You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816
2026-09-04 · 23 min · episode 817 · 26 entities
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://matteringeffect.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/speaking
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://theignitedlife.net/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://youmatterluma.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://startmattering.com/
Entities found in this episode
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://matteringeffect.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/speaking
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://theignitedlife.net/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://youmatterluma.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://startmattering.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://matteringeffect.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://johnrmiles.com/speaking
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://theignitedlife.net/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://youmatterluma.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://startmattering.com/
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs
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Link in episode "You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816": https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs
Episode description as stored
Have you ever worked harder and harder at something, only to wonder why nothing seems to change?
You may assume the answer is that you need more discipline, more motivation, or more grit. But what if the problem isn't you?
Today, John R. Miles explores that question through two very different lenses: Angela Duckworth's research on how situations shape our behavior and Jared Diamond's work on when individual leaders actually make a difference.
John also puts both ideas to the test in his own life after spending two weeks in Blue Ridge, Georgia, where he discovered that he felt calmer, clearer, and more patient—not because he had become a different person, but because he was no longer in the same environment.
But there's another side to this.
Sometimes the environment really is the problem. And sometimes you are the person the moment requires.
Jared Diamond's "Hamlet Test" asks whether someone else could have produced the same outcome. His comparison between Harry Truman and William Shakespeare reveals the difference between being replaceable and being uniquely suited to a moment.
John brings both ideas together into the Fit Check: two questions that can help you figure out whether you need to change yourself, change your environment, or simply stop avoiding the work that only you can do.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why trying harder isn't always the answer
How your environment can bring out completely different versions of you
Why grit and willpower are sometimes not enough
How to tell the difference between a bad day and a bad environment
Jared Diamond's "Hamlet Test" for determining when someone truly matters
Why some people are replaceable in one situation but indispensable in another
How to recognize the moments when the outcome genuinely depends on you
The two questions in John's Fit Check
How to stop wasting energy trying to win in environments that work against you
How to identify the moments that deserve your full attention
The goal isn't to become someone who can thrive anywhere.
It's to become wise enough to know which rooms you need to change—and which moments are yours to own.
Check the Full Shownotes here.
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Connect with John
Website: https://johnrmiles.com
Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
Support the Movement : https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
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