SOLVED with Mark Manson

If you’ve ever felt stuck, or like you’re doing all the right things but something still feels off, there’s a good chance it’s a values problem. Not a discipline problem, not a productivity problem. A values problem. Most people have never actually sat down and figured out what they care about. Not really anyway.

This clip is from our episode How to Find and Live By Your Values, which came out back in May 2025 and is honestly one of the episodes I’m most proud of. Drew and I go through a bunch of exercises to help you actually figure out what you value, not what you think you’re supposed to value. 

We cover things like:


How to identify your core values with a simple hypothetical scenario.


How to clearly define what you want your legacy to be


Ways to prioritize your values by making tough decisions.


How to turn frustrations into your deepest values.


Why the hierarchy of your values is more critical than any single one of them.


And why your willingness to sacrifice for something says a lot more about you than just what you think you want in life.

Listen to the full Values episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5pdYVl60TqKLNAwKgFdk0C?si=0aa34991b49f4fcc

Get your FREE five-day mini course: https://www.solvedpodcast.com/values-mini-course

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focus is one of those things everyone swears they need more of and almost no one is actually addressing correctly. In this episode, we dig into what the science actually says about attention spans (hint: your brain isn't broken, it's just overwhelmed), why the standard advice to "try harder" is probably making things worse, and what's really driving your inability to sit down and get things done. We get into the neuroscience of explore vs. exploit modes, why flow states feel the way they do, and the four hidden triggers behind most focus problems, none of which have anything to do with your phone. Then we get into the practical stuff: environmental design, deep work frameworks, the maker vs. manager schedule, time boxing, batching, and why a dentist appointment in the middle of your morning can ruin your entire day. If you're the kind of person who opens 14 browser tabs, switches between them for 40 minutes, and calls that "working", well, this one's for you.

Check Out Our Sponsors:

Brain.fm: Stop manifesting focus and go get some. Get 30 days free at ⁠https://www.brain.fm/solved⁠

IM8: Feel your best self, every day. Go to ⁠https://www.im8health.com/solved⁠ and use code SOLVED for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order.

Duck.AI: Use AI without giving up your privacy, visit ⁠https://www.duck.ai/solved⁠ today.

Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join the Solved Community, a group of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://membership.solvedpodcast.com/

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

3:06 Chapter 1: The Attention Crisis (Is It Even Real?)

21:55 Chapter 2: The Exploit–Explore Dilemma

29:57 Your Brain on Explore and Exploit Mode

43:48 Technology evolved with Focus

50:33 Chapter 3: The Psychology of Distraction

54:06 Trigger 1: Lack of Importance

56:24 Trigger 2: Lack of Clarity

1:00:01 Trigger 3: Lack of Calmness

1:02:49 Trigger 4: Lack of Health

1:07:21 What about Willpower?

1:18:50 Chapter 4: Flow States and Hyperfocus

1:25:13 Characteristics of flow state

1:37:36 Chapter 5: Mental Health and the Clinical Realities of Focus

1:39:30 ADHD

1:41:56 Hyperfocus vs Flow

1:56:27 Chapter 6: Environmental Design for Focus

2:01:15 Foundations

2:06:38 Setting Up Your Workspace

2:14:15 Working with others

2:22:49 Temperature, lighting. air quality

2:27:30 Nature exposure

2:29:22 Ritual as a “trigger system”

2:34:39 Chapter 7: Productivity Systems

2:53:17 Maker Schedules vs. Manager Schedules

3:00:10 Using Apps for Focus

3:05:29 Chapter 8: The 80/20 of Focus

3:07:51 Is Focus a Skill?

3:11:07 Takeaways
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Hungarian doctor discovered that handwashing saves lives, and was destroyed for proving it. Michael Jordan’s competitiveness made him a legend, then turned him into a prisoner of his own intensity. My ADHD nearly derailed my life and later became the foundation of my career. This video explores an uncomfortable truth: the traits that make you exceptional are often the same ones that create your biggest problems. The real question isn't “How do I change?” but “Is this worth it, and how do I manage it?”

Get one month of BrainFM free with my link: https://go.brain.fm/idgaf

For practical, science-based advice each week that might change your life, sign up for my newsletter here: http://bit.ly/3JRg3NX

Written & Directed by Mark Manson
Edited by Daniel Johnson
Director of Photography Jess Choi
Thumbnail by Jonathan Sippel
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We put love on trial — literally. Drew and I squared off in a full debate over whether romantic love is overrated. I made the case that love is basically your brain's con man, a neurochemical hijacking designed to make you delusional about deeply flawed people, and that the most intoxicating relationships are often the most toxic. Drew fought back with the evidence that love is the foundation of social infrastructure, physical health, and long-term happiness. By the end, we came to a gentlemen’s agreement: a framework that explains why we're all chasing the wrong kind of love, and what the right kind actually looks like.

- Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join the Solved Community, a group of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://membership.solvedpodcast.com

- Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

- Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at https://www.purpose.app

Check out our sponsors:

IM8: Transform your daily routine with IM8's Daily Ultimate Essentials at https://www.im8health.com/solved

Factor: Head to https://www.factormeals.com/solved202650off and use code solved202650off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year. Eat like a pro this month with Factor.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

2:21 Round 1: Love is the Brain's Conman

23:33 Round 2: Love as Social Infrastructure

45:33 Round 3: Love and Happiness

1:07:14 Round 4: We're Drawn to People Who Hurt Us
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a segment from the full episode on procrastination.

Procrastination isn't a time management problem — it's an emotional regulation problem, and once you see that, everything changes. We break down how your brain uses avoidance as a mood-management strategy, why every philosopher from Plato to the Buddhists was partially right (but nobody had the full picture), and the specific internal and external levers you can pull to actually get shit done. We also run through the six types of procrastinators so you can figure out which flavor of self-sabotage you've been perfecting — plus the RAIN method, minimum viable actions, and why making boring things fun isn't just a nice idea, it's the whole game.

We also put together a free companion guide for the full episode with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here: https://solvedpodcast.com/procrastination

- Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join the Solved Community, a group of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://membership.solvedpodcast.com/

- Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

- Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at ⁠https://www.purpose.app⁠

Amazing Offers From Our Sponsor:

Boost your focus with science-backed music from Brain.fm.
Start your 30-day free trial at brain.fm/solved

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
1:44 Understanding Emotional Regulation
9:34 The RAIN Method
14:04 The Six Types of Procrastinators
23:09 The 80-20 of Procrastination
43:39 Conclusion
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices