To Change Yourself, Change Your Situation

Professor of psychology Angela Duckworth is famous for her work on grit — the combination of passion and perseverance that leads to high achievement. But she’s come to an increasing appreciation for the fact that success isn't just a matter of the qualities inside you; it's also driven by what's outside you — your peers, your mentors, and even your zip code.

Today on the show, Angela, whose latest book is Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best, shares how our environments play a much bigger role in shaping us than we realize. She explains the three-box model of behavior, why relying on willpower is a fallible strategy for altering your habits, and why the most effective way to change yourself is to change what’s around you. We discuss how different situations bring out different versions of ourselves and how to shape your surroundings to encourage good habits, mitigate bad ones, and become who you want to be — whether that means rearranging what’s on your desk or moving across the country.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• Angela's previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #210 — Got Grit?
• AoM Podcast #887: The Golden Rules of Success With Bob Bowman 
• AoM Podcast #1,023: Is Self-Control Overrated? With Michael Inzlicht
• Dying Breed Article: The Power of "I Like," or Why Do People Hate the Idea of Motivation?
• AoM Article: Alexander Graham Bell’s Secret to Greater Productivity
• AoM Article: The Ceiling Word Art of Michel de Montaigne

Connect With Angela Duckworth

• Angela's website
• Angela's faculty page
• Angela on LinkedIn
• Angela on IG

0:00 Introduction

1:42 From Grit to Situated

4:18 Michael Phelps: Grit Meets Environment

8:43 The Three-Box Model Explained

12:28 Why Willpower Fails

19:18 Multiple Selves & Code Switching

26:30 Saving a Marriage Through Situational Change

31:51 Curating Your Physical Space

38:26 Shaping Your Digital Environment

43:14 Social Environment & Accountability

47:05 Culture, Microcultures & the Flywheel

53:15 Start With Situational Awareness

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