1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I am Matt, 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: and today we're talking making money changes that stick with 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: Katie Milkman. That's right, man, We are going to talk 4 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: about how we can make positive money changes in three 5 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: and who better to have this conversation with than Katie Milkman, 6 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: who is the author of How to Change the Science 7 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: of Getting from where You Are to where You Want 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: to be. Katie is a professor at the Wharton School 9 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,319 Speaker 1: of the University of Pennsylvania, where she explores ways that 10 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: insights from economics and psychology how they can be harnessed 11 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: to change consequential behaviors for good like exercise and vaccinations, 12 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: but also behaviors saving more money, which is what we 13 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: are we are all about here on the show. She's 14 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: advised organizations ranging from the White House to twenty four 15 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: Hour Fitness. She writes everywhere as well. Her op eds 16 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: appear in The Times, uh and The Economist, and we're 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: just lucky to have her here with us today to 18 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: talk about how you can make some of these money 19 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: changes that stick. Katie, thank you so much for joining 20 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: us today. Joel and Matt, thank you so much for 21 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: having me. We are pumped to talk to you today, Katie. 22 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: So much to discuss, specially since the dawn of a 23 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: new year. There's a lot of changes that we want 24 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: to make, and our listeners of course are tuning in 25 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: because they want to make money changes. But and we're 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: here kind of with the money advice, but you're here 27 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: with hopefully the here's how you can continue to do 28 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: it over a longer period of time advice. But um, 29 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: the first question we ask anybody who comes on the 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: show is what they like to sport John and give 31 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: us a little window into their world. And Matt and 32 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: I we sported on craft beer while we're saving and 33 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: investing for the future. But what's that for you? What 34 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: do you like to spot? John? And some people might 35 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: think here a little crazy for spending a lot of 36 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: money in that one area. I don't know if anyone 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: will think I'm crazy, But I like to splurge on vacations, 38 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: for sure. That's my that's my big one. That's not 39 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: crazy at all. But I like the I like it though. Yeah, 40 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: there's actually a lot of research showing that when we 41 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: spend on experiences rather than just buying stuff, we get 42 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: more out of it. So I try to follow the data, 43 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: and I take really nice vacations, very nice. So are 44 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: you like a are you a quantity of vacations type 45 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: of girl or like a quality? So do you go 46 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: on like one really okay? So so you go on 47 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: fewer really nice vacations as opposed to more of them 48 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: throughout the year. Yeah, I will. I would say I 49 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: try to have a healthy number. But I think the 50 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: splurge part is the quality. Our best vacation you've had recently? Well, 51 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: I have a six and a half year old, so 52 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: that limits the exotic travel I do these days. I 53 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: used to go all over the world, but we had 54 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: a really wonderful vacation to Hawaii, um this summer that 55 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: was truly spectacular. Looking forward to maybe finally making that 56 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: trip happen maybe this year. We've got young kids too, 57 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: so it's limited up and we're like where our kids 58 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: are getting a little bit older, it feels like we 59 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: can finally expand some of our destinations and to requate 60 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: myself with the world. Yeah. Right, So before we talk 61 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: about how to go about making change, like, can we 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: just talk about how sometimes folks feel unable to change? Um, Like, 63 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: what is it that's that's holding most folks back from 64 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: believing that they just have the ability to to make 65 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: progress in their lives at all. Yeah, that's a great question. Well, 66 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: first of all, I should say there are lots of 67 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: very real external barriers to change. Right. You might feel 68 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: like your budget is just too tight to make the 69 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: changes you want, or you don't have a family support 70 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: that you need to make the changes, or um job stability. 71 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: So there are very real external barriers that can block people. 72 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: I don't study those. I actually study the internal barriers 73 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: to change, and I think they're particularly fascinating because even 74 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: when everything is lined up, which it rarely is, but 75 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: even whenever reathings lined up in your favor outside, sometimes 76 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: we're our own worst enemies. And the fascinating thing about 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: the internal barriers to change is there's no one barrier. 78 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: There's there's a laundry list, and some of us have 79 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: multiple things we're fighting against. Some of us are just 80 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: struggling with one. Diagnosing is really important to using the 81 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: right solution. So barriers that are common include procrastination, lack 82 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: of confidence forgetting, which I think we overlook often. But 83 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: if it doesn't get to the top of your priority list, 84 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: if it's not top of mind. We often don't take 85 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: the actions that are important. Habits can get in the way. 86 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: We tend to be creatures of habit. We tend to 87 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: take the path of least resistance, um, which is, you know, 88 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: following those those habits, and that can be a real 89 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 1: barrier to change. So there are many many challenges, uh, 90 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: And depending on which one a given person is facing 91 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: when they're trying to make a change, the solution that 92 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: will be most well suited to help them it is different. Yeah, 93 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: what I will say forgetting used to be like at 94 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: the top of the list for reasons I didn't get 95 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: things done. And I swear Google Calendar has been a 96 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: game changer for me in that regard, Like I get 97 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: a lot more stuff done just because I'm better at 98 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: putting stuff on the calendar to get it done. But man, 99 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: nothing worked for me before that, and so I was 100 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: just like a forgetful mess and the compus nearly as 101 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: much as I wanted to. So that it's definitely one 102 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: thing You're right that we don't put a give enough 103 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,559 Speaker 1: credit just so we're forgetting things because we're not putting 104 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: them in front of ourselves. But one of the difference differences, Katie, 105 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: between resolutions that we make and then the potential for 106 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: lasting change, because I don't know, something like this is 107 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: the staff that gets quoted all the time, but there's 108 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: something like eight percent of people who don't actually follow 109 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: through on the resolutions they make after a month or two. 110 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: So we're in this period right now, with this fresh 111 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: start period that you talk about, where a lot of 112 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: people are ready willing and they're trying to move in 113 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: the right direction when it comes to making change. But yeah, 114 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: how do we make sure that it sticks around and 115 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: isn't just a failed attempt a few weeks from now. Yeah, 116 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: it's a great question. And as you know, this is 117 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,559 Speaker 1: sort of a magic moment. I've done research on what's 118 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: called the fresh start effect phenomenon, where at the start 119 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: of um new chapters in our lives, moments that feel 120 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: like new beginnings, So the start of a new year 121 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: being the best known, but there are many others actually 122 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: as well. We pursue goals with extra vigor. But the 123 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: funny thing about fresh starts is they're short lived, right, 124 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: So they give you that little boost of motivation to 125 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: begin something new, but a couple of weeks pass and 126 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: that's gone, and now you need something to carry you forward. 