31 Jan Happiness is…getting to positive outcomes
Strategies, like implementation intentions, that are meant to enhance our goal pursuit are only really effective when we already have strong goal intentions. Here’s an example of strengthening an exercise intention.
I’ve written at length about the use of implementation intentions to achieve our goals. Implementation intentions provide the “when, where and how” of the action that we’ll enact to achieve a goal.
The thing is, the same research that demonstrates the efficacy of implementation intentions at supporting our goal pursuit also underscores an important pre-condition for success:
For implementation intentions to have the desired effect,
Strong goal intentions must be made first.
I think anyone who has tried various techniques to battle their procrastination knows this. Tips and techniques to get us moving fall short if we don’t first have a strong goal intention.
A strong goal intention is one where we’ve made a deep commitment to the goal because we really see the value of the goal. It matters to us (in contrast to goals we adopt because we feel we ought to and we falsely internalize as our own).
Read more about using positive intention to achieve your goals and more happiness – click here