

Remember: “I may not always get it right, but I won't abandon myself when I get it wrong.”

So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let's explore how to rebuild your relationship with the one person you'll be with for your entire life: you.

Because the better you understand yourself, the more freedom you have to choose your life.

If this episode resonates with you, follow Life's Limitless Potential for more conversations about psychology, emotional intelligence, behavior change, and the science and practice of self-mastery.

You are not broken. You are patterned. And patterns can change.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - INTRO

02:09  - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRUST YOURSELF?

05:15 - HOW DO WE LOSE TRUST IN OURSELVES?

06:33 - STOP TURING MISTAKES INTO IDENTITY STATEMENTS

08:35 - KEEP SMALL PROMISES TO YOURSELF

10:45 - LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FEAR, INTUITION, & FACTS

13:26 - STOP HANDING EVERYONE ELSE THE STEERING WHEEL

15:40 - WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE BROKE YOUR TRUST?

18:25 - YOUR SELF-TRUST RESET

20:41 - CLOSING & WEEKLY CHALLENGE: BECOME SOMEONE YOU CAN COUNT ON

STUDIES REFERENCED:

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

Pescetelli, N., & Yeung, N. (2021). The role of decision confidence in advice-taking and trust formation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(3), 507–526. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000960

DISCLAIMER:

This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information presented should not be used as a substitute for medical or mental health advice.Copyright disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. 

Want to go deeper? Explore the video lessons on my YouTube channel:
Life’s Limitless Potential

The Patterns We Inherit—and the Ones We Get to Change | A Mother-Daughter Conversation
What if some of the things you do automatically… didn’t actually start with you?
In this episode of Life’s Limitless Potential, Kristen is joined by her daughter, D’Ana, for an honest, funny, and sometimes surprisingly revealing mother-daughter conversation about the patterns we learn from our families, relationships, and environments.

We talk about the things we absorb without realizing it—how we communicate, handle conflict, respond to stress, set boundaries, express emotions, and even define what love and relationships are supposed to look like.

Because sometimes we inherit a pattern without ever questioning it.
As Kristen and D’Ana explore their own two-generation perspectives, they ask an important question:
Just because you learned something… does that mean you have to keep it?
The answer is no.

Understanding where a pattern came from isn't about blaming your parents or your past. It's about becoming aware enough to decide whether that pattern still serves you.

In this episode, we explore:
🧠 How we learn behaviors by observing the people around us
 🔄 Why some family patterns can continue across generations
 👀 How our children can become mirrors for patterns we didn't realize we had
💡 Why understanding a pattern isn't the same as changing it
❤️ How you can love your family while choosing something different
🧭 The difference between following what you were taught and   developing your own beliefs
🤝 What two generations can learn from each other
🌱 How small, intentional behaviors can help create new patterns

And we end with a simple three-question challenge:
1. Where did I learn this?
 2. Does this still serve me?
 3. What would I rather practice?

Because you don't get to choose everything that shaped you.
But as you become more aware, you get more choices.

You are not broken.
You are patterned.
And patterns can change.

🎙️ Welcome to Life’s Limitless Potential—where we explore the psychology of self-mastery, human behavior, emotional intelligence, and what it means to become an expert on your own mind.

Study yourself. Because the better you understand yourself, the more freedom you have to choose who you become.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - INTRO
01:32  - WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM OUR PARENTS?
04:12 - THE PATTERNS WE DON'T REALIZE WE HAVE
05:34 - WHERE FAMILY PATTERNS COME FROM
06:30 - UNDERSTANDING ISN’T THE SAME AS CHANGING
08:33 - WHEN YOUR KIDS BECOME ADULTS
09:24 - TWO GENERATIONS, TWO PERSPECTIVES
10:51 - YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT THE PATTERN
11:41 - THE THREE-QUESTION PATTERN CHALLENGE
12:57 - FINAL THOUGHTS FROM KRISTEN & D’ANA

STUDIES REFERENCED:
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.

Bargh, J. A., & Chartrand, T. L. (1999). The unbearable automaticity of being. American Psychologist, 54(7), 462–479. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.462

Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2009). Beyond diathesis stress: Differential susceptibility to environmental influences. Psychological Bulletin, 135(6), 885–908. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017376

Kendler, K. S., Davis, C. G., & Kessler, R. C. (1997). The familial aggregation of common psychiatric and substance use disorders and their relation to early onset. Psychological Medicine, 27(4), 947–958. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291797005137

Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. L. (1989). Delay of gratification in children. Science, 244(4907), 933–938. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2658056

Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psychology of habit. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417

DISCLAIMER:
This Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information presented should not be used as a substitute for medical or mental health advice.Copyright disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Want to go deeper? Explore the video lessons on my YouTube channel:
Life’s Limitless Potential

Knowing what you need to change doesn't automatically mean you'll change it. In this episode, Kristen explores the knowing-doing gap, why our automatic patterns are so powerful, and how creating a pause between a trigger and your usual response can help you build new behaviors. You are not broken. You are patterned—and patterns can change.

