This is the only thing that makes you happier than receiving a year-end bonus.

Every time when New Year's Day or Spring Festival comes

People always like to set some flags and make New Year's wishes.

After all, the new year always makes people look forward to the future.

On January 21, Taobao launched a New Year's wishing activity. Data showed that as of 0:00 on January 23, more than 60 million people had made New Year's wishes on Taobao.

From "no work on weekends" to "one draft of the plan"

From "passing the exam" to "opening a small shop"

…

These wishes are varied.

Looks full of ambition

but

The soul asks: Have you figured out how to achieve it?

The fate of flag

It seems like it always "stands up and then falls, then stands up again"

Then, is it necessary to make another wish?

certainly!

Because the meaning of flag

It’s never about “perfect realization”

Goal Setting Theory

(Goal Setting Theory)

Psychologists Locke and Latham believe that goals have a powerful guiding effect on people's behavior and motivation. Goals are like a lighthouse. They may not guarantee that we will reach the destination 100%, but they will provide us with a clear direction and help us find the starting point and path of our efforts. Even a vague desire can trigger a potential tendency to act because it indicates the possibility of "moving towards the future."

Even if you just casually say "I will exercise more this year", you may pay more attention to the gym advertisement next time you see it, or you will be more likely to agree when someone calls you to go for a night run. The great thing about goals is that they can help you build a tendency to "work towards the future", even if the probability of achieving it is only 50%, it is much better than zero.

What’s even more interesting is that some goals are activated unconsciously!

Implicit Goal Activation Theory tells us that when you have a desire in your mind, even if you don’t have a clear plan to achieve it, related cues may inspire you to take action.

For example, you secretly hope to eat healthier, but one day you see a poster that says "Eating more vegetables is good for your health", and you inexplicably order a salad instead of fried chicken. This seemingly "random" action is actually your subconscious mind "secretly helping"!

Want to “make your dreams come true”

You can do this

1. Set “100 million small goals”, not “100 million small goals”. As long as we set enough flags, there will always be one that can be achieved.

Setting multiple goals is like adding more "potential entrances" to behavior, which gives us the opportunity to trigger action in different situations. Research by psychologist Kruglanski and others found that the relationship between the number of goals and our energy allocation is not simply "too many will distract attention." Appropriate and related goals can actually cooperate with each other and use the same resources to promote progress. Not only will it not consume too much energy, but it can also improve the overall efficiency of action.

This means that setting multiple goals that complement each other will not only prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, but will also allow them to enhance motivation and efficiency by supporting each other, making it easier to achieve your goals.

For example, you want to get healthier by exercising, but you also want to spend more time with your family. On the surface, these seem to be two goals that require different allocations of energy and may conflict with each other. But if you choose to exercise with your family, such as jogging or riding a bike with your children every morning, these two goals can promote each other. In this way, you can achieve both the goal of exercising and the goal of spending time with your family.

2. Write down your wishes and make your goals visible

Don't let your flag stay in your mind!

Psychologist Emily Balcetis found that people who wrote down their goals were more likely to achieve them than those who just kept them in their heads. The reason is simple: Visual goals are easier to focus on and remind you to “not forget” at any time.

You can post your goal on the refrigerator, in front of your desk, or set it as your phone screensaver. For example, if you want to lose weight, write "exercise for 30 minutes a day" and post it in a conspicuous place, and add a photo of your ideal body. This way, every time you see your goal, you will be reminded unconsciously.

3. Do a little bit every day and turn the flag into "autopilot" mode

If something can be turned into "autopilot" mode - that is, it can be done naturally without deliberate thinking and effort - then the probability of achieving the goal will increase significantly.

Why do adults brush their teeth without being urged, but children always need their parents to remind them repeatedly? Because for adults, brushing teeth has become a habit that consumes little time, effort, and brainpower. It does not require extra willpower or attention, but is as natural as breathing. And the formation of this habit starts with a little bit of persistence every day.

In psychology, there is a method called Habit Stacking, which makes it easier for you to integrate new habits into your daily life. Specifically, it is to stack the new habits you want to cultivate on the existing habits. For example, "do 10 squats after brushing your teeth" or "read a page of the book next to the computer before turning on the computer to play games every day." By binding new tasks to existing habits, you can use existing behavioral triggers to make new habits become natural.

In this way, completing your goals is no longer a "task" that requires deliberate reminders, but a natural behavior. Even those seemingly insignificant small changes will produce huge effects over time!

4. Speak Out and Find the “Boosters” to Achieve Your Goals

Do you remember when you were a kid and made a wish, people often said, "You can't speak your wish out loud, or it won't work." In fact, scientific research has completely overturned this superstition: Goals spoken out are more likely to come true!

Social Support Theory shows that letting people around you know your goals can provide you with external motivation and support. Family, friends, and even strangers can all become "boosters" for you to achieve your goals. For example, join a fitness group or find a study partner. You will find that everyone's encouragement and supervision are much more effective than fighting alone.

5. Imagine more successful scenarios to motivate yourself

Mental Imagery and Representation Theory believes that imagining a successful situation can significantly enhance our confidence and motivation. For example, close your eyes and imagine the lightness of wearing a smaller size of clothes, the sense of accomplishment when holding a certificate, or the joy and satisfaction after achieving your wishes. These images not only make the goal more attractive, but also stimulate our desire to take action.

Studies have shown that even simple imagination can increase the probability of achieving your goals. This is because when the brain visualizes, it triggers a neural mechanism similar to real experience, as if you are one step closer to your goal. This "pre-rehearsal" of a successful scenario can not only strengthen your intention to act, but also make you more determined to move towards your goal.

Therefore, close your eyes and give yourself a psychological hint of "success rehearsal", which can not only "refill your blood", but also make the goal seem more within reach!

The flag you just set up has fallen? It doesn’t matter, pick it up and continue! Not completing the goal of 100 steps is not a failure. Even if you only take one step, it is still progress.

So, no matter whether the flag falls, is propped up, or is set up again, as long as you are working hard, you deserve to be encouraged! In the new year, don’t be afraid to set a flag! I wish you this year’s flag stands firmly and all your wishes come true~

Let's talk about your New Year's wishes in the comment section~

References

[1] James Clear. (2023). Mastering Habits: How to Develop Good Habits and Break Bad Habits (Chinese version of Atomic Habits) (New Edition). Beijing United Publishing Company. ISBN: 9787559640765

[2]Locke, EA, & Latham, GP (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717.

[3]Taylor, SE, & Pham, LB (1996). Why thinking about goals and plans enhances motivation. American Psychologist, 51(4), 319–328.

[4]Kruglanski, AW, Shah, JY, Fishbach, A., Friedman, R., Chun, WY, & Sleeth-Keppler, D. (2002). A theory of goal systems. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 34, 331–378.

[5]Balcetis, E., & Dunning, D. (2006). See what you want to see: Motivational influences on visual perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(4), 612–625.

[6]Bargh, JA, Gollwitzer, PM, Lee-Chai, A., Barndollar, K., & Trötschel, R. (2001). The automated will: Nonconscious activation and pursuit of behavioral goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(6), 1014–1027.

Planning and production

Author: Su Jing, National Level 2 Psychological Counselor; Yang Yaping; Zhang Linlin; Zhu Hangyue

Reviewer: Fan Chunlei, Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Design｜Zhu Hangyue and Wang Ting

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lai