Healthy Start: How to make goals and stick to them
Jan 6, 2025
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Dr. Ian Taylor, a Reader in motivational science at Loughborough University, shares insights on effective goal-setting. He explains the common mistake of setting overly ambitious goals and advocates for starting small with micro goals for long-term success. The conversation delves into the benefits of cheat days in diets to maintain motivation and discusses building morning routines to enhance willpower. Dr. Taylor emphasizes a balanced approach to goal achievement, combining short-term objectives with long-term aspirations for a healthier relationship with personal goals.
Breaking down ambitious goals into smaller, manageable milestones can enhance motivation and make progress feel achievable over time.
Successful goal achievement requires a multifaceted approach to motivation, rather than solely relying on willpower, to avoid burnout and frustration.
Deep dives
The Power of Micro Goals
Setting overly ambitious goals can hinder progress and motivation. Instead, breaking goals down into micro goals makes them more achievable and less daunting. For example, rather than aiming to run a 5k immediately, starting with the first step outside the door creates manageable milestones that build momentum. This approach leverages the human tendency to avoid excessive effort, making it easier to initiate action and sustain motivation over time.
Motivation Beyond Willpower
Motivation is often perceived as a singular force, but it encompasses a complex network of processes within the brain. Relying solely on willpower can lead to burnout and frustration, as it is designed for occasional use rather than constant reliance. Successful goal achievement involves harnessing other forms of motivation rather than depending on sheer willpower. For example, focusing on immediate rewards from short-term goals can stimulate motivation and foster a sense of accomplishment.
Establishing Routines and Habit Formation
Creating a successful routine is vital for maintaining long-term goals and habits. Engaging in desired activities early in the day helps bypass potential distractions and declines in willpower later on. Once a new habit becomes integrated into daily life, flexibility can be introduced to accommodate lifestyle changes. Returning to a routine after a break, such as a vacation, involves reassessing goals and gradually building back up to prior levels to avoid feelings of failure.
This time of the year lots of us will be setting new goals for the future. Be it getting fitter, reading more or even writing that novel we always suspected we had in us. But why do so many of us fail to see these plans through?
In this episode, we catch up Dr Ian Taylor a reader in motivational science based at Loughborough University.
He tells us why we are prone to setting goals that are too ambitious and why starting small is usually the best approach, why we shouldn’t worry if our routine drops off now and again, and why simply having willpower isn’t the be all and end all of reaching your targets, whatever they are.