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More than any other time of year, this week we take stock of our accomplishments and our heart’s desires and make a plan for the future.
On this blog we’ve discussed various strategies of goal-setting: how to set goals, use technology like texting to help you achieve fitness goals, and optimally reflect on your goal achievement.
As you sit down with a shiny new journal and some pretty pens from Santa to sketch out your ideal version of the year ahead, how should you frame your goals?
The Power of Questions
A study led by Ibrahim Senay, a professor at the University of Illinois, and published earlier this year in Psychological Science, suggests that phrasing goals in the form of a question may be more effective than phrasing it as a statement or declaration.
In two of a series of experiments, the researchers told participants they were studying handwriting and asked them to write out “I will," “Will I," “I," or “Will” twenty times. Following the writing exercise, they asked them to write out their intentions to exercise in the following week and to share their reasons for exercising.
Students who wrote out “Will I” were more likely to intend to exercise, and reported wanting to do so for reasons of intrinsic or internal motivation (versus external motivation like the pressure of others).
This seems somewhat counter-intuitive – doesn’t saying, “Will I get to the gym tomorrow?” feel more wishy-washy and less effective than “I will go to the gym tomorrow!”? The authors suggest that phrasing intentions in the form of a question may prompt one to think more about the reasons behind wanting to engage in the goal-directed behavior and may make one feel more autonomous and in control of one’s life – which may increase motivation.
Also, as Ed Yong over at Discover Blogs points out, no one likes being told what to do – even when we’re the ones giving the orders!
Ask Yourself
Back to you and your journal and the dawning new year. Sketch out some possibilities for improvements, opportunities, and new discoveries over the next year.
Then ask yourself: Will I?
I think you will.
Sarah Rose Cavanagh, Ph.D., is professor of psychology in affective science at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. To learn more about her research, please visit http://bit.ly/sarahrose.
