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Our approach to personal change often relies on willpower, but this is not only ineffective but also a subterranean force that keeps us tethered to behaviors that may no longer serve us.
While we’re habituated to seeking external validation, what if the key to lasting transformation lies not in summoning more motivation, but in understanding the hidden dependencies that hold us back?
My guest today is Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, one of Britain’s most influential physicians and the host of the popular podcast “Feel Better, Live More.” Over his 23-year career treating thousands of patients, he has learned that sustainable evolution goes beyond merely accumulating knowledge; it requires navigating the complex terrain of our inner lives to understand what truly motivates us.
In his new book “Make Change That Lasts,” he introduces “minimal reliance”—a revolutionary framework that illuminates why we find ourselves trapped in self-defeating cycles. Dr. Chatterjee challenges conventional wisdom about behavior modification, offering a nuanced approach that embraces discomfort as essential for growth.
Today, we explore how our dependencies on comfort, certainty, and being right hinder authentic transformation.
“One of the most toxic things we can do is say we’re going to do something and then not do it.”
– DR. RANGAN CHATTERJEE
Through his personal journey, Dr. Chatterjee reveals how his father’s early retirement and subsequent passing profoundly changed his understanding of what matters most.
Our discussion delves into the mechanics of lasting change, showing why environmental design is more significant than motivation and how small, consistent promises to ourselves can ignite profound shifts. As Dr. Chatterjee explains, true evolution arises not from controlling our surroundings but from transforming our relationship with discomfort itself.
This exchange is about reclaiming our agency—one intentional step at a time. Similar to training a muscle, our ability to change grows not by evading challenges, but by learning to coexist with them.
EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY: In honor of this special episode, newsletter subscribers can win a Dr. Chatterjee Book Bundle! To enter, simply sign up for the newsletter at richroll.com/subscribe and await further instructions. See our official rules for more details at http://richroll.com/official-rules.
For those who prefer a visual experience, the conversation is available on YouTube. As always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you’re ready to break free from old patterns or simply curious about how humans really change, this conversation provides both the roadmap and the tools to get started.
Peace + Plants,
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- Connect with Dr. Chatterjee: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
- Book Bundle Giveaway: To enter, simply sign up for the newsletter at richroll.com/subscribe and await further instructions. See our official rules for more details at richroll.com/official-rules.
- Book: Make Change That Lasts: 9 Simple Ways to Break Free from the Habits That Hold You Back
- Book: Happy Mind, Happy Life: The New Science of Mental Wellbeing
- Book: Feel Better in 5: Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life
- Book: How to Make Disease Disappear
- Book: The Stress Solution: The 4 Steps to a Calmer, Happier, Healthier You
- Book: Feel Great, Lose Weight: Simple Habits for Lasting and Sustainable Weight Loss
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Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; with additional audio engineering by Cale Curtis and additional music by Moby; Dan Drake & Morgan McCrae for video, & editing; graphics by graphics by Alejandro Ribadeneira & Bryan Lawrence; portraits by Davy Greenberg; copywriting by Ben Pryor; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.
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