Commitment, please read. Good info.

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Havanablue
Havanablue Posts: 3
in Success Stories
Hi All,

I recently listened to an audiobook on willpower and something struck me.

In an experiment, dieters were asked "How is your diet going?"
Those that answered positively were more apt to over-eat that same evening.

The logic is that after the dieters spoke about their success, they felt they could get away with rewarding themselves that evening for a job well done and subsequently thought it would be OK to indulge.

When the question was changed to "Are you still committed" there were no reports of the dieters rewarding themselves. Once the word "committed" was used, the dieters were more driven to stick to their goal as it referred to an ongoing process.

I just thought I'd share!

It really made a difference with me. I even use the concept when I question my children about school. When they come home saying that they Aced a test, I congratulate their "commitment" to their goals rather than just saying GREAT!

The audiobook is titled "The Willpower Instinct" by Kelly McGonigal. It's also in paperback. It's a good read :)

Replies

  • valarielala
    valarielala Posts: 15
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    I love this! Sometimes, we just need to tweak the words that we say or adjust the lens we look through ever so slightly, to "get it" or make a breakthrough. Thank you!
  • molina76853
    molina76853 Posts: 143
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    I am committed!
  • llmcconnell
    llmcconnell Posts: 344 Member
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    Thank you for posting, it definitely struck a chord!
  • Pinkemi
    Pinkemi Posts: 963 Member
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    Are you an effective team? ;-)
  • skruger22
    skruger22 Posts: 75 Member
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    I love changing my thinking like this! Thanks for sharing! I'm going to stay committed now, for sure!! :drinker:
  • misspatrice562
    misspatrice562 Posts: 192 Member
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    Sounds like a good read. I will look into getting this book. Thanks for sharing!
  • tinyjillbo
    tinyjillbo Posts: 1
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    Great comments, and interesting. I also find that to be true about "rewarding" myself when I've answered positively about my weight loss. The COMMITMENT word really makes it strong, and indeed, in order to achieve my goal of health (over appearance) I have to maintain my committment for the rest of my days! Thank you so much for sharing!
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
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    I'm trying to re-commit to my goals... i've been rewarding myself for far too long since my inital success! :)
  • RacheUk82
    RacheUk82 Posts: 70 Member
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    I'm trying to re-commit to my goals... i've been rewarding myself for far too long since my inital success! :)

    ^^ and me!

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