Top Neuroscientist: The New Formula For Building YOUR Dream Life

August 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Dr. Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neuroscientist and author of Tiny Experiments, argues that most people feel stuck not because they lack discipline or clarity, but because they are running outdated cognitive scripts—automatic patterns of decision-making borrowed from society. On The Liz Moody Podcast, she lays out a practical framework for breaking free from these scripts: treat life like a science experiment. By running small, time-bound behavioral tests and detaching self-worth from outcomes, listeners can replace shame and paralysis with curiosity and real data about what actually works for them.

The Three Cognitive Scripts That Keep You Stuck

Le Cunff identifies three broad categories of cognitive scripts that silently drive most people's decisions. The SQL script is when you make choices based on your past—for example, only applying to jobs that align with your college major. The crowd pleaser script is when you optimize for what you think others will approve of, even though you are not in their heads. The epic script is the belief that anything you do must be big and impressive, or else it is a failure. Le Cunff admits she is most guilty of this one herself, having chased prestigious speaking engagements until she realized they were pulling her away from her family.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:31) **Listener Question: Feeling "Behind" in Life** - A 36-year-old listener feels shame about being behind on societal milestones like home ownership and savings.
2 (02:58) **The Three Buckets of Cognitive Scripts** - Raskin defines cognitive scripts as automatic patterns of behavior and decision-making borrowed from society.
3 (05:04) **How to Break Free: The Self-Anthropology Exercise** - A practical method to identify which scripts are running your life.
4 (08:10) **Listener Question: Struggling to Maintain Health Routines** - A listener finds it hard to maintain exercise and healthy eating habits because being "lazy" feels good in the moment.
5 (13:15) **Getting Out of Bed: A Micro-Experiment** - Liz asks for a tip to stop lingering in bed for 45 minutes.
6 (14:43) **Listener Question: Paralyzed by Reaching Out to Make Friends** - A listener feels isolated but is frozen by the fear of being annoying when trying to connect.
7 (16:33) **The Rules of Tiny Experiments Explained** - A detailed breakdown of what makes an experiment "tiny" and effective.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Liz Moody

Show Notes

What if you could achieve a life full of happiness, security, and success while also enjoying the ride? My guest today tells us exactly how to do just that by throwing out your detailed 5 year plan (yes, really) for this new approach instead.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a top neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and best-selling author. After reading her amazing book, I had to have her on the podcast and share her approach with you all.

🎧 What you’ll learn:

• The 24 hour task to find out what’s getting in the way of you achieving your dreams

• The single rule that makes any life decision less scary—even the huge ones

• Why almost every popular goal-setting method (yes, even SMART goals) might be working against you

• The 3 types of "cognitive scripts" subconsciously running your decisions

• The exact question to ask yourself before quitting your job to chase a passion

• Why willpower and discipline are the wrong tools for building healthier habits

• A simple 3-word framework for finally beating procrastination for good

For more from Anne-Laure Le Cunff:

• Book, Tiny Experiments: https://nesslabs.com/book

• Newsletter: https://nesslabs.com/newsletter

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neuranne

Ready to uplevel every part of your life? Order Liz’s book 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships & Success now!

Connect with Liz on Instagram @lizmoody or online at www.lizmoody.com. Subscribe to the substack by visiting https://lizmoody.substack.com/welcome.Buy our cute sweatshirts, conversation cards, and more at https://shop.lizmoody.com/.

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