What to do when you have too many goals
Plus, a hack for reaching those goals
BRAIN WAVES
Goal harmony. Ever feel like your goals are competing for your attention? For example, maybe you want to go on a whirlwind international vacation next summer, but you also want to save money for retirement. There might be a way around that. Researchers set out to study “goal harmony,” which is what happens when goals feel like they complement or even facilitate each other. In a series of experiments, they had people reflect on how their goals connected (or didn’t connect) with each other, then tried various interventions to make the goals more harmonious. In one intervention, researchers had people brainstorm ways that one goal could facilitate another. In our example, that might mean searching for a summer job overseas, which would allow you to travel and save at the same time. One person came up with, “If I was to get a certification I could get a raise. With that raise I could get more money to take time off and use that time to go camping and hiking.” The point seems to be less about how realistic those harmonious goals are and more about how they can shift a person’s mindset. Overall, the interventions didn’t just change how people felt about their goals — more harmony actually boosted their motivation, well‑being, and made people more likely to stick to their goals, too. “Chasing two rabbits simultaneously is not only a reality for most, but if done right, it confers psychological benefits,” the researchers concluded.
Goal getting. If you want an extra nudge to reach those goals, talk about them out loud. A new study looked at the effect of sharing goals with others. Across four longitudinal studies, researchers found that people who shared their goals with others —a parent, a friend, even a stranger — felt more supported and worked harder toward those goals. In some cases, sharing the goal directly boosted effort even when actual support from others didn’t increase, suggesting that the act of saying it out loud can be motivating on its own. As the researchers put it: “People may be well advised to take a moment and chat about their goal with someone special.” So go ahead, speak your New Year’s resolutions into existence.
Fixing the plumbing. Our dreams can often flounder not because we lack passion, but because we forget to take into account the “plumbing.” That is, the planning, preparation and precision that are needed for real success. So how can we become better plumbers? Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
Murder Mystery: Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and what this tendency reveals about our minds.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Gillian Kline’s Story: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.
Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
NEW STOPS ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN TOUR!
Good news! The Hidden Brain tour continues, and we’ve added more stops. Join our host Shankar Vedantam as he brings seven key insights from the first decade of Hidden Brain to the stage. You don’t want to miss it!
MIND GAMES
What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
The majority of people reading this will not find the the mistake in this: A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z.
The answer: “The” is repeated.
A MOMENT OF JOY
Happy anniversary to a comic classic.
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