You’re Not Lazy — Your Brain Has Been Rewired

6 Mar 2026 · 17 min · 10 chapters

Ask about this episode

Ask anything about it. ChatGPT or Claude reads this page and answers with the times it was said.

Connect VO and ask about every podcast you hear, including the moments you saved. Add to ChatGPT · Add to Claude

In short

Explains “laziness” as low energy caused by being out of alignment with one’s purpose; argues purpose-aligned work feels effortless and energizing, while hated work drains mental energy.

Guest backgrounds

No guests are interviewed; the host, Rob Dial, speaks directly.

Key claims

Energy and purpose intersect—when misaligned you “swim upstream,” feel demoralized, and spin your wheels. Finding purpose requires experimenting with new experiences, building a “happiness blueprint,” and using Ikigai-style journaling questions (what you love, good at, can be paid for, what the world needs; plus what you’re interested in learning/doing).

Notable examples

Rob describes writing his book in Sedona after feeling dread, then getting rapid progress once he felt aligned. He also shares a friend who found pickleball through trying new activities, leading to marriage and building pickleball courts in Austin.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Understanding Laziness and Energy

2:24 to 3:16

Explore the connection between laziness, energy, and purpose.

“And I'm going to take a different route about laziness, probably a route you've never heard somebody talk about with laziness.”

Good vs. Bad Exhaustion

3:16 to 5:43

Differentiate between good and bad exhaustion in life.

“See, things should give you energy, not take energy away from you.”

The Alignment of Purpose and Energy

5:43 to 8:14

Discuss the importance of aligning with your purpose for energy.

“another 30 fucking years, that takes way more energy versus putting energy into something that you actually love.”

Creative Flow and Writing

8:14 to 8:57

How alignment can lead to effortless creativity.

“I just got to make sure that I stay aligned and not get in the way of the message.”

Creative Flow and Writing

10:05 to 10:25

How alignment can lead to effortless creativity.

“Fast, reliable coverage on the nation's largest 5G network and an award-winning care team.”

Creative Flow and Writing

10:32 to 10:57

How alignment can lead to effortless creativity.

“Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com slash mentor.”

Finding and Embracing Your Purpose

11:58 to 14:00

Steps to discover your purpose and align with it.

“On the other side of that, when you're misaligned, when you're not in alignment, it's almost like when you're aligned, the universe provides energy for you because this is the thing you're here to do.”

Exploring New Passions and Purpose

14:00 to 20:54

Learn how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to discovering new passions.

“So if you continue doing the same stuff you've always done, you will never find your purpose.”

Exploring New Passions and Purpose

21:41 to 22:08

Learn how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to discovering new passions.

“So instead of just riding an index, they can seek to outperform it by adapting to market conditions and pursuing new opportunities as they emerge.”

Exploring New Passions and Purpose

22:12 to 22:41

Learn how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to discovering new passions.

“Who knew Walmart Business could help boutique bed and breakfasts elevate the guest experience?”
Hear the part that matters, and keep it.Open this episode in VO. Double tap your headphones to save a moment as you listen.
Get VO free

Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Guys, let's face it. As we get older, we can't just skip sleep and eat whatever we want and still feel great the next day. But if you're entering your men's health era, you know it can feel complicated. Sprouts Farmer's Market makes it easier. Not only does Sprouts have the high protein foods, nutrient-dense organic produce, and innovative snacks your body craves, it's also got the newest supplements, vitamins, joint support, even creatine to help get you feeling more like you used to. whether it's men's health or any other health journey, it's easier at Sprouts Farmers Market. Insurance isn't one size fits all.

0:35That's why drivers have trusted Progressive's name Your Price Tool for years. Just tell Progressive what you want to pay, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Visit Progressive.com to find a car insurance rate that works for you. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, price and coverage match limited by state law. Hey, a bad hire can really cost your business and a great hire can really accelerate your business. Running a small business means every hire really matters. A bad hire can cost you time and money and momentum and a good hire can help grow your business immensely.

1:11Finding great talent isn't easy when you don't have the time or resources to sift through resumes. LinkedIn's new hiring pro screens candidates for you. So instead of sorting through applicants, you can spend time talking to only the right ones. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash dial. Terms and conditions apply.