127 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: And that's where a lot of folks fall flat. And 128 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: I actually think one of the biggest issues is that 129 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: people aren't strategic about how am I going to achieve 130 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: this school. They just say, oh, you know, I'm going 131 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: to go to the gym this year, and I'll go 132 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: now because I feel motivated, And then three weeks later 133 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: they don't feel motivated anymore and everything falls apart. But 134 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: an alternative way you could pursue a goal, and what 135 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: research is better is actually by um following a bunch 136 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: of best practices. So ideally, when you want to pursue 137 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: a goal, first of all, you define a plan. And 138 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: the plan isn't just I'm going to go to the 139 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: gym once, right. The plan is I'd like to do 140 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: this regularly for some hopefully very long term period of time. 141 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: If it's about getting in shape, if it's about um 142 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: cutting back you're spending, whatever that is. Maybe you want 143 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: to learn a new language this year. UM, you don't 144 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: want to just say I'm gonna learn Spanish. You actually 145 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: want to sit down and say, okay, how am I 146 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: going to do it? Well, maybe those details look like 147 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: saying it's going to be four hours a week that 148 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: I spend on dual Lingo, and it's going to be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 149 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: Friday at five pm right after work when I spend 150 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: an hour on the app practicing uh, and I'm going 151 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: to do that every week consistently. Now you're actually starting 152 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: to um see the groundwork for the kind of plan 153 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: that might carry for it. Now that might sound boring, 154 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: but actually breaking down a big vague into bite sized pieces, 155 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: whether it has to do with savings, volunteering exercise is 156 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: one of the most important things you can do. And 157 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: then figuring out when will I do it, where will 158 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: I do it, how will I get it done? There's 159 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: more to the magic as well. You have to make 160 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: sure you won't forget so you can put it on 161 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: your Google calendar. Um. Ideally you're thinking about accountability, So 162 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: can you create consequences so that if you fail to 163 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: follow through, it isn't just a shoulder shrug, but you're 164 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: really gonna feel crummy about that. Um. The more the consequence, 165 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: the more likely it is that you won't procrastinate or 166 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: give up on yourself, so you can actually put money 167 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: on the line for instance, that you agree will forfeit 168 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: if you don't achieve a given goal. You can choose 169 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: referees or some websites like stick dot com and be 170 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: minder dot com which I am i should say, unaffiliated 171 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: with just an admire of their product, that allow you 172 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: to do things like that. And research shows that when 173 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: you use these so called commitment devices basically penalize seeing 174 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: yourself for future failures to fall throw on your goals, 175 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: you dramatically increase the likelihood of success. Because nobody's nobody 176 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: likes a fine. So those are a bunch of strategies 177 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: you can take, and there's more we could get into, 178 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: depending on what other obstacles you foresee, like making sure 179 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: you enjoy the way you're pursuing the goal and so on. 180 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: But that's a pretty good groundwork. Yeah, absolutely, like you 181 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: kind of just you give it's just like a little 182 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: sampler platter of a lot of different strategies that you 183 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: talk about your book. Um. But essentially, I mean, all 184 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: of these things can lead an individual to create processes 185 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: that work for them and which makes me think of 186 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: like my favorite new quote, which is process saves us 187 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:42,199 Speaker 1: from the poverty of our intentions, which I heard recently. 188 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: I was just like, man, that is so stink and good. 189 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: But that's what all of this does. It's about creating 190 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: this plan because we've all got these idealized intentions at 191 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: this point in the year where it's like, of course 192 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this, like everyone has goals. I just 193 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: turned over a new leaf. But if you don't have 194 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: the processes to back that up, then inevitably it's gonna 195 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: fall flat for most folks, right, That's exactly right, And unfortunately, 196 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: too often we aren't focused on those processes. We're just 197 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: focused on that short burst of motivation and we imagine 198 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: it will carry us for it and we'll have no problems. 199 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: But once you start recognizing no, there are barriers to 200 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: success and to maintenance um and starting to set yourself 201 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: up so that you can overcome them, you start seeing 202 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: better results. And of course everyone resolutions get made at 203 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: the beginning of the year, and so I feel like 204 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: that's one that's a little more natural for for a 205 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: lot of folks. But in your book you also talk 206 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: about how there are different life events that can occur 207 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: that folks can maybe take advantage of. Can you talk 208 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: through maybe some different examples of maybe even disruptive life 209 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: events that that folks are able to use to their 210 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: advantage to basically put them on this path towards a 211 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: new fresh start for them. Yeah. Absolutely, Well. One of 212 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: the really interesting things about the way we think about 213 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: time and the way we think about our lives is 214 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: that we don't perceive it linearly. We actually think about 215 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: ourselves like we're characters in a book. And um, our 216 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: life is divided into chapters, and there are big chapters, 217 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: and there are short chapters. There's even you know, subsections 218 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: of chapters. Every time, um, something happens that feels like 219 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: a book ends a chapter or a section of our life, UM, 220 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: we feel this sense of discontinuity. So think about, you know, 221 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 1: moving to a new city, and you could think about, 222 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: you know, the years you maybe were in college or 223 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: working at a certain employer. Those are sort of chapters 224 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 1: in your life. Or a year is also a major 225 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: chapter marker for many people in their lives, which is 226 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: part of why New Year's feels like a fresh start. 227 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: And whenever we cross one of those boundaries, close one 228 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: chapter and open another, we have a sense that we 229 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: are um further apart from our past. Self. Whatever you know, 230 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: I didn't get done last year or last year I 231 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: meant to get in shape, or I meant to get 232 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: my portfolio under control and diversify better. Whatever it was, Uh, 233 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: I didn't do it yet. But that was the old me, 234 00:11:58,559 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: and this is the new me, and the new me's 235 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: going to be different. So that discontinuity can be really 236 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: productive for anything where you you haven't already achieved the 237 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: goal and maybe you were feeling a little sad about it, 238 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: and now you can say, well, you know that was 239 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: the past and and this is going to be different. 240 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: It also tends to lead us a step back and 241 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: think big picture about our lives. So we have shown 242 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: that this happens um not just with things that you 243 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: might expect to be momentous like a real physical change. 244 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: You have a new job or a new house, or 245 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,439 Speaker 1: um a new community or a new role of some kind. Right, 246 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: there's actually really wonderful past research by Wendy Wood at 247 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: the University of Southern California looking at these life disruptions 248 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: and how they can break up our habits. But we've 249 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: shown that even um trivial events on the calendar that 250 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: truly do not matter and they they create the same 251 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: psychological and choice effects where we pursue goals with greater vigor. 252 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: So the start of a new week is a minor 253 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: fresh start. We already talked about New Years, that's the 254 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: big one we're all familiar with. At the start of 255 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: a new month. Sometimes the celebration of spring, especially its 256 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: drawn to your attention. The start of spring feels like 257 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: a new beginning, the celebration of a birthday, and there 258 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: are many minor holidays that feel like fresh starts to people, 259 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 1: So think more Labor Day and less Valentine's Day. And 260 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: different religions have different holidays that signal a fresh start 261 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: for people who practice in that religion. So all these 262 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: fresh start dates um when we sort of look at data, 263 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 1: have this incredible ability to increase, just naturally how much 264 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: people are doing things like searching for the term diet 265 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: on Google, or visiting the gym, or setting goals on 266 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 1: popular goal setting websites about everything from their health to 267 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: their finances to their education. Uh. And we have also 268 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: done experiments where we show that by highlighting fresh start 269 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: dates that people might not otherwise be attending to, we 270 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: can get people to pursue their goals more aggressively. So 271 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: my favorite experiment involved trying to get more people to 272 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: sign up for a retirement saving account with their employer. 