In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl revisits the purpose of goals—why we set them, why they’re often just guesses, and why we should still have them anyway. He explores how goals provide a sense of direction and create a gravitational pull that helps us recognize opportunities. But a recent conversation introduced a third, unexpected reason: hope. What if setting a goal isn’t just about achievement but about creating something to look forward to?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl unpacks the irony of our most well-intentioned distractions—especially when they become clever ways to avoid the real work. From obsessively reading time management books to spending hours researching the best apps to reduce screen time, Carl explores the sneaky ways we hide from what actually matters. What if the solution isn’t another tool or strategy but simply doing the thing we’ve been avoiding?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl unpacks the power of visual shortcuts and meaningful souvenirs—how his sketches distill complex ideas into simple, conversation-starting icons. He shares an essay from his upcoming book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth Through Simple Sketches, exploring the foundational idea that a plan must come before anything else. Too often, we obsess over products—stocks, credit cards, investments—without first deciding where we’re headed. Through his well-known sketch, The Plan Comes First, Carl explains why products only make sense in the context of a plan and how visuals serve as both a shortcut to understanding and a lasting souvenir of a learning experience.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl dives into the never-ending search for purpose. Once believing he'd eventually find his purpose and be done searching, he now sees the search itself as the point—the driving force of his life. He explores how we can be both content and striving, fulfilled and still growing, holding both truths at the same time. What if purpose isn’t something to capture but something to keep discovering?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl explores the paradox of being content in his discontent—the idea that growth, searching, and pushing boundaries don’t have to come from a place of dissatisfaction. He wrestles with the tension between striving for more and embracing the present moment, questioning where the line is between creative curiosity and restless grasping. Can we hold both? Is the desire to explore something to be resolved or something to be cherished?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/