Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be

Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith examines why lasting behavioral change is so difficult and identifies the specific environmental triggers that cause even motivated people to revert to old habits. His argument centers on the gap between who we intend to be and who we actually are when faced with the specific people, situations, and pressures that activate our least productive responses. The solution he proposes involves active questions, regular self-assessment, and the willingness to accept help rather than rely on willpower alone.

Goldsmith narrates his own book, and the result has the direct conversational quality of a coaching session rather than a polished keynote. His examples draw on decades of work with senior executives and the specific, credible anecdotes give the abstract principles traction. At just over six and a half hours, this is a compact, practical self-help listen that grounds its advice in behavioral science rather than aspiration.