Dr. Maya Shankar: How to Shape Your Identity & Goals
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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.
Articles
- On the dimensionality of odor space (eLife)
- Computations of uncertainty mediate acute stress responses in humans (Nature Communications)
- The End of History Illusion (Science)
- Achievement Goals and the Hierarchical Model of Achievement Motivation (Educational Psychology Review)
- They Saw a Game: A Case Study
- The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior (Management Science)
- Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling (Management Science)
Books
- Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
- Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
- Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation
- The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
- Thinking, Fast and Slow
Other Resources
