One way to boost our commitment to our goals is to make a clear contrast between our present shortcomings and our hoped-for outcomes. (In fact, I wrote an entire book on how easily we get sidetracked while trying to reach our goals!) Mounting research evidence, from both psychology and economics, suggests that we often choose what we impulsively want over what we should choose given our long-term goals and interests. We all regularly face a conflict between choices that mainly provide instant gratification and pleasure (relaxing and watching TV) and more virtuous ones that primarily provide longer-term benefits (working out and eating better). They highlight the gap between our current behavior (such as watching TV every night or overspending) and our rosier, desired future behavior (working out every night or saving more). Louis), Katherine Milkman (University of Pennsylvania), and Jason Riis (University of Pennsylvania). These temporal landmarks generate “fresh start” feelings that can motivate us to meet virtuous goals, such as exercising regularly, according to research from the behavioral scientists Hengchen Dai (Washington University in St. The start of a new year or a new week, a birthday, or a holiday are dates that have something in common: they all stand out as being more meaningful than other days. You simply need to identify a good temporal landmark, and give it another shot. So, here is the good news: If you feel like you already failed on your resolutions like me, you do not need to wait till December 31 to start fresh. They highlight a contrast between current and future goals (which are often different!) and can thus be a relatively simple way to motivate yourself to accomplish your virtuous goals. Temporal landmarks signal the start of a new, distinct time period - making us feel we can start from a clean slate. Setting virtuous goals at the beginning of the year can be quite effective, recent research tells us, since the first day of the year is a temporal landmark. And, before too long, most of us find we’re back where we started. ![]() On January 1, people around the globe commit with vigor to all sorts of virtuous goals, from losing weight to being a more understanding boss or partner to eating more healthfully to saving more money. And yet, only two months into the new year, I find I am not doing such a good job. ![]() Around this time of year, I tend to look back at the list of commitments I made in early January: I will exercise more often, spend more time with family, do a better job balancing my personal and professional lives, leave my laptop home when we go on vacation, and so on.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |