Hal Hershfield, a UCLA marketing and psychology professor, shares his insights on making and keeping New Year’s resolutions. He discusses the concept of a 'future self' and how visualizing it can improve decision-making. Commitment devices and breaking down big goals emerge as key strategies to enhance stick-to-itiveness. Hershfield introduces 'mental time travel' techniques, like writing to your future self, to boost motivation. The conversation balances the importance of present actions with future aspirations for effective self-improvement.
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insights INSIGHT
Identity's Impact on Decisions
How we see ourselves, especially our connection to our future self, impacts our decisions.
This connection influences choices like spending, exercising, and how we use our time.
insights INSIGHT
The Fresh Start Effect
"Fresh starts", like New Year's, motivate us to act on desired changes because they feel like a clean slate.
These moments create an illusion of a new beginning, fostering hope for change.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Flexible Goal Setting
Set goals with "emergency reserves" to avoid discouragement from minor setbacks.
Use goal ranges (e.g., 1-5 workouts) to stay motivated and flexible.
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Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth[2][4][5].
Emotional Intelligence
Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Daniel Goleman
In 'Emotional Intelligence,' Daniel Goleman presents a compelling argument that emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial for success, happiness, and virtue. Drawing on research in psychology and neuroscience, Goleman explains how EI, which includes self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy, shapes our destiny. The book details five key skills of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, managing emotions, motivation, recognizing emotions in others, and social skills. Goleman shows how these skills can be nurtured and strengthened throughout adulthood, benefiting our health, relationships, and work performance[2][3][4].
Your Future Self, How to Make Tomorrow Better Today
Hal Hirschfeld
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.
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A leading behavioral psychologist reveals practical strategies to help you actually make the changes you want to make this new year (and beyond).
Hal Hershfield is a professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making, and psychology at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and the author of Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today. His research on future selves has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, as well as the Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today.
In this episode we talk about:
What he means by a future self, and why thinking about your future self will help you make better decisions
How to think about your future self without neglecting the present moment
The importance of commitment devices, and what they are — including some which you can even adopt right now
The importance of breaking down big goals to make them achievable
How to reframe commitments so that you actually stick to them
The role of mental time travel to help you actually do what you say you want to do
10% Happier with Dan Harris 
