Author and speaker Eric Zimmer shares how committing to small, sustainable habits transformed his life—moving him from addiction and homelessness to integrity and meaning.
Grab Eric’s book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life.
This week on Mindrolling, Eric and Raghu chat about:
- Burning the house to the ground: Eric’s experience with kleptomania, addiction, and homelessness
- Embarking on a life-long spiritual quest and journey of self-transformation
- How meditation creates more space between stimulus and response
- The opportunity to make better choices when we slow down through mindfulness
- Why lasting change is so difficult
- Cultivating new habits of both thought and behavior
- Treating yourself as if you are a friend or child
- Becoming a positive force in the world
“Things that feel insurmountable now often can become almost second nature down the line.” –Eric Zimmer
About Eric Zimmer:
Eric Zimmer is an author, teacher, speaker, and the creator of The One You Feed podcast—an award-winning show with over 50 million downloads across 800+ conversations exploring meaningful living. At 24, Eric was homeless, addicted to heroin, and facing prison. His journey from those depths sparked his lifelong inquiry into human transformation and resilience. Through his behavior coaching, workshops, and mentorship, he has guided thousands worldwide in creating sustainable habits that last—not through willpower or epiphany, but through steady change. His approach combines cutting-edge science with timeless wisdom, providing practical pathways to greater integrity and deeper meaning. His story and his work have been featured in the media, including Mind Body Green, Elephant Journal, the BBC and Brain Pickings. Check out his new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life.
“One of the critiques of the modern mindfulness movement is that it divorces the practice from the ethical structures from which it evolved, which leads to ‘I’m just focused on me getting better and feeling better.’ While that’s an important and useful aim, it’s only half the game. The other half of the game is that it is in service of other people and being able to be a positive force in the world. We all have the ability to be a positive force in the world.” –Eric Zimmer
Photo by ckstockphoto & oneyoufeed.net
More Mindrolling Podcasts:
Episode one of Mindrolling with Raghu Markus & David Silver
Using modern tools to support inner transformation, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta offers innovative solutions for turning artificial intelligence into collective heart intelligence.
The Movie of Me to The Movie of We with Duncan Trussell & Raghu Markus
The Teachings of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche with David Silver & Raghu Markus