273 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 1: UM That was you know, text beneficial. It was a 274 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:05,199 Speaker 1: four or three ban out of four oh one k, 275 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: which is probably the most familiar. But this was when 276 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 1: I do so I thought I could throw out some 277 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: of that that fun stuff. Um So, so we UM 278 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: partnered with four universities that had four or three B 279 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: plans and we sent out mailings to employees who were 280 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: not yet saving at the sort of match thresholds. They 281 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: weren't taking advantage of all of their employeer benefits, or 282 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: weren't saving at all. In fact, most weren't saving at all, 283 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: and we invited them to start saving, either right away 284 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: or in the future, because we know a lot of 285 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: people would want to put off that that decision to 286 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: start saving from past research. And what we varied is 287 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: whether or not the date in the future when we 288 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: invited people to begin saving, we said, we'll take care 289 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: of it, just mail back this postcard. If that date 290 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: in the future aligned with a fresh Start and was 291 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: described in that way, or if it aligned with the 292 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: Fresh Start but wasn't described So to be really specific, 293 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: imagine your birthdays coming up in two months and you're 294 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: in the six arm, and we would flip a coin 295 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: and the coin toss would determine whether you got a 296 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: version of the mailing that invited you to start saving 297 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: after your upcoming birthday or in two months. Now, they're 298 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: literally identical, but in one case we are highlighting an 299 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: upcoming fresh start as the opportunity. So we tried this 300 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: with birthdays, we tried it with a start of spring 301 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: um and what we see is that inviting people to 302 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: begin saving after a fresh start date and like literally 303 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: calling it out as such, leads to more savings in 304 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: the following eight months, uh than a literally identical invitation 305 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: to save that doesn't name the fresh start date. Significant increase. Y. Yeah, 306 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: it's pretty exciting. Humans are odd beings, right that we 307 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: respond differently that, but it's cool to see that that's 308 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: the case, and then you can tailor your marketing accordingly 309 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: to help people make better decisions. And I'm curious to 310 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: you write about Katie. You performed a lot of research 311 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: that shows that we underestimate the discipline needed to make 312 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: change in our lives, but that there are ways that 313 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: we can make it more fun. So, yeah, I can 314 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: talk about that because sometimes there are if we can 315 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: make it more fun, we're more likely to stick to it. Yeah. 316 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: This is a huge insight and and I think the 317 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: best research on this comes from islet fish Buck at 318 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: the University of Chicago and Caitlin Williott Cornell, who showed 319 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: most of us, when we are left to our own devices, 320 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: think the best way to pursue our goals is just 321 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: to look for the most direct path to success and 322 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: follow it. So let's take the example of getting in shape. 323 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: What's the maximally efficient workout machine that will create the 324 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: most pain and sort of benefits per minute. You're like, 325 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: I'm going to get on that if I want to 326 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: get in shape. Yeah, it means I'm gonna start running 327 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: right this minute. Yeah, exactly, flailing your arms, carrying weights 328 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: to all the things that are hard. A small minority 329 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: of people, though, pursue their goals a different way, which 330 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: is that they actually look for a fun way to 331 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: achieve that goal of say getting in shape, so that 332 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: that person might go to zoomba classes with a friend 333 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: instead of getting on the punishing StairMaster. And what's really 334 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: interesting is that the folks who into it they should 335 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: find a fun way to pursue their goals. They're actually 336 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: the ones that have it right. In randomize control trials 337 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: where people are either encouraged to pursue their goals in 338 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: ways that are fun or in ways that are maximally efficient, 339 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: the people encourage to pursue goals and ways that are 340 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: fun are the ones who actually end up sticking to 341 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: them longer. And in most cases, it's not about how 342 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: much progress you make percession. It's about sticking to it 343 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: that leads to the real success. So that persistence difference 344 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: between pursuing goals in a way that's fun and ways 345 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: that are you know, slightly more efficient, we miss you know, 346 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: we don't appreciate it, and we we make a mistake there. 347 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: So I've done some research on different ways you can 348 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: make it fun to pursue your goals, because there are 349 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: strategies that systematically make it more enjoyable. Um one is 350 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: whenever there's something that would feel like a chore. Otherwise 351 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: you can actually try to link it with a temptation. 352 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,640 Speaker 1: So only let yourself say binge, watch your favorite TV 353 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: show when you are working out at the gym, or 354 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: only let yourself pick up your favorite beverage from a 355 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: coffee shop, um, when you're heading to the library to 356 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: hit the books. If you're a student, I talk to 357 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: my students that weren't about that one a lot. Or 358 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: you know, only let yourself listen your favorite podcast while 359 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: you're doing household chores. And by combining those two things, 360 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: something that's a temptation and source of pleasure with something 361 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,719 Speaker 1: that might otherwise not be super fun, that you might 362 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: put off and dread, you can transform the experience so 363 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 1: that you'll get your chores done and um, keep at it. 364 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: And and there are other strategies to write. Selecting different 365 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: types of activities as a way to pursue the same 366 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: goal and also making it social can be really effective 367 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: when you pursue goals with someone who you enjoy. That's 368 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: another way to change the experience. But the key insight 369 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: is when you're thinking about a goal, when you're making 370 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: a plan, just something we already talked about a little 371 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: bit earlier, how important it is to be strategic, think 372 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: about pursuing that goal and anning to pursue that goal 373 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: in a way you will enjoy, because ultimately that is 374 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: a huge predictor of success. You've got to stick to it. 375 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: And if you don't enjoy it, if it's no fun 376 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: while you're pursuing the goal, you're going to quit. That's right. Yeah, 377 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: that's where you can use that instant gratification which normally 378 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: works against us. But then you're harnessing it. You're using 379 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: that as like wind at your back. But so you're 380 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: talking about temptation bundling, yes, yeah, yeah, I would love 381 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: to hear, how like, how are maybe some specific ways 382 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: that folks can apply temptation bundling to their financial habits 383 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: to you know, whether it is for them to save more, 384 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: whether it's them spending less at the grocery store. I'd 385 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: be curious to hear if you have any suggestions for 386 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: ways that folks can temptation bundle to get ahead with 387 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: their money. Yeah. I think that's a great question. Um, 388 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: And I do think there are ways that you can 389 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: use temptation bundling when it comes to financial habits. Um. 390 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: You know, one is just thinking about budgeting, which is 391 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: not a task that everybody relishes and looks for too, um, 392 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: and thinking about are there are there things you can 393 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: bundle with budgeting that make it more pleasant, like maybe 394 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: a favorite bottle of wine you only open once a 395 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: month when you go through your budget, or a person 396 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: you really enjoy spending time with and you both um 397 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: get together when it's sort of time to make budgets 398 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: and you get to chit chat and laugh a little 399 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: bit while you're going through it. I will admit that UM. 400 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: I was influenced very much on that one by my 401 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: dad growing up, who used to uh do as taxes 402 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: with an accountant who become became a very dear friend, 403 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: and they made it a source of fun every year. 404 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: It was basically a big party. They stayed up late, 405 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: they drank a lot of great wine, UM, they had 406 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: a really good meal when it was tax time. And 407 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 1: so there's lots of ways I think you can make 408 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: UM some of the things that feel like chores but 409 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: are really important to healthy financial decision making UM more pleasant. 410 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: A lot of them are social choosing an advisor who 411 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: you enjoy spending time with, maybe going out for a 412 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: special meal at a restaurant you you reserve for only 413 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: spending time with them. So those are a few ideas, 414 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: but creative listeners may come up with others. And I'm 415 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: always on the market for other temptation bundles. Yeah, no, 416 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: I like it. I literally had a coworker who she 417 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: would go to the gym, get on the StairMaster, and 418 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 1: she would watch her favorite shows. And it was I remember, like, 419 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 1: I think she would have given up her gym commitment 420 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: if it hadn't have been for the fact that that 421 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: she so deeply associated watching her favorite shows with working out, 422 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: that it became this thing like, well, I'm gonna go 423 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: watch my show, and but inevitably she was getting exercise 424 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: at the same time. So I think that's brilliant and 425 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,959 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that not many people think about. Well, 426 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,719 Speaker 1: we've got a few more questions we want to get 427 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: to with. You want to talk about overcoming procrastination and laziness. 