Goal Set Theory: The Goal Setting Theory Of Motivation

Losing weight is more difficult for some people because more often than not, they have never been shown how to work towards the accomplishment of a specific goal. This doesn't mean that they have never made any progress in their life though.

Many successful, brilliant people struggle with weight issues. To seem them, all you have to do is turn on the television to watch your favorite program in the evening. However, they are at a loss when it comes to knowing what to do to help themselves finally shed a few pounds.

Well, the truth of the matter is that it takes some knowledge of psychology to understand an important part of weight loss success called “goal setting theory,” which is crucial to ensuring that a person stays motivated to not

The goal setting theory refers to the psychological concept of how a person is more likely to accomplish a goal if it is more difficult. Research has proven that those who have to work towards a goal that takes more effort to accomplish have a greater chance of not giving up on it. However, if a goal is too hard, and a person has no path set up to achieve it, they are more likely to give up on it fairly quickly.

Achieving a balance between the two extremes isn't easy though. That is why there has been so many different types of research done on how and what motivates people. Some older theorists, such as Maslow, thought that we are all driven by a hierarchy of needs. Others, like Pavlov, thought that all life forms could be trained to go against our inner desires through a system of special training and rewards.

How Can Goal Setting and Motivation Help a Person Lose Weight?

Goal setting weight loss programs are thought to work by helping a person stay motivated to achieve their goals. They offer easy-to-follow steps to take to reach the goal. And if they are set up right, there are also awards to receive along the way, which contribute to sustaining the high level of motivation that is needed to see the goal through to the

Start by writing the current amount of weight and the goal weight at the top of one of the pieces of paper. It helps to also include a list of reasons why losing the weight is important too, such as for preventing diseases and health issues, more energy, and an improved sense of self-esteem.

Writing a few goal setting quotes on the top of each of the pages from those who have both struggled and succeeded with their weight loss is often useful because it helps a person feel less alone. To find some goal setting quotes, all a person has to do is ask some of their friends or family members. Or simply, do a quick search of the internet.

The next several pages of the goal setting worksheet will need lines and columns drawn on them. One column is for the date of the next weigh-in. Another should be for the goal weight loss for that week. And the last column is for the actual amount of weight that was lost.

If there is enough space, it also helps to add what kind of reward will be given for the accomplishment of the goal setting and weight loss. This reward should not include any kind of calorie-rich food that could deter the goal setting weight loss though. Some better alternatives are watching a favorite movie, getting a massage, or even a simple star-shaped