Motivate Yourself by Switching “Will I Be” to “Will I?”
The process of developing a new positive habit is filled with “I will” statements. I’ll get up earlier. I’m going for a run. I will eat more vegetables. But a little introspection can be more motivating.
Several recent research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that asking yourself questions about your goals is more effective than claiming that something is true. For example, asking yourself, “Am I going for a run in the morning?” more effective than “I’ll go for a run in the morning.” Basically, it is easier to say that you will do something and accept it as true, than to challenge yourself with the question “are you really going to do this?” The question forces you to reaffirm your goals and show yourself that you are not shy. It’s a weird trick to bully yourself early in the habit.
Motivation of Purposeful Behavior Through Introspective Self-Talk: The Role of the Interrogative Form of a Simple Future Tense | Psychological Science with a Mental Thread