428 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: We'll get to some questions for Katie on those fronts 429 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: right after this. All right, we are back from the 430 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: break talking with Katie Milkman about these different money changes 431 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: that you can make. Uh, and not only that you 432 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,719 Speaker 1: can make, that that you can stick with. And Katie, 433 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: in your book, you talk about how, I mean, basically 434 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: everybody procrastinates, right, everybody from folks like us all the 435 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 1: way down to your students who you teach. But there 436 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: are constraints or commitment devices you mentioned this just before 437 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: the break that we can use, So can you explain 438 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: how those work and maybe give some examples. Yeah. Absolutely, 439 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: Commitment devices are fascinating because we're actually quite used to 440 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: their sort of sister tool, which is being managed by 441 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: other people. Right, if you have a UM, a boss, 442 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: or you know, live in a country that has a 443 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,879 Speaker 1: functioning government, then you are familiar with the fact that 444 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: sometimes you are incentivized to behave in ways that are 445 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: good for your organization or your UM community. Right, So, 446 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: think about speeding tickets. You are tempted to speed UM, 447 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: but you get slapped with a fine if you give 448 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: into that temptation or UM. Think about finishing a project 449 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: at work. You probably are given a deadline by your boss. 450 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: I know there will be some real consequence if you 451 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: don't actually hit that deadline. Well, that's when someone else 452 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: external to you imposes some cost for say procrastination or 453 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: giving into temptation UM. But it turns out you can 454 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,879 Speaker 1: actually impose penalties on yourself in the same way. And 455 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: that's when it's called a commitment device. And it sounds 456 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: weird because The idea of imposing penalties on yourself for 457 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: not achieving your goals is kind of counterintuitive, like why 458 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: would I find myself or punish myself or set deadlines 459 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: with consequences for myself? But there it really does. But 460 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: the evidence shows that when you create those kinds of 461 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: deadlines and penalties for yourself, it can be incredibly effective. Um. 462 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 1: This is a podcast about finance, so or financial decision making, 463 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: so it's a good place to talk about one of 464 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: my favorite studies on the power of a commitment device, 465 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: which actually was a saving study, and it involved giving 466 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: people access to a very unusual kind of savings account. 467 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 1: The study was done in the Philippines, and it was 468 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 1: done um to give people access to an account where, uh, 469 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: they actually wouldn't be able to take their money out 470 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: unless they reached a predetermined date or predetermined savings goal, 471 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 1: and it had no interest rate benefits over a standard 472 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: account that was fully liquid. It's sort of crazy to 473 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: think people would actually put money into this. View have 474 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 1: sort of a strict um economic perspective. Somebody who doesn't 475 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: like freedom or liberty, Yeah, like, why would you ever 476 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: do that unless there's like a higher interest rate? Why 477 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: would you ever want to put your money into this account? 478 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: That's it's just strictly worse. You can't access your cash. 479 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: But interestingly, in a randomized controlled trial, about thirty of 480 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 1: those offered this kind of account chose to put money 481 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: in it, uh, some of their money at least into 482 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: that account. So that's sort of shocking. And then the 483 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: most astounding fact is that two groups ran only selected 484 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: we're compared to one another, one of which had access 485 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: to this account that were told, hey, you can put 486 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: some money in it if you want, and remember thirty 487 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: percent did. So. We compare that entire group, everybody who 488 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: had access to it, whether they put money in or didn't, 489 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: to a second group, which is the control group that 490 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: wasn't given access to this account. And the question is 491 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 1: which group saves more of the group that can put 492 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: money in an illiquid account or the group that can't. 493 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: And what's fascinating is that having access to these accounts 494 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 1: where you don't get any interest rate benefit, but your 495 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: money is locked up until you've reached a predetermined saving 496 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 1: school or hit a date that you selected, having access 497 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: to it leads to eighty percent more savings year over year. 498 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: And again only thirty percent of people are even putting 499 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 1: money in these accounts. So just think, you know, imagine 500 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: if a hundred percent or how how high the savings 501 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: benefits would be for the whole additional dollar that was 502 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 1: the average for the entire group. That's right, exactly, So 503 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: eighty percent increase in savings for the entire population just 504 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: offered the account, even though only thirty percent took it up. 505 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: An incredible result. UM. So it highlights that when we 506 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: take steps to constrain ourselves to prevent ourselves from giving 507 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: into temptation, it's really beneficial. Another great studies showed that 508 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: UM letting smokers put money into a an account where 509 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: they would have to forfeit all that cash. So this 510 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: is a different way of imposing a commitment. Here we're 511 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: finding people instead of constraining access, but smokers who have 512 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: a way to put money on the line theft of forfeit. 513 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: If they don't quit smoking six months later, they quit 514 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: at a thirty percent higher rate than otherwise identical smokers 515 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: who UM just get standard smoking cessation tools. So if 516 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: we can find ourselves or constrain ourselves, that's the way 517 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,719 Speaker 1: we can sort of bully ourselves into achieving goals at 518 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: a higher rate. And again we're used to others doing 519 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: this for us, our manager who sets a deadline and 520 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: says there's a penalty if you don't turn this in 521 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: on time, or or our government that says I, you know, 522 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: I'll find you for the behaviors that I don't want 523 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: to see. But if you do it for yourself, you 524 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 1: can reap all the benefits. And I just, uh, I 525 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 1: think this has everything to do with why I've been 526 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 1: so successful at going to the gym three times a week, Katie, 527 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: is because I pay a lot of money at the 528 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: beginning of the month automatically gets deducted. Well. It was 529 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: also a fresh start thing, Matt, because you and I 530 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: started working out when we moved moved over the summer, Katie, 531 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 1: and like we thought of it kind of and we 532 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: didn't connect the terminology because we hadn't read your book 533 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 1: at that point, but we were connecting it to this 534 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: like ability start effect to start some fresh things. And 535 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: so the move so basically combined with that, I'm never 536 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: going to stop working, right because I got I got 537 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: the double way. Yeah, that's great. And it is funny 538 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,400 Speaker 1: that by reducing the marginal cost of a gym visit 539 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: to zero, you're essentially pre committing. Um, there's also a 540 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: bit of fun psychology. You know, it is a sunk cost, 541 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: right once you've spent it, you can't recover it. So 542 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,119 Speaker 1: in a sense, you sort sort of be making a 543 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: decision that ignores that about whether you're going to go 544 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: to the gym this afternoon or not. But that's not 545 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: the way our mind works. We tend to feel guilty 546 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: about expenses even if there's sunk costs, if we're not 547 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: sort of taking full advantage of them. So there's, um, 548 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: there's a behavioral bias you're leveraging to get yourself to 549 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: the gym there too. Yeah. Yeah, well, so for so 550 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: many elements of our financial lives, we're not just trying 551 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 1: to incentivize something positive. We're trying to discourage something that's negative, right, 552 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 1: Like reckless spending is one of those things. And so, yes, 553 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 1: some studies have shown that using cash is more painful 554 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: for people, which helps us helps people spend less overall. 555 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: And although I've heard anecdotal evidence from younger folks that 556 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: that's not the case, that they actually think of cash 557 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: as of its burning a hole in their pocket literally 558 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: and they don't feel the pain associated with it. And 559 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: so maybe some of these older studies need to be updated. 560 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: I'd be curious to see if that like still holds. 561 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: But but how else can we create pain points to 562 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: help us curb some of those negative habits, some of 563 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 1: those ways maybe in the realm of money that we're 564 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: using it kind of like in ways that we don't 565 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: want to be using it anymore, ways that are really 566 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: working where we're working against ourselves. Yeah, Well, accountability to 567 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: other people can be an important way of sort of 568 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: punishing yourself if you want to avoid a bad behavior. 