Hope: good psychology or wishful thinking?

The current economic conditions are a challenge to goal-setting, aren’t they? What goals will we set this year? What would it be like to set goals, create an action plan, without hope – is that logical?

How many companies, and employees, already believe that they can’t achieve their goals this year, in spite of their action plans? Stretched goals often feel beyond our reach.

Hope is a key to achieving your goals – psychologists call it “self-efficacy” – your belief that you can have the impact you hope for. We achieve goals using three principles: goal (destination) action plan (roadmap) and hope (petrol in the tank).
So where do you want to go, and how will you get there - with HOPE?
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As easy as ‘destination, roadmap and fuel’ sound, life experience tends to get in the way.
For example, New Year resolutions feel like a good idea:
• Goal - I will live more healthily;
• Action Plan - stop smoking, eat less and higher quality food, drink less alcohol, exercise more;
• But without hope, they are just indulgences - even as you set them, many know they will not achieve them. And if you make a habit of this, you might give up altogether!

Many people believe that hope is a part of someone’s character, either you have it or you do not – that our personality is formed as children, and therefore cannot be changed as adults.
If this is you – less hopeful ‘by nature’, or too hopeful – can you (learn how to) manipulate hope?

Firstly, some benefits of managing hope - high hope people can tolerate twice as much pain, for twice as long. Academic hope is a higher predictor of academic success than university entrance scores. Hope supplies the energy to help set the goal and action plan in motion. It is the fuel to start and finish.

At the same time, high hope people can over-estimate their chances of success, and undervalue risk and safety. Will you really double your sales with extra effort alone, or shave 10% off costs without new technology? Pessimism at times can be very practical!

Recently, Psychology Professor Rick Snyder conducted an experiment to demonstrate hope theory in action. He had three individuals - a TV show host, a medical expert, and a TV weather guy - dunk their right fists to the bottom of a tank of freezing water for as long as they could stand it – live on-air. The weather guy removed his hand first. After a battle of wills, the medical expert gave up next, followed long after by the TV moderator. Professor Snyder had predicted these results. How so?
The participants had taken a hope scale questionnaire prior to the experiment and the ranking of their scores accurately predicted how long each would be able to withstand the numbing pain of the cold water, before calling it quits. Levels of hope significantly influence results, even when the goal and action plan are easily achievable.

Hope building strategies
Do
• Learn to talk to yourself in positive voices (e.g. “I will find a way”).
• Recall previous successful goal pursuits, particularly when stuck (“I’ve done it before, I can do it again!”)
• Be able to laugh at yourself when things go wrong. Nobody’s perfect!
• Regularly reward yourself and congratulate yourself on your efforts.

Don’t
• …allow yourself to be surprised repeatedly by roadblocks that appear in your life. Learn lessons once!
• …try to stamp out negative thoughts - this may only make them stronger. Like judo, step aside and just let the energy sail past.
• …conclude that things never will change, especially if you are down, or fail to see early results.
• …engage in self-pity when faced with adversity (e.g. don’t conclude you are lacking in talent or are “no good” if the initial strategy fails).
• …get into friendships where you are praised for not coming up with solutions to your problems.

Goal-setting strategies:
• Break a long-range goal into steps or sub-goals. Begin by concentrating on the first sub-goal.
• Progress is rarely smooth sailing. Name common obstacles – expect them by developing different routes/roadmaps to your goals, then allow the benefits to drive your motivation
• Mentally rehearse scripts for what you would do if you encounter an obstacle.
• Challenge yourself – “can I?” If you need a new skill to reach your goal, learn it.
• Find a substitute goal when the original goal is blocked solidly.
• Cultivate two-way friendships where you can give and get advice.
• Review progress when needed, not constantly. Use reminders, place stickers or notes in locations where you’ll see them, but otherwise, get on with it!

What to do now?
If you would like to complete a hope inventory, then email. The first person is free.