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Praise sometimes only gets in the way
The surname of the Wright brothers today is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the birth of aviation. However, at one time they were considered outsiders. At one time most Americans supported the astronomer and physicist Samuel Langley.
He was considered an authority and spoke out loud about his ambitions. Nevertheless, it was the brothers who managed to make the first manned flight, and the famous scientist failed.
Perhaps the victory of the Wrights can be explained by their passion for the cause, intrinsic motivation and lack of praise. While Langley was praised for ambitious plans and accomplishments he had yet to accomplish, the brothers were ignored.
When we are praised for our intention, it seems to us that we have already won. This reduces the likelihood that we will continue to strive towards the goal.
Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer writes about this. According to his researchcommunicating to others about a goal that is closely related to our identity reduces the likelihood of achieving it.
For example, you want to drink more water and tell your friends and family about it. It is unlikely that this will significantly affect the result, because the desire is not related to your idea of \u200b\u200byou.
But if your goal is to lose 20 kg, it’s better not to write about it on social networks. By talking about the intention and receiving praise for it, you will already feel successful and abandon the undertaking.
You can increase your chances of success
Define your fears
Entrepreneur, writer, and investor Tim Ferriss advises first understanding what fears may stand in your way to your goal.
Let’s say you want to start a business. Write down the concerns that come with it. For example: losing all your money, losing your main job, becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of others.
Then think about how you can prevent these events or make them less likely to happen. For example, for the first fear: “I will only invest X thousand, so I will not lose everything.” And at the end, write down what you will do if your fears do become a reality.
For example, to compensate for the lost amount, you will temporarily earn extra money as a bartender. In this way, you will get rid of the fears that are holding you back on the way to your goal.
Surround yourself with competitors
Recently scientists checkedhow competition affects the achievement of goals. To do this, 800 students at the University of Pennsylvania participated in a training program for 11 weeks, where everyone worked out either alone or in a team. Some teams were built on support, while others were built on rivalry.
It turned out that students in groups based on competition were 90% more likely to come to class than everyone else.
From this we can conclude that rivalry increases the level of striving for one’s goal. However, you do not need to talk about it. Don’t tell the people you work out with that you want to lose weight. Put yourself in competition. This will make it easier for you to work hard and not miss workouts. And this is what will help you achieve what you want.