Adam Alter: The Anatomy of a Breakthrough | Rational Reminder 296

Feeling stuck is a common human experience and almost all of us will go through it at some point in our lives. Whether it’s relationship struggles, dissatisfaction with work, an inability to progress financially, or a pending midlife crisis, all of these situations can bring up a range of mixed emotions like anxiety, fear, anger, and even numbness. We are joined today by Adam Alter, whose new book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most serves as a much-needed guide to help readers escape inertia and flourish in the face of freedom. Adam is a professor of marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business with an affiliated appointment in the New York University Psychology Department. His research is primarily focused on judgment, decision-making, and social psychology, and his two previous books, Irresistible and Drunk Tank Pink, are both highly acclaimed New York Times best-sellers. In today’s episode, we talk with Adam about the concept behind Anatomy of a Breakthrough, the many forms that feeling stuck can take, and what he has learned about getting unstuck. Tuning in you’ll learn about the fundamentals of goal-setting, why striving for excellence is infinitely more sustainable than settling for nothing less than perfection, and how learning to enjoy the journey will help you find meaning and avoid the aimlessness that can come after achieving your goal. We also get into the nature of breakthroughs, the role of luck and creativity, plus a whole lot more. To hear all of Adam’s thought-provoking insights and practical advice on getting unstuck, be sure to tune in!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 Intro
0:03:47 What it means to be stuck
0:06:27 What being financially stuck looks like
0:12:12 Whether or not people can be stuck in their general well-being
0:14:12 Why people tend to question their lives on the arrival of a new decade
0:21:02 Adam explains what "Lifequakes" are
0:27:18 How one can prepare for the inevitable lifequakes we will have in our lives
0:31:56 How creativity affects a breakthrough
0:37:35 The role that luck plays in breakthroughs
0:43:05 The practical difference between striving for excellence and perfection
0:50:18 The risks of being incapable of reaching the pinnacle of your own definition of success
0:55:44 How individuals should process the successes of other people
0:58:25 Dan defines success in his life

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Books From Today’s Episode:

[thomas]

Enjoyed this discussion. Excited to read the book. Thank you.

[rui]

Valuable conversation that resonates and is little talked about.

[ZakiyaAbdullahi]

I appreciate this podcast. I don't know if this upload was divine timing for me last night when listening, but so many of Adam's responses were profound and impactful for me. We are human. We all experience these universal challenges and trials, so it was nice to hear about it from a researcher. Sometimes, you understand a concept or idea, but you need to hear it in a different way for it to make a profound connection which creates even more understanding. Anywho, great questions from both Cameron and Ben. I gotta come back to this to take some notes while creating my roadmap. If anyone is reading this and feels stuck, be patient and know you are good enough through the process of it all.

[haroldspanier]

Interesting guest. It’s a good thing you guys exist because I appreciate and benefit from your podcasts. A thousand thanks!

[bruceaulabaugh]

Great guest. Great questions. Well done to all involved. Thank you.

[mscuty]

Thank you All, very interesting and inspiring