Why Change Is Hard and How to Make It Your Advantage with Maya Shankar

All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life

Chris Hutchins

Business, Society & Culture, Education, Self-improvement, Investing, Places & Travel

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

#266: Chris and Maya break down the science-backed tools that make change easier and more intentional. They explore why most people misunderstand change, how to anchor your identity to your deeper “why,” and practical tools to break out of rumination and navigate uncertainty. Maya Shankar is the bestselling author of The Other Side of Change, and hosts the podcast A Slight Change of Plans. She previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and led the White House Behavioral Science Team. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/navigating-change-maya-shankar Partner Deals Thrive Market: 30% off your first order of organic groceries + a free $60 gift Gusto: Free 3-month trial of the #1 payroll software Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals Resources Mentioned Maya: Website | Instagram Book: The Other Side of Change Podcast: A Slight Change of Plans Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke Deep Personality Assessment ATH Podcast Ep #81: Making Smarter Decisions and Knowing When to Walk Away with Annie Duke Ep #265: I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@chrishutchins.com Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (00:38) What People Get Wrong About Change (05:14) The Antidote That Makes Change Easier (12:11) Past Change vs. Intentional Change (16:02) Maximisers vs. Satisficers (19:10) Anchor Your Identity to Your Why (23:15) How to Discover Your Why (25:03) Navigating Change With a Very Different Partner (29:17) Breaking the Rumination Cycle (29:58) Mental Time Travel (31:55) Affect Labeling (32:39) Tools for Better Self-Understanding (36:01) AI as a Conversational Partner (39:43) Tactics For Thinking Through Big Changes (42:01) Moral Elevation (43:36) Why Reading Fiction Matters (44:29) Repurposing Your Experience (45:34) The First Step When Everything Changes (47:31) Where to Find More From Maya Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | X | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Change isn't just inevitable. It's uncomfortable because our brains hate uncertainty.
0:06.0	Today I'm joined by Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and best-selling author of the other side of change,
0:12.0	to unpack why we cling to the status quo even when growth is on the table.
0:18.0	We explore the biases that keep us anchored to what's familiar, why we misjudge
0:22.8	our own future growth, and practical tools to help us think more clearly at inflection points
0:28.0	in our lives. I'm Chris Hutchins. If you enjoy this episode, leave a comment or share it with a friend.
0:33.6	And if you want to keep upgrading your money points in life, click follow or subscribe.
0:38.7	Maya, change is just a guarantee in life.
0:41.3	Everyone faces it, but it scares people so much.
0:44.4	What do you think people get wrong when they think about it?
0:46.5	So I should first say that I am also one of those people that finds change super scary,
0:51.2	which is one of the reasons why I've gravitated towards studying it as a
0:55.2	cognitive scientist. I don't think I do a great job. I rarely meet moments of unexpected change
0:59.7	with equanimity. And so part of the goal of writing the other side of change was, in fact,
1:04.9	me search and trying to figure out how to do things better. One of the reasons why we find
1:10.0	unexpected change so scary is that
1:12.9	it is accompanied by a lot of uncertainty, and our brains are not wired to enjoy uncertainty.
1:20.1	One of my favorite research studies shows that we are more stressed when we're told we have a
1:25.8	50% chance of getting an electric shock than when we're told we have a 50% chance of getting an electric shock than when we're told we have a 100% chance of getting that shock.
1:32.6	And so we would rather be certain that a bad thing is going to happen and endure an expected amount of pain than to have to grapple with any uncertainty.
1:39.9	And it's kind of funny, right, that we would have this quirk in the way that we think about the world and the way that we assess risk, the way that we feel about risk.
1:47.3	But I don't know about you, Chris.
	...

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