More From Life Podcast

What if the person you think you are is simply a collection of habits you’ve learned? In this episode, Nicco explores people-pleasing, self-doubt and the roles we unconsciously wear and how changing our behaviour can slowly change the story we tell ourselves. You are not your patterns. And what was learned can be unlearned. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other sub...

Fling. Everybody flinched when the large forceps hit the wall and fell down on the speckled OR floor with a metallic sound. He was losing his temper again, and the single reason for that was the experienced surgeon to the left of him not doing his job fast enough for his standards. Before that he had hit that surgeon on the fingers with the soon-to-be-thrown forceps. The escalation of the situatio...

Can you take your work seriously without taking yourself too seriously? In this episode, I explore why joy is not a distraction from great work but one of its essential ingredients. We talk about grind culture, genuine enthusiasm, the myth that work has to feel like suffering, and why the best teams often laugh the most. Because joy is not a reward for the work. It is part of the craft. This is a...

Can you really have it all? In this episode, I explore why the answer is yes—if you're willing to accept that it may look very different from what you imagined. We dive into the "Valve System," a practical framework for balancing multiple identities, managing creative pressure, and building a meaningful life over the long term. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other...

When everything starts going wrong, our instinct is to push harder. But under pressure, that often makes things worse. In this episode, I share a lesson from the operating room about a simple ten-second reset that can interrupt the stress spiral, improve your judgment, and help you perform at your best when the stakes are highest. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with ot...

A ship in a bottle shows that bottlenecks are often solved by adapting what passes through them, not by removing the constraint. Not every bottleneck is bad—some create structure, precision, and quality. The biggest bottlenecks are often internal, such as fear, avoidance, or the need for control, rather than external systems. The key lesson is to identify whether the obstacle is the system or your...

After more than a year of writing about what it means to live a full human life, I am rebranding his newsletter from  The Renaissance Protocol  to  More from Life . The new name better reflects the core idea behind his work: helping people get more from life in areas such as relationships, family, work, health, play, and spirituality. While the content remains the same, it will expand to cover a w...

Most transformations happen invisibly first. In this episode, we explore why growth, mastery, burnout, and collapse all happen gradually… then suddenly — and how to stay present through the invisible phase before the threshold is crossed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letters.niccokrezdorn.com

In this newsletter, I reflect on a temporary art installation in Central Park that unexpectedly became one of the most important lessons of my life. Inspired by Buddhist teachings, I explore why suffering often comes not from difficult emotions themselves, but from our resistance to them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epis...

What if the problem isn’t that you need more, but that you’ve never fully seen what you already have? A reflection on accumulation, unrealized selves, and why gathering more information about a problem you already understand isn’t research — it’s avoidance. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letters.niccokrezdor...

Thinking about a lemon can make your body react instantly—without it even being there. That’s how powerful your brain is. The problem? Most people visualize outcomes, not actions. They imagine success, but not the steps it takes to get there. So nothing changes. Real progress happens when you stop picturing the reward and start mentally rehearsing the process. Not the end result, but the  next ste...

Why do we so often act against our own values? This episode explores how, without clear priorities, decisions get driven by politeness, habit or comfort instead. It’s about building a clear internal hierarchy—so you can focus on what truly matters, make better decisions, and live more intentionally. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

A conversation over espresso made me realize something uncomfortable: my sense of time doesn’t seem to match reality in the way others perceive it. How can someone be a father of three, run a department, teach, do research, build a podcast, and still feel like there is room for more? In this episode, I introduce a concept I call  Deliberate Delusion  — the intentional choice to redefine what “norm...

This episode is exploring the inner architecture of human desire — why we repress, why we indulge, and how real transformation comes from understanding rather than avoidance. Reflections on spirituality, psychology, and the ordinary initiations that shape a life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letters.niccok...

Your brain isn’t lazy, it’s battling friction. In this episode, we explore why tiny obstacles can destroy even the best intentions, from misplaced running shoes to dead laptops. Through stories from surgery, behavior change, and a patient who kept smoking after losing his leg, we uncover a powerful truth: discipline doesn’t drive behavior —  design does . This is a public episode. If you would lik...

A deep exploration of the “Restoration Fallacy” — the belief that after crisis, illness, burnout or loss, we can return to who we used to be. Drawing from oncology, reconstructive surgery and identity psychology, this conversation reveals why the old self is gone, why trying to restore it creates suffering and how healing begins with building the  next  self instead of resurrecting the previous on...

What happens when you stop fighting the unfairness of the system and start working with reality as it is? A surgeon’s story about acceptance, ownership and finding opportunity inside constraint. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letters.niccokrezdorn.com

Ever tried to skip the boring part of learning something, only to regret it years later? I did. I avoided music theory because it felt too slow and dull. Decades later, I’m still paying for that shortcut. In this episode, we talk about  The Plateau Trap - that moment when learning stops being fun, progress slows down and you’re tempted to quit. You’ll hear stories from music, medicine and life abo...

What if your work and leadership could keep running smoothly — even when you’re not around? Inspired by timeless craftsmanship and real-world challenges, this episode uncovers how building strong, sustainable systems beats constant crisis mode. We discuss practical ways to design teams and workflows that thrive independently, avoid burnout and stand the test of time. Ready to build something that...

“Surgeons don’t need to eat.” That wasn’t a joke — it was a warning. In this episode, I share how toxic mindsets in medicine glorify burnout and deny our basic human needs. We explore the shift from the Old School Physician Mindset to a healthier, more sustainable approach — the New School Physician . Plus: A practical framework (CARE) to reclaim your wellbeing and show up better — for your patien...

You wouldn’t let an athlete skip recovery — so why do  you ? We expect doctors, leaders and high-performers to deliver at Olympic levels — without the support teams that elite athletes rely on daily. In this episode, I talk about the painful wake-up call that started with a Thai bodywork session… and led to a years-long journey toward building a real support system: physical, mental and structural...