I try to be very careful in setting my resolutions these days but despite this I still found my goal to write more regular posts almost being blighted this week by the ‘what the heck’ effect. I’d told myself that I’d write at least one post every week, but with kids on holidays and the general chaos of Christmas I slipped last week. ‘What the heck’, I found me telling myself, if I’ve missed last week maybe I’ll have a break this week too (being New Year and all that), and start again next week.
The ‘what the heck’ effect comes from one of my favourite psychological studies by J. Polivy and C.P. Herman and can be triggered when we perceive that we’ve failed to reach our goal. As in my case, one area where we can be susceptible to this is when we focus too much on a short-term goal (writing a post each week) rather than the longer-term goal (promoting my coaching work).
So what can we do about this?
The first is simply focus on the bigger picture, what are we ultimately hoping to achieve through setting our resolutions. I like to think about it as a type-rope walker trying to get to the other side of the wire, if you look down at your feet too much you’ll wobble but if you look ahead towards the end point you’ll stay steady.
The second is to be kind to yourself. We are only human and can all be prone to slipups for one reason or another. However, whether we see that as a temporary blip from which we can get back on track or a total derailment is determined by the mindset with which we approach our goals.
So happy 2020 and stay strong and focused with those resolutions.
I support professionals looking to fulfil their true potential. Whether transitioning into a new career, role or business venture, or feeling like your stuck and looking for something more in your…
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