1:37Welcome to today's episode of the Mindset Mentor Podcast. I am your host, Rob Dial. If you have not yet done so, hit that subscribe button so you never miss another episode. And I am running a free workshop on March 25th called Identity Upgrade and you should be there because after 20 years of studying and teaching self-development, I've seen thousands of people try to change their life through habits and routines and actions, but nothing will stick long-term if you don't change your identity because your behavior will always fall back to who you believe that you are. So in this workshop, I will show you step-by-step how to upgrade your identity and get rid of fears and limiting beliefs so that you can finally change the course of your life.

2:16So if you're ready to become the next version of yourself, go to 2026upgrade.com and save your seat there. Today, I'm going to be talking about why you're so lazy. And I'm going to take a different route about laziness, probably a route you've never heard somebody talk about with laziness. If you're lazy, it's because you don't have energy. And maybe the reason why you don't have energy is because you're not doing something in your life that feels like it's your purpose. Maybe you are completely out of alignment with your purpose in your life and you have to wake up every single day and force yourself to do something that you don't want to freaking do.

2:58And so maybe in some sort of way you're out of alignment with the universe. You're living a life that is not in line with your soul's purpose, the reason why you were put here. Now, I don't know why you were put here, and you might not know why you were put here. Why don't we try to figure it out then? See, things should give you energy, not take energy away from you. So if you come back at the end of the day from work and you're exhausted, it's not for you. And there's two different types of exhaustion, right? There's like good exhaustion and there's bad exhaustion. There's like good exhaustion where it's like, man, you're tired, but your heart's so full.

3:40You're like, that was amazing. Today was great. And you feel fulfilled. Like after a really good workout, you're like, oh man, that was really tough, but I'm glad that I did it. A bad exhaustion would be like you come home exhausted, you're dragging, you're tired, you're thinking about having to go back to work again tomorrow and you don't want to do it. And so it's a physical exhaustion, but more than anything else. It's like actual mental exhaustion. I want you to understand that is taking energy from you. I said this recently on the podcast, but I really want to hammer this home with people.

4:15You know, I teach a lot of people how to grow their businesses. I consult with a lot of business owners and a lot of people want to build a business, but they're like, oh, but it just takes so much energy to build a business. I'm like, yeah, that is true. It's, it takes hard work to build a business. It takes energy to build a business, but it takes a lot of energy to do something that you don't love for the rest of your life. Like it takes, I've worked jobs that I hate before, and it takes a lot more energy to wake up in the morning when you hear your alarm go off and get up out of your comfortable warm bed to start getting ready for a job that you don't enjoy.

4:52And then to take a shower and get dressed and have to look a certain way to go to the job that you don't enjoy and then drive and get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes. And the whole time you're on the way to a job that you don't enjoy. And then you get to work and you have to be there for eight or nine hours and you don't enjoy it. And then you have to get in your car and drive home and be stuck in the same traffic again with all of the same people who also don't enjoy their job. And then you get to your house and you have what? Three, four, five hours before you have to go back to bed. Then those whole three, four, five hours, you're thinking, oh my God, I got to go to bed and I got to eat and I got to do this because I've got to go back to work again tomorrow.

5:34And then every one of those steps that I'm talking about takes so much, not just physical energy, more so mental energy because you're thinking to yourself, oh my God, I've got to do this for another 30 fucking years, that takes way more energy versus putting energy into something that you actually love. And so what I found is that there's like an intersection of energy and purpose. I believe that the universe operates on the principle of alignment. If you look at everything in the universe, everything is like perfectly aligned. It's crazy how like intricately aligned everything is. From the stars in the sky to every single cell, all 40 trillion cells in your body function optimally when it is in harmony in its purpose.

6:22It's doing exactly what it's supposed to do. And everything in this universe is made of energy. It's the most important thing in this universe is energy. And so similarly, our energy levels are directly influenced by how aligned we are with what is our life mission or what brings us joy or what we feel like we should be doing. So the way that I have seen, and I've gotten from being around other really successful people that are fully in alignment with what it is they want to do. And also being myself years ago, when I worked somewhere where I didn't want to, and I felt completely out of alignment and I started feeling anxious and depressed and sad, the longer that I stayed, the longer that I stayed out of alignment, I realized like when we're in sync with our purpose, our actions feel more effortless and we're invigorated by the tasks that we have to do.

7:19And so like, I started thinking about this too, when I was writing my book a couple of years ago, and I started thinking about like, I've heard so many people say like, oh, when you write a book, it takes years off of your life. And I started dreading the fact that I had to write the book. So I was, I took a team trip and we brought my team members out to Sedona and we spent like three or four days in Sedona. And then I decided to stay an extra week by myself in a house in Sedona that was looking at the mountains and I could go outside and I could write the book. And the night before I started dreading, oh my God, like this is going to be so hard.

