How You Spend It: With Guests Joshua Fields Millburn & Cassie Mogilner Holmes

09/12/22 • 31 min

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“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A quintessentially American phrase from the Declaration of Independence. That “pursuit of happiness” takes many forms, but it turns out that some approaches are more likely to be successful, according to science.

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look at a way to frame how you spend your time and money that may help you lead a happier life.

Joshua Fields Millburn was hungry for success. Despite a difficult childhood, he was determined to make it big. He worked long hours, took little time off, and rapidly climbed the corporate ladder in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. By his mid-twenties, he had worked his way to a director position at a telecommunications company and was leading a very prosperous lifestyle. But his workaholism had taken a toll. By 28, his marriage had failed, his mother had died, and Joshua was at a crossroads.

You’ll hear how he was forced to take stock of what was most important—and how he shifted his priorities in a way that changed his life for the better.

Joshua Fields Millburn in one half of the simple living duo the Minimalists.

Next, Katy speaks with Cassie Mogilner Holmes about her research on time and happiness and how prioritizing quality time over money and material wealth can have lasting positive effects. She's the author of the new book Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most.

Cassie Mogilner Holmes is a professor of marketing and behavioral decision making at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/podcast.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.

The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.

Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.

The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

The book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.). Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.) has not reviewed the book and makes no representations about its content.

(0922-2WNE)

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look at a way to frame how you spend your time and money that may help you lead a happier life.

You’ll hear how he was forced to take stock of what was most important—and how he shifted his priorities in a way that changed his life for the better.

Joshua Fields Millburn in one half of the simple living duo the Minimalists.

Cassie Mogilner Holmes is a professor of marketing and behavioral decision making at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/podcast.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.

The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.

Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.

The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

(0922-2WNE)

Previous Episode

Not by a Long Shot: With Guests Katia Jordan & Craig Fox

Humans can easily distinguish between a zero-chance event (e.g., the Washington Nationals winning the World Series in 2022) and a sure thing (e.g., the sun coming up tomorrow). But in between those two clear outcomes, it turns out that we’re not great at estimating odds.

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, a bias that affects the way we predict the likelihood of rare events.

Katia Jordan had all the makings of a tennis star: a preternatural talent, an intense drive to succeed, top-tier coaches, and parents who supported her dream completely. She was certain that she would be the next Venus Williams. But along the way, she discovered that her path to tennis glory was not as straight as she imagined.

Katia Jordan is a former Division 1 tennis player and is currently script coordinator on the television program All American Homecoming.

Next, Katy speaks with UCLA psychology professor Craig Fox about how we tend to overweight the likelihood of small probabilities. Building on seminal work by his mentor Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, Dr. Fox explains a bias in the way we imagine the odds of rare events and demonstrates approaches gleaned from his research that can help us better avoid distortions in the way we conceptualize risk and reward.

Craig Fox is the Harold Williams Chair and Professor of Management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Finally, Katy gives examples of the areas in your life where you can save money, improve health, and avoid some anxiety by better understanding the true likelihood of rare events.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/podcast.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.

The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

All corporate names and market data shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

Apple Podcasts and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Google Podcasts and the Google Podcasts logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.

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Next Episode

So Much in Common: With Guests Samantha Futerman, Anaïs Bordier & Kareem Haggag

When we feel angry or excited, or happy or sad, the reasons for those emotions may seem obvious. Angry? It was that argument with a spouse. Excited? It was that promotion at work. Happy? Must've been that delicious meal. Sad? It was that tearjerker film, for sure. But it turns out that we often mistake the root causes of our feelings and other experiences.

In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman, we look at a family of biases that affects the way we understand behaviors, events, and emotions.

Samantha Futerman and Anaïs Bordier grew up in different parts of the world. They were raised speaking different languages. They lived in very different home environments. They experienced different types of schooling. You'd probably assume these two women with very different upbringings turned out quite differently. After all, where and how you're raised has a big impact on the person you become. Surprisingly though, Samantha and Anaïs share some uncanny similarities.

Samantha Futerman is an American actress, writer, and director. She is known for her supporting role in the drama film Memoirs of a Geisha, as well as her self-made documentary film Twinsters.

Anaïs Bordier is a French designer and brand manager based in Paris. She was also a producer for the film Twinsters.

Next, Katy speaks with Kareem Haggag about how our preferences change, more than we might expect, depending on the physical state we're in. You'll hear about how early morning classes may affect the choice of a college major and how your perceptions of a restaurant may be substantially influenced by your hunger level.

Kareem Haggag is an assistant professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. You can read his research on attribution bias and other topics on his website.

Finally, Katy offers tips on how to "debias" yourself and avoid the traps of misattribution, based on Kareem Haggag's findings.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/podcast.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions.

The comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.

Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.

The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

All corporate names are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.

(0922-2AA0)