Podcast Summary: The Mindset Mentor
Episode: How to Achieve Anything by Lying to Yourself
Host: Rob Dial
Date: October 13, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, Rob Dial explores the provocative idea that the way to achieve anything is to intentionally "lie" to yourself—but in an empowering direction. Rather than continuing to unconsciously repeat self-defeating beliefs, Rob explains how you can use the power of intentional self-talk, repetition, and visualization to shift your identity and achieve your goals. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and personal experience, he lays out both the rationale and practical steps for “rewriting your mental script” and becoming who you truly want to be.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Everyone is Already Lying to Themselves
[02:10]
- Rob opens by challenging listeners: “You already lie to yourself every single day. You lie when you say that you're not good enough. You lie when you call yourself lazy or stuck or unworthy…”
- He explains that the “mental script” running in your head wasn't consciously chosen; it was mostly downloaded from your upbringing and environment.
2. Your Brain Believes Repetition, Not Reality
[03:40]
- “Your brain does not believe reality. It believes repetition.”
- Introducing the Reticular Activating System (RAS): it filters the flood of sensory information, only letting in what aligns with what you believe.
- If you believe you’re not disciplined, your brain filters for evidence of that. Change the belief, your brain filters differently.
3. Confirmation Bias and Hebb's Law
[05:45]
- Psychology calls this confirmation bias: “You’re always looking for ways to prove yourself right.”
- “Hebb’s Law says that neurons that fire together wire together… your repeated thoughts become your default neural pathways.”
4. The Real Problem: Believing the Wrong Lies
[07:08]
- Rob reframes the issue: “The problem is not the lie. The problem is that you believe the wrong lie.”
- Most negative self-beliefs (“I’m not good with money”, “I can’t focus”, “I’m not creative”) are just habitual mental scripts.
5. Changing Your Internal Script
[08:30]
- Encourages intentional “lying”: “What if you ran a new script so often in your head, you actually just started accepting it as normal?”
- Suggests using statements such as:
- “I am somebody who follows through.”
- “I get clearer every day with what I want.”
- “I show up with confidence even when I’m scared.”
- When repeated, these become self-fulfilling through neurological wiring.
6. Identity Is a Story, Not a Fact
[10:50]
- “Your identity is a story. It’s not a fact. Most people act from the past… but you could flip it if you want to. Instead of acting from your past self… you could also act from your future self.”
- Points out that you physically change over time, so why not update your ideas about yourself accordingly?
7. Scientific Backing: Placebo and Visualization
[13:17]
- Compares these “lies” to the placebo effect: belief shapes physical outcomes.
- Visualization is equally powerful: simply imagining yourself performing an action activates the same brain regions as doing it.
- “By changing what you believe and by visualizing… you’re not really faking it. You’re installing it.”
8. The Formula: Belief + Action + Repetition = New Identity
[15:45]
- “Your identity is basically your belief plus action plus repetition. That’s it.”
- Describes observing his son learning to walk—kids don’t tell themselves they can’t do it, they just keep trying.
9. Step-by-Step: How to Create Your New Identity
[17:45]
- Step 1: Choose a detailed new identity. “Don’t just say, ‘I want to be successful.’ Be very detailed.”
- Step 2: Speak it out loud often.
- Step 3: Anchor it with emotion and movement (walk, journal, act as that person).
- Step 4: Reinforce with small wins—catch yourself succeeding and use it as validation.
- References Carol Dweck’s “Mindset”: simply believing you are intelligent improves outcomes.
10. Naming and Flipping Old Lies
[20:10]
- Write down your old disempowering scripts (e.g., “I’m not consistent”).
- Find and write the empowering opposite (“I am deeply focused”, “I keep promises to myself”).
- Say them aloud daily, act as if they're true, and your beliefs will start to catch up.
11. Persistence and Overwriting the Old Script
[21:50]
- Recognizes resistance: “Your voice is going to say… ‘You’re not really that person.’ You can say out loud, ‘Not yet, but I’m becoming that type of person. Watch me.’”
- You’ve been “hypnotized by your past”—if you’re going to keep lying to yourself, do it in a direction that serves you.
12. Challenge to Listeners
[23:00]
- “Find one belief that you need to install… Speak it over and over for seven days. Even when it feels fake. Especially when it feels fake.”
- “Watch how your brain… actually starts to find evidence for it and starts to move towards it.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Your brain does not believe reality. It believes repetition.” (Rob Dial, [03:40])
- “The problem is not the lie. The problem is that you believe the wrong lie.” (Rob Dial, [07:08])
- “Beliefs are not reality. Beliefs are just thoughts that you’ve been thinking for so long you believe it’s actually true.” (Rob Dial, [08:33])
- “Your identity is a story. It’s not a fact.” (Rob Dial, [10:50])
- “What if you ran a new script so often in your head that you just started accepting it as normal?” (Rob Dial, [08:30])
- “You are not the story you’ve been telling yourself. You are the storyteller. Tell yourself a better story until it actually starts to become fact.” (Rob Dial, [21:45])
- “The first day, you’re going to be like, ‘This is complete bullshit.’ Cool. Keep doing it. Keep showing up.” (Rob Dial, [23:05])
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:55 – Setting the stage: You already lie to yourself every day
- 03:40 – The brain’s belief in repetition, not reality; role of RAS
- 05:45 – Confirmation bias and Hebb’s Law explained
- 07:08 – The real problem: believing the wrong lies
- 08:30 – How to intentionally “lie” to shape your future
- 10:50 – Identity is a story; acting from the future, not the past
- 13:17 – Placebo effect, visualization, and installing new beliefs
- 15:45 – Formula for building a new identity (belief+action+repetition)
- 17:45 – Action steps: choosing, speaking, acting, and reinforcing new beliefs
- 20:10 – Rewriting the old script; practical example
- 21:50 – Handling resistance and old habits
- 23:00 – Rob’s challenge: pick your new belief and repeat for 7 days
Actionable Takeaways
- Write down an old limiting belief. Flip it to something empowering and repeat it daily for at least one week—out loud, with conviction.
- Whenever your old script pops up, consciously redirect: “I’m not that person anymore. I’m becoming someone new.”
- Celebrate and reinforce even small wins that align with your chosen new belief.
Final Word
Rob closes with encouragement: “Make it your mission to make somebody else’s day better. I appreciate you, and I hope you have an amazing day.”
For those seeking motivation and practical tools to shift their mindset, this episode offers a science-backed pathway for transformation—one empowering “lie” at a time.