395. The Science Behind Making Lasting Change & Becoming Who You Want to Be

Nov 8, 2021 | Interviews, Podcast

Everyone has something about themselves they’d want to change. We see it every year when people set out in droves to define resolutions, only to typically fall short a few weeks later. If so many people want to change, why are we so bad at it? Katy Milkman, author of How to Change, asked herself this question, and set out to find the answer.

A Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Katy’s research began catching the attention of people around the world because it’s a topic everyone wants a definitive answer to. Lucky for us, she found it.

In this conversation, we talk about how our identity anchors us into a set of habits and behaviors, the importance of making change fun and instantly gratifying, finding the tools for change that work best for you, and making it last.

In This Conversation We Cover:

[02:26] The advice Katy received at tennis that shaped the way she thinks
[07:02] Why we focus on our weaknesses instead of our strengths
[09:26] How shifting your work affects your identity
[13:40] What leads people to change
[17:03] Why most attempts to change don’t last
[19:38] Tools to use to make lasting change
[26:55] What Katy would do to encourage vaccinations
[39:19] Making behavior change for good
[51:32] How Katy’s first research project helped her fall in love with social science