A few years ago I read about this study, and it's stuck with me — especially as I watch my friends and peers fall victim to it: https://www.inc.com/melissa-chu/announcing-your-goals-makes-you-less-likely-to-ach.html … The study found that publicly announcing your goals makes you less likely to achieve them. Here's why:
-
-
Show this thread
-
When you tell someone you're going to do something impressive (make a complicated costume, for example), you receive a small amount of validation immediately at just the IDEA of achieving such a thing. People say "wow!" and "omg I can't wait!" and "you'll be PERFECT for that!"
Show this thread -
"Telling people what you want to achieve creates a premature sense of completeness ... The compelling need to close this gap [between where you are and where you want to be] helps you to act on your intentions." That sense of completeness artificially fills that gap.
Show this thread -
I have some friends and peers whom I watch /repeatedly/ fall into this trap. The praise they receive for even considering impressive projects ends up precluding their need to complete the projects at all. So for 2020, I encourage you to try keeping a big project quiet.
Show this thread -
This is why in 95% of cases, I don't announce a cosplay until I'm already constructing it. I often don't reveal my upcoming music videos/parodies until I at least have the audio track recorded — sometimes I don't reveal them until they're already filmed. And it WORKS!
Show this thread -
I don't get that sweet, sweet internet validation until I've actually made something that people like. That's one of the things that keeps me creating. I'm sure this isn't the same for everyone, but if you find yourself often discarding projects partway through, try it!
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Also give yourself timelines. Even if they are meaningless to anyone but you. If you give yourself too much time, less likely to ever finish cause "you have plenty of time to finish"
-
oh yeah, if I were just writing a thread called "how to complete projects," it would be 10x this length. Just wanted to address this specific point since it isn't widely accepted.
- Show replies
New conversation -
-
-
Sht. Makes sense tbh
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Thank you for sharing this!! Very interesting!
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
she/her
Tip for creators: Don't tell people what you're working on.
Not because they might steal it, not because you're diffusing the hype, but because in a lot of cases, it actually makes you less likely to complete it. [thread]