Science Behind Goal Setting
For any subject, establishing a specific goal is proven to yield more successful results than compared to working at something aimlessly. The process goes much deeper than mere inspiring thoughts. Goal setting stimulates a physical reaction as well. Goal-setting heightens systolic blood pressure (SBP), which increases our readiness to pursue and accomplish goals. Higher SBP activates the medial prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain that allows us to think about action and setting targets. Goal setting triggers neurochemical changes in the brain that increases the likelihood of achieving the goal. Before changing behaviors, by merely setting a goal, human bodies react and increase the chance of accomplishing the goal.
Renowned psychologist Edwin Locke is known as the father of the Goal-Setting Theory and was the first to publish research on the subject. Locke stated that people who set specific, quality goals have a better chance of reaching the goal. Locke has dozens of published research about the subject, such as Grade Goals As Determinate Of Academic Achievement (1968), Purpose Without Consciousness (1969), and The Directing Function of Goals In Task Performance (1969), to name just a few. Hundreds of studies for the decades since then have backed up Locke's theory showing a linear correlation between goal setting and goal accomplishment data. For example, a Goal Research study by the Dominican University of California had clear results. They found that participants who wrote down their goals, formulated action commitments, and sent them along with weekly progress reports to a friend were almost twice as likely to achieve their goals. This study also supports enlisting a friend to keep you on track.
We can assume that these results will hold true when applied to environmental goals and can inspire others to follow, as well. So, share your goals and accomplishments, not only is it beneficial for your goal achievements but has the bonus of getting others to practice environmentally friendly behavior. A personal target could be to get five friends to start making environmental goals with you!
Sustainable Goal Inspiration
Taking an inventory of your current activities and thinking about how those activities impact the environment is the first step to choosing sustainability goals. Identifying those that are the most damaging, or are the least healthy, and then working towards changing those items will yield the highest results for the environment and you personally.
However, the most harmful actions often are the hardest to change, and some actions are out of our hands. For example, if you have a goal to cut emissions by drive less, but your city doesn't have public transport, bike lanes, or walking paths, this goal could be hard to accomplish. The is always something you can contribute even for tricky situations like this.
