Exploring meaningful work, deep connections, and happy lives.
Most people already know what they should be doing. Sleep more. Put down the phone. Exercise. Eat better.
So why don't they?
In this episode, I sit down with Erin Laverone — behavior coach, author of Do the Thing, and someone who has spent nearly two decades helping over a thousand clients close the gap between intention and action.
This isn't another motivational pep talk. Erin breaks down the actual psychology behind why behavior change is so hard — and gives you real tactics that work even when life gets messy.
We talk about:
- Why motivation works like junk food — and what ”quality motivation” actually looks like
- The three psychological needs that drive lasting behavior change
- How to design your environment so good habits happen automatically
- The internal vs. external triggers keeping you stuck
- The 80% rule that beats perfectionism every time
- How Erin launched a book to under 400 people — and got 90 reviews
If you've ever known exactly what to do and still not done it… this one's for you.
📖 Grab Do the Thing: www.dothething-book.com
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 Why Is It So Hard to Do What You Know?
01:17 Behavior Is More Complex Than You Think
03:18 Junk Motivation vs. Quality Motivation
06:08 The Holy Grail: Self-Determination Theory
07:37 Stretched But Not Strained
09:24 The 80% Rule for Habits
12:40 Connection Is the Most Underrated Driver
13:38 Internal vs. External Triggers
16:15 Surfing the Urge
19:42 Infinite Scroll and the Guy Who Invented It
20:47 Environment Design — The 80/20 of Behavior
22:32 Why Hiring a Coach Hits Multiple Levers at Once
25:33 Easy, Enjoyable, Effective Framework
29:00 Making Behavior Immediately Rewarding
30:11 How Erin Wrote a Book (While Running Two Businesses)
34:23 Book Launch with a Small Audience
36:50 The 3-Tier Pre-Commitment Strategy
40:13 Involving Your Community in the Process
41:17 From Idea to Committing to the Book
44:47 Final Challenge: Give Yourself Grace, Then Take Ownership
🔗 Connect with Mitchell:
💻 Website: https://mitchelllandon.com/
📩 3-minute Newsletter: https://making-connections.beehiiv.com/subscribe
👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchelllandoncohen/
🐦 X: https://x.com/MitchellLandon
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/mitchelllandon/
🎥 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mitchellcohen
🔗 Connect with Erin Laverone:
💻 Website: https://www.erinlaverone.com/
📩 The Habit Coach Professionals Newsletter: https://www.habitcoachpro.com/newsletter
👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlaverone