TED Why is it so difficult to keep motivated TED公开课之为何保持动力如此困难

TED: Why is it so difficult to keep motivated?
(为何保持动力如此困难)
Whether you try to lose 20 pounds, get that promotion, that work, or quit smoking, sticking to your goals isn’t an easy task. After all, a forty-five percent of people dropped their new year resolutions after a month. So why is it so difficult to keep motivated? And how can science help us achieve what we are after? In one MIT study, students were given two types of tasks. In the first, they have to hit two keys on the keyboard as many times as possible in four minutes and those that did it fastest were to receive money. For some the reward was three hundred dollars, while for others only thirty dollars. Interestingly, performance was ninety-five percent greater in the high three-hundred-dollar group, highlighting “how money can be a motivator”. But in the second task, the same students were asked to solve a more complex math problem. And this time those offered the high reward performed thirty-two percent slower than the small-reward group. This is known as the distraction effect. When we were given a task that requires problems solving, academic or emotional pressure can cause the focus to shift to the motivator, ultimately dividing your attention and reducing performance. Let us look inside the brains of individuals. FMRI scans that reveal people who complete a challenge for fun and people who do it for a reward show similar activity throughout the brain. But interestingly, if those offered a reward the first time are
asked to participate again for no reward, scans show a decrease in activity in the anterior striatum and prefrontal areas, part of the brain links to
self-motivation. It seems that rewards may cancel out our natural sense of play. So how does this apply to you? Well, it turns out that play is the strongest motivator for sustained behavior for sustained behavior or changes. It makes sense that we stick with enjoyable activities. But considering sixth-seven percent of gym memberships go unused, it seems most of us are picking the wrong activities to achieve our goals. You might burn the most calories on a treadmill, but not if you stop going after two weeks. Pick something you actually like doing. Your goal itself also matters. A study investigating reasons for exercise found that those focus on weight loss spend thirty-two percent less time exercising than those who said they want to feel better in day-to-day life. And well, it is always good to have a positive attitude. Optimism may not always be the best strategy. In a study of 210 females trying to quit smoking, participants who only imagined major success with few obstacles were less likely to reduce cigarette consumption. Positive thoughts can often trigger your brain into thinking you’ve already achieved the goal, giving you a sense of reward and reducing motivation. But this doesn’t mean that negative thoughts are good. Imaging a goal coming true, and then thinking through the obstacles that stand in your way is the best mixed approach. This is known as mental contrasting. Finally, try to avoid the
“what the hell” effect. This behavior was first addressed when researches give dieters vary sizes of milk shakes from small to large and then offer them ice cream afterwards. It turns out those who have large milk shakes also end it up eating more ice cream. Because “what the hell! I’ve already ruined my diet! I might as well go all out!” Anticipating that you will have some bumps along the road to success, whether be a fitness goal, quitting smoking or work aspirations, will bring you closer to making your goals a reality.。