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.Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.Thank you to our sponsorsAG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/hubermanLMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanWaking Up: https://wakingup.com/hubermanMomentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/hubermanTimestamps(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 MediaTitle Card Photo Credit: Mike BlabacDisclaimer

Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist, and Shane Parrish discuss identity, personal transformation, and goal setting. They touch on navigating transitions, using anti-identities, building trust, and debunking myths. Shankar shares her motivational techniques and emphasizes the importance of empathy, flexible goals, and personal agency for success.

Maya Shankar interviews Adam Grant about his book 'Hidden Potential'. They discuss filtering feedback, benefits of imperfectionism, and the importance of soft skills. They explore learning, growth, feedback management, and efficient hiring practices on LinkedIn Jobs.

Nudges are all around you. They might help you choose your meal at a restaurant, navigate a busy airport terminal, or start saving for the future. But nudges are often subtle, so you might not notice them until they’re pointed out. In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we’re doing things a little differently. This episode is your guide to the many ways nudges have changed the world for the better. We'll revisit examples of nudges you may recognize from previous episodes of Choiceology. UCLA professor Shlomo Benartzi explains why defaults help more people save for retirement. University of Chicago professor Ayelet Fishbach reminds us how making the best choice a fun one is a great way to encourage better decisions. Harvard professor Todd Rogers discusses how social norms can help people reduce water and energy usage in hotels. You'll hear a feature interview with Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler, who along with Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein popularized nudges more than a decade ago in their book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. And Cass Sunstein himself talks about how simplifying application forms can have an outsized impact on financial aid programs for students.Richard Thaler is the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. He is the author of several books, including Nudge: The Final Edition and Misbehaving: The Making Of Behavioral Economics.Next, you'll hear from cognitive scientist Maya Shankar about how reading Nudge led her to work in the White House. She served as a senior advisor in the federal government where she founded the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team. She's also the creator, host, and executive producer of the award-winning podcast A Slight Change of Plans.Finally, Katy discusses ways you can incorporate nudges in your own life to help you make better decisions. Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/podcast.If you enjoy the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review on Apple Podcasts. Important DisclosuresAll expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab. Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.The book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.). Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.) has not reviewed the book and makes no representations about its content.Apple Podcasts and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.Google Podcasts and the Google Podcasts logo are trademarks of Google LLC.Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.(0422-2A4K)

It seems like a design flaw in our species that we live in a world of constant change yet most of us are not comfortable with uncertainty. In this episode, we talk to Maya Shankar about how to get better at dealing with change and to stop seeking what scientists call “cognitive closure.”Shankar is a former Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She also served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations, and is currently a Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google. She is the host of the Pushkin Industries podcast A Slight Change of Plans, which was named Best Show of the Year in 2021 by Apple. In this episode we talk about: Why humans are so uncomfortable with uncertainty and changeWhat a behavioral scientist actually does in the worldWhy even the host of a podcast about change isn’t immune to the uncertainties of life The benefits of cultivating a more malleable sense of selfWhy humans are such bad forecastersThe importance of auditing yourself when you’re undergoing a big changeHow to take advantage of big reset momentsThe concept of cognitive closure and why encouraging an open mind can make us more resilient  Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/maya-shankar-466See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and former Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, shares insights on navigating uncertainty. She explores the discomfort humans feel toward change and the concept of cognitive closure, emphasizing the benefits of open-mindedness. Shankar highlights the importance of self-reflection during transitions and the value of cultivating a flexible identity. With personal anecdotes and research, she illustrates how embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected growth and resilience in our ever-changing lives.

On this week’s episode, Dr. Maya Shankar – a cognitive neuroscientist and creator and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans – sits down with VP of Performance Kristen to how to change our patterns of behavior when it comes to our health. Maya shares the secrets of staying motivated, what the fresh start effect is, and how we can handle setbacks when we're not making the progress we want towards our goals. Maya shares her story of studying violin under Itzhak Perlman (2:22), how a hand injury spurred what she calls identity foreclosure (5:41), her transition to neuroscience (8:48), how she changed her plans and found herself on her career path (10:31), what the endowment effect is (17:14), the benefits of the fresh start effect (18:22), how to think about restarting after your goals have been derailed (23:44), the best ways to cement new habits (25:29), the power of data and behavioral science (29:43), how to make good decisions (31:11), and the illusion of control (34:15).Resources:Maya's podcast, A Slight Change of PlansSupport the show

On International Day of Happiness, Dr. Laurie Santos chats with other podcasters about topics like quieting inner monologue, running in Canadian winters, and happiness lessons from a colonoscopy. Dive into global wellbeing awareness!

This podcast features bird truther Peter McIndoe, psychologist Paul Bloom, and cognitive scientist Maya Shankar exploring intriguing topics such as the Birds Aren't Real movement, acts of perversity in the art world, irrational human behavior, and navigating the challenges of parenthood.

Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans. She also served as a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and led the White House Behavioral Science Team. Preet speaks with Shankar about how our brains work — how we make decisions, relate to one another’s beliefs, and handle big changes in our lives. Plus, Preet’s thoughts on the new special counsel tasked with overseeing DOJ’s investigations into Donald Trump’s involvement in the January 6 insurrection and the unauthorized removal of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.  Don’t miss the Insider bonus, where Preet and Shankar discuss the moment in Shankar’s childhood that changed the path of her life. To listen, try the membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider. For show notes and a transcript of the episode, head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/how-we-decide-with-maya-shankar/ Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #askpreet, email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail.Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices