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

In this episode, Carl explores the value of intentionally putting ourselves in situations where we don't quite know what to do next. Through stories from the mountains, travel, and unexpected career changes, he considers how small, safe encounters with uncertainty can build something far more useful than having all the answers: trust in our ability to figure things out.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com 

In this short episode, Carl explores a deceptively simple question: What if more isn't always the answer?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/

In this short episode, Carl explores the difference between understanding risk in theory and actually experiencing it. What changes when risk stops being an idea and suddenly becomes real?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this short episode, Carl explores what it might actually mean to live a meaningful life. What if it's less about finding one big answer and more about what we choose to do with the resources we have?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this short episode, Carl explores the tension between keeping your options open and actually choosing a life. When does flexibility stop being freedom and start getting in the way?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this short episode, Carl shares his favorite part of real financial planning. Before the numbers and plans, there's a simpler question: What is all this money for?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode, Carl explores a simple question that can quietly change the direction of a day: What if we just go? Reflecting on a spontaneous trip to the river, he considers how often reluctance, uncertainty, or the desire for comfort keep us from experiences that end up being deeply worthwhile. Rather than guaranteeing a particular outcome, choosing to go simply guarantees participation, and Carl suggests that many of life's best moments are waiting just beyond the point where we almost decide to stay home.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode, Carl reflects on a simple but challenging idea from Aldous Huxley: “Change is only possible through movement.” Instead of waiting until we're certain about the outcome, he argues that clarity comes from taking small steps, gathering new information, and adjusting along the way. Carl explores why progress in complex situations isn't about having the perfect plan, but about having the courage to move before you know exactly where the path will lead.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode, Carl reflects on what happens when you find yourself in over your head. After a humbling day on the trail, he realized the most valuable lesson wasn't failure, but the reminder that there was still so much to learn. Carl explores why taking on projects that feel just beyond your current abilities can spark growth, humility, and curiosity—and why becoming the kind of person who can do the thing often matters more than simply accomplishing it.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode, Carl explores a question we all face eventually: How do you know when it's time to quit, and when it's time to keep going? Reflecting on a day when he wanted to walk away from several meaningful projects, he shares how moments of discouragement can reveal what's truly worth our time, energy, and attention. Rather than treating the urge to quit as failure, Carl suggests it may be an invitation to pause, regain clarity, and decide whether you're being called to let go or simply take the next step.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/