Last month I wrote the post “Will we succeed? The science of self-motivation,” which told about a new study suggesting that it is better to ask yourself if you can achieve a goal instead of just setting it.

The study said:

By asking themselves a question, people were more likely to build their own motivation.

The results of this experiment showed that participants not only did better as a result of the question, but that asking themselves a question did indeed increase their intrinsic motivation.

I think I can how this might work. Asking yourself a question sort of requires a stronger affirmation than just stating a goal.

Today, Daniel Pink has written an article in The Telegraph elaborating on the study.

It’s worth reading, and quotes one of the researchers:

“…asking questions forces you to define if you really want something and probably think about what you want, even in the presence of obstacles.”

I’m adding this post to My Best Posts On Students Setting Goals.