Written by / First Psychology Writers
Editor / Tommy
Harvard University has been studying this issue for 25 years.
The subject of the study was a group of prospective Harvard graduates who were academically and intellectually similar.
By tracking their 25 years of life experience, the study found that the key to the difference in their career success was not their birth background, but the goals they set in life in the first place.
The research team conducted a survey on life goals for the students as they were about to graduate, and the results showed that:
Only 3% have set clear long-term goals
10% set clear short-term goals
60% of people have set goals, but they are not clear enough
And 27% have not set any goals
A follow-up survey 25 years later found that the 3% of students who set clear long-term goals ended up being the best in their respective industries.
The 10% who set short-term goals become professionals in all walks of life and enjoy better social status;
60% of people with unclear goals have mostly lived an ordinary life and become ordinary workers on the assembly line.
The remaining 27% of those who do not have goals are generally in poor living conditions, they are used to complaining about the people and things around them, blaming the external environment for their personal failures, and believing that society does not give them opportunities.
Although Harvard graduates already have a higher starting point than many people from poor backgrounds,
The answer is actually quite simple:
They don't know what they really want, so they can't set effective goals.
Birth may affect a person's early life, but where a person will go in the second half of their life is entirely up to their own choices.
In the above study, the 27% of people may have an advantage because of their superior birth conditions or starting points, but due to a lack of life planning and a clear direction for the future, they end up at the bottom of society.
Therefore, it is his own choices and decisions that really determine a person's fate, and the current situation of each adult is the cumulative result of his past choices.
Despite the uneven distribution of resources in society, almost all social environments provide a certain amount of social mobility, and as long as you have a clear goal and are willing to work hard, you can eventually reach the destination you desire.
I was deeply inspired by a quote from Gu Long, who once said:
"Everyone stands at the same starting point, the key is whether you are willing to climb up. If you choose to stay in the shade, watch others sweat and climb up, wait until others succeed, and then complain about the inequality and unfairness of the world, then that is the real unfairness. ”
Observing those who have finally been able to reach the forefront of their fields, they rarely complain about the hardships and hardships of the environment, regardless of the external conditions, once they have set their goals, they have only one thing in mind:
How to achieve your goals under the existing conditions.
Even if they fail to achieve their goal for the time being, they will not complain or give up, but will continue to look for opportunities and wait for the right moment.
Whether or not you have a clear goal depends on whether you have a strong internal drive.
Psychologist Jung first proposed the concept of "internal drive", which is defined as the motivation that individuals spontaneously form in the process of interacting with the environment to move themselves forward.
In the process of pursuing their own goals, if people have a strong internal drive, they can often effectively avoid external interference and persevere towards the road of self-realization.
Conversely, those who are overly dependent on external dynamics often feel overwhelmed by environmental changes, and their lives may come to a standstill or regress as a result.
Life has a strong upward momentum, and every living form aspires to control its own destiny from the beginning of its birth.
Yet, like the 27 percent of Harvard students, many end up losing the desire to take charge of their lives as a result of being misguided or restricted as they grew up.
This is especially true in our education system, where children in China are trapped in a predetermined life trajectory from an early age, making it difficult to make their own choices, and over time, they lose the will to make choices.
Here, we will not discuss the issue of basic education in depth, but focus on how adults can stimulate their inner motivation and set goals through self-education, so as to maximize the realization of their personal values.
Here are a few suggestions:
First of all, don't limit yourself.
One should not limit oneself to a certain identity or label, let alone give up or blame others for a disadvantaged origin. Birth only defines your beginning, while the end is up to you.
Believe that your efforts can open up different possibilities in life, so as to broaden your horizons.
Second, be clear about your needs.
Harvard's research shows that the 60% of people with vague goals end up mediocre, which proves the importance of having a clear goal. You need to know exactly what you want, and an unclear goal can invalidate actions and lead to confusion in the message being delivered.
Again, set goals scientifically.
Some people start out with ambitious goals but end up mediocre because their goals lack measurable, controllable, and realistic characteristics.
Peter Drucker once said:
"What can't be measured, can't be harnessed. ”
Setting an overly ambitious goal such as "changing the world" may sound great, but it is empty words without a clear plan for implementation.
When setting goals, make sure that they are realistic, granular, and quantifiable so that they can be executed effectively.
It's also important to avoid self-congratulatory behavior when setting goals. This condition is common in those who like to exaggerate.
Although the Law of Attraction emphasizes the need to dream openly in order to attract resources, over-indulging in the praise of others can weaken the motivation to pursue goals.
Finally, let's go back to the question at the beginning of the article:
From the above analysis, it can be seen that the more critical is the individual's planning and decision-making.
It's never too late to know this, age shouldn't be an obstacle, and as long as you have the intention, you can always find a way to achieve your goals.
The End -
The First Psychological Writing Group | A group of young people who like to look up at the stars
Keywords in this article: success, psychology
The picture comes from the Internet, please contact for infringement
WeChat public account: First Psychology