Your New Year’s Resolution – one simple change that science has shown to increase your success
Short-term goals: a setup for successful resolutions.
Do you dread setting goals because you’re afraid of not attaining them? A lot of people are and according to one study only 8% of New Year’s resolutions are made. A New Year’s resolution is a type of goal. A new year is a fresh start; it really is a great time to commit to making an important change, but unfortunately few people actually attain their New Year’s resolutions. Here’s one small change that has been proven to increase goal attainment success…
Setting goals: Ask—don’t tell!
For decades, I’ve wondered why goal-setting motivates some people and demotivates others. If focusing on a goal demotivates you, science may have provided you with a new, more effective approach to goal attainment:
In a series of studies, Ibrahim Senay, Ph.D., concluded that those who write goals in the format “I will … ” were less likely to achieve their goals than those who frame their goals with “Will I … ?” For example, an entrepreneur who says, “I will increase business 25 percent” is less likely to achieve the goal than an entrepreneur who writes and focuses on the goal as “Will I increase business 25 percent?”
This initially seemed completely counterintuitive to me! Senay’s explanation, however, makes complete sense:
Individuals who approached their goals with more of an open, problem-solving mind were more intrinsically motivated to change and reach the goal than those who had a more rigid goal perspective.Those with a rigid goal perspective were much more inclined to focus on the fear of not attaining their goal.
Attainable goals: designed as a question.
If you’ve been demotivated by goals, I encourage you to experiment with this for a few months:
- Set attainable goals.
- Begin each of your goals with “Will I” or “Will we.”
- Periodically contemplate or meditate on multiple solutions to each goal.
- Let your mind be open and creative in finding ways to be successful at each thing you want.
- Notice if your motivation or inspiration increases in attaining your goals.
The best New Year’s resolutions are the ones that you accomplish. Let me know if this helps you! I’m using questions and love it!
