I saw this video the other day and really liked it. The important take away is that if you let yourself get satisfied with your progress towards something you’re less likely to work on it. Even if that progress is fictional. A friend once told me a story about a car dealership where they pressured all of the new salesmen into buying a car that they could barely afford so that they would stay motivated to sell, horrible I know, but it probably worked.
Telling people about your goals isn’t the problem, the problem is the way that you tell them. Don’t let yourself get satisfied, unless of course you’ve got nothing left to achieve.
I wonder about this. Oftentimes, I feel like if I keep a goal to myself, I never get there because I don’t have the courage to get started. But I also know people who can talk about their “dreams” all day, yet never seem to follow through. I guess the actual result depends on the person and the context?
Also, in regards to the study: Didn’t the “non-sharers” technically share their goals as well? The researchers found out what their goals were somehow
I’m always a little wary about taking the results of lab studies and applying them broadly.
In any case, thanks for sharing the insightful video!
Yeah I think their sample size was fairly small on the studies he mentioned as well. A lot of this is probably on the individual level. I’m guessing some people get enthusiasm or motivation by discussing their goals with others where others would be satisfied enough to slow down work by the conversation itself. I’m definitely in the latter category and have try to avoid talking about specifics with people on anything I’m working on, although like anything once you become aware of it you can actively fight back against it.