569 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: So we talked a little bit about UM accounts that 570 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: are a liquid so you can you know, you're literally 571 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: not able to touch it. That's one way of penaltizing yourself. 572 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: You can literally find yourself. But that's sort of counterproductive. 573 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: You're trying to save more money and then you find 574 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: yourself for not saving enough, right, you can see how 575 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: that becomes a vicious cycle. UM. But another tool is 576 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: just UM giving visibility to someone so that you'll be 577 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: ashamed if they find out that you don't achieve a goal. 578 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: That's another kind of penalty UM. And and so uh, 579 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: having having accountability to someone else, giving them visibility into 580 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: a financial goal in whether or not you're achieving it. 581 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: Um that could be a you know, still somewhat painful, 582 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: but less painful way that you could achieve success, kind 583 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: of like announcing on social media, Hey, I'm gonna run 584 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: run a marathon at the in November or something. I like, 585 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: if you don't actually make it happened, you kind of 586 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: like set yourself up. All your peer group is expecting 587 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: you to accomplish this, and there is some sort of 588 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: a level of public failure if you don't hit it 589 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: and hit that goal. So yeah, I can see that 590 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 1: being working in your favor to even as like a 591 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: negative kind of motivation. Yeah, absolutely, Although I would say 592 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: one important thing about any sort of public accountability is 593 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: generally it's more effective to define small sub goals that 594 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: you want to achieve and give some visibility into that 595 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: rather than a big end goal. So you talked about, oh, 596 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: I'm going to run a marathon, uh next year, you 597 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: know in the fall. That's a really big end goal. 598 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: The ideal would be to say, you know, I'm going 599 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: to run a marathon next fall, and I'm starting with 600 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 1: a five k next month. Uh, and then you know, 601 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: the month after that, I'll do a half marathon and 602 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: so and so. You sort of work your way up 603 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: and there's visibility at each point along the way. Um. 604 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: When it's a big goal that's distal, then even with 605 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: that penalty and shame, you may not take the steps 606 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: in between. You may sort of put it off and 607 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: put it off, and then it it's too late to 608 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,479 Speaker 1: actually train for the marathon by the time you realize 609 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: how embarrassed you'll be. So. Um, smaller, bite sized goals 610 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: with visibility to others and accountability are a better approach. Yeah. 611 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: I mean you talk about putting that plan together and 612 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: how that's probably one of the most most important things 613 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: you can do because literally, like what you start planning 614 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: things out, you start tackling the problem. It's not like 615 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: it's just this device that sits on the shelf until 616 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: it's needed. Like literally the process of planning starts. You 617 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: start to implement the very next steps that you need 618 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: to take. It kind of like gets you started on 619 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: that setting things in motion at that point. Exactly, Yeah, exactly, 620 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: got it. Okay, Automation. When it comes to defining laziness, 621 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: I think that that's a device that can be used. 622 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: How important do you think automation is when it comes 623 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: to creating lasting change and specifically fighting against laziness. Automation 624 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: is such an amazing tool for changing for good, particularly 625 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: in the domain of financial decision making. If we could 626 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: have automation and every part of our lives, I think 627 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: we would have far fewer problems. Uh if you if 628 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: only I could just automate rejecting dessert for the next month, 629 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: can you can you imagine? Or I could automate today. 630 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna put it on autopilot that I will 631 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: show up at the gym every day at five pm. Um. 632 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: The amazing thing about automation and your finances is that 633 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: you really can, sort of, in the words of Nobel 634 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: right at Richard Taylor, set it and forget it. You 635 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: can say, I'm gonna take this amount of money. I'm 636 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: gonna auto deduct it from my paid check every month 637 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 1: when it arives and send it straight to a retirement 638 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: savings account or straight to an emergency savings account, or 639 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: whatever it is I need to save for. You do it. 640 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 1: Once it happens automatically, you literally don't have to think 641 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: about it. Again and then that money isn't sitting there 642 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: for you to spend. It's a really incredible tool and 643 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: there have been a lot of studies showing just how 644 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:56,959 Speaker 1: useful these kinds of auto deduct settings are for increasing savings. Frankly, 645 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: I do a lot of work. I do work on savings. 646 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: I also do work on health, uh and education, and 647 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: it is frustrating that we cannot automate um, you know, 648 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 1: study habits, healthy eating and so on everyday behavior that 649 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: we're still take some sort of willpower. That's right, And 650 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: of course you can't automate resisting the temptation every day 651 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: to splurge spend, But but it sure is helpful that 652 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: some of that money has disappeared in your account balance 653 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: is limited in terms of the splurge spending because you 654 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: automated those deductions and sending money to savings. Yeah. I mean, 655 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: when you look at the results of automatic opt ins 656 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: when it comes to like four one K contributions, the 657 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: amount of people that contribute to their four one K 658 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: when the default position is that they are like, it's 659 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: so much higher when it's left up to the individual choice. Right. Yeah, 660 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: So this is this is a classic study that was 661 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: done and I guess two thousand and three by um 662 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: Bridget Madrian, and what she and her collaborator showed is 663 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: that when this single employer switched from having new employees 664 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: fill out paperwork UM where they had to check a 665 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: box to opt in to be a part of the 666 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 1: employers for a one K to having new employees check 667 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 1: a box to opt out, they saw about a thirty 668 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: percentage point increase overnight in how many people were saving 669 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: UM for retirements. Just extraordinary. And this has now been 670 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,800 Speaker 1: replicated many times. The effects aren't always necessarily thirty percentage 671 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: point increases, but they're large increases. Uh. And it's really 672 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 1: powerful and and lots of companies now have smart defaults. 673 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,279 Speaker 1: And in fact, I think the two thousand six US 674 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 1: Pension Protection Act legislated that its tax advantaged for your 675 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,879 Speaker 1: employer to automatically enroll you in their in their savings plan. 676 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: That's when good process design or I don't know what 677 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: they call it, all the software engineers who designed the 678 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:54,320 Speaker 1: different software that when you're on boarding employees, but just 679 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: some of the right tweaks to the system can make 680 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: a significant impact on the ability for folks to say 681 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: for future years UM. But Katie, we've got a few 682 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: more questions for you that we're gonna get to here 683 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:06,360 Speaker 1: after the break, including we want to talk about the 684 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 1: impact of the people we hang out with. We're gonna 685 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: talk about peer pressure and more. Right after this all, 686 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: we're back from break, still talking with Katie Miltman. We 687 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: want to make money changes in most of us, at 688 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 1: least unless you're just already crushing it, but most of 689 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: us want to make money changes this year. We want 690 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: to get better with our finances. But we don't want 691 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: to just make empty gestures in this new year and 692 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: then find out that we fall flat on our face 693 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 1: weeks from now. And so Katie, I'm glad. We're glad 694 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,439 Speaker 1: to have you here talking about how to make money 695 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: changes that are going to stick around stand the test 696 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: of time, creating, initiating and incorporating some of these tactics 697 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: to do that. You give an example in your book 698 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 1: about a way that high school students were able to 699 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: boost their performance. Uh, can you share that story? I 700 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 1: think I found that one fascinating. Yeah. Absolutely so. One 701 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,240 Speaker 1: of the most interesting studies I've gotten to be involved 702 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: in UM was a study led by Lauren S. Chris 703 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 1: Winkler at the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, showing that 704 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: when students are invited to advise their peers on how 705 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: to study more effectively, the invitation to give that advice 706 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: to others and the act of doing so improves advisor's 707 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: own grades. So let me just say that again, it's 708 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: not the students getting advice who are getting better grades. 