A Slight Change of Plans

A Slight Change of Plans

What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? In this award-winning podcast, cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar explores how we experience change and strategies we can use to better navigate moments of upheaval. Maya’s life took a dramatic turn when an injury ended her career as a violinist and inspired her to study the science of change. Named Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year, A Slight Change of Plans features deeply personal stories and scientific insights about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Past guests include Kacey Musgraves, Brené Brown, Ruby Bridges, Amanda Knox, Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth and more. Whether it’s a sudden pivot or a slow transformation, each episode reveals how change can give us an opportunity to reimagine who we are and unlock greater possibility. You can follow Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar and read her free newsletter at changewithmaya.com. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of A Slight Change of Plans by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

Episodes

October 1, 2025 1 min

In the run up to the release of her book, The Other Side of Change, Maya is starting an Ambassadors Program! 

Ambassadors will get access to all sorts of exclusive content – like a companion journal, an invitation to an intimate conversation with Maya, sneak peaks of the book, and more. Join a community of people who are passionate about change and want to help bring the book's message into the world. 

Sign up to be...

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Felicia Hsu grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor. Years of relentless dedication brought that dream within reach, but the toll it took left her wondering whether it was finally time to let it go.

Have you had a slight change of plans you think we should know about? Send us a voice memo or an email at slightchange@pushkin.fm.

Sign up for Maya's free newsletter here: changewithmaya.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

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September 8, 2025 31 mins

Anna Sale is what you might call a professional “haver of hard conversations”. As the creator of the podcast “Death, Sex, & Money,” she’s spent years exploring the big questions and taboo topics people tend to shy away from. In this episode, Anna reflects on what she’s learned from all of those conversations – what’s helped, what hasn’t, and what she’s still figuring o...

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It’s not every day that Maya gets to coach a literal superhero…but tomorrow is that day! Tune in Friday, August 15, to see Maya featured as a neuroscience expert on Chris Hemsworth’s TV show, “Limitless: Live Better Now”. The series streams on Disney+ and Hulu.

Curious to hear what it was like to film with Chris? Want to hear more about brain-boosting techniques? Join Maya for a behind-the-scenes Q&am...

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Jessica Slice spent years working towards the day when she might actually like herself. If she just tried a little harder, achieved a little more, ate a little healthier, she thought she could earn her own self-respect. But after experiencing a sudden health crisis, Jessica was forced to put all that work on indefinite pause, and to remake her relationship with herself. On today’s show: who we can become when we let go of soc...

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A few weeks ago, Maya joined former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for a deeply reflective, intimate conversation in front of a live audience in San Francisco. The event was hosted by City Arts & Lectures, which hosts longform conversations with everyone from Bruce Springsteen, to Yuval Noah Harari —— onstage, and on their podcast. 

For more on City Arts & Lectures in person programming, visit ww...

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These days, psychiatrist Judith Joseph knows joy. It’s the feeling she has after eating a delicious meal, celebrating the completion of a successful study in her lab, or watching her children play happily together. But just a few years ago, things looked different. Or rather, felt different. On the outside, everything looked as it should, and that was the problem. On today’s episode: the masks we wear to hide how we fee...

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Sahil Bloom spent years working in the financial industry, putting in long hours and cashing big paychecks. But even though he’d found career success, he started to question whether the life he was building was actually what he wanted. On today’s show: hitting pause on the rat race and defining success on your own terms.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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June 16, 2025 37 mins

Tommy Caldwell’s experience being held captive in Kyrgyzstan unlocks a new state of mind that propels him to become the greatest big wall climber of all time.

This conversation first aired in 2021. It is a companion episode to the one we ran last week about Beth Rodden’s experience of the same trip: “A Climber Loses Her Grip.” Same “Slight Change of Plans”, but wildly different reactions. 

Y...