7:51This is going to be so hard. And I had this moment of realization and it was like, no, it's not. Like this is what you were made to do. Like this will be, and I came up with this phrase, it's going to be easy and it's going to be effortless. It's going to be easy. It's going to be effortless. And I kept repeating to myself, it's going to be, that's what you're made to do. It's going to be easy. It's going to be effortless. It's going to flow through you, right? It's not coming from you, Rob. It's coming through me. I just got to make sure that I stay aligned and not get in the way of the message.

8:19So I kept thinking that. The first day I had the entire outline for the book done. Like every, like part one, part two, part three, every single chapter done. Like the outline of it. I was like, this is crazy. And by the time I was done within a week, more than half of the book was done. So obviously I spent a lot of time editing and changing and researching and hiring a neuroscientist to go through and make sure the stuff I said was correct. But I felt so in a line with what I was doing and that this is the thing I was supposed to be doing that it lit me up and I had so much energy to do it. And we will be right back.

8:59Hey, showing up for yourself day in and day out and doing the hard things is what creates a better life. And noon hydration helps you stay moving with the real deal, activated hydration built to support you through those moments that challenge you. Noon hydration tablets deliver clean ingredients and optimize electrolytes that hydrate better than water alone, especially when you're sweating or on the go. The tablets dissolve quickly, tastes great, and come in a single, no-mess tube that you can take anywhere. Noon is designed for people who value whole self-growth, community, and the joy of showing up for themselves through movement, exploration, and effort.

9:42And at less than$1 per serving, it's easy to make part of your routine. Shop Noon Hydration at NoonLife.com, That's N-U-U-N life.com and fuel your next hard thing. Mint Mobile plans are only$15 per month. Wondering what's the catch? There isn't one. There are no gimmicks and no gotchas. Just unlimited talk, text, and data. Fast, reliable coverage on the nation's largest 5G network and an award-winning care team. That makes Mint Mobile a catch. Since switching to Mint Mobile, I've stopped stressing every month when my phone bill hits. I'm paying way less. My service still works great. And honestly, I wish I would have switched sooner.

10:25To get your new wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com slash mentor. That's mintmobile.com slash mentor. Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com slash mentor. That's it. There's no catch. $45 upfront payment required equivalent to$15 a month. New customers on first three month plan only. Speed slower above 40 gigabytes on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. Every business is asking the same question. How do we make AI work for us? The possibilities are endless and guessing is too risky. But sitting on the sidelines is not an option because one thing is almost certain.

11:06Your competitors are already making their move. No more waiting. With NetSuite by Oracle, you can put AI to work today. NetSuite is a unified suite that brings your financials, inventory, commerce, HR, and CRM into a single source of truth. That connected data is what makes your AI smarter. So it doesn't just guess, it knows. From software and IT services to healthcare, equipment manufacturing, financial services, and many other great American industries, NetSuite delivers a customized solution for your business. Whether your company earns millions or even hundreds of millions, NetSuite helps you stay ahead of the pack.

11:38If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI at netsuite.com slash D-I-A-L. The guide is free to you at netsuite.com slash D-I-A-L. Netsuite.com slash D-I-A-L. And now back to the show. On the other side of that, when you're misaligned, when you're not in alignment, it's almost like when you're aligned, the universe provides energy for you because this is the thing you're here to do. And when you are not aligned, you have to come up with the energy yourself. And that's why you feel tired and you feel unmotivated. It's like swimming upstream in a river.

12:22Like no matter how hard you try, you barely get anywhere and you feel exhausted and you feel demoralized. And it's like this feeling of like, we're barely moving. We're just wasting a lot of energy spinning our wheels. And I've been there before. So I want you to think about this for a second. Maybe the reason why you feel drained all the time isn't because like you need more coffee or because of the fact that you need another time management strategy. Maybe it's a sign that you are out of alignment with the reason why you're alive. Maybe it's the universe's way of like nudging you towards introspection and realignment.

13:03Maybe it's the universe's way of like being like, How hard do I have to push you down for you to finally listen to me? And so for you, you might be in the place where you're like, man, this kind of makes sense, but Rob, I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with my life. That's a great place to be. That's a beautiful place to be because now you can discover what that is. You have to find what it is that you love. And so people always ask like, well, how do I do that? How do I find my purpose? and, you know, discovering your purpose isn't really a straightforward answer. And more often than not, what it really requires you to do is go, okay, think about this for a second.

