Goals and motivation
Goals and motivation
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So-called ‘SMART goals’ are a case of style over substance
From fitness to finance, the SMART goal-setting method is ubiquitous, but often detrimental. There are better approaches
by Christian Swann
Goals and motivation
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Eight ways to give yourself a pep talk when you feel stuck
All of us could do with more words of encouragement and perspective, and they don’t need to come from another person
by Rachel Goldsmith Turow
Addiction
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You can want things you don’t like and like things you don’t want
The distinct neurochemistry of wanting and liking is helping to make sense of addiction – and more everyday behaviours
by Shayla Love
Habits and routines
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Is it better to live in ‘clock time’ or ‘event time’?
Do you stick to a set schedule, or have a looser relationship to the clock? It can affect more than how you plan your day
by Shayla Love
Goals and motivation
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Facing a tedious to-do list? This trick could make it easier
The ‘easy addendum effect’: how careful timing of your easier tasks could help you feel better at the end of the day
by Shayla Love
Psychotherapy
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Getting what we think we want can reveal just how complex desire is
Helping my clients probe their unspoken wants creates a space of freedom to express the possibilities that lie dormant
by Charlotte Fox Weber
Goals and motivation
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A commitment is different from a goal – here’s why that matters
Whatever your aims in life, the words you use matter. Here’s an important distinction that will help you stay on track
by Justin Kompf
Freedom and choice
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The three reasons why it’s good for you to believe in free will
Regardless of whether humans do or don’t have free will, psychological research shows it’s beneficial to act as if you do
by Kennon Sheldon
Emotion regulation
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Wish you had more self-control? You should hear the downsides
Many people wish they had the advantages of more self-control. But fewer know that the trait can be costly, too
by Samantha Lapka & Franki Kung
Meaning and the good life
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Our age of crises needs Bollnow’s philosophy of hope
What if life crises are not pitfalls en route to Maslow’s self-actualisation but hopeful new beginnings, as Bollnow argued?
by Norm Friesen
Anger
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Sometimes it’s a good idea to be angry with yourself. But when?
When you have only yourself to blame, it might be useful to be angry at yourself, without feeling guilty or ashamed
by Laura Silva
Goals and motivation
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To meet your goals, forget willpower and fill your toolbox
Achieving your goals has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with using the right mix of psychological tools
by Marina Milyavskaya