It is a mistake to frame motivation as a muscle, according to today’s guest, Dr. Ayalet Fischbach. If you set your goals well, they will pull you like a magnet. In this conversation, we cover why numerical goals can backfire, the best practices for choosing a goal, how to monitor progress and cope with setbacks, and why social support is critical.

More About Ayelet: Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and the author of GET IT DONE: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. She is the past president of the Society for the Science of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network. She is an expert on motivation and decision making.

🌟 3 Key Takeaways

• A powerful goal defines an aspirational state, not the means to get there.
• It’s a mistake to frame motivation as a muscle: If you set the goal right, it will pull you; it shouldn’t feel like a chore.
• There are three traps to watch out for: framing it as a means to another goal instead of the end goal itself; setting a goal that is too specific or concrete instead of an abstract goal; and setting a goal in terms of something to avoid rather than something you wish to approach.

✅ Try This Next

Set one aspirational goal for the year ahead, emphasizing your ideal state (rather than the outcome, or what you’re trying to avoid).

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Ayelet on the web, IG, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Articles: Ayelet’s OpEds
• Video: TED—4 Proven Ways to Kick Your Procrastination Habit

📚 Books Mentioned

• Get it Done by Ayelet Fishbach
• How to Change by Katy Milkman
• Ruff Love by Susan Garrett
• The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
• Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
• Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
• Life After College

🎧 Related Episodes

• Ten Percent Happier: The Science of Motivation | Ayelet Fishbach
• The Tim Ferriss Show: Susan Garrett -- Master Dog (and Human) Trainer
• Pivot: 320: Sustainable Ambition with Kathy Oneto
• 327: 🐺The Wolf You Feed — On Addiction, Recovery & Codependency — and What We Get Wrong About All Three with Eric Zimmer
• 154: Two-Month Report from the Puppy (and People!) Training Trenches
• 60: How Emotionally Agile Are You? Strategies for Setbacks with Susan David
• Free Time: 181: Be Irreplaceable with My Creative Coach Jay Acunzo
• 190: 🐍 How the Cobra Effect Creates Perverse Incentives and Metrics Tyranny

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