{"id":31889,"date":"2019-09-16T13:05:42","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T17:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=31889"},"modified":"2024-07-02T17:12:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T17:12:24","slug":"paschal-sheeran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=31889","title":{"rendered":"How to accomplish almost any goal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paschal Sheeran\u2019s research has found that we successfully achieve our goals only half the time. Here he shares three steps to go from dreaming to doing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Sheeran\"
Professor Sheeran poses for a portrait in Davie Hall. (Johnny Andrews\/UNC-Chapel Hill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We all daydream about our goals \u2014 getting that promotion, giving up smoking or spending less time on social media. But research shows that no matter how good our intentions, we only reach our goals about 50% of the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody has goals. They want to lose weight, exercise more, control their emotions. So why don\u2019t they?\u201d asked Paschal Sheeran, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill\u2019s College of Arts & Sciences.<\/p>\n

Sheeran, who first documented the gap between our intentions and our behaviors in 2002, has dedicated his career to answering that question. And while it takes hard work to achieve a goal, it turns out the basic steps to get there are relatively simple.<\/p>\n

Here he shares three tips to help you make your goals a reality.<\/p>\n

Add reality to your daydreaming.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Positive thinking usually seems like a good idea, but when it comes to our goals, daydreaming can actually stand in our way. Instead, Sheeran suggests also focusing on the obstacles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you think about how wonderful it\u2019s going to be when you achieve your dream, what you\u2019re doing is savoring the pleasure now that comes from actually having done the work,\u201d Sheeran said. \u201cIf you\u2019re already savoring the pleasure that is going to come, why bother doing the work?\u201d<\/p>\n

The solution is called mental contrasting. When you think about how great it will be to achieve your goal, you should also ask yourself, \u201cWhat is the biggest obstacle that prevents me from getting there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mental contrasting helps bring your attention back to reality and motivates you to tackle the next roadblock.<\/p>\n

Create an if-then plan.<\/span><\/h2>\n

How do you tackle roadblocks? Take a piece of paper and write down an if-then plan, filling in the blanks for your own goal: If (obstacle), then I will (response). For example: If I\u2019m craving a cigarette, I will wait 10 minutes for the craving to pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems ludicrously simple,\u201d Sheeran said, but it works.<\/p>\n

In a study on teen pregnancy prevention, Sheeran found that teens who used the if-then formula to plan contraceptive use decreased their risk of pregnancy by 40%. In another study, patients with epilepsy who used if-then plans to manage their medication use went from taking 50% of their pills on time, to 80% on time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just alters the probability of doing the right thing at the right time,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are basically deciding in advance how you want to respond, so that at the critical moment it becomes easier to act the way you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try \u201cself-nudging.\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

Self-nudging is about creating an environment where success is easier to achieve.<\/p>\n

If you want to go to the gym in the morning, for example, put your gym bag on the doorstep. If you want to eat more fruit, place a bowl of fruit in a visible place in your kitchen. And if you want to eat fewer snacks, put them in the most awkward part of the freezer.<\/p>\n

Another way to self-nudge is to plan out when you\u2019re going to indulge \u2014 if you eat tiramisu seven days a week and want to eat it only three days a week, decide which three days you\u2019ll have dessert.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife comes down to tiny moments. Can you get through this craving, rather than have a cigarette after you quit? Can you get through this moment where you want the tiramisu rather than following the diet?\u201d Sheeran said. \u201cThe accumulation of those tiny moments is what makes a life and a lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Emilie Poplett, University Communications.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paschal Sheeran\u2019s research has found that we successfully achieve our goals only half the time. 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