Are goals necessary? A habit scientist answers | Wendy Wood

The US reduced smoking rates from 50% to 15% with a simple habit hack.
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Many of our behaviors may not be goal-oriented. Instead, they are based on habit.
For example, what motivates someone to go running at 5 am: a goal, willpower, or habit? It's probably a mixture of all three, but habit is the most important.
If you want to change your behavior, you must change your habits.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/the-well/automat...
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[@The-Well]

How do you think of the relationship between habits and goals?

[@switchlaserflip9243]

I think you need both. lmao

[@dukeon]

I’m older and don’t feel like I really have any goals left in life per se. I don’t like suffering, I don’t like being lied to, etc. - but are those goals? Not how I define it. I definitely have a lot of hobbies/habits though, and I do them when they sound enjoyable and I have the energy to. So I would certainly agree that one can have many habitual behaviors without them being a part of some overarching goal. In fact, I think only alpha personalities that structure their entire lives around goals are the ones who even think that way.

[@switchlaserflip9243]

Yes, habits can exist without goals. As somebody who suffers from the worse motivational problems imaginable, I can confirm that having goals is actually the best way to accomplish something. This should be obvious. The goal has to be a real goal that you actually want to achieve and you want it everyday. Some people only want to something because they think it's a good idea, as opposed to actually wanting it everyday.

[@The-Well]

Interesting. Do you think that achieving your goals requires you to have the habit of working for them every day?

[@Who_Am_I_7]

@@The-Well yes I think one requires to have the habits of working for one's goals everyday to be successful. For example some people are really interested in mathematics from childhood; studying mathematics is their habit, they never really thought much about goal of being Gauss or Euler; but they can become a good mathematician; for others they can be successful but if one may be unsuccessful by one's own definition of successful.

[@switchlaserflip9243]

@@The-Well Obviously. Both goals and habits are necessary. Questioning whether or not goals are necessary is just as stupid. What's your next video going to be called? "Are roads necessary? A car driver answers." It's actually the wheels that make the car move, not the road! 🤯

[@consumeentertainment9310]

@@switchlaserflip9243 Very good analogy. 🤟

[@dukeon]

@@switchlaserflip9243 - I think you missed the point of the video. You started your original reply by saying “yeah, habits are possible without goals” and then go on to talk about how having goals is really important, and habits are necessary to achieving them. Huh? You answered a totally different question than the one asked.

[@chaugulepankaj]

Habit > Skill or Willpower

[@Who_Am_I_7]

I observed it already.

[@The-Well]

Where?

[@Who_Am_I_7]

@@The-Well in my life. Habits drive our life mostly and once in a while we intervene, if we want change or we have to change our course of life. Habits are very important, consciously doing everything would require enormous amount of energy, which is not good for evolutionary prospective. We can shape our habits. Humans are creature of habit.

[@Who_Am_I_7]

@@The-Well Also, my observation is mere speculation. Yours might be scientific research backed by empirical evidences. But it feels good, when science backs my speculation/hypothesis little bit.