The Productivity Show

Copy & Paste Strategy: How to Accelerate Change by Borrowing What Works (TPS598)

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In this episode, we dive into Katy Milkman’s “Copy & Paste” strategy—a powerful shortcut for behavior change. Instead of reinventing the wheel, learn how to identify “close match” role models and deliberately imitate their specific tactics. We explore the research showing why copying beats planning, share real-world examples from exercise to automation, and give you a 6-step framework to start borrowing success today.

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  • The “Claude bug” hits hard — and suddenly you’re automating everything (including your sleep away) [00:56].
  • The copy-and-paste move that can save you weeks… if you stop doing it the hard way first [02:35].
  • Top 3 Productivity Resources [03:58].
  • A wild AI workflow: your Instapaper becomes a daily personal podcast with action items baked in [06:14].
  • Why “who already solved this?” beats “how do I do this?” almost every time [08:40].
  • The shortcut to finding the right person to learn from — without wasting money or time [16:29].
  • The dark side of copying: when “same steps” still leads to a total fail (and why) [22:30].
    • Links:
    • 25X Productivity Coaching
    • Claude Cowork
    • Remotion
    • Openclaw (aka “Clawdbot”)
    • Fresh Start Effect: Use Psychology to Boost Your Productivity (TPS594)
    • How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman
    • ElevenLabs
    • Forest App
    • App Store 2025 Top iPhone Apps in the U.S.
    • Instapaper
    • Clarity.fm
    • The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
    • How To Draw an Owl
    • Productivity Academy
    • The Productivity Show on Youtube
    • The Productivity Show Youtube Clips
    • Become a member of TPS+
    • Take the Productivity Quiz

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