Your Brain is a Goal-Blocker. How to get out of your own way. episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 29, 2026 · 30 MIN

Your Brain is a Goal-Blocker. How to get out of your own way.

from Stephing Up · host Steph Pase

Have you ever noticed that starting new habits can feel like pulling teeth? You’ve set your goal.  You want it with every fiber of your being… yet you're still met with so much resistance. You have every intention of going to bed early, but suddenly it's three o'clock in the morning and you're doing a ‘Which kitchen appliance am I’ quiz? Turns out, there is a good reason for that. (And I’m a toaster, thanks for asking). Our brains see new habits as a threat because it doesn't know what's going to happen.  Read that again. Your brain wants you to stay with what's familiar because it knows the outcome. And when it can predict the outcome, it feels safe. Your brain relies on knowing exactly what's going to happen, so it continues to pull you back to what it knows.  So even if an existing habit is bad for you, like scrolling, overeating, staying in a job you hate or avoiding hard conversations, your brain thinks, “Well, I know how this ends and we survived it last time, so let's just do that again.” And it replays over and over again. Even if those habits make you unhappy. Even if they make you unhealthy. And even if they're keeping you stuck.  In this episode, I’m sharing all the things I WISH we were taught back in school, including: The science behind why changing your habits is so hard. The truth about lazy brains… and the autopilot trap. The healthy habits cheatcode: Four steps you can take to ‘trick’ your brain into accepting a new habit. Why you should finally stop comparing yourself to others.  … Your Messy Life Reset:  Now that you’re clear on how to work with your brain (and not against it)... go back and complete your Messy Life Reset. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step in Season 2, episodes 1 and 2. Grab your free Messy Life Reset workbook here: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/blogs/news/stephing-up-podcast-is-back … Follow Stephing Up I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself. New episodes drop every Monday morning.So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together. … Let’s Hang: Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up         Steph Pase on Instagram:  @stephpase_          Steph Pase on Youtube:  @stephpase.                 Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners     Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”:    Penguin Books Australia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 29, 2026

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Your Brain is a Goal-Blocker. How to get out of your own way.

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This episode was published on March 29, 2026.

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