Develop a promotion focus to reach more goals.
Imagine you’re reaching for fresh veggies in the afternoon instead of the processed snacks your colleague brought to work. Your decision may stem from one of two thoughts: either “I’m choosing this because it’s better fuel for my body” or “I’m choosing this so I won’t gain weight.”
If you relate more to the first rationale, you have what experts call a promotion focus, meaning your behaviors are driven by the desire to see positive results. But if the second is more like you, your actions are dictated by a prevention focus, an effort to avoid negative outcomes.
A new study suggests people with a promotion focus have healthier habits, so it’s worth adopting one. Adrian Gaskin, a Tier 3+ trainer and master instructor at West Georgia Street in Vancouver, Canada, sees the power of promotion working for his clients, too, whether their goal is to get more sleep or to press more weight. There are several psychological reasons that this mindset is beneficial.
First, it often goes hand-in-hand with intrinsic motivation, a drive from within that helps you stay committed. Gaskin, for one, loves snowboarding. He craves the creativity and the way it makes him feel, so he’s always eager to hit the slopes. If he had extrinsic motivation instead (for instance, maybe he went snowboarding to make a friend happy), he might try it once, but he’d be less likely to stick with the sport in the long term.
Plus, working toward a dream of aspiration, rather than to dodge a bad outcome, inspires more excitement. That compels you to seek out more help from trainers and friends, further propelling you toward new milestones, says Teresa Harris, Tier 3+ trainer at Sports Club Washington, DC.
Even if you naturally trend toward the negative, you can cultivate a promotion focus with these four steps.