STUDIES REFERENCED: 

Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493

Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674

Neal, D. T., Wood, W., & Quinn, J. M. (2006). Habits—A repeat performance. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 198–202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00435.x

Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2007). A new look at habits and the habit-goal interface. Psychological Review, 114(4), 843–863. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.843

Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psychology of habit. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417

DISCLAIMER:
This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information presented should not be used as a substitute for medical or mental health advice.Copyright disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Want to go deeper? Explore the video lessons on my YouTube channel:
Life’s Limitless Potential

Why do you keep doing things you know you don't want to do?

You procrastinate.
 You overthink.
 You check your phone.
 You people-please.
 You shut down.
 You go back to the same patterns you swore you'd leave behind.

And sometimes it feels like your brain is making decisions before you even realize there's a decision to make.

In this episode of Life's Limitless Potential, we're going behind the scenes of your behavior to explore the power of your subconscious mind—and what psychology can actually tell us about automatic patterns, habits, and behavior.

Your brain learns from repetition and context. Over time, certain situations can trigger familiar responses automatically.

And here's the fascinating part:

An automatic impulse isn't a command.

You can have the urge to do something without having to act on it. Habitual responses can compete with conscious decision-making, which means there can still be room to choose differently.

We'll talk about:

• Why your brain loves familiar patterns
• How habits can become automatic
• Why you can genuinely want to change and still repeat the same behavior
• The hidden payoff behind behaviors like procrastination and people-pleasing
• Why your brain may choose short-term relief over long-term goals
• How to recognize what's happening before the behavior
• Why understanding a pattern isn't an excuse—it gives you something to work with

And yes, we'll talk about why your brain might convince you that watching someone organize their refrigerator is somehow more urgent than doing the thing you've been avoiding. 😂

Because the goal isn't to fight your brain.

It's to understand it.

And once you understand what's happening behind the scenes, you can start changing the patterns that no longer serve you.

You don't have to become an expert on everyone else.

You need to become an expert on yourself.

I'm Kristen, and this is Life's Limitless Potential—a podcast about psychology, self-mastery, behavior, emotional intelligence, healing, relationships, confidence, and becoming more intentional about the life you're creating.

Your patterns are learned.
And what you've learned can be changed.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
02:50 - What is Subconscious Mind?
04:30 - Your Brain Learns From Experience
05:59 - Your Patterns May Have Once Protected You
06:56 - The Subconscious Doesn't Mean Powerless
08:26 - The Moment Before the Behavior
09:52 - The Short-Term Reward
12:00 - The Pattern Loop
13:41 - Your Beliefs Are Part of the Pattern
15:03 - How to Start Changing a Subconscious Pattern
16:27 - You Don't Have to Fight Your Brain
17:21 - The Power is in The Pause
18:22 - Closing

STUDIES REFERENCED: 

Gardner, B., & Lally, P. (2018). Modelling habit formation and its determinants. The Psychology of Habit, 1–18.

Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: The psychology of “habit-formation” and general practice. The British Journal of General Practice, 62(605), 664–666. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psychology of habit. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417

Gardner, B., de Bruijn, G.-J., & Lally, P. (2011). A systematic review and meta-analysis of applications of the Self-Report Habit Index to nutrition and physical activity behaviours. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 42(2), 174–187.

Gardner, B. (2015). A review and analysis of the use of ‘habit’ in understanding, predicting and influencing health-related behaviour. Health Psychology Review, 9(3), 277–295.

Gardner, B., & Lally, P. (2013). Does intrinsic motivation strengthen physical activity habit? Modeling relationships between self-determination theory and habit strength. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 36, 488–497.

DISCLAIMER:
This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information presented should not be used as a substitute for medical or mental health advice.Copyright disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Want to go deeper? Explore the video lessons on my YouTube channel:
Life’s Limitless Potential

I believe we all have the potential to become experts on ourselves—and that understanding ourselves is the first step toward changing our lives.

Life's Limitless Potential with Kristen is a podcast about understanding yourself—your brain, your emotions, your patterns, your relationships, and your choices—so you can stop fighting yourself and start becoming an expert on yourself.

I’m Kristen, a certified life coach, college professor, and health and wellness expert. For years, I’ve studied psychology, self-mastery, emotional intelligence, spirituality, and the science of behavior—and I’ve spent the last several years putting those lessons into practice in my own life.

On this podcast, I share the tools, insights, and personal experiences that have helped me break patterns, heal from difficult experiences, build confidence, and create meaningful change.

We’ll talk about self-sabotage, mindset, psychology, emotional intelligence, relationships, healing, spirituality, confidence, and what it really means to master yourself.

Some episodes will teach you the science behind why you think, feel, and behave the way you do. Others will take you into my own story—and the lessons I've learned along the way.

Because I don't believe self-mastery means controlling yourself. I believe it means understanding yourself well enough to have a choice.

If you're smart, driven, self-aware—and still find yourself repeating patterns you desperately want to change—you’re in the right place.

Welcome to Life’s Limitless Potential. I’m so glad you’re here.

Master yourself. Master your life.

Want to go deeper? Explore the video lessons on my YouTube channel:
Life’s Limitless Potential