Behavior Gap Radio: Exploring human behavior...with a Sharpie

Leave the Truth Out of It by Carl Richards: Human Behavior, Creativity, Behavioral Finance

I like to play a little game around spending. The goal is to reset and increase our awareness. It's a little different from the other budget suggestions you may have heard. Ready to try it?

Have you ever noticed how fast we build really big stories based on one or maybe even two assumptions? I have a suggestion. Before you make a decision, stop for just a minute and think about the assumption your making to justify a decision. I'm betting you'll unwind those assumptions and discover the reasons for doing something aren't what you thought.

Take Responsibility by Carl Richards: Human Behavior, Creativity, Behavioral Finance

What's the stuff that's important? This question is the driving force for many of the sketches I create. How can I help people get through the complexity of all that information to the other side of elegant simplicity? And how can I make the experience better?

The old saying that money can't buy happiness isn't true. We know, for instance, that buying experiences can lead to happiness, and it trumps buying things. But what else do we need to think about when we try to buy happiness?

The financial planning process sounds boring, but really I think it's about getting clear about what's important to us. In other words, think of it as the overlap between your money and your life. To figure that out, we need to measure what we actually do against what we say we value. Sometimes, we'll find a gap, and both the calendar and the checkbook can help reveal that gap.

It's been a few months now since I started recording Behavior Gap Radio. This project didn't start out as a podcast. But I'm wondering what you think. I've reached a point in the process where I'd love to hear your thoughts and where I go next with this project. In today's episode, I pose some questions I hope you'll take a few minutes to answer. Just send me an email at hello@behaviorgap.com.

As a follow up to Tuesday's show, I want to focus today on related topic: synthesizing what we've consumed. Just a quick review of my notes shows a bunch of stuff that I'd love to share with you, but I haven't done it yet because I was so focused on the consuming and creating. The process of synthesizing has already proven incredibly value. What's worked for you? I'd love to hear your stories.

I've started a new project, and it requires a lot of research. But I'm noticing something interesting. As I consume this new material, I find myself interrupting that process. "Hey, that's really cool! I should share that on Twitter." But even as the urge to share feels overwhelming, I'm wondering if I should do a better job of drawing a clearer line between the two.

This Crazy Election by Carl Richards: Human Behavior, Creativity, Behavioral Finance

Risk & Rules by Carl Richards: Human Behavior, Creativity, Behavioral Finance

Do you ever wonder if what you're reading about finance is "real?" I mean, don't you sometimes double check if you're reading the financial section of a major publication versus The Onion? Sometimes it's a helpful check on our behavior to remember that what we're reading, seeing, and hearing could just as easily be in the funny section as the financial section.

The Non-Moving Walkway by Carl Richards: Human Behavior, Creativity, Behavioral Finance

Money is not about spreadsheets and calculators. It's about emotion. It's about feelings. And as soon as we make the connection, we can experience huge breakthroughs when it comes to our financial decisions. Thanks to FinCon for powering this episode of Behavior Gap Radio.