Katy Milkman, a Wharton professor and author of "How to Change," delves into effective personal transformation strategies. She discusses the significance of fresh starts and how to tailor approaches to overcome specific barriers. The concept of 'temptation bundling' is introduced, pairing enjoyable activities with less appealing tasks to boost motivation. Katy also emphasizes the impact of community and surrounding oneself with slightly more accomplished peers to inspire growth. Her insights provide actionable tools for turning challenges into achievable goals.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Diagnose Barriers
Identify specific obstacles hindering your behavior change goal.
Tailor solutions to these obstacles instead of using generic advice.
insights INSIGHT
Fresh Starts
Leverage "fresh starts" like New Year's, birthdays, or new beginnings to boost motivation for change.
These moments create a sense of a clean slate and increased optimism.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Temptation Bundling
Make pursuing goals enjoyable by finding inherently fun activities or using "temptation bundling."
Link a desired activity with a chore, like listening to podcasts while doing chores.
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The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Katy Milkman
In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be. Drawing on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. The book offers innovative approaches like 'temptation bundling,' using timely reminders, and creating 'set-it-and-forget-it systems' to make change more achievable. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to specific roadblocks and using science to stack the deck in favor of successful change.
There's no shortage of information out there on how to change — how to lose weight, exercise more, curb your anger, quit smoking, and every other kind of habit someone might want to pick up or drop.
But despite this avalanche of information, you're probably struggling to change just as much as you ever did.
What you need is an actual strategy — to identify what particular barrier is keeping you from a particular goal, and a specific solution to that specific roadblock.
My guest is well-positioned to help you cut through the voluminous noise around personal change and hone in on both sides of this equation. Her name is Katy Milkman, and she's a Wharton professor who's spent her career studying behavioral economics and the author of How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. On the show today, Katy and I walk through common reasons people aren't successful in changing, and the best, research-backed tools for turning uphill battles into downhill ones. We discuss the ideal times to begin a new habit and the power of fresh starts, how to get motivated to tackle something when there are more pleasurable things you'd rather be doing, how to use commitment devices to stay the course, why giving advice to someone else can help you take that advice yourself, and the crucial importance of surrounding yourself with peers who are better — but not too much better — than you are.
The Art of Manliness 
