Why? You'll get more done.
Should you write that blog post or tackle your
budget mess? Go for a run or take that spin class? Make that sales call
or work on your presentation?
The daily life of a business owner is filled with questions
like these. But what if you could make it more likely that you would
stick with whichever option you chose simply by reframing the question
slightly?
A recent study from a pair of marketing professors out of
Wharton and Georgia State University that will soon be published in the
journal Psychological Science suggests that such a thing is
actually possible. Rather than simply give yourself the option of A or
B, the researchers suggest, you should give yourself the option of A, B,
or do nothing.
"Though it may sound like a small change," Knowledge@Wharton reports,
the research "proved that...having the choice of not doing something
can actually transform people’s likelihood of accomplishing their
goals."
Better Buy In
How is that possible? The key to the effect seems to be our sense of
buy in and commitment. When we give ourselves only a few active options,
we, in effect, bully our brains into a choice and then later feel less
committed to the course of action we selected. Having the freedom to do
nothing means we’re making a truly free choice. Down the road, when the
going gets tough, there can be no doubt that you’re doing what you
really wanted to do, so you’re more likely to keep at it.
"It sounds counterintuitive, because we assume that the
option of doing nothing reduces persistence," researcher Rom Y. Schrift
says, but "if I choose something, I learn about my preferences. Just
knowing that fact helps us persist longer when there’s adversity or
hardship."
"What people decide for themselves is, 'I didn’t have to do
it and I decided to do it, so I’ll stick with it for a longer period of
time,'" adds his co-author Jeffrey R. Parker.
More Tenacity
A series of experiments offering volunteers choices framed
with either several active alternatives or those options plus the
ability to opt out entirely convinced the researchers that contemplating
the possibility of doing nothing does indeed increase tenacity and our
chances of sticking with our chosen course of action. So where can you
put this insight to use?
Doctors, managers, and parents can all utilize this
technique, the professors suggest. So whether you’re trying to get your
teenager to spend more time on her homework, your employee to take on
that difficult project, or yourself to keep going to the gym, consider
simply adding a "none of the above" choice to the decision-making
process. That way, when the inevitable difficulties come up, you can say
with a straight face "Hey, you wanted to do this in the first place
when you could have done nothing at all."
Does this research jive with your personal experience? Let us know in the comments.
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