Achieving Goals With the Terrific Trio: Clarity, Motivation, and Commitment

Achieving Goals With the Terrific Trio: Clarity, Motivation, and Commitment

By Janessa Hall

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” –Fitzhugh Dodson

Intentional living  requires setting and achieving goals. But as a health coach I often hear things like “I know what to do, if I could just do it” or “Why do I do the opposite of what I want to do?” Why do these clients find themselves sabotaging their goals? People beat themselves up for not reaching their goals, believing they are lazy or lack sufficient willpower. But a kinder, and more accurate, perspective is that setting and achieving goals is complicated work. Common reasons include lack of clarity, problems with motivation, and insufficient commitment. Fortunately, there are solutions to all of these difficulties.

The Clear Importance of Clarity 

Why is clarity so vital to forming goals and achieving them? One of the biggest roadblocks in an achievable goal is a vague idea of the task to be accomplished. Without clarity, we don’t know what  we’re doing or when we should do it. Imagine that someone made a New Year's Resolution to “eat better.” What does that mean? Cutting calories? Increasing fiber? Eating less red meat? With no clear path to achievement it is easier to give up, especially without a time frame or benchmark for success.

One method to create clarity and a sense of urgency is the use of SMART goals. SMART goals are adapted to meet a variety of needs but the main premise remains consistent: narrow goals that provide explicit details for the definition of success. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Going back to the New Year’s resolution of “eating better” we can now transform this vague goal into something more manageable. 

Specific. Specific goals provide a precise vision of achievement and mute anxiety about “doing it right.” Goals should not be vague aspirations, but clear and detailed: I want to eat five servings of vegetables every day.

Measurable. Measurable goals enhance specificity, as well as provide a benchmark for success. There are lots of ways that goals can be measured, such as time, distance, or quantity: Figure out how much is a serving and use a food journal to keep track of the total number of servings.

Achievable. Achievable goals mean that we are focusing on realistic paths forward, instead of non-existent perfection: I have the money and time to eat at least five servings of vegetables.

Relevant. Define how this goal is relevant to your life: This goal is important to me because I want to make sure I’m getting enough fiber and micronutrients in my diet.

Time-bound. Time-based goals help provide a sense of urgency. They keep us from the vague “someday” and chart a specific path forward:  I want to be doing this on a regular basis by the end of February.

Multiple Motivations 

People often struggle because they don’t feel motivated. They want to eat healthy food and exercise more, but find themselves eating donuts and sleeping late. People don’t actually undercut themselves because they lack motivation, but because they have multiple, conflicting motivations. 

People tend to think of motivation as a simple concept: How much do you want to achieve a goal? In reality, motivation is highly complicated and involves multiple facets. Motivation can be internal or external. We might work hard because it’s important to us to do a good job (internal) or because we were promised a bonus (external). Motivation can be biologically driven, such as our body’s drives for food and water. It can also be psychologically driven, such as our beliefs about success and failure. Finally, motivation can also be influenced by biopsychosocial factors, the complex combination of biology, psychology and environment.

When faced with choosing behaviors, we often have multiple motivations pulling in different directions. Many of our simple, everyday behaviors can be subject to a host of different factors. Imagine trying to choose a snack. That simple decision could be affected by your hunger, the cost of the snack, what others are eating, and how much time you have, among countless other factors. It’s no wonder that people feel overwhelmed trying to make good health decisions. Even small decisions are based on multiple (often conflicting) motivations. Recognizing this is an important first step. Don’t  blame yourself for being lazy and lacking motivation. You are navigating a tricky, complicated situation. 

When you understand the different types of motivation, you can begin to make them work for you. Rather than trying to increase “will-power” you should be aware of and address the needs of multiple motivations. Imagine grocery shopping and the types of purchases you might make when you have skipped dinner and are trying to hurry. In addition to the desire to buy healthy food, you might purchase more food than usual because you are hungry, and not carefully consider ingredients because you are in a hurry. Recognizing these motivations could allow you to prepare for a successful trip. You could eat a snack on the way to the store and make a list in order to head off bad decisions. Once you’re aware of the different motivation types and how they can affect your behavior, you can use that knowledge to better reach your goals. Rather than beating yourself up for not having enough “will power” you can address your many motivations and move forward.

Committing to Commitment

No matter how carefully we make plans,  we will never succeed without sufficient commitment. Clear vision and motivation are important, but dedication to stay the course is also vital. What are some of the many factors that can affect commitment? How can we make them work in our favor?

While we tend to think of commitment as a personal or internal struggle, our decision making and dedication are affected by others all the time. For example, one commonly used tactic by disreputable car salespeople is “low-balling.” The salesperson quotes a car price, and then once the buyer agrees, the salesperson says they “accidentally” quoted the price and that the car is actually more expensive. Many customers agree to the higher price because they feel like they’ve already made a promise and can’t back out. This dishonest technique traps people into a long-lasting commitment. Our decisions and resolutions are frequently influenced and shaped by advertisers and sales staff  who don’t have our best interests at heart. This is how otherwise intelligent people end up trapped in multi-level marketing schemes. 

Another important factor is how long a resolution lasts. What makes it fleeting or endure over time? How a commitment is formed affects how firm and long-lasting it will be. 

• Is a promise public or private? Researchers have found that public promises tend to endure longer than private ones. Some suggest this may be why many cultures have large, public wedding ceremonies.
• How much effort is involved? Undertakings requiring a great amount of effort tend to endure longer than those that require little effort. For example, a college student might be more committed and dedicated to a sorority with a difficult and selective pledge process than a club which anyone can join.
• How much choice is allowed? If a person perceives no choice, dedication is less likely to endure. For example, if someone is required to join a fitness program at their workplace, they are unlikely to stay active in the program after leaving that job. 

What can we do to increase commitment? First, we must recognize how outside forces can affect it. Before acting, stop and ask yourself “How would I have acted before I was confronted with a sales pitch? What are my needs or wants in this situation?” Simply pausing before responding can help you select decisions that align with your goals.

It’s also important to remember factors that can shape the commitment strength. As noted above,  a public promise is typically stronger than a private one. Imagine you want to stop smoking; you could strengthen that resolution by  “going public.” Make sure that friends, family, and coworkers know you want to stop smoking. Post it on social media. This creates an accountability group that can provide support, as well as the threat of embarrassment if you give up. 

Creating and achieving your goals can be incredibly difficult and complex. It isn’t a simple matter of increasing willpower and white-knuckling your way to success. Luckily there are things that you can do to recognize the forces at play and simplify the process of making goals, staying motivated and maintaining commitment in order to achieve success.

Janessa Hall holds a master’s degree in psychology and is an ACE certified health coach. Her business, No Shame Health, is geared towards people with bigger bodies, those with chronic illness, and those with disabilities. Her focus is on making small, sustainable behavior changes to improve quality of life. As a person with chronic fatigue syndrome, she is empathetic to the struggles of healthy eating and exercise for those with chronic conditions. Janessa is mom to four very busy kids. Between chauffeuring sessions, leading a girl scout troop and volunteering for an urban youth orchestra, she studies cooking, nutrition and reads historical cookbooks.