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June 9, 2025 44 mins

As a professional rock climber, Beth Rodden was taught to see pain as weakness. Fear and discomfort—mental and physical—were just things to be tolerated along the path to one record-breaking climbing feat after another. But when Beth was kidnapped on a climbing expedition in Kyrgyzstan, she had to confront the limits of that approach. On today's show: when the mindset that built you, starts to break you.

Sign up for my ...

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What can we do to cultivate more resilience at work? Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, thinks about this question a lot. In today’s mini episode, Ben joins Maya to talk about the unique challenges faced by America’s small business owners—and the insights he shares can help anyone who wants to improve their well-being at work.

This episode was made in partnership ...

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May 12, 2025 41 mins

For as long as writer Glennon Doyle can remember, she’s felt that something inside her was broken. 'Who am I really? What am I meant to do? And why does it feel so bad to be in this body?' These are the messy questions that Glennon has been grappling with for years. On today’s episode, Glennon, who hosts the wildly popular podcast We Can Do Hard Things, details her perpetual search for belonging, and shares the wisdom s...

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April 28, 2025 36 mins

If you've ever found yourself bending over backwards to meet other people’s expectations, or trying to control your loved ones’ emotions and behaviors, you are not alone. Bestselling author and podcast host Mel Robbins says the key is to stop micromanaging and start relaxing your grip. This conversation was an unexpected lesson in owning what’s yours and finding peace in ceding the rest.

Pre-order The Other Side o...

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April 17, 2025 3 mins

 I’ve been dying to share this news with you for quite some time, and I'm so happy that today I finally can. Pre-order “The Other Side of Change” now at changewithmaya.com/book.

Read more about my journey to writing “The Other Side of Change” in People: https://people.com/maya-shankar-the-other-side-of-change-cover-reveal-exclusive-11716505

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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April 14, 2025 46 mins

Amanda Knox has spent a decade trying to move on after being wrongfully convicted of murder. But over the years, one question lingered - why had the lead prosecutor in her case, Giuliano Mignini, been so determined to vilify her? Recently, she made the bold decision to reach out and ask him herself. On today's show: Amanda tells me about confronting the man who helped put her behind bars.

Note: this is part two of a two-episode ser...

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Amanda Knox was just 20 years old when she was found guilty of a crime she did not commit — the murder of her roommate. Amanda spent four years in an Italian prison before she was finally exonerated and allowed to return to her life back home in the U.S. But she soon discovered that that life didn’t exist anymore.

Note: this is part one of a two-episode series we’re running this month about Amanda Knox. It was rec...

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March 31, 2025 40 mins

Science writer Olga Khazan didn’t really like herself. A self-described neurotic, she tended to fixate on the negative. She assumed she’d always be this way, but then she came across research showing that personality is something you can change. In today's episode, Olga chronicles her year-long journey to "fix" her personality, and invites us to consider whether it’s truly possible to change who we are.

Try the pe...

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March 17, 2025 43 mins

Have you ever found yourself saying yes to something you really didn’t want to do?  Psychologist Sunita Sah is an expert on why it can be so difficult to say no, especially when our relationships or reputations are on the line. But there's good news! Defiance is actually a skill we can build if we understand the science behind it. Sunita shares a framework we can use in those challenging moments when we want to push back...

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Psychologist Ethan Kross wants us to stop thinking about our emotions as either good or bad. Emotions carry valuable information, he says, and they are signals that can help us change our behavior. As an expert in the science of emotions, Ethan shares strategies we can use to reign in our negative emotions when they become more harmful than helpful. And he debunks a popular myth that the only healthy way to move past your negative ...

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February 24, 2025 34 mins

It’s February – AKA the month when, research shows, we start slipping on our New Year’s resolutions. And so, I’m re-sharing one of my favorite science episodes to help us all get back on track. Behavioral scientist Katy Milkman is an expert on how we can bridge the important gap between who we are right now and who we want to be. She shares a set of concrete, evidence-based strategies - like the fresh start ...

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