13:43In the life that I currently have right now, I'm maybe you're 45 years old. I'm 45 years old and I am completely out of a line with my life purpose. I don't know what my purpose in life is. Well, what that shows you is that everything that you've done in your entire life for the past 45 years has shown you what is not your purpose. So if you continue doing the same stuff you've always done, you will never find your purpose. So maybe what it's doing is it's requiring you and asking of you to step out of your comfort zone to embrace the unknown and start doing something different. Do things that you've never done before until you find what you're passionate about.

14:23If you're unsure of what your passion is, doing the same things repeatedly over and over and over again, it's not going to bring you any more clarity. You're not going to discover something new. It's like, you're not a, you're not an explorer. You're just following the same path you've always done. You've got to kind of step in and put your hat of the explorer on and go, well, I'm going to do new things. There's something out there that I love. What is it? And so what you really need to make sure that you do is start becoming the experiment. Experiment with new experiences, right? Try new things.

14:58You know, try a new thing every single week. Make a pact with yourself every Sunday. I'm going to take up a new hobby and just see if there's anything that I like. For the next year, 52 new hobbies. I'm not going to keep all of them. Some of them will be like, okay, that was cool. Some of them will be like, oh, that was pretty amazing. And then start using them to find something that you like. Like you might, like one of my friends, super successful guy, he sold his business and he was like sitting there and he's like, I don't know what I want to do with my life. He's like, but you know, like I'm going to start doing new things.

15:31So he sold his business. He's kind of hanging out. He's bored. He feels like he's lost his purpose because he's got no business anymore. He's like, I'm going to start doing new things. So he started, you know, going on boats and doing skiing and he started doing other stuff. And then one day he played pickleball and he's like, this is actually pretty fun. Like I really enjoyed what I did today. So he's like, pickleball is actually really fun. So he got a pickleball court built at his house. And then he just started having friends come over. Pickleball friends come over, right? And he had recently just gotten a divorce as well.

15:59Friends come over, play pickleball. Nobody's really good, but everyone's starting to get a little bit better. They're improving their skills. They're getting a little bit better. He ends up getting really obsessed with pickleball. He meets a woman who's a really good pickleball player. They end up getting married. And they are now in the process of opening up a huge place in Austin where they're going to have pickleball courts all in Austin. He is obsessed with pickleball. He would have never found it if he didn't go, well, I want to try some new stuff. That's what I'm trying to say to you. Maybe you fall in love with pickleball.

16:33Maybe you find your soulmate at pickleball like he did. Maybe you try pickleball and you're like, this is stupid. I'm going to try something else. It doesn't matter. The point is just to try new things and see if you can find something that you love doing. When you expose yourself to different experiences, you start to find little teeny tiny things that start to resonate with your soul. And so then what I want you to do is make what I call a happiness blueprint, which is make a list of activities that bring you genuine joy. Right now, before you go and find new things, and after you start finding things, just add it to the list.

17:05And this happiness is basically like your life compass. If it feels good, if it gives you energy, maybe there's something behind it. Maybe it's guiding you towards some sort of experience that lines you with your inner self. And you have to realize, prioritizing your happiness isn't like a luxury. It's a necessity for a fulfilling life. It really is. And so doing things that make you happy is like hitting a power-up button in a video game. You should be trying to put as much happy things into your day as you possibly can. So you might not have energy right now. If you look back on the past couple years of your life, you might be like, yeah, I'm just kind of forcing myself to do something in this life.

17:49Maybe the reason why is because you just don't have any purpose right now. That's okay. It's easier to take action when you know your purpose. And so, you know, a really good thing is I can give you four journaling questions that will help you start to rediscover maybe what your purpose is and what your passion is. It's something that you might want to do. It's a thing called Ikigai. If you've listened to the podcast for a long time, you probably heard me speak about it. It's basically just four questions. The question is, what do you love? So just write that down and just make a massive list of everything that you love.

18:20It could be from ice cream to puppies to pickleball, public speaking, whatever it might be, self-development. So what do you love? Next one is, what are you good at? The third one is, what can you be paid for? And the fourth one is, what does the world need? And then I always like to add a fifth one in there. because I think it's not in there, but it's really interesting, is what are you really interested in learning more about or trying to do? I think that if you find something that you've kind of done, but you don't really have a whole lot of experience, you're like, man, I'm really interested in learning more about this thing.

