The following is an excerpt from “Make 2017 the year you strike gold.” For the full article, click here.
In fact, new research shows the goal-setting strategies experts have been suggesting for years have unexpected downsides, and doing the opposite may be key to success. One reason old tactics fail: “Our culture is very achievement-oriented,” says Carly Anderson, Ph.D., a psychologist at Premier Sport Psychology in Edina, Minnesota. “We do not often reward or pay salaries for effort and persistence, so we’re conditioned to only put value on results.” And when they don’t come soon enough, we give up. For example, setting firm intentions for a 30-pound weight loss focuses attention on outcomes. So rather than celebrating losing 5 pounds, you beat yourself up for the 25 still to go, kicking off a vicious cycle of frustration and stalled progress. The good news: It’s possible to find a productive new groove, assures Anderson. “Concentrate on nailing the process, each action step along the way, and let the outcome take care of itself.”