How to Stay Motivated When Trying to Reach a Goal
Goals are easy to set, but difficult to achieve, and keeping you motivated is everything (which is why focusing on the system is so much better than focusing on the goal itself). A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology sheds light on what motivates us the most.
The researchers looked at how the subjects coped with setting goals based on how far they got towards the goal. Specifically, they looked at two different styles of motivation: promotion and prevention.
With promotion motivation, you focus on your pursuit. You are hopeful and eager to complete your work and reach your goal. Are you excited to start this budget because how nice would it be to have some extra money at the end of the month?
On the other hand, preventive motivation is more protective. You focus on avoiding something negative, like failure or bad habits (or just losing progress). For example, you’re especially careful about your budget because you don’t want to come back to life from paycheck to paycheck again. In short, this is a preventative motivation, and this is probably why it is so important to pay attention to systems . It’s all about service.
Both strategies can be effective, but in a series of five studies, subjects were more motivated by one method than the other, depending on where they were in achieving the goal. Initially, they were more motivated by promotion. As they made progress, they were more motivated by prevention.
Based on the results of their five studies, the researchers suggested adapting the right method to the right stage. So when you first set a money goal to get out of debt, focus on all the positive things that come out of it: you can start saving money for vacation, no more spending money on interest, etc. Once you start make some progress, instead focus on what you want to keep. The researchers put it this way :
… you make a list of the “right things” you can do to achieve your goal, note some of the positives you will achieve by reaching your goal, and reward yourself when you make progress early in the goal, strive to achieve the goal (if of course, the “reward” does not undermine your real progress towards the goal!). Chances are, things like this will motivate you. As you reach the later stages of pursuing a goal, focus on the responsibilities you have in life and how achieving the goal will help you feel like you are fulfilling those responsibilities.
Of course, the usual phrase “your mileage may be different” applies here — not all of us are guided by the same methods. If you’re having trouble reaching your financial goal (or any other goal, in fact), try adjusting your motivation strategies and see what works best for you. To learn more about the study, follow the link below.
How Goal Progress Affects the Regulatory Focus of Goal Achievement