Podcast 288: Goal Setting, Life Transitions, and Decision Making with Neuroscientist Dr. Maya Shankar

With summer ending and back to school routines happening at home, it's the perfect time to establish healthy habits, so we're bringing back a fantastic conversation between WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance, Principal Scientist Kristen Holmes, and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Maya Shankar.

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Maya Shankar is a former White House Senior Advisor, and creator of the top podcast, A Slight Change of Plans.

Kristen and Maya discuss transitioning to a career in neuroscience, the endowment effect, the benefits of the fresh start effect, how to think about restarting after your goals have been derailed, the best ways to cement new habits, the power of data and behavior science, and the illusion of control. 

Episode chapters:

• 2:22 - Studying violin under Itzhak Perlman
• 5:21 - How a hand injury spurred what she calls identity foreclosure
• 8:48 - Her transition to neuroscience
• 16:43 - What the endowment effect is
• 19:15 - The benefits of the fresh start effect
• 21:29 - How to think about restarting after your goals have been derailed 
• 26:08 - The best ways to cement new habits 
• 30:18 - The power of data and behavioral science 
• 31:57 - How to make good decisions
• 34:49 - The illusion of control 

Research Links:

A Slight Change of Plans 

Dr. Shankar's Instagram