709 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: It's the students giving advice who are getting better grades, 710 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,719 Speaker 1: which I think is just absolutely fascinating. And the psychology 711 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: there is that um when you're invited to coach someone 712 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: else on how to achieve a goal that you also 713 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: are trying to pursue, like boosting your grades in school. One, 714 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,720 Speaker 1: it improves your confidence. If somebody's asking me for advice, 715 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 1: I must not be such a dufous. There must be 716 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: something I could say that's you're right, Like, Okay, I 717 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,799 Speaker 1: guess I'm not. I'm not going to be a straight 718 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: sea student forever. I've got something to offer somehow you've 719 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: figured out how to money. You guys are making such 720 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: such great decisions now that you're giving advice. No, so 721 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:15,320 Speaker 1: that there's magic there. And then the second ingredient is 722 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: you have to introspect now deeply about what might work 723 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,439 Speaker 1: for someone else. You're gonna think about things that would 724 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:22,800 Speaker 1: work for you too, of course, because that's what you 725 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,120 Speaker 1: have access to. So you're gonna think deeply because now 726 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: I have to tell somebody something, so I've got to 727 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,359 Speaker 1: come up with some answers and then um, then you're 728 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: gonna say it out loud to another human. And when 729 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: you do that, there's something called the saying is believing effect, 730 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: where you know, I wouldn't be giving this advice if 731 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,399 Speaker 1: I didn't think it was good advice, and it would 732 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 1: be totally a po critical if I didn't take it. 733 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,959 Speaker 1: So all those things combined are a really powerful force 734 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: to help people achieve better results when they give advice 735 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:53,440 Speaker 1: to someone about a goal they too hope to um 736 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: succeed on. Absolutely, I mean and truly this is something 737 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,399 Speaker 1: that has had a positive impact on both your mind 738 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: and those finances the ability too. There's a there's a 739 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: degree of responsibility. Not only are we just posting it 740 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 1: on social media that we've got these goals, it's like 741 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: we've got a podcast that's you know, that is also 742 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: documenting all these different strategies and tips, and we're talking 743 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: about don't revised funds in November, and I was like, Man, 744 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: I know about these things and I believe that they're good, 745 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 1: But now I'm gonna open my own. Yeah, exactly. And 746 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to our listeners as well, I think, like, 747 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: what's so great about this is we often are encouraging 748 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: our listeners just to start talking about money. That's the 749 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,319 Speaker 1: biggest reason why we started the show five years ago. 750 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 1: We just wanted it to be something that did not 751 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:40,160 Speaker 1: feel like was unspeakable. And even with our listeners, as 752 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 1: do you start hearing about what you should be doing 753 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: with your money, but just taking this first steps and 754 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 1: talking about it with somebody else gets the conversation started 755 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: pretty soon. Yes, they They might ask you a question 756 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:52,279 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, it sort of feels like 757 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,479 Speaker 1: you're a teacher and you always you hear the saying 758 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: that there's no faster way to learn something than to 759 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: actually teach it, And just like you said, the saying 760 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: is believe in effect, I think the same thing applies. 761 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 1: And that's I mean, we love seeing that that happened 762 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 1: with our listeners as well. Yeah, and I want to 763 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: know to Katie because like some of us are are 764 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,239 Speaker 1: inevitably going to fail at some of the goals we set, right, 765 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 1: none of us is ever perfect. We just accomplish everything 766 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: we set out to do in record time. So so 767 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:21,439 Speaker 1: how do we recover from from failure. Let's say someone 768 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: set their goal to max out their roth IRA last year, 769 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: but they fell short, Like, how should they approach that 770 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:29,400 Speaker 1: goal moving forward now? In Yeah, it's a great question. 771 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: There's a couple of things that research has to say 772 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,240 Speaker 1: about that. One thing that I think is really important 773 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: is an insight about the way we code failure and 774 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: it comes from work by Carol Dweck at Stanford University. 775 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 1: She's studied something um called growth mindset and she compares 776 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 1: it to a fixed mindset, and they're basically two extreme 777 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 1: ways of thinking about failure and success. In a growth mindset, 778 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: the way you perceive the world, or the way you 779 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: perceive your skill at anything, whether it's investing or your intelligence, 780 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,680 Speaker 1: is that it's not a fixed set of abilities you're 781 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 1: born with that you can learn and grow and develop 782 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,800 Speaker 1: over time. But if you have a fixed mindset, you 783 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: think about things just the opposite that you're sort of 784 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 1: born with some innate abilities and whatever they are, they are. 785 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: And so these two perspectives that people can take on 786 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: the world lead to really different ways of interpreting failure. 787 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 1: If you have a if you have a fixed mindset 788 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:29,080 Speaker 1: and something goes badly for you, you fall down on 789 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 1: a goal, you're going to interpret that as diagnostic of 790 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,239 Speaker 1: your capabilities, and it's gonna be really discouraging. But if 791 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: you have a growth mindset and you recognize the truth, 792 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 1: which is that in almost everything in life, maybe the 793 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,760 Speaker 1: exception of your height, you have the ability to improve 794 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 1: over time with learning, then you're going to interpret that 795 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:51,439 Speaker 1: failure as input and an opportunity to learn and grow 796 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:53,799 Speaker 1: and do better next time. And it turns out these 797 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: which mindset you use, it's it's malleable. There's research showing 798 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:00,400 Speaker 1: that we can teach people to have a growth mindset 799 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,239 Speaker 1: by pointing out that basically everything in the world you 800 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: can get better with practice and and effort and and learning, 801 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: and to the extent that you can be deliberate about 802 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,360 Speaker 1: adopting a growth mindset. Then when you fall short of 803 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,680 Speaker 1: your goals, which inevitably that's what goal. If you're setting 804 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:18,759 Speaker 1: goals correctly, by the way, you should be falling short 805 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,720 Speaker 1: of some of your goals. You want to always stretch 806 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:22,839 Speaker 1: yourself with your goals. That is what the research shows. 807 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,200 Speaker 1: If you're setting wimpy goals and you always succeed, you 808 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:27,640 Speaker 1: are not pushing yourself enough and you're not you're not 809 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,359 Speaker 1: getting enough out of yourself. Um. So when you stumble though, 810 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,840 Speaker 1: think about it with a growth mindset and say, what 811 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: did I learn from this? Not like, oh no, this 812 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: means I could never do it, but rather you know, 813 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 1: what can I do differently next time? What was the 814 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: obstacle that tripped me up? How could I adopt a 815 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 1: new strategy so that in the future when that same 816 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:48,520 Speaker 1: obstacle gets in my way, I'll have a better outcome. 817 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 1: So I'd take growth mindset approach to all goals is 818 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 1: really important. And then the other thing is based on 819 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 1: research by my colleague Merca Sharif at the Wharton School, 820 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 1: who's shown that when we set stretch goals for ourselves, 821 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: which is the ideal, right, you know, I want to 822 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: go to the gym seven days a week is better 823 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 1: than I want to go to the gym two days 824 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:10,200 Speaker 1: a week. Um, it's we're motivating, You're more likely to 825 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:14,200 Speaker 1: push yourself. But when we do that um anticipating that 826 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna need to have the ability to give ourselves 827 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:19,239 Speaker 1: some get out of jail free cards. She calls them. 828 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,759 Speaker 1: Emergency reserves can be really useful. So when you set 829 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 1: tough goals, that is ideal, but it's also ideal to 830 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:28,040 Speaker 1: make sure that you let yourself off the hook not 831 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:29,840 Speaker 1: a lot. Because if you say, like, oh, you know, 832 00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:31,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go to the gym seven days a week 833 00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:34,839 Speaker 1: and I have six emergencies that I can take then, 834 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 1: but that's not going to get you very far. But 835 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:38,839 Speaker 1: it's better to say I'm going to aim for seven 836 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: days a week of this this behavior and I give 837 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 1: myself a little wiggle room to to get out of 838 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:45,440 Speaker 1: jail free than to say I'm going to try to 839 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: go five days a week. And the reason is you're 840 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:49,879 Speaker 1: not gonna want to take those get out of jail 841 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: free cards if you can avoid it, So you're likely 842 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: to put yourself really hard. But if you do have 843 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,959 Speaker 1: a miss um, you won't give up and you'll still 844 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: keep pushing to do quite well. Nonetheless, don't scrap it 845 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 1: all together. It keeps you from throwing everything out the window, 846 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 1: to having those those doovers or those Mulligan's like you're 847 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: sick for a few days, and like it gives you 848 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:11,160 Speaker 1: the grace to say, Okay, that's cool, Like that's a 849 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:13,200 Speaker 1: reason to miss a Jim, it's a decent reason to 850 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 1: not be able to make it. And I mean, I 851 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: don't think we're gonna have time to touch on it. 852 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 1: But you talk about elastic habits and how not being 853 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 1: overly rigid, how important that is to keep us on track. 