A Slight Change of Plans

Updated: 20 Oct 2025 • 167 episodes
www.pushkin.fm

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

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20 Oct 2025 • EN

Malala, On Losing Herself

It’s been more than a decade since Malala Yousafzai, then a 15-year-old student and advocate for girls education, survived an assassination attempt. Malala is 28 now, and she’s written an intimate new memoir called “Finding My Way,” revealing  sides of her the world has never seen before. In today’s episode, Maya sits

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Maya Shankar & Vivek Murthy 06 Oct 2025 • EN

What If Finding Community Wasn't So Hard?

When Dr. Vivek Murthy first appeared on the show a few years back, he and Maya discussed the science of loneliness and its impact on our long term health. Now, the former U.S. Surgeon General is back to share simple, practical steps we can take to nurture more meaningful relationships—and why making even small changes

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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 a

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22 Sep 2025 • EN

A Dream, Revisited

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@push

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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 h

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Today we’re sharing a podcast episode with all of you that we think you’ll love: it’s called “False Confessions: How to Break the Mind" from Amanda Knox’s podcast “Hard Knox”. For years, Amanda Knox blamed herself for the false confession she gave to Italian police during the muder investigation of her roommate. Now, n

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