Behavior Gap Radio

1571 | My body did it!

1570 | Bad at Goals

1569 | What's Going On at The Collective?

1568 | Wrestling with a thunderstorm

1567 | The Good News!

1566 | Maybe just clean the lenses?

1565 | My Story Caused The Pain

1564 | Do you ever wonder...?

1563 | What's Unique About You?

In this short episode, Carl offers a different way to think about artificial intelligence and the questions it raises about our work and our value. As technology changes what’s possible, he invites us to consider one question that may matter more than ever: What’s deeply unique about you? Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1562 | One Thing Today

In this episode, Carl explores one of his favorite questions: What are you up to? Whether you’re building something big or still figuring out what that thing might be, he reflects on the power of connecting a larger vision to one small action today. With nothing more than an index card and a little intention, Carl considers how tiny, consistent steps can compound into meaningful progress over time. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1561 | Systematic Exposure to Wrongness

In this episode, Carl continues his exploration of being skillfully wrong by asking what it takes to become more comfortable seeing where we fall short. Through a simple daily practice of comparing what we planned to do with what actually happened, he explores how we can learn from our mistakes without beating ourselves up. It’s a reflection on honesty, self-compassion, and the surprisingly difficult practice of accepting reality, learning from it, and starting again. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1560 | Silence as a Tool

In this episode, Carl explores the surprising power of silence in our conversations, particularly when we’re trying to help someone discover what matters. Inspired by Thomas Keating and poet David Whyte, he reflects on how uncomfortable we can be with quiet moments and what we might miss when we rush to fill them. It’s an invitation to practice leaving a little more room for silence and notice what becomes possible when we do. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1559 | Skillfully Wrong

In this episode, Carl challenges the idea that good planning means getting everything right from the start. Drawing on a conversation with a highly skilled business leader navigating uncertainty, he explores what happens when we stop demanding perfect predictions and start treating planning as a process of experimentation, observation, and learning. It’s a different way to think about expertise, uncertainty, and the surprising value of getting things wrong. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1558 | Money and Security, Meaning, Love

In this field note, Carl imagines what money might say if it could talk, and the conversation takes an interesting turn. What if some of the things we’ve spent our lives asking money to provide are things it was never capable of giving us? Carl explores the complicated relationship between money, security, meaning, and love, and what happens when we start questioning the jobs we’ve given money to do. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1557 | When Are You Going to Grow Up?

In this episode, Carl explores what happens to our sense of wonder as we grow up, take on responsibilities, and become the adults we were told to become. Somewhere between the endless thrill seeker and the fluorescent-light zombie, he wonders whether there’s a way to mature without losing the curiosity, awe, and aliveness we had as kids. It’s an exploration of growing up without losing the part of ourselves that still wants to chase thunderstorms, follow an unexpected trail, and notice the moon rising. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1556 | Going on a Treasure Hunt

In this episode, Carl reframes one of life’s biggest questions as a treasure hunt: discovering what matters enough to build your life around. Rather than treating uncertainty about purpose or what comes next as something heavy to solve, he explores what happens when we approach it with curiosity, wonder, and a willingness to follow the clues. Maybe the most interesting work in financial planning isn’t finding more money at all, but discovering the kind of treasure that gives our lives meaning. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1555 | Nobody Paid Off His Mortgage. But He Felt Better.

In this episode, Carl shares a surprising moment from a workshop where changing one small thing about a dollar sign changed how people felt about it. Nothing about their financial lives had changed, yet the emotional response did. That experience leaves Carl wondering how much of what money means to us was inherited, learned, or absorbed, and how much freedom we might have to paint something different on the canvas ourselves. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1554 | What if You Didn’t Wait Until Retirement?

In this episode, Carl shares the story of a couple who wondered what would happen if they stopped waiting for retirement to spend meaningful time with their kids. A simple question in a financial planning meeting turns a distant dream into a real decision, and Carl explores what happens when we find something that matters enough to reorganize our lives around it. It’s a story about commitment, unexpected tailwinds, and the quiet moment when “someday” becomes something we’re actually willing to do. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1553 | My Car Is Better Than His

In this episode, Carl turns Behavior Gap Radio back into an adventure journal and shares an uncomfortable moment of his own. A stranger at the gym, a beat-up car, and a surprising flash of smugness leave him curious about how quickly possessions and outward signs of money can distort the way we see ourselves and other people. Rather than trying to fix or judge the reaction, Carl asks a simpler question: Isn’t that interesting? Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

1552 | Why Do We Think Rich People Are Smarter?

In this episode, Carl explores a strange habit many of us have: using someone’s wealth as evidence they’re worth listening to. Why does knowing that someone sold a company or has a $400 million balance sheet suddenly make them seem smarter, wiser, or more interesting? Carl examines how easily authority in one area can leak into another, and why we may want to get much more careful about confusing financial success with intelligence, wisdom, or human worth. Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/