854 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 1: I think the same thing applies with sort of these 855 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:27,799 Speaker 1: doovers as well. But Katie, what yeah, what about using 856 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:31,799 Speaker 1: peer pressure? Peer pressure social relationships? I think that there 857 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:33,399 Speaker 1: are different ways that we can use those to our 858 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:36,120 Speaker 1: advantage as well, because it's it's not just middle schoolers 859 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 1: that feel that kind of pressure, you know, like we're 860 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:40,720 Speaker 1: we're all social animals, and so how can we harness 861 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 1: that reality to propel us forward with our financial goals? Yeah? 862 00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: I love this topic. It's so important. UM. So we 863 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,920 Speaker 1: are incredibly influenced by the people who surround us. They 864 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:57,839 Speaker 1: show us what's possible. UM. They shape our beliefs about, um, 865 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 1: how we should be behaving. When my favorite studies showing 866 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 1: this is just looking at the college roommate you're randomly 867 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:07,359 Speaker 1: assigned as a freshman, and shows that if you end 868 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,440 Speaker 1: up with a roommate who is basically a better student historically, 869 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: you get better grades than if you end up with 870 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 1: roommate who had sort of less less studious nous historically. So, 871 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,600 Speaker 1: you know, think about the logic of it. Your your 872 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:26,120 Speaker 1: roommate goes out and parties every Thursday and Friday. You think, well, 873 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:28,040 Speaker 1: that's the thing to do in college. I should be 874 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: partying all the time, versus your roommate every Thursday and 875 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 1: Friday stays in with a book, makes um, you know, 876 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:37,560 Speaker 1: flash cards. You're thinking, gosh, I guess the succeeding college, 877 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:39,439 Speaker 1: I should be staying in Thursdays and Fridays and making 878 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:42,399 Speaker 1: flash cards. So we're in. My roommate is a nerd, 879 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,839 Speaker 1: and I gotta get a new one. In the extreme, 880 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:51,399 Speaker 1: that also happens. But on average, Um, you're right, it's yes, 881 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,080 Speaker 1: there can there can be. There could be situations where 882 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 1: you're like, God, you're so crazy that you don't aren't 883 00:44:56,640 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 1: influenced by people. But on average, if there is two 884 00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 1: much of a disparity, it turns folks off that way, Yeah, 885 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: I mean, in that way, it can kind of backfire. 886 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 1: And so it's it's so important to surround yourself with, like, 887 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:11,840 Speaker 1: you know, individuals who have something in common with you, 888 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:13,880 Speaker 1: but who who aren't, like at the very top of 889 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:15,799 Speaker 1: their game, because when there is that gulf, it can, 890 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 1: like if I'm working out with, it can prevent you. 891 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,120 Speaker 1: It's going to be it's gonna be dispparenting, right, it's 892 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 1: gonna make me. So you want someone who stretches you 893 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:25,759 Speaker 1: a little bit because they are a little bit ahead 894 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: of you, but it's not hopeless. It's not a hopeless golf. 895 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:31,360 Speaker 1: And that's also what this research on college roommates showed 896 00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 1: was you want somebody who is, um was a stronger 897 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 1: student than you, ideally as your roommate. But you don't want, 898 00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: you know, the valedictorian if you were a straight A student, 899 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 1: because now there's there's such a gulf that you can't 900 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,279 Speaker 1: even relate. And like you said, you say, hey, this 901 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: person is a nerd. I'm going out every night. I 902 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:49,320 Speaker 1: gotta get away from them. Um. So that but it 903 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 1: is important to cultivate, if you if you have big 904 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:56,160 Speaker 1: goals in any part of your life, trying to cultivate 905 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 1: social relationships with people who share those goals and who 906 00:46:00,239 --> 00:46:02,759 Speaker 1: are frankly a little bit ahead of you and from 907 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:05,880 Speaker 1: whom you can learn is incredibly valuable. UM. They can 908 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:08,280 Speaker 1: be a support group. You can also offer them advice, 909 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:10,840 Speaker 1: which we already talked about the power of advice giving. Right, 910 00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 1: you can talk about those shared goals and you'll find 911 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,840 Speaker 1: you actually do have something to offer. UM. But you 912 00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:19,040 Speaker 1: can do what my collaborator Angela Duckworth and also Katie 913 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:22,000 Speaker 1: Mayor and I'll call copy and paste, which is actually 914 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 1: we show that when you deliberately coach people to go 915 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:27,800 Speaker 1: out and look for friends who are using clever tactics 916 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:29,840 Speaker 1: to achieve a goal they too want to achieve, and 917 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 1: say go find what they're doing and try to emulate it, 918 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 1: there's benefits to that people somehow, even though they naturally 919 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:40,680 Speaker 1: soak up some of what's around them, there's still something 920 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:43,160 Speaker 1: left on the table because just that nudge to copy 921 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:48,319 Speaker 1: and paste leads people to go looking for um mimicable behaviors. 922 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: And that is really important and valuable because other people 923 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 1: have approached and tried to pursue most of the goals 924 00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:56,759 Speaker 1: that you want to achieve, and some of them have 925 00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 1: found a degree of success. And particularly people in your 926 00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: social net work. They have more in common with you, 927 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:05,239 Speaker 1: their lifestyle might resemble yours in many ways. Um so 928 00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:08,880 Speaker 1: they probably the things that they're trying maybe quite effective 929 00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 1: for someone like you too, So ask and try to 930 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 1: figure out. What can you learn from others who have succeeded. 931 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 1: No need to reinvent the wheels. Start from scratch, not 932 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:20,520 Speaker 1: rocket science. But we often forget it right, like we forget, hey, 933 00:47:20,719 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: somebody else already did this, and I should go collect 934 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,480 Speaker 1: that data like we're used to, you know, trying to 935 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,320 Speaker 1: learn from experts and so much of life I you know, 936 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,560 Speaker 1: I teach it to business school people go look at 937 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,000 Speaker 1: an accounting textbook when they have to figure out accounting. 938 00:47:33,239 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 1: But sometimes with goal setting, we forget that there are 939 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:37,840 Speaker 1: other people who've come before us, and that there's expertise 940 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:40,040 Speaker 1: there too, for sure, and you don't have to just 941 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: figure it out all on your own, and other people 942 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:44,480 Speaker 1: are a great resource. Katie, thank you so much for 943 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,040 Speaker 1: joining us today. Not only do you have your book 944 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:49,239 Speaker 1: How to Change, which you've also got a podcast, You've 945 00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 1: got a newsletter in addition to all your work being 946 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:54,160 Speaker 1: a professor. So where can folks learn more about you 947 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,440 Speaker 1: and what you're up to. Yeah, thanks for asking and 948 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:59,000 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. Um, best place to find more 949 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,360 Speaker 1: about me is that Katie Milkman dot com. It's Katie 950 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,560 Speaker 1: with a while like Katie Perry, and you can subscribe 951 00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:09,680 Speaker 1: for Milkman Delivers if you so choose to get monthly 952 00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:12,560 Speaker 1: tidbits or yeah, listen to my podcast, check out my 953 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,120 Speaker 1: book or read the nerdy research papers. If that's your thing, 954 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 1: that's definitely my thing. You love it all, Katie, thank 955 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:21,800 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us today. We really appreciate it. 956 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:25,359 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. It was a blast. Well all right, man, 957 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: I only wish we just had more time to actually 958 00:48:28,239 --> 00:48:30,440 Speaker 1: talk with Katie. Yeah. Well, maybe our new goal in 959 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:33,680 Speaker 1: three is that our interviews are more Joe Rogan from 960 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:36,920 Speaker 1: even going one hour, I think sometimes as long, but yeah, 961 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:40,759 Speaker 1: maybe we should take it to like two four hours long. Now, 962 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:43,480 Speaker 1: this this really was an awesome conversation though, that we 963 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:45,680 Speaker 1: had with Katie. What was your your big takeaway from 964 00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:47,719 Speaker 1: this conversation? And she's smart, She's got a depth of 965 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:50,760 Speaker 1: knowledge that's fascinating. But she also researched all the different 966 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:52,759 Speaker 1: examples and stories as you and I were talking about 967 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 1: before we started chatt with Katie, she just she not 968 00:48:55,760 --> 00:48:57,279 Speaker 1: only has the head knowledge, but she's done all this 969 00:48:57,360 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: practical work with companies that give us the ability to 970 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:01,840 Speaker 1: connect to to everyday human actions, which I think is 971 00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:04,920 Speaker 1: super helpful. But you get from consulting like you have 972 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:08,680 Speaker 1: to make that connection. Otherwise you're not really a consultant, right, 973 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:11,120 Speaker 1: You're just a professor. You're just a research exactly. They're like, 974 00:49:11,120 --> 00:49:12,719 Speaker 1: I would have taken your class if that's what I wanted. 