The Secret to Accomplishing Big Goals Lies in Breaking Them Into Flexible, Bite-Size Chunks

Subgoals can make all the difference when ambitious targets seem too daunting.

January 29, 2024
- Scientific American

As you’re drafting your New Year’s resolutions, you may think that it takes 21 days of repeating an action for that action to become a habit. So, you set out to go to the gym for 21 days, thinking that by day 22 heading to the gym will feel automatic—maybe even fun. It can be daunting to think about going to the gym for a whole year, but 21 days is doable.

December 30, 2023
- CNN

What We Learned From Philadelphia’s Vaccine Lottery

Whether developing a safe vaccine or figuring out how to encourage its adoption, the same scientific method — systematically experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t — is key.

September 29, 2022
- The Philadelphia Inquirer

Why Giving People Advice Almost Never Works

A surprising report explains what it takes to push forward in the face of discouragement — and even instill that confidence in other people.

August 18, 2022
- The Saturday Evening Post

The 4-Ingredient Recipe for Getting Things Done

Most of us make to-do lists but often find it hard to check everything off. Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman interviews Ayelet Fishbach, author of Get It Done, about finding a framework that can help you get through your weekly to-do lists.

July 22, 2022
- CNN