Actionable Ideas Come from Deep Desires

How to be sure to form intentions that get realized

If you thought telling everyone your goals would create accountability, think again. A better way is to show, not tell.

Recent research tells a different story. I used to half-seriously announce to dinner companions that I was ‘too good to eat dessert.’

I have learned that it is better to be a role model than a braggart. Furthermore, new research suggests it is not a clever idea to tell others about your plans for personal change.

It feels nice to announce everything you want to achieve in the future. However, the research by Peter Gollwitzer at NYU shows the opposite.

In the study conducted in Germany among college students, one group announced their intentions to study more statistics and read more books than were required. The other group did not detail their plans.

In the results of this study and subsequent studies performed on other students, the experimenters found that the students whose intentions were known tended to act less on their intentions than those whose intentions were unknown.

Publicly Announcing Your Goals is a Poor Idea

“The researchers concluded that telling people what you want to achieve creates a premature sense of completeness. While you feel a sense of pride in letting people know what you intend to do, that pride doesn’t motivate you and can hurt you later.”

The reason, says Gollwitzer, is that the telling makes you artificially feel the same as you would if you had completed your goals. Gollwitzer makes the assertion, but I’m afraid I must disagree.

In my experience, when I privately think about my resolutions, I often end up not acting on them out of laziness or lack of motivation.

The Dangers of Endless Contemplation

Dreamers talk about doing; doers do. I have often caught myself mired in the pleasures of contemplation.

Rumination is not a formula for fulfillment. If you keep a journal, the attraction of ‘just thinking’ can grow.

What appears to be a harmless pastime can quickly consume your time and energy.

There is a rarely used term for this pattern: your wishes are mere velleities, not serious goals. A velleity is a wish or inclination that is not strong enough to lead to action.

The Arrival of Mere Velleities

In short, whether officially announced or not, most intentions evolve