"Delegating goal pursuit to the unconscious parts of the mind is a great way to free up mental space and energy for all the things that constantly require your attention. It’s a great way to keep yourself on track when temptations and distractions arise. And just like when you find yourself pulling into your driveway at the end of a long day, you may find yourself achieving goals without really knowing quite how you got there."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Because how you set your goals—the way you think about whatever it is you want to do, and how you will get there—is every bit as important. Success is more likely when you focus on the right details, in the right way."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Think why or what. Goals can be thought of in relatively abstract, why-am-I-doing-this terms or in more concrete, what-am-I-actually-doing terms. For example, dealing with the mess in your closets can be thought of as “getting organized” (why) or “throwing out clothes I never wear” (what). Think about your goals in why terms when you want to get energized, stay motivated, or avoid temptations. Think about your goals in what terms when you are dealing with something particularly difficult, unfamiliar, or anything that takes a long time to learn."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"The optimal strategy to use when setting a goal seems to be to think positively about how it will be when you achieve your goal, while thinking realistically about what it will take to get there. Oettingen refers to this as mental contrasting—first you imagine attaining your goal, and then you reflect on the obstacles that stand in the way."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Why is believing the road will be rocky so important for achieving your goal? For starters, despite being so unpleasant, negative emotions like anxiety and worry are useful. And that’s primarily because they can be very motivating. They can motivate us to take extra effort or to plan how we will deal with problems before they arise."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"When people think about what they are doing in why terms, they are guided by the big picture—their smaller, everyday actions become a part of something larger and more important. They are more connected to long-term goals. As a result, when people think why rather than what, they are less impulsive, less vulnerable to temptation, and more likely to plan their actions in advance."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"When you’re setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"But whatever you do, don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly will leave you ill prepared for the journey ahead, and as a result can be a recipe for failure."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"When you are thinking about taking on a new goal, make sure you think about both the wonderful things that will happen if you succeed and the obstacles that stand in your way. This process of mental contrasting will not only help you to make a good decision about whether or not to adopt the goal, but it will naturally engage your motivational systems and maximize your commitment to the goals that you do decide to achieve."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Achieving isn’t just about knowing how to reach your goals—it’s at least as much about pursuing the kinds of goals that will help you to develop your full potential and actually enjoy the process of getting there."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"It won’t surprise you to learn that your beliefs are important influences on the goals you adopt. For instance, you would probably only commit to the goal of improving your math skills if you believe that math skills can be improved in the first place—otherwise it just wouldn’t make sense to try. Our beliefs determine whether we see a goal as within our reach or as a waste of time and energy."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Embracing the (accurate) belief that you can change will allow you to make better choices and reach your fullest potential."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Your beliefs about your strengths and your weaknesses play a large role in determining the goals you set for yourself. If I believe that I’m good at math and science, then setting myself the goal of becoming an engineer makes sense for me. If I believe that I am uncoordinated and slow, then trying to make the varsity basketball team probably doesn’t make so much sense. Our beliefs about our abilities influence what we think is possible—and what we might realistically be able to achieve."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"The bottom line is, whenever possible, try to turn your goals from being good to getting better. Rather than lament all the ways in which your relationships aren’t perfect, focus on all the ways in which they can be improved. At work, focus on expanding your skills and taking on new challenges rather than impressing everyone with how smart and knowledgeable you are. When your emphasis is on what there is to learn rather than what there is to prove, you will be a lot happier and will achieve a lot more."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"To keep yourself motivated, fill your environment with reminders and triggers that will keep your unconscious mind working toward your goal, even when your conscious mind is distracted by other things."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"The goals we set for ourselves are shaped in large part by our beliefs about our abilities. If there are goals that appeal to you, but you have avoided setting them in your life, it’s time to ask yourself why. How sure are you that your beliefs are correct? Is there another way to look at things?"
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"It’s also important when you set goals to make them difficult, while still being realistic. You want to challenge yourself and set the bar high, because challenges really get the motivational juices flowing, while avoiding goals that are more or less impossible. Remember that if you set the bar too low, you may achieve your goal but are unlikely to surpass it—most people tend to slack off once they’ve reached their original target. Nobody sets out with the goal of losing five pounds and ends up somehow losing twenty.
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. “Lose five pounds” is a better goal than “lose some weight,” because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Avoid “do your best” goals—they are too vague to be really motivating."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Oettingen’s studies show that people who believe goal pursuit will be difficult plan more, put in more effort, and take more action in pursuit of their goals. They expect to have to work hard, so that’s exactly what they do."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
"Think about a time in your life when you accomplished something really difficult, and compare that to how you felt when you pulled off something relatively easy. Which feels better? Succeeding at something hard is more pleasurable, gives greater satisfaction and happiness, and increases your overall sense of well-being."
-- Heidi Grant Halvorson
