The Hidden Psychology Behind Failed Dreams, with Yale’s Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle

8 snips

Jul 18, 2025

Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, a senior research scientist at Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence, dives into the intriguing world of creativity in retirement planning. She discusses the 'implementation gap'—why great ideas often falter at the starting line. Using a hypothetical couple aiming for an early retirement, she emphasizes that creativity is key in solving ambiguous problems. Pringle reassures that you don’t need full confidence to begin; starting with even a quarter tank can lead to fulfilling and innovative paths in life.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Creativity Beyond Arts

Creativity is not limited to arts or design; it can occur in any human endeavor.
Even roles like a hospital food service supervisor can demonstrate original and effective creativity.

INSIGHT

Creativity Requires Originality and Effectiveness

Creativity must be both original and effective; one without the other is insufficient.
Effectiveness depends on the context, whether solving problems or evoking emotions.

INSIGHT

Creativity Involves Ongoing Implementation

Creativity is more than just having ideas; it involves evolving and implementing them.
The process is ongoing from initial vision to real-world influence.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

#626: A software programmer and an accountant walk into retirement planning. Are they being creative? Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, a senior research scientist at Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence, says absolutely.

Pringle defines creativity as something that's both original and effective, whether you're solving an accounting problem or planning an unconventional retirement.

We explore the gap between having ideas and actually implementing them. You have this brilliant vision for starting a business, changing careers, or retiring early, but somehow you never take the first step. Pringle calls this the implementation gap, and she explains why it happens.

The conversation centers on a hypothetical couple: both 55 years old, one a programmer, the other in middle management. They want to retire at 57 and travel the world. Pringle uses this example to illustrate how creative problem-solving works in real life.

She explains that creativity requires comfort with uncertainty. When you're doing something new, you don't have a blueprint or checklist. There's always the risk that your early retirement plan could fail spectacularly — imagine having to return to work at 59 after the market tanks and your portfolio gets crushed.

Here's the key insight: you don't need full confidence to start. Pringle compares creative confidence to fuel in a car. You don't need a full tank — you can start with just a quarter tank and refuel along the way. Each small success builds more confidence for the next step.

The bottom line? Innovation happens through constant iteration. Your final destination might change throughout your career and retirement, and that's completely normal.

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.zorana-ivcevic-pringle.com/

Timestamps:

Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths.

(0:00) Implementation gap intro

(1:00) Creativity beyond arts

(2:00) Original plus effective

(3:00) Ideas to action gap

(5:00) Retirement as creativity

(7:00) Openness drives creativity

(8:00) Problem finding process

(10:00) Big Five traits

(12:00) Openness and creativity

(15:00) Traits can change

(18:00) Uncertainty creates risk

(20:00) Courage versus comfort

(23:00) Self-efficacy challenges

(25:00) Quarter tank confidence

(28:00) Creative failure recovery

(32:00) Creative blocks

(36:00) Pivoting versus quitting

(39:00) Emotions as information

(42:00) Metrics versus intuition

(50:00) Implementation strategies

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices