Dr. Maya Shankar experienced devastating identity loss twice. First, a sudden injury ended her dreams of becoming a professional violinist; later, repeated miscarriages shattered her vision of motherhood. These losses forced her to confront how deeply she had tied her self-worth to specific roles and imagined futures. Drawing from cognitive science and human psychology, she learned to redefine her identity beyond self-imposed labels. In this episode, Maya explores the psychology of change, revealing why we experience “identity paralysis” when unexpected changes occur, and how we can use that to our advantage.

In this episode, Hala and Dr. Maya will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:59) Understanding Identity Paralysis

(07:21) The Science Behind Change

(17:00) Unlocking Potential Future Selves

(24:09) The Difference Between Resilience and Reinvention

(33:14) How Change Reshapes Values and Beliefs

(36:56) Self-Affirmation Exercises That Boost Positivity

(40:40) The Change Toolkit: Navigating Life Transitions

(57:16) Navigating the Messy Middle of Change

(01:00:34) Mastering Career Pivots and Starting Fresh

Dr. Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans. She serves as Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google and previously founded the White House Behavioral Science Team under President Obama as a Senior Advisor. A Rhodes Scholar with a Ph.D. from Oxford and a B.A. from Yale, Dr. Maya completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. Her new book, The Other Side of Change, explores the psychology and stories behind life’s most disruptive transitions.

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Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Maya’s Book, The Other Side of Change: bit.ly/TOSOC

Dr. Maya’s Podcast, A Slight Change of Plans: bit.ly/ASCOP-apple

Dr. Maya’s Instagram: instagram.com/drmayashankar

Dr. Maya’s Website: mayashankar.com

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Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Habits, Human Nature, Critical Thinking, Robert Greene, Chris Voss, Robert Cialdini