2. Reaching Goals
What works and What Doesn't
My belief is that without goals how can we measure our progress?
Alton
The list on the next slide comes from a study conducted by psychologist
Richard Wiseman (reported in Wiseman, 2010; 59 Seconds). He asked
thousands of participants what techniques they used to reach their
burning ambitions. The upcoming list is the top 10 techniques people
reported.
He then did hundreds of follow up interviews and research to see which
ones were most effective and which not only weren’t effective but were
negative towards successful goal outcomes.
As you read thru the list think about your ideas on which would be most
successful. There are surprises….
3. Which of the Top 10 Work?
Have a look at this list of 10 common ways you might go about
achieving your goals. Most of these should be familiar, but which
ones do you think work? More to the point: which ones do or don't
you use?
1) Make a step-by-step plan.
2) Motivate yourself by focusing on someone who has achieved a similar
goal.
3) Tell other people about your goal (although, compare with: Why you
should keep your goals private)
4) Think about bad things that will happen if you do not achieve your
goal.
5) Think about the good things that will happen if you achieve your goal.
6) Try to suppress unhelpful or negative thoughts about your goal and
how to achieve it.
7) Reward yourself for making progress in your goal.
8) Rely on willpower.
9) Record your progress.
10) Fantasize or visualize how great your life will be when you achieve
4. The Ones That Work
Dr. Wiseman then tracked them, some for up to a year, to see
who reached their goals. These goals included quitting smoking,
getting a new certification, losing weight and getting a new job.
The sad truth was that only 10% of the participants actually
achieved their goal. Many gave up along the way; perhaps worn
out, disillusioned or distracted.
In Wiseman's study, people who used the even-numbered
strategies were less likely to reach their goal.
6. Strategies that work
What emerges is that many techniques which are often recommended
in the media, self-help books, websites etc. are
likely to be ineffective. Instead, as we focus on longer-term goals let’s
focus on the strategies which have evidence to support them.
Once again, these are:
1)Make a step-by-step plan: break your goal down into
concrete and time-based sub-goals.
2) Think about the good things that will happen if you
achieve your goal (but avoid fantasizing)
3) Reward yourself for making progress in your goal: small
rewards help push us on to major successes.
4)Record your progress: keep a journal, graph or drawing
that plots your progress.
The suggestions on this list probably won't be new to you,
but it might be the first time you saw them untangled from
the stacks of other strategies that are unproven, don't
work, and, worse, may even be detrimental.
7. Procrastination—”Who
among us hasn’t?”
If you are human , from time to time we
procrastinate. Plus, 15-20% of adults self-
identify as 'chronic procrastinators’.
We all do. Whether it is putting off taking out
the
trash or putting off the project completion until
the last moment, we are all guilty from time to
time.
The key is to minimize the procrastination,
especially of important tasks.
Perhaps psychology can offer some hope in the ongoing
fight against procrastination.
8. Procrastination ”Who among us
hasn’t?”
How to tackle procrastination? Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate
professor of psychology at De Paul University recommends
these strategies for reducing procrastination:
1. Make a list of everything you have to do.
2. Write a statement of intention.
3. Set realistic Goals
4. Break it down into specific tasks.
5. Make your task meaningful.
6. Promise yourself a reward.
7. Eliminate tasks you never plan to do. Be honest!
8. Estimate the amount of time you think it will take you to
complete a task. Then increase the amount by 100%.
9. Keys to Reaching Goals
If you set yourself a specific goal, you're likely to
do better, as long as the goal is a good one.
Goals can be useful, but they shouldn't be too inflexible.
The research clearly shows that having one or two goals in the
background, is a very good thing.
There's little doubt that goals can often improve our
performance.
But the devil is in the details:
1) Set reachable goals
2) Use the best techniques to bring them to fruition
3) Stay on track by self-checking on your progress
4) Adjust and re-adjust goals if necessary
5) A written copy of your goals and action plan are critically
important
11. True!
According to the research of psychologists,
neurologists, and other scientists, setting a goal
invests ourselves into the target as if we’d already
accomplished it. That is, by setting something as a
goal, however small or large, however near or far in
the future, a part of our brain believes that desired
outcome is an essential part of who we are – setting
up the conditions that drive us to work towards the
goals to fulfill the brain’s self-image.
It also increases Dopamine (reward and motivation brain
chemical) secretion associated with the goal so our unconscious
helps to bring about the achievement of our goals as well!
