Planning and Goal Setting

The origin of our goals plays a crucial role in determining our intrinsic motivation to achieve them. Many of our goals come from external sources, such as societal expectations or the influence of others, which may not provide the internal drive necessary for success.
Goal Origins, Intrinsic Motivation, External Influences

Our goals seem to come from all kinds of random places, and we believe that we really want to achieve them. But as it turns out, we can set all kinds of goals for ourselves, but unless our goals come from the right place, we struggle to find the motivation to actually achieve them.

• Reflect on your current goals. Where do they come from? Are they rooted in your own values and desires, or are they influenced by external factors?
• How might understanding the origins of your goals help you cultivate more intrinsic motivation and increase your chances of success?

The example of medical students illustrates how a shift in goal perspective, from seeking external validation (e.g., grades) to aligning with internal values (e.g., helping others), can dramatically impact motivation and performance.
Goal Perspectives, External Validation, Internal Values

And so what we see in medical school is depending on where their goal is coming from, that student will either perform really well or they’re they’ll actually perform poorly. If they’re shooting for a grade if they’re trying to be the best and someone outperforms them. It destroys their motivation. They start to despair, they start to suffer. But it’s, it’s the students who sort of recognize okay, this is my opportunity to learn medicine so that I can help another human being. It’s the students who are devoted to that goal that do really well because they don’t actually care.

• Think of a time when you experienced a shift in goal perspective. How did this change impact your motivation and performance?
• How can you reframe your current goals to align more with your internal values and the positive impact you want to make in the world?

Many of our goals are shaped by cultural conditioning and the expectations of others, such as family or societal norms. These externally influenced goals often lack the intrinsic motivation necessary for sustained effort and success.
Cultural Conditioning, Family Expectations, Societal Norms

So growing up I was taught, I was conditioned culturally to be a doctor from a from a get from the get go. I still remember my grandparents sort of telling me that you’re very smart. You’re very talented, so you should become a doctor, because that’s what smart, talented kids do.

• How has your cultural background and the expectations of others shaped your goals and aspirations?
• What steps can you take to identify and challenge externally influenced goals that may not align with your true values and desires?

The Four Dimensional Intent Model categorizes the origins of goals into four quadrants: desires (wants), shoulds (expectations), values (care about), and duties (obligations). Understanding which quadrant a goal falls into can help predict the level of intrinsic motivation associated with it.
Desires, Shoulds, Values, [Duties]

So let’s kind of look at a couple of these things and understand what these different quadrants are. So the first thing to understand is that at the top, we kind of have gains. So if I satisfy my desires, I get something and if I sort of do things that I care about, I also gain something because eating healthy, for example, is important to me. Therefore, when I eat healthy, I gain something because I’m living in service to my values. Below this are the costs. So if we think about shoulds and Therma, or duty, these are the things that cost us something right when I do something that I should do, I don’t necessarily gain something from it. I do it because I should do it and it costs me something. When I live in accordance to my duty or my dharma that also costs me something.

• Categorize your current goals according to the Four Dimensional Intent Model. Which quadrants are most represented?
• How can you shift more of your goals towards the values and duties quadrants to increase intrinsic motivation?

Goals that align with our values (what we care about) and duties (obligations we accept for ourselves) tend to be associated with higher levels of intrinsic motivation, as they provide internal benefits and satisfaction.
Value Alignment, Duty Alignment, Intrinsic Benefits

On the flip side, if we’re operating from the right side of the table, what we’ll sort of see is that these are benefits that are intrinsic in nature. This is where internal motivation comes from. These kinds of internal benefits, these sort of intrinsic benefits, the more we’ll find internal motivation.

• Reflect on your core values and the duties you accept for yourself. How can you formulate goals that align with these aspects of your identity?
• What internal benefits and satisfaction do you anticipate gaining from pursuing goals aligned with your values and duties?

Even if a goal originates from an external source (desires or shoulds), it is possible to shift it towards a more internally motivated quadrant (values or duties) through introspection and asking oneself questions about what truly matters.
Goal Shifting, Introspection, Self-Reflection

As we start to ask ourselves questions like What do I care about? What do I value in life? What’s important to me? Who do I care about? What am I obligated for? What are my duties in life as we start to understand those aspects of ourselves and we start to build goals, or even align existing goals with these different intents, it’ll actually increase our motivation.

• Choose a goal that currently falls into the desires or shoulds quadrant. Ask yourself the introspective questions mentioned above to explore how you might shift this goal towards the values or duties quadrant.
• What tools or practices can you incorporate into your goal-setting process to ensure your goals are well-aligned with your internal values and duties?

By understanding the origins of our goals and actively working to align them with our values and duties, we can cultivate the intrinsic motivation necessary for sustained effort and success. Through introspection and self-reflection, we can shift externally influenced goals towards a more internally motivated focus, increasing our chances of achieving the outcomes that truly matter to us.