975 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:15,160 Speaker 1: I want the practical application to this. But I think 976 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:17,239 Speaker 1: my biggest takeaway was when she talked about making it 977 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:21,080 Speaker 1: fun and that you know, even if progress takes longer, 978 00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:23,279 Speaker 1: you're gonna be more likely to stick to it. And 979 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:25,439 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, when we're talking about budgetings, she said, 980 00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:26,680 Speaker 1: do it over a class and wine or something like. 981 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:29,640 Speaker 1: That's kind of advice we've given over the years, like 982 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,520 Speaker 1: incorporate something fun into that money management. Set little rewards 983 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:35,640 Speaker 1: for yourself as you do make gains, as you do 984 00:49:35,719 --> 00:49:38,440 Speaker 1: accomplish those smaller goals that you've set out for yourself. 985 00:49:38,719 --> 00:49:41,040 Speaker 1: It doesn't need to be all drudgery, and ultimately the 986 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:43,520 Speaker 1: goal is that you're you know, hitting on all cylinders 987 00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:45,880 Speaker 1: your your budget reflects the biggest goals that you have 988 00:49:46,040 --> 00:49:47,960 Speaker 1: for your life, and so that when you achieve those things, 989 00:49:48,360 --> 00:49:51,759 Speaker 1: it's like it's fun and it's energizing. But the more 990 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 1: that we can make what seems boring to be fine. 991 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:58,480 Speaker 1: Like when I thought about working out, Matt, you decided 992 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:00,920 Speaker 1: for CrossFit, I said, you don't what sounds fun to me? 993 00:50:01,160 --> 00:50:04,480 Speaker 1: A water rowing that splashy, splashy. Yeah, I wanted to 994 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:06,800 Speaker 1: sound fun while I was working out, and I was like, 995 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:08,239 Speaker 1: this is gonna be like kind of a whole body thing, 996 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:11,160 Speaker 1: but it's also there's something enjoy I find enjoyable about it, 997 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:14,000 Speaker 1: or riding my bike on the path and then up 998 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 1: our local mountains like that kind of thing. I was curious, though, 999 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:18,000 Speaker 1: did you Did you make it fun though, in the 1000 00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:21,719 Speaker 1: way that you were able to um temptation bundle, Like, 1001 00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:25,080 Speaker 1: I assume that's well, actually I do. I listen to 1002 00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:28,040 Speaker 1: a podcast for music typically when I'm working. But like, 1003 00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:30,880 Speaker 1: I just tried to set out instead of signing up 1004 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,319 Speaker 1: for the most hardcore workout I could, I found something. 1005 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:36,080 Speaker 1: I was like, I know this is gonna be less intense, right, 1006 00:50:36,120 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to see results as quickly but 1007 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:39,680 Speaker 1: it's going to be the thing that I find enjoyable. 1008 00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:41,680 Speaker 1: I feel like I can stick to seem more appealing 1009 00:50:41,719 --> 00:50:43,719 Speaker 1: to you. Yeah, and I think that's really important. I 1010 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:46,400 Speaker 1: think if it allows you, it's like playing the game 1011 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:48,640 Speaker 1: of basketball versus going for a run. I'll sign up 1012 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:50,320 Speaker 1: for a game basketball any day of the week, but 1013 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:51,680 Speaker 1: I'm not going to go on to find out run 1014 00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:54,279 Speaker 1: like just not gonna happen. I hate it, and so 1015 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,960 Speaker 1: find the things that's gonna stick to know yourself a 1016 00:50:57,040 --> 00:50:59,319 Speaker 1: little bit. That's so true, man, This is like one 1017 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:01,200 Speaker 1: of the ways where you are so different. I guess 1018 00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 1: for me, like hearing a five mile run like up 1019 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,800 Speaker 1: the mountain or something, I'm like, oh, yeah, that sounds awesome. 1020 00:51:06,239 --> 00:51:10,960 Speaker 1: Basketball not so much jammed way too many fingers playing basketball. 1021 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:14,080 Speaker 1: But so my big takeaway, I'm gonna do something completely new, 1022 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:16,400 Speaker 1: which we've never done with an interview before. But I 1023 00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:19,120 Speaker 1: want to say something like literally entirely new. This is 1024 00:51:19,160 --> 00:51:21,399 Speaker 1: something we didn't get to but in her book as well, 1025 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:23,640 Speaker 1: I just want to be able to present more information 1026 00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:26,439 Speaker 1: because Katie has so many great ideas, but she talks 1027 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:30,040 Speaker 1: about how these different strategies, these different tactics they're not 1028 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:32,520 Speaker 1: something that you can awesent times just do once and 1029 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:35,000 Speaker 1: then completely forget about it and have your problem solved. 1030 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:38,239 Speaker 1: And oftentimes some of these strategies that they may not 1031 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:40,560 Speaker 1: work as well as they used to maybe when you 1032 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:43,320 Speaker 1: first started. And so she had talked about when you 1033 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,000 Speaker 1: do see some growth stalling out, just considered new ways 1034 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 1: to reach your goals, because a chore for one person, 1035 00:51:50,040 --> 00:51:52,920 Speaker 1: like running five miles, that might be fun for somebody 1036 00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:56,200 Speaker 1: else like me. And so I know that that really 1037 00:51:56,239 --> 00:51:58,439 Speaker 1: stuck with me as well, because she was encouraging folks 1038 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:01,319 Speaker 1: to think about these different problems we're faced with more 1039 00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:04,840 Speaker 1: as a disease rather than a rash. So, for instance, 1040 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 1: like doctors wouldn't give insulin to a diabetic for a 1041 00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:10,399 Speaker 1: one month and then be like, all right, you're set 1042 00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:13,360 Speaker 1: you now, that's not how it works. It's something ongoing 1043 00:52:13,440 --> 00:52:15,640 Speaker 1: that you have to revisit. Uh. And so in the 1044 00:52:15,760 --> 00:52:18,520 Speaker 1: same way that is how you would treat a rash, 1045 00:52:18,680 --> 00:52:20,840 Speaker 1: you know, something that is more temporary. But oftentimes with 1046 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:23,480 Speaker 1: some of these larger goals, especially the financial goals that 1047 00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:25,840 Speaker 1: we have in our lives, think about it like a disease. 1048 00:52:26,000 --> 00:52:27,680 Speaker 1: It's this thing that is going to be with you 1049 00:52:27,800 --> 00:52:29,960 Speaker 1: for a really long time, and it is up to you, 1050 00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:32,680 Speaker 1: like you said, Jill, to know yourself and to adapt 1051 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:34,320 Speaker 1: and figure out how it is that you're going to 1052 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:38,840 Speaker 1: accomplish that goal because oftentimes there isn't somebody outside of you. 1053 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 1: There isn't that external pressure who is encouraging you to 1054 00:52:41,719 --> 00:52:43,680 Speaker 1: reach that goal. Oftentimes, like I mean, this is what 1055 00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:46,040 Speaker 1: you should try to thank that happen, because that's a 1056 00:52:46,040 --> 00:52:48,560 Speaker 1: helpful way. It is helpful, but oftentimes, like these are 1057 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,800 Speaker 1: internal things that we have to figure out ourselves, and 1058 00:52:50,920 --> 00:52:52,880 Speaker 1: so I just found that really helpful. The disease of 1059 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:55,719 Speaker 1: money management will be with you forever, but we want 1060 00:52:56,040 --> 00:52:57,640 Speaker 1: you to be able to implement some of the things 1061 00:52:57,719 --> 00:53:00,400 Speaker 1: that Katie talked about on this episode, so you can 1062 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:02,920 Speaker 1: stick to the goals that you have just created. Like 1063 00:53:03,080 --> 00:53:06,200 Speaker 1: now is a brilliant time. It's the the fresh start 1064 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:09,440 Speaker 1: effect that Katie talked about. Now is the best time. 1065 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:11,080 Speaker 1: And one of the things that I've heard Katie say 1066 00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 1: before too, she didn't say today, but like like so 1067 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:17,200 Speaker 1: many New Year's resolutions fail, but there's a huge percentage 1068 00:53:17,239 --> 00:53:19,759 Speaker 1: something stick to it. We should take the positive side 1069 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:21,839 Speaker 1: of that and say, you know, what, There's no better 1070 00:53:21,960 --> 00:53:24,319 Speaker 1: time of year that more people make lasting change than 1071 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:26,520 Speaker 1: right now, and so hopefully you can incorporate some of 1072 00:53:26,560 --> 00:53:29,560 Speaker 1: the things Katie talked about and make some lasting change 1073 00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:32,920 Speaker 1: moving forward when it comes to your personal finances, because 1074 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,880 Speaker 1: focus on the brighter side of things for sure. Well, 1075 00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:36,800 Speaker 1: let's mention the beer that we had speaking of the 1076 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:39,160 Speaker 1: brighter side of things that we enjoyed on this episode. 1077 00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 1: This one was called half of Vised Guy by Mutation Brewing. 1078 00:53:42,719 --> 00:53:44,560 Speaker 1: It's a helf of vising and yeah, Matt, what we 1079 00:53:44,560 --> 00:53:47,200 Speaker 1: your thoughts on this beer? It was great? Yeah, this 1080 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:50,840 Speaker 1: was another delightful beer by the guys by Jack and 1081 00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:56,360 Speaker 1: friends over there at Mutation. But yeah, light, pillowy wheat beer. 1082 00:53:56,920 --> 00:53:58,920 Speaker 1: It had a little bit of sweetness. I feel like, 1083 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:00,759 Speaker 1: maybe maybe for a half of Eisen, it was a 1084 00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: touch sweeter than some of the ones out there, Like 1085 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:06,600 Speaker 1: we've had some that are quite dry. But this is 1086 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:09,400 Speaker 1: the kind of beer I would drink with a pizza 1087 00:54:09,719 --> 00:54:12,720 Speaker 1: in particular, one that's got maybe some some spicier sausage 1088 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:14,239 Speaker 1: on it. And if you're looking for something to cool 1089 00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:17,560 Speaker 1: you down, Yeah, this is if you're normally in the 1090 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:20,359 Speaker 1: pilsner crowd, like if you're like Budwise or bud Light, 1091 00:54:20,400 --> 00:54:23,400 Speaker 1: that's what I drank occasionally blue Moon. This is like 1092 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:25,360 Speaker 1: the better version of Blue Moon kind of thing, right, Like, 1093 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:27,200 Speaker 1: if you want, if if you want to helf of 1094 00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:30,040 Speaker 1: vising moving too that craft beer realm and you haven't 1095 00:54:30,040 --> 00:54:32,080 Speaker 1: really gotten there, find a good helf of Vising from 1096 00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:34,040 Speaker 1: a local brewery. That's a good thing to to start 1097 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:36,120 Speaker 1: off with. I still remember one of my first craft 1098 00:54:36,160 --> 00:54:38,799 Speaker 1: beers was win were Brothers in Portland oregan helf of Easing. 1099 00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:40,360 Speaker 1: They make one of the better ones out there. This 1100 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:43,560 Speaker 1: one wasn't shocked top No, it was not. This one 1101 00:54:43,680 --> 00:54:45,919 Speaker 1: rivaled it though, I think I really like this beer. 1102 00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:48,160 Speaker 1: Even though helf of Visins or not my go to style, 1103 00:54:48,280 --> 00:54:50,680 Speaker 1: this was a good version of it. So exactly, that's 1104 00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:53,560 Speaker 1: gonna do it for this episode. For show notes links 1105 00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:55,720 Speaker 1: to some of the resources that we mentioned that Katie 1106 00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:57,960 Speaker 1: mentioned on this episode, you can find those up on 1107 00:54:58,000 --> 00:55:00,440 Speaker 1: our website at how to money dot com. Right man, 1108 00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:02,399 Speaker 1: So that's going to be it until next time. Best 1109 00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:04,239 Speaker 1: Friends Out, Best Friends Out,