Advertise on podcast: MicroBehaviors

At exactly 4:50 AM the entire country gathered to change one of their cherished traditions. Pandemonium? Or a perfect template for changing habits in our own lives? BJ Fogg—Head of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab—would argue the latter.  Leave this episode with one of the most fundamental MicroBehaviors to change your own habits.

The country’s most famous actor was nearly crushed by a train. The Dangerous Sports Club introduces the world to a new extreme sport. And the most awkward interview on record. All of these teach us about stress and fear. They’ll also reveal the secret to managing them in everyday life. (Value Affirmations, Cortisol, Neuroplasticity)

Flying alone at 14,000 feet Jim suffers a stroke. How will he land safely? Another man’s habits save an entire country from annihilation. These are stories you can’t make up! But you can make up the myths we believe about habits...like how long does it take for a habit to form (hint: it’s not 21 days).

He spent six months alone in a cave underground. Darkness. Bats. And a whole lot of guano! This modern caveman was also a product and victim of technology...something we can all relate to. Thankfully, digital expert Amy Blankson, the Luddites, and an accidental invention all teach us how to find happiness with our tools. (Digital Wellness, Habits, Switching Costs, Cognitive Load)

Nobody expected much from her, but Suzie King Taylor had grit. A lot of it. Every obstacle they threw her way actually helped her learn more. Whether washing out bloody laundry, staving off Smallpox, or fighting with the soldiers on the front line. She shows us that there are hidden gems for those who embrace the difficulty of learning.  (System 2, Cognitive Disfluency, Dual Process Theory, Writing)

He hunted African big game and even fought off a leopard with his bare hands. Carl Akeley killed more animals than any hunter before him. So is he a murderer? A role model? Or something else entirely? Akeley’s story forces us to explore one of our favorite pastimes: judging others. But more importantly, he’ll show us how to rise above it.

Ben Franklin's body went numb after one of his electric experiments. But he had to feel the power to come up with one of his most important inventions yet—a new vocabulary for the rest of the world. Franklin was a wordsmith after all. And we are too. We just don’t realize that the words we use also impact our future behavior.  (Neural Theory of Language, George Lakoff, Intentional Metaphors)

He couldn’t throw another punch because every bone in his hand was broken. Details like these are great for stories, but they impact a listener in ways far more than mere entertainment. Learn to match your stories with the right situation, and give your communication a "punch" ... See what we did there?  (Story Science, Mirror Neurons, Neural Coupling)

When David Kirk looked over the suspension bridge he was faced with the dizzying reality...somebody had to jump first. Bungee jumping was in its infancy, and Kirk borrowed the idea from the Vanuatu Vine Jumpers. But both of them used the same trick to overcome fear. And it's a perfect MicroBehavior in our first bonus episode.

It was Jane Austen’s most romantic writing. But underneath there was a deeper desire. Something we all share. A thirst for more information. Learn how Three Magic Minutes can radically change the way you process the information around you.

He ignored scripts and even slapped actors to get them ready for the scene. Hollywood would never be the same because one maverick wasn’t willing to conform to the traditional rules.  It's never easy to dismiss the opinions of peers. We like to adopt something called ½ Inch Thinking. But don't worry, this episode will give you one MicroBehavior to avoid the comforts of the crowd. (Solomon Asch, Normative Behavior, Conformity Research)

Sam hates gambling. So why does he end up a victim of loan sharks and con-men? The answer is only obvious after we evaluate the mind’s fascinating journey from birth to death. Our brains rewire with every decision we make, for better or worse. And wisdom isn’t always about being right. (Schema, Cognitive Attractors, neuroplasticity, Mental Models)

He was a ruthless dictator and everyone was sure the President would meet with him. Or were they? As it turns out, hindsight really isn’t 20/20. And this blindness can wreak havoc on our decisions in the future. (Hindsight Bias, Decision Making)