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As a young child, Dr. Maya Shankar fell in love with the violin and devoted herself to playing. She experienced intrinsic motivation and was driven by her passion. However, during her teenage years, she faced self-doubt and comparison to other highly talented musicians. Despite these challenges, she achieved success and even got accepted into Juilliard, further solidifying her identity as a violinist.
At the age of 15, Dr. Maya Shankar suffered a career-ending injury to her finger, which shattered her dreams of becoming a professional violinist. This experience was devastating for her, as the violin had become such a major part of her identity and life. She went through a period of feeling lost and unsure of who she was without the instrument.
In the aftermath of her injury, Dr. Maya Shankar gradually redefined her identity and discovered new passions and pursuits. She learned to anchor her identity to her intrinsic characteristics, such as her curiosity, desire for progress, and love for human connection. This shift allowed her to explore new avenues and adapt to change, ultimately leading her to a successful career in cognitive science and podcasting.
Dr. Maya Shankar's journey highlights the importance of resilience, curiosity, and the ability to embrace change. She emphasizes the value of finding the core aspects of oneself that transcend specific pursuits or roles. By identifying and focusing on intrinsic traits and motivations, individuals can navigate life's twists and turns, maintain a sense of self, and find fulfillment in various endeavors.
Framing goals in terms of an approach orientation, focusing on what to do or achieve, leads to higher motivation, perseverance, and feelings of pride and accomplishment. Conversely, framing goals in an avoidance orientation, focusing on what to avoid, leads to feelings of calm and relief when successful. It is important to carefully define goals and consider the framing to maximize motivation and success.
Having a sense of ownership and agency over goals is crucial for motivation and success. When individuals have control and choice in setting their goals and targets, it boosts their intrinsic drive and satisfaction. Incorporating choice and personal input into goal-setting, whether at work, with trainers, or in everyday life, enhances motivation and increases the likelihood of success.
Groupthink is the tendency for individuals within a like-minded group to conform to the majority opinion and limit critical thinking or diverse perspectives. When surrounded by people with similar beliefs, individuals can be influenced to adopt the group's views without question. This can hinder individual motivation, independent thinking, and creativity, leading to missed opportunities for growth and progress.
To overcome the dangers of groupthink and enhance motivation, seeking diverse input and feedback is essential. Engaging with people who have different perspectives and opinions can challenge our own beliefs, increase self-awareness, and provide valuable insights. Actively seeking out uncomfortable connections and conversations can lead to personal growth and enable us to fill gaps in our self-awareness.
Being in the context of like-minded people can be helpful for goals and motivation. It increases the belief that goals are achievable. However, there is a danger in only being in echo chambers, as it limits our frame of mind. To challenge our thinking, we can imagine how our beliefs might be different if born in a different time or family.
Our group affiliations shape our beliefs about the world. People tend to favor their own group and their judgment is biased by their affiliation. When in disagreement with someone, bombarding them with facts is not effective. Understanding the underlying factors that drive someone's beliefs can lead to more fruitful discussions.
Empathy can bridge gaps between people with different beliefs. Cognitive empathy and empathic concern are crucial. People have different ways of expressing empathy, and all types are valuable. Building empathy can protect against burnout. By understanding how our minds work, we can extend empathy to others and have more productive conversations.
In this episode, my guest is Maya Shankar, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist, former senior advisor to the White House and Chair of the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team. She is the creator and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans. We discuss how our identities develop and change, how our beliefs and internal narratives shape our perception of self, and how to use structured introspection about our values to determine our goals. We discuss how to cope and grow through uncertain situations, especially those that force us to reexamine our roles and identity. Dr. Shankar shares her experience of redefining her identity after an early career-ending setback. She also explains numerous science-based strategies to effectively define goals, structure our goal pursuits and maintain consistent motivation. This episode provides a science-supported toolkit and roadmap to assess your identity and goals and positively transform in the face of change.
For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.
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(00:00:00) Dr. Maya Shankar
(00:02:53) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up
(00:05:15) Identity Foreclosure, Identity Paralysis, Throughlines
(00:12:10) Identity & Adolescence; “Essence” & Shame
(00:16:58) Delight & Awe
(00:23:00) Delight & Possibilities for Self
(00:29:28) Playing Violin, Childhood
(00:35:17) Sponsor: AG1
(00:35:58) Intrinsic Motivation; Juilliard & Courage
(00:45:43) Competitive Environments; Curiosity & Growth
(00:53:46) Re-Creating of Self
(01:00:51) Pop-Science, Science Accessibility
(01:06:32) Passions & Curiosity
(01:13:20) Change, Cognitive Closure, End-of-History Illusion
(01:22:29) Self-Awareness & Critical Feedback
(01:30:48) Tools: Flexible Mindset; Reframing & Venting; Gratitude
(01:40:13) Tool: Framing Goals
(01:47:13) Tool: Agency in Goal Pursuit
(01:52:25) Tool: Like-Minded People & Goal Pursuit; Challenging Beliefs
(02:01:27) Cultivating Open-Mindedness & Empathy
(02:08:15) Building Self Narratives: Empathy, Burnout
(02:13:56) Tools: Goal Setting
(02:19:54) Tool: “Middle Problem”, Maintaining Motivation
(02:24:55) Tool: Aversion & Memory, Peak-End Rule
(02:31:41) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media
Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac
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