Module 3 · Motivation & getting unstuck · Moderate evidence

Goals that actually help

Some goals pull you forward; others just make you feel behind. The difference is in how they are set.

7 min read · Level: Practising · Free — no account needed to read

The idea

Goals can pull you forward or quietly make you feel behind. Research on goal setting suggests goals work best when they are specific (“walk 20 minutes on weekdays”) rather than vague (“be healthier”), challenging but realistic, and linked to something you actually care about.

How you think about a goal matters too. Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen found that simply imagining success can reduce effort. What works better is “mental contrasting”: picture the outcome you want, then picture the main obstacle in the way, then plan what you will do when you meet it.

Approach goals (“eat more vegetables”) are often easier to live with than avoidance goals (“stop eating junk”), because they give you something to do rather than only something to resist.

Why it works

A well-set goal gives you direction and a way to notice progress. A badly set one produces guilt and not much else.

A real example

The situation

Every January, Hoang sets the goal “get fit” and gives up by February.

What happened

This time he writes: “Walk 20 minutes after lunch on weekdays, because I want energy to play with my kids.” He names the obstacle — rainy days — and plans an indoor route through the shopping centre. By March it is part of his routine.

The takeaway

Specific, meaningful and ready for the obstacle — the same wish, set up to succeed.

Use this when you are…

• setting a new goal
• a goal keeps being abandoned
• your goals leave you feeling guilty rather than motivated

Common mistakes

• Setting goals that describe a feeling or identity with no concrete action.
• Only imagining success and never planning for obstacles.
• Taking on too many goals at once.

What the evidence says

Moderate evidence: Several studies support it, but the effects are smaller, the studies are fewer or less rigorous, or results vary between groups.

Research on goal setting supports specific, challenging goals, and studies on mental contrasting show benefits for follow-through. Findings vary by setting, and overly rigid goals can backfire when life changes.

Where this comes from: Motivation research (self-determination theory); Implementation intentions research.

Fields that study this: Behavioural science, Clinical psychology.

Try it now: Wish, outcome, obstacle, plan

1. Write one wish you have for the next month.
2. Picture the best outcome for a moment.
3. Name the main obstacle inside you or around you.
4. Write an if–then plan for when that obstacle appears.

Practise with a guided technique

• If–then plan — (2 min · Strong evidence)
• Values check — (10 min · Moderate evidence)

Questions to think about

• Which of your goals is really a vague wish that needs a concrete action?
• What is the obstacle you usually meet — and what will you do next time?

Try this today

Rewrite one of your goals so it is specific, meaningful and has a plan for its main obstacle.

Afterwards, ask yourself

How did planning for the obstacle change what happened when it arrived?

Words in this lesson

• Implementation intention — An if–then plan that links a specific situation to a specific action, decided in advance.
• Values — What you want your life to stand for — directions you can keep moving in, like kindness, honesty or learning, rather than goals you finish.