37 AJ Jacobs: Experiments in Lifestyle, Fitness, and Self Improvement

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Lewis Howes interviews A.J. Jacobs about his career as a human guinea pig for self-improvement, covering spirituality, gratitude, health, knowledge, and life experiments. Jacobs argues that small consistent changes, tracking behavior, curiosity, community, and “fake it till you make it” can improve well-being, performance, and generosity.

Main Topics: Spirituality, religion, and gratitude: Jacobs explains his year living by biblical rules, how it changed his view of religion, and why gratitude became his biggest takeaway. Fake it till you make it and behavioral change: He argues that acting like the person you want to become can reshape mindset and behavior, drawing on psychology and his own experiments. Health and body optimization: Jacobs discusses his book Drop Dead Healthy, his two-year experiment with diet, exercise, posture, sleep, and tracking, and warns against extremes. Curiosity and intellectual experimentation: He describes trying to become smarter through reading the encyclopedia and treating learning as an experiment driven by curiosity. Community, forgiveness, and self-acceptance: The conversation emphasizes that happiness comes from community, forgiveness, and not being overly rigid about perfection or health. Risk-taking, rejection, and entrepreneurship: Jacobs shares lessons from history and his work about persistence, embracing rejection, and putting oneself out there.

Key Arguments: Gratitude changes perspective by revealing how many things go right every day, which improves psychological state and generosity. Acting first can lead thinking later; behaving like a compassionate, confident, or healthy person can help create those traits. Extreme health rules are not sustainable for most people; small changes and moderation are often more effective. Tracking behavior increases accountability and can lead to healthier choices. Physical health supports mental performance; exercise can improve focus, productivity, and even intelligence. Community matters as much as personal wellness; obsession with health can become unhealthy if it isolates you. Forgiveness and self-forgiveness are essential for happiness and forward progress. Curiosity and experimentation are practical tools for self-improvement across spirituality, body, and intellect.

Data Points: New York Times bestsellers: 4 - Jacobs is introduced as the author of four New York Times bestsellers. Years spent on health experiment: 2 years - He says Drop Dead Healthy took about two years to complete. Steps goal: 10,000 steps per day - He uses a Fitbit and aims for at least 10,000 steps daily. Distance walked while writing: 1,200 miles - He says it took about 1,200 miles of treadmill walking to write the health book. Total miles walked since then: about 2,000 miles - He estimates he has walked about 2,000 miles while writing on the treadmill. Bible experiment duration: 1 year - He lived for a year by biblical rules and explored their effects. Radical Honesty experiment duration: 2 months - He says he practiced Radical Honesty for two months. Encyclopedia reading duration: 8 hours a day - He says he read the encyclopedia for eight hours a day during his knowledge experiment. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire question value: $32,000 - He mentions missing a $32,000 biology question on the show. Sons/daughters implied community context: 2 kids - He says he wanted his kids to have a basis in their heritage. Bible commandments estimate: 7 or 8 of the Ten Commandments - He says most of the commandments are spot on, except a few nuanced ones like coveting.

Pivotal Quotes: "It's easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting." — A. J. Jacobs: He uses this to explain why behavior can drive mindset change and why fake-it-till-you-make-it works. "If you don't take the chance to live life, what can you say at the end of it." — Naveen Andrews: Lewis opens with this quote to frame the episode’s focus on courage, experimentation, and living fully. "The happier I am, the more willing I am to help others." — A. J. Jacobs: He explains how self-work and happiness connect to generosity and service.

Implications: Listeners are encouraged to use small experiments, gratitude, tracking, and curiosity to improve health, mindset, and relationships. The episode frames self-improvement as practical, playful, and community-oriented rather than extreme or perfectionistic.