Get It Done

To test this principle, psychologist Kentaro Fujita and his colleagues assigned people to an abstract or concrete mind-set by having them answer a series of “why” (abstract) or “how” (concrete) questions. For example, they answered “Why do you maintain good physical health?” or “How do you maintain good physical health?” After answering several suc

Getting anywhere, as well as sustaining the things you cherish in life, requires a great deal of pulling.

First, does the incentive motivate progress toward a goal, or is it a meaningless target that’s easier to measure? When you’re trying to move up at work, for example, consider rewarding yourself for the amount of work you’ve completed rather than the amount of time you’ve spent in front of your computer (which includes daydreaming and checking soci

These challenging targets motivate you because when facing a difficult task, you recruit resources, or energize yourself, to meet the upcoming challenge. The expectation that the task you’re facing will be difficult—but not impossible—results in shifting more mental and physical energy to do

The basic tenet of self-perception theory is that we learn about ourselves in the same way that we learn about others: by observing and explaining our own actions to ourselves. If you saw me walking my dog, you would conclude that I’m a dog lover. By the same logic, if you find yourself walking a dog (and having a good time), you would conclude tha

Monitoring progress is an important part of staying motivated. When we feel like we’ve made a dent in our goals, we’re motivated to keep moving. But

To maximize your intrinsic motivation, you also need to understand what it’s not. For one, intrinsic motivation is not limited to resolving curiosity.

Overall, a nuanced understanding of the approach/avoidance distinction implies that, once you realize which goal type is more effective for you and your situation, you can best set your goal. Absent such personalization, the general rule is that, for many of us under most circumstances, defining our goals as approaching a state of success and good

Imagine you could be totally invisible for twenty-four hours. No one would see you, hear you, or feel you, so you could easily get away with anything. What would you do?