18:56That might be a little bit of a pull into the direction of where you should go. And so I want you to understand, because then you start doing these things and time flies whenever you're doing them. You get lost in these activities. you know the reason why you get lost in those activities is because the energy is there you don't have to come up with the energy the universe is giving you that energy because this is what you were here to do but it's also the reason why time moves really slow when you're doing something that you hate and you're dragging your feet and you've got to force yourself to do the next thing you have no energy it's the universe communicating to you through the thing that the universe is made out of which is energy it's taking your energy down so it's like do something different.

19:33How many times do I have to tell you? It's the universe telling you, hey, this ain't it, man. The universe is always speaking to you. The question is, are you listening? This is the reason why you can see two people who are 50 years old and one person can look 40 and the other person can look 70. Because one person is just doing something that lights them up and makes them happy. And the other person has just been forcing himself to do something for the past 30 years that they hate. Doing something that you hate, something that's soul-sucking, is exhausting. What a waste of life. So what I hope you do is I hope you start to, you know, hopefully this kind of perked up your ears a little bit to think, you know what, maybe I should start finding something I love.

20:12Maybe there is more things that I could be passionate about. Maybe there is something that I could do and I could enjoy much more. That's all I wanted to do. Try to find something that brings you joy. And what you'll find is that you're not as lazy anymore. It's easy to take action. So that's all I got for you for today's episode. If you love this episode, you will absolutely love my free workshop that's coming out on March 25th. It is called Identity Upgrade. I'm going to be live with you. And I'm teaching because after 20 years of studying and teaching self-development, I've seen so many people try to change their life and see that nothing sticks because they don't change their identity first.

20:48And so in this workshop, I'm gonna show you step-by-step how to upgrade your identity so you can change the entire course of your life. So if you're ready to become the next version of yourself, go to 2026upgrade.com and register for free. Once again, 2026upgrade.com. And with that, I'm going to leave you the same way I leave you every single episode. Make it your mission. Make somebody else's day better. I appreciate you. And I hope that you have an amazing day. How much growth could your 401k be missing right now? Did you set it and forget it? That could be expensive. Studies show professionally managed 401ks could add hundreds of thousands by retirement.

21:21That's where Bison comes in. Our advisors actively manage your existing 401k, no transfers or rollovers, helping power your retirement. Try the no obligation calculator at PowerMy401k.com. Bison Wealth is a fiduciary SEC registered investment advisor. See PowerMy401k.com for additional information. Fidelity Active ETFs have the flexibility to shift and transform as markets do the same. So instead of just riding an index, they can seek to outperform it by adapting to market conditions and pursuing new opportunities as they emerge. And while you get the potential outperformance of an actively managed fund, you can still buy and sell it on your terms, just like any other ETF.

22:04Markets can change in real time. Make sure your ETF can, too. Learn more at fidelity.com slash active ETFs. before investing in any exchange traded fund you should consider its investment objectives risks charges and expenses contact fidelity for a prospectus an offering circular or if available a summary prospectus containing this information read it carefully while active etfs offer the potential to outperform an index these products may more significantly trail an index as compared with passive etfs etfs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments etfs are subject to management fees and other expenses fidelity broker services llc member NYSE SIPC.

22:40Who knew Walmart Business could help boutique bed and breakfasts elevate the guest experience? Terry knew. She uses Walmart Business to get the items she needs for all the properties she manages. I'm in charge of creating an amazing stay for every guest in 12 different properties, which I do through food, like gluten-free bagels for the hillside property, or low-sodium saltwater taffy for the bayside one. And when she needs more than just groceries, Walmart Business has her covered too. From mini fridges to mini shampoos, I can get it all in one place. It's Walmart. Built for your business. Who knew?

From the publisher

Join my free workshop on March 25th called Identity Upgrade where I’ll show you how changing your identity—not just your habits—is the key to finally changing your life. Register at 👉 https://www.2026upgrade.com/

Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today. 👉 http://coachwithrob.com

 

The Mindset Mentor™ podcast is designed for anyone desiring motivation, direction, and focus in life.  

 

Past guests of The Mindset Mentor include Tony Robbins, Matthew McConaughey, Jay Shetty, Andrew Huberman, Lewis Howes, Gregg Braden, Rich Roll, and Dr. Steven Gundry.

 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More from The Mindset Mentor

All 709 episodes
You’re Not Lazy — Your Brain Has Been RewiredThe Mindset Mentor · 17 min
Listen in VO