Behavior Gap Radio

In this episode, Carl shares one of his favorite decision-making frameworks, something he calls the Ann Garcia Principle: make the decision, then spend your energy making it the right one. Rather than exhausting ourselves trying to guarantee the perfect choice in advance, Carl explores what happens when we choose thoughtfully, commit, and redirect all that energy toward making the decision work. From choosing a dream school to deciding where to live, it’s a different way to approach uncertainty when we simply can’t know everything ahead of time.

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 the hidden forces beneath the problems we can see. Using everything from back pain to fear about the markets, he reflects on how easily we focus on the presenting symptom while missing the deeper stories, habits, fears, and assumptions driving it. Inspired by Carl Jung’s idea that what remains unconscious can quietly direct our lives, Carl suggests a simple place to begin: Notice what keeps happening, get curious, and ask, “I wonder what that’s about?”

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 the value of having a clear, settled mind, using the image of a perfectly still alpine lake. When someone arrives carrying fear, stress, uncertainty, and everything else life has thrown at them, what would it mean to absorb that energy, respond with just the right ripple, and then settle again? It’s a thoughtful exploration of presence, nervous systems, and the extraordinary value of becoming someone who helps other people feel settled simply by being around them.

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 that has followed him for years: Can I do anything about it? Drawing on wisdom from Buddhist teachers, he considers the difference between worry and useful action, and how much energy we spend looping over things we may have no control over. It’s a thoughtful reflection on developing the wisdom to know when to act, when to let go, and why the things we can actually influence are often much closer to 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 proposes a different set of questions for thinking about money. Instead of asking, “What’s your net worth?” he offers a series of reflections that focus on flow, relationships, balance, and the patterns shaping our financial lives. It’s a gentle reminder that the most important questions about money are rarely answered by a single number.

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 an old financial phrase with fresh eyes: balancing the checkbook. What if the real goal of money wasn’t accumulation, but balance? Exploring ideas of flow, energy, and enough, Carl invites us to see our relationship with money not as a race to acquire more, but as an ongoing practice of noticing where things feel out of balance and gently bringing them back into alignment.

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 the surprising difference between telling yourself what you should do and asking a more playful question: What if I didn’t? Reflecting on his own habit of checking email and the news even when he has systems that make it unnecessary, he considers how curiosity can succeed where discipline often fails. Sometimes a small shift in the question opens the door to entirely different choices.

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 questions a phrase many of us repeat without thinking: “The stakes are so high.” He explores what happens when we pause long enough to ask who decided that in the first place, and whether holding everything with such intensity actually helps us do our best work. It’s a thoughtful invitation to care deeply about what matters without carrying the unnecessary weight of believing everything depends on the outcome.

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 deceptively simple question: What if it was okay to feel scared? Using the metaphor of learning that there’s nothing wrong with getting wet, he reflects on our tendency to resist difficult emotions instead of allowing them to move through us. Whether it’s fear about money, anxiety about the future, or uncertainty about what’s next, Carl suggests that curiosity—not resistance—may be the first step toward greater freedom.

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/