Source | www.apa.org
Goal setting and the initiation of new behaviors and sustaining them over time is particularly challenging for most individuals. Yet, we are all creatures of habit.
In fact, based on experience-sampling diary studies using both student and community samples, approximately 45% of everyday behaviors tend to be repeated in the same location almost every day. However, common myths — “practice makes perfect”, “it takes only 20-days to form a new habit,” or “once successful people start a goal, they never quit” to name just a few — still exist.
A new review article published in Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research by Kenneth Nowack explores the behavioral gap between goal intentions and goal success.
The article addresses six key questions:
- What are the key characteristics of goals?
- If goal intentions aren’t generally effective to facilitate successful behavior change, what works better?
- When are people most motivated during goal pursuits?
- How long does it actually take to form a new habit?
- Is quitting ever a good thing in goal pursuits?
- Does practice make perfect (or is there an upper limit)?
Not all people who are self-aware and motivated will successfully change behavior or become more effective. In a recent comprehensive review of executive coaching studies, nearly all investigating the impact of coaching on goal attainment were found to have positive results as well as a significant association with enhancing self-efficacy in clients.
