The Behavior Shift Show

Ever feel like, over time, you’re more distracted, less focused, and oddly dissatisfied, even when things are going well? This week, we’re exploring the idea of “brain rot” and the toll a culture of constant consumption can take on our attention, motivation, and sense of meaning. We dig into why this happens and introduce a simple shift that can change the dynamic: creating more than you consume....

Ever pick up your phone to check the time…then 30 minutes later you’re doomscrolling on Twitter? We’re unpacking the science behind our addiction to our phones - everything from binge-watching to bad attention spans, to help you reclaim your brain and break the cycle. Tech companies know what they’re doing by tapping into human psychology to keep you hooked on their platforms, but there is hope. B...

Ever notice how one bad moment can ruin an otherwise great experience? This week, we’re walking you through the recency effect: a cognitive bias that causes us to give more weight to the most recent interactions when forming memories and judgments. It doesn’t matter if it was a bad end to a good meeting, or delayed flights at the end of a wonderful vacation; endings disproportionately shape how we...

Why are we so complicit staying in situations that are just…fine? This week, we’re examining the powerful pull of the status quo bias , aka our tendency to stick with what’s familiar, even when better options are right in front of us. You know those unused subscriptions you have? Even worse - you know that friend who hates their job but won’t leave? Loss aversion, effort, and regret avoidance ofte...

We continue our conversation by introducing you to the lesser-known but influential concept of sure loss. Sure loss explains why we often become risk-seeking precisely when we should stop, whether it’s because we’re holding on to a losing investment, staying in an unhealthy situation, or doubling down on a clearly failing strategy. When loss isn’t yet admitted but seemingly imminent, our brains wo...

Loss aversion is one of the most well-known ideas in behavioral science, but that doesn’t mean it’s not misunderstood. This week, we’re unpacking why losses feel about twice as powerful as gains, and how that imbalance influences everything from investing and career choices to relationships and risk-taking. Loss aversion can protect us, but it also shrinks our world and keeps us in situations we n...

The availability bias is one of the most convincing mental shortcuts we use, and that is exactly what makes it so dangerous. In this episode, we explore how our brains confuse ease of recall with actual likelihood, causing us to overestimate vivid, emotional, or recent events while overlooking quieter but far more common risks. From shark attacks to vending machines, we unpack how the availability...

College has always been a challenging time for young adults, but today’s students are facing unprecedented levels of distraction, pressure, and overwhelm. This week, we explore a potential solution by unpacking why focus and follow-through are harder than ever in an increasingly digital world, and why giving in to distraction isn’t a personal failure, but a behavioral design problem. Listen in for...

What if “good enough” was actually the best possible outcome? As we wrap up our Decisions Series, we explore “satisficing decisions”—low-stakes choices that feel important but don’t really change the course of our lives. Things like picking a vacation spot or trying a new hairstyle may feel daunting, but in reality, they have minimal long-term impact. We dive into why these decisions feel more ser...

Most goals fail—not from lack of ambition, but from being set incorrectly. Achieving your goals the right way requires a mix of values, feedback, commitment, and a little behavioral science. In this episode, get introduced to practical strategies like the goal gradient effect and illusory goal progress, and learn how to make your goals concrete, achievable, and uniquely yours. Plus, get a sneak pe...

We make tens of thousands of decisions every day, so today , we’re breaking down the power of routine decisions. From what we eat to how we start our mornings, these decisions might feel insignificant on their own, but over time they shape our habits, health, and happiness. We explore how our brains automate these choices to save energy, the cognitive shortcuts that guide them, and the subtle bias...

This week, we’re turning our attention to critical decisions—the big, high-stakes choices that can shape our lives and careers. Unlike the quick, reactive calls we explored last time, these decisions demand time, reflection, and deliberate thought. We discuss how to slow down, broaden your options, and check for hidden biases, all while keeping your choices aligned with your personal values. Along...

This week, we’re diving even deeper into decision-making to tackle one of the toughest types of choices we face—tricky decisions. These are high-impact calls we have to make fast, often under pressure or stress, when our brains default to quick, reactive thinking. We break down why our instincts can sometimes lead us astray and share two practical tools to help keep emotion from hijacking reason i...

How do you make the “right” decision in any given situation? This week, we break down the “Decision Quadrant,” a simple but powerful tool that helps us identify whether a choice is tricky, critical, routine, or satisficing - and then tailor our strategy accordingly. From learning to slow down impulsive reactions to avoiding decision fatigue over toothpaste, we’re bringing you strategies on how to...

Continuing on our decisions series, this week we’re breaking down Daniel Kahneman’s influential model of System 1 and System 2 thinking: the fast, intuitive decisions we make on autopilot versus the slow, deliberate ones that require effort. We talk about how stress, bias, and context shift us between these modes, when each type of thinking serves us best, and how simple strategies like pausing, l...

We’re back and diving into the psychology of decision-making. Everything from the 35,000 choices we make every day to the small, repeated decisions that shape our habits and ultimately define who we become. We unpack why decisions are so hard (can you say “cognitive biases”?), how mental shortcuts can both help and hurt us, and why awareness is the first step toward making better decisions. Make t...

Have you ever realized that one tiny decision could change the course of your entire day? Crazier still - your entire life? This week, we explore the psychology of inflection points , the seemingly small decisions we make that quietly but powerfully shape our behavior, identity and future. We dig into why our brains often default to “either/or” thinking, how to utilize an archer’s mindset to align...

In this special episode of the Behavior/Shift Show, we turn down the lights and take a break. In this guided practice, Kurt leads a Non-Sleep Deep Rest session designed to help you reset your nervous system and recharge your mind — no prior meditation experience needed.  Chapter Markers: [0:00] Intro [0:57] Practice Begins [17:41] Practice Ends

We dismantle one of the most persistent myths in self-improvement: that success is all about willpower. Drawing on the work of Roy Baumeister and other behavioral science research, we reveal why willpower is a limited resource rather than a moral failing and why relying on it only sets you up for failure. Instead of hoping we have the strength to continue, we use this episode to offer you smarter...

In this week’s episode, we explore the science of less is more , for habits, that is. Inspired by BJ Fogg’s behavior model, we unpack how anchoring micro-actions (like flossing one tooth or taking one deep breath), can help us build momentum, identity, and sustainable routines. If you’re trying to start new habits - journaling, working out, or finally getting into meditation - this episode will hi...

This week on Behavior Shift, we’re sharing two powerful tools from the behavioral science playbook - pre-mortems and post-mortems. Planning ahead and recapping what happened are useful tools no matter what your goal is, and these techniques will help you anticipate failure before it happens and learn from both wins and losses after the fact. Whether your training for us a race, launching a creativ...

Ever wonder why, once you can see the finish line, you start to sprint? Whether it’s a race, a project, or your tenth cup of coffee on a 12-punch card, it feels like when the end is near, we get much more determined to complete our goals. This is called the Goal Gradient Effect, and it’s the topic of this week’s episode. From rats in mazes to mile 13 of a half-marathon, we break down how proximity...

In this episode, we lay out a simple framework to help you think more strategically about your goals—not just what you're aiming for, but where you're focusing your energy. We introduce six key areas of life that most goals tend to fall into and share how reflecting on these can unlock more balance, motivation, and meaning. With a few practical questions and a concept called the “carryover effect,...

Before you set your next big goal, ask yourself this: Do you really know what you want, or are you just chasing someone else’s dream? In this episode, we peel back the layers of goal-setting and uncover the foundational question that too many people skip: Who are you, really? Tune in to this insightful episode to reconnect with yourself, reestablish your goals, and discover what really drives you...

Social media, bleak news cycles, and daily stressors can make it hard to focus on what’s going right, but there’s a powerful, research-backed way to shift your mindset - gratitude. Gratitude rewires your brain for positivity, boosts emotional well-being, and even improves sleep and relationships. Want a happier, more positive mindset? Discover how practicing gratitude rewires your brain for joy, r...