The start of a new year often comes with pressure to reinvent yourself, fix what feels broken, or chase an ideal version of who you “should” be.
In this episode of the Bite-Sized Brilliance Podcast, Dr. April Darley offers a different approach.
Rather than starting from deficiency, this conversation invites you to design the next chapter of your life from strength, quality, and self-knowledge.
Through a neuroscience lens, April explains why the brain resists change that feels threatening and how expansion works best when it builds on systems you already have in place.
You’ll be guided through a series of reflective questions that help you recognize what is already working, amplify what matters most, and align your decisions with your core values.
This episode is for thoughtful, growth-oriented listeners who want to move forward with clarity and intention, not pressure or self-criticism.
In this episode, you’ll explore:

Why resistance often signals importance, not failure
How the brain prefers refinement over reinvention
A strength-based way to think about change and growth
What “first class” really means in your own life
How high-quality behaviors quietly shape your results
Why core values act as a compass for aligned decisions
How to expand impact without abandoning who you already are

To determine your core values, get your copy of The Values Advantage Workbook mentioned in this episode here:  The Values Advantage Workbook
 
🕒 Episode Breakdown with Timestamps
00:00 A New Year welcome and reframing fresh starts
01:00 Resistance, planners, and the neuroscience of habit change
02:00 Why the brain protects familiar systems
03:00 Mental override and intentional expansion
04:00 Moving away from deficiency-based goal setting
05:00 Question one: What qualities do you love about yourself
06:00 Question two: What qualities do you want to amplify
07:00 Question three: Identifying first class experiences in your life
08:30 Question four: High-quality vs low-quality behaviors
10:30 Question five: Defining your core values
12:00 How values influence choices, purchases, and priorities
14:00 Why working from strengths is easier for the brain
16:00 Recap and invitation to design 2026 intentionally

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