Why We Fail To Reach Goals: Our Brains Begin With One Focus, But Closing The Deal Requires Another, Study Suggests

Forbes February 24, 2020
David DiSalvo

All of us start out after a goal with energy and motivation, so why do we so often fail to hit the target? A new study at the intersection of neuroscience and behavioral science offers a simple but useful insight about the failure to reach goals. It centers on the disconnect between our decision-making focus before we start pursuing a goal and our focus after we begin.

The study started with this hypothesis:

• When we set out to achieve a goal, our focus is on the reward. We envision getting the reward, and how we’ll feel when we do, and that propels us into action.
• But once we begin, we come face to face with what’s really required...

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