Do you feel stuck in life — that you aren’t making progress in a relationship, job, or goal and you don’t know how to fix the problem and move forward? Well, perhaps you can take a little solace in the fact that it’s a universal human experience, even amongst history’s highest achievers. Indeed, when Adam Alter, a social psychologist and professor of marketing, looked at the lives of successful actors, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs, he found that they all had passed through times in their lives and careers when they felt totally stuck.Today on the show, Adam, who’s the author of Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most, explains why getting stuck is an inevitability in life, as well as mindset shifts and practices to escape from stuckness. We first talk about what contributes to getting stuck, including the goal gradient effect, and how the illusion of the creative cliff can keep you from seeing that you may end up doing your best work later in life. We then talk about dealing with the emotional angst of feeling stuck, and how it can be better to initially accept your stuckness than kick against the pricks. From there, we turn to some tactics for getting unstuck, including doing a friction audit and copying the work of others. In my favorite part of the conversation, we discuss the importance of recognizing when to move from exploring to exploiting, and vice versa. We end our conversation with why the mantra for getting unstuck is “action over all.”Resources Related to the PodcastAdam’s previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #420: What Makes Your Phone So Addictive & How to Take Back Your Lifea-ha’s video for “Take on Me”Giannis on whether he considers this season a failureAoM Article: Meditations on the Wisdom of ActionAoM Article: Want to Become a Better Writer? Copy the Work of OthersAoM Article: Solvitur Ambulando — It Is Solved By WalkingAoM Podcast #418: How to Get UnstuckAoM Podcast#432: How to Achieve Creative SuccessAoM Podcast #512: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized WorldConnect with Adam AlterAdam on LinkedInAdam on TwitterAdam’s website

Dr. Adam Alter, a psychology expert, shares 3 steps to get unstuck and reach your potential. They discuss the 'end of decade crisis', online learning, life audits, goal setting, overcoming stuckness, and embracing failure. Practical strategies and insights to create the future you want.

You don’t have to be a famous author to suffer from writer’s block. We all can get stuck in our thought processes and mired in our actions. That's true for leaders and managers as well, explains Adam Alter, a marketing professor at the NYU Stern School of Business. He has studied how people hit plateaus or roadblocks in their work and careers. And he shares different methods for breaking free, including one proven tactic that seems very wrong: doing nothing. Alter wrote the new book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.

Adam Alter, a professor of marketing and psychology at NYU, and the author of several books including his latest, “Anatomy of a Breakthrough” joins Scott to discuss what to do about feeling stuck, choosing when to explore vs exploit your career options, and why he thinks Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player of all time. Follow Professor Alter on Twitter, @adamleealter.Scott opens by discussing why he does not think Apple’s Vision Pro product will be successful. Algebra of Happiness: it’s never too late to right a wrong.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We want to hear from YOU! Take our survey.Have you ever felt stuck in any part of your life? Trapped in a soul-sucking job, an unfulfilling relationship, a health, fitness or performance plateau, or a creative rut? What if there was a way to tap scientifically-validated principles to get unstuck, break free from the invisible forces holding you back and unleash your full potential? What if you could literally engineer breakthroughs? Turns out, you can.Adam Alter joins us to discuss his new book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most, which explores the often unavoidable experience of feeling stuck - whether it's a relationship, career, or health issue - and what we can do to turn stuckness into breakthrough. Adam shares strategies and mindset shifts to get unstuck and how simplifying and experimenting can ultimately help us make progress.Stuckness is an inevitable part of the human experience, especially for long-term goals that have a lull period in the middle. We become fixated on the end goal and overlook the journey.When stuck, people feel anxious, confused, isolated, and like their struggles are unique even though stuckness is universal. It leads to a flailing response that doesn't help.The first step is managing emotions by taking down the pressure and slowing down. Only then can you start to think strategically about how to move forward.Hitting plateaus is natural due to the plateau effect - constant methods become less effective over time. Anticipating plateaus and chunking large goals into smaller ones helps navigate through them.Failure is also inevitable but we have different cultural baggage around failure depending on the domain. The key is to reframe failure as learning rather than a stain on your character.Conducting a "friction audit" - identifying and removing obstacles - can reduce stuckness, especially if done periodically.Simplicity trumps complexity when stuck - focus on the 1-2 most important factors that will make the biggest difference now.Experimentation, exploration, and luck also play a role in breakthroughs. Being more exploratory increases serendipity.Surrounding yourself with different types of people, including those who challenge you, can enrich your life.You can find Adam at: Website | TwitterIf you LOVED this episode you’ll also love my January episode on the power of success scaffolding to achieve incredible visions.Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy New Podcast SPARKEDVisit Our Sponsor Page For a Complete List of Vanity URLs & Discount Codes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"To be alive is to battle stuckness." So declares NYU professor Adam Alter in his new book, "Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most." Adam has spent years studying why we get stuck — in dead-end jobs and creative cul-de-sacs — and, crucially, how to go from inertia to success.---What if Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink hand-picked the eight best books of the year and delivered them to your doorstep? We know that sounds too good to be true, but it's precisely what you'll get when you sign up for a hardcover subscription to The Next Big Idea Club!

Adam Alter, a marketing professor at NYU Stern and author of works on creativity, dives into the surprising science of creative breakthroughs. He reveals that 90% of great ideas emerge from a specific method, challenging conventional wisdom. Alter discusses the power of diverse perspectives in problem-solving and how self-imposed limitations can spur creativity. He emphasizes the importance of deep work and accepting failure as crucial components of the creative process, equipping listeners with actionable insights to overcome their own creative blocks.

Dr. Adam Alter shares science-backed hacks to improve your life including a simple change to gain 20 years, the impact of colors on behavior, a free hack for productivity, the influence of a common household object, and how screens affect your body and brain.

Adam Alter, professor of marketing and best-selling author, discusses how to become unstuck in life, work, and relationships. He suggests considering the opportunity cost of leaving a goal behind and emphasizes the importance of perseverance beyond the point of difficulty for growth. To become unstuck, he recommends simplifying problems through a friction audit, identifying and addressing obstacles in life and work.

Adam Alter, psychology professor and author, shares strategies for getting unstuck and breaking through barriers in life. He discusses the relationship between physical movement and creativity, the value of failure, the importance of new perspectives, and the balance between exploration and exploitation for personal and professional growth.