The Mel Robbins Podcast

Episode: The Reset You Need: How to Transform Your Life at Any Moment

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Mel Robbins
Guest: Hoda Kotb

Episode Overview

In this profoundly inspiring episode, Mel Robbins sits down with her close friend and acclaimed journalist Hoda Kotb to explore the powerful, universal truth that it’s never too late to reinvent your life. Packed with deeply personal stories, actionable tools, and life-changing wisdom, the conversation guides listeners through what it takes to hit reset at any moment, stop settling for “good enough,” and walk toward bigger possibilities—regardless of age, fear, or circumstance. Hoda opens up about the many pivotal moments of change throughout her decades-long career and personal life, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to choose courage over comfort, speak your true desires out loud, and become a beginner again—no matter your stage of life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Myth of "Too Late": Reinvention at Any Age

• Hoda’s Mantra: “It’s not too late. You can reinvent your life at any moment. You can figure out what you want, and you’re also capable of creating it.” (Mel Robbins, 00:09)
• Hoda’s personal reinventions across decades:
  • 20s/30s: Climbed through local newsrooms to Today Show anchor.
  • 40s: Beat breast cancer.
  • 50s: Adopted two daughters.
  • 60s: Left Today Show to launch a new tech business.
• Key Insight: No matter your story or age, you are capable of radical change.

2. “Good Enough is Not Enough” – Breaking Out of Settling

• Hoda distinguishes between being grateful for the present and recognizing when you deserve more.
  • “Good enough is not enough. And I’m not saying be constantly dissatisfied… I’ve been satisfied in my day-to-day… But I can also look ahead and go, okay, I feel like I’m worth more than what I have right here.” (Hoda, 12:04)
• Mel’s Summary: “Is how I feel about myself, how I feel in this relationship, how I feel in this job, is that good enough? … That is where the shift has to happen.” (Mel Robbins, 13:46)
• Encourages deep self-reflection about core needs and whether current circumstances truly honor them.

3. Self-Inventory Exercise – The “Time Pie”

• Hoda shares a practical tool for clarity: writing down the slices of your life proportional to the energy you devote.
  • “My friend Rhea Shriver… said, 'I want you to get a piece of paper and cut it up in a bunch of pieces… On each piece, write down a part of your life that requires your time…' By the time it was done… she goes: that's your life. Do you like it?” (Hoda, 15:40)
• Helps visualize and re-prioritize time to better match your values and desires.

4. Permission to Want More—And Say it Out Loud

• The crucial first step: daring to articulate your deepest desire, even if it feels impossible.
  • Hoda’s story: Adopting children at 51 after years of suppressing the dream of motherhood.
    • “One day I was in my 50s… walking down the beach with a friend. I said, ‘Actually, Jen, I kind of always did’ [want kids]… She goes, ‘But you’ve never said that.’” (Hoda, 22:32)
• Quote: “We bury things and I think it’s good to unearth them and give them a go.” (Hoda, 26:16)
• Speaking desire opens the door to possibility and invites unexpected synchronicities.

5. Overcoming the Fear of Disappointment

• Mel: “The thought that I would allow myself to want it and it wouldn’t happen feels too painful.” (Mel, 30:02)
• Hoda: “Then you have the life you have now. Nothing’s changed. You just spoke it out loud." (Hoda, 30:21)
• Taking a risk on growth is better than a life suppressed by fear.

6. Taking Action: Small, Sustained Steps

• Hoda’s “30 for 30” method—30 minutes a day for 30 days exploring your new idea or path.
  • “When you’re done, you have 900 minutes clocked… you know whether you want to open that coffee shop…” (Hoda, 70:04)
• You don’t have to leap blindly; incremental, intentional effort leads to clarity and real change.

7. Daily Journaling Prompts for Clarity

• Each morning, Hoda uses four prompts to check in:
  1. What does my body need?
  2. What does my intellect need?
  3. What do my emotions need?
  4. What does my spirit need?
     (Hoda, 70:04)
• Simple, honest self-inventory creates a mini-roadmap for the day and helps surface unaddressed needs.

8. The Power of Mindset & Language

• Stories affect outcomes: “Good things keep happening to me.” (Hoda, 56:45)
• Maria Shriver’s Language Shift: “You’re not lost, you’re seeking… language matters.” (Hoda, 59:41)
• Changing thought patterns from defeatist to possibility-oriented primes you to see and seize opportunity.

9. The Value of Not Quitting: The 27 NOs Story

• Hoda recounts her odyssey of being rejected for jobs 27 times before one person, Stan, gave her a chance.
  • “If all you’ve gotten are nos, then you haven’t met your one Stan yet. And as long as you don’t quit, you can’t lose.” (Mel, 54:07)

10. Reframing Fear—You Can’t Scare Me

• Hoda’s battle with breast cancer changed her perception of what’s truly frightening and possible.
  • “I popped up out of bed and I was like, Oh my God, you can’t scare me.” (Hoda, 85:33)
• “Don’t hog your journey. It’s not just for you. …You can put your stuff deep in your pockets and take it to your grave, or you can help somebody.” (Hoda, 82:24)
• Radical openness and sharing can birth new opportunities—for yourself and others.

11. Becoming a Beginner Again

• Launching Joy 101, her wellness tech start-up, at 61, Hoda embraces “beginner’s energy.”
  • “Be a beginner again. I’m 61 years old and I’m a beginner again… Being a beginner again is one of the finest feelings in the world.” (Hoda, 89:56)
  • Mel: “Pursuing something interesting is what makes you interesting… it’s worth it because you’re opening the door to bigger possibilities.” (Mel, 92:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On settling:
  • “Good enough is not enough.” (Hoda, 11:07)
• On opening the door to possibility:
  • “The most important thing to do is to tell yourself that it’s possible and believe it… the only reason I have been successful… is because deep down inside, I knew it was gonna work.” (Hoda, 93:47)
• On the power of a single “yes”:
  • “You just need your one. If you have one… If you don’t quit, you can’t lose.” (Hoda, 54:07)
• On regret:
  • “You’ll be marching off… and now I’m 90… what was I thinking? I could have gone, could have changed. Yes, but it moves too quickly, so it’s like a stop down.” (Hoda, 16:50)
• On possibility and fear:
  • “On the other side of fear is the thing that you want… Once you climb the mountain on the other side, you’re like, Oh my God, why was I down there?” (Hoda, 88:42)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Hoda’s story of reinvention across decades: [00:09 – 06:36]
• “Good Enough is Not Enough” and mindset shift: [08:45 – 13:46]
• The “Time Pie” self-inventory exercise: [15:40 – 17:27]
• Giving yourself permission—speaking desires out loud: [22:30 – 30:26]
• On quitting and the power of one “yes” (27 NOs): [48:37 – 54:33]
• Daily journaling prompts for clarity: [70:04 – 72:47]
• “30 for 30” action method: [70:04 – 72:47]
• On fear, sharing your story, and “You can’t scare me”: [80:30 – 85:55]
• Beginner’s mindset in her 60s: [89:56 – 93:47]
• Closing advice—believing in possibility: [93:47 – 95:28]

Special Segment: The Power of Pause

(Sponsored by Celebrity Cruises) [98:02 – 101:50]

• Mel leads listeners through “box breathing” (inhale-hold-exhale for 4 seconds each).
  • “Let’s take a breath… when was the last time you did that? …Nothing good grows in chaos. You want clarity? Make space.” (Mel, 99:08)
• The importance of making space, slowing down, and allowing clarity to emerge.

Takeaways & Action Steps

• Stop the train. Take a step back and ask yourself: “Is how I feel in my life good enough?”
• Articulate your real desires. Even if it’s just a whisper to yourself, say it out loud.
• Experiment with Hoda’s self-inventory prompts each morning:
  1. What does my body need?
  2. What does my intellect need?
  3. What do my emotions need?
  4. What does my spirit need?
• Try the “30 for 30” method: 30 minutes a day for 30 days exploring a new possibility.
• Change your mindset: Shift your self-talk to “It is possible for me.”
• Be a beginner again. Don’t let age or experience keep you from starting something new.
• Don’t quit. Remember, all you need is one “yes.”

Closing Words

“It’s never too late, you’re not too old, and everything, everything, everything happens right on time.”
– Hoda Kotb (95:11)

This episode is a must-listen for anyone on the brink of reinvention, those searching for more, or anyone who needs proof that new beginnings have no expiration date. Hoda Kotb shows—by example and encouragement—that by opening the door to possibility, taking small brave steps, and refusing to quit, anyone can transform their life.

Share this episode with someone you care about who needs to hear: IT’S NOT TOO LATE.