Goal-setting is the secret of champions, from Olympic athletes to business tycoons, but one commonly used planning strategy maybe set you back more than you know, according to a new study
Most business owners set goals for the short, medium and long-term, which is proven to be the secret of success.
However, along with goal-setting, many people develop contingency plans in case things don’t work out, and according to science, this may be the biggest obstacle in your way.
New research from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison revealed that making a back-up plan can cause people not to work as hard to achieve their primary goals.
The study showed that a safety net diminishes the drive and desire for goal success.
Expecting the unexpected
Conventional wisdom suggests that those who expect the unexpected will win out in the long run, but this is not the same as having a back-up plan, which essentially functions as a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.
Where back-up plans prove beneficial is in hedging risks in the face of uncertainty and in making people feel assured about the future.
If goal success depends on luck or a natural skill, making a back-up plan may help reduce anxiety associated with uncertainty and boost goal performance.
In cases where goals can only be achieved through effort, however, back-up plans tend to backfire.
Benefits of plan B
This research suggests it’s not about scrapping back-up plans entirely, but finding ways to maintain your desire to achieve your goals with no room for a “cop-out”.
For example, knowing when to make a back-up plan and when to set do-or-die goals may be the answer to achieving goals in scenarios that require hard work, and those where factors may not be in your control.
Going through life without plan B may be reckless, but remember that it’s a back-up for a reason.
Make sure you’ve exhausted all your options in achieving your primary goal first before even making a back-up plan and you may be one step closer to getting there in the end.
