Attaining personal goals: Self-concordance plus implementation intentions equals success.

Abstract

The present article includes separate meta-analyses showing that self-concordance and implementation intentions are significantly positively associated with goal progress. Study 1 confirmed the positive relations of both self-concordance and implementation intentions to weekend goal progress. Study 2 confirmed the positive relation of self-concordance with monthly progress on New Year's resolutions but failed to find a direct benefit for implementation intentions. Both studies, however, obtained a significant interaction effect indicating that goal self-concordance and implementation intentions combined synergistically to facilitate goal progress. The article also reports a meta-analysis and results from the 2 studies that demonstrated that goal progress was associated with improved affect over time.

Purpose in Life as a System that Creates and Sustains Health and Well-Being: An Integrative, Testable Theory

“…Thus, the more central a purpose is in a person's life and the more that purpose influences the actions, thoughts, and emotions of that person, the more likely that person will benefit from having that purpose. Moreover, a broad, strong purpose will bring about resiliency to obstacles (for evidence to support a similar synergistic model, see Koestner, Lekes, Powers, & Chicoine, 2002). People without structural frameworks to integrate and organize goals display lower levels of health and well-being (Donahue, Robins, Roberts, & John, 1993;R.…”

“…Despite potential overlap between purpose and SDT, we do not believe purpose is reducible to manifest indicators of wellbeing. Working toward strivings congruent with central values has been shown to be the most successful route to enhancing well-being (Koestner et al, 2002;Sheldon, 2002). When strivings are selfselected and well-integrated with a person's preferences or personality traits (Sheldon, Ryan, Deci, & Kasser, 2004;McGregor & Little, 1998), the opportunity for substantial benefits are increased.…”

A feasibility study of psychological strengths and well-being assessment in individuals living with recurrent depression

“…Dispositional optimists consider negative situational outcomes as temporary and specific rather than being the result of persistent and pervasive factors and are therefore more Deci & Ryan, 2000;Emmons, 1996;Koestner, Lekes, Powers, & Chicoine, 2002;Park et al, 2004;Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 2001). There are optimism inducing interventions in CBT that are effective in decreasing depression in clinical samples (Riskind, Sarampote, & Mercier, 1996;Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, 2006).…”

Goal Motives, Well-Being, and Physical Health: Happiness and Self-Realization as Psychological Resources Under Challenge

“…Conversely, the pursuit of controlled goals will thwart well-being because these goals do not accurately reflect the interests and values of one's deeper self, and are thus unlikely to satisfy the basic psychological needs. Numerous researchers have conducted studies examining the motives associated with the goals one pursues and their relation with either happiness (e.g., Sheldon & Elliot, 1999;Koestner, Lekes, Powers, & Chicoine, 2002;Sheldon & Kasser, 1998) or self-realization (e.g., Sheldon, Kasser, Smith, & Share, 2002). Because all of these studies have assessed goal motives with a relative autonomy score (i.e., subtracting the sum of intrinsic and identified reasons-defined as strong interest and personal convictions, respectivelyfor pursuing goals from the sum of the introjected and external reasons-defined as internal and external pressures, respectively-for pursuing these goals), they do not directly provide empirical evidence on the distinctive relationship between pursuing goals for autonomous and controlled motives and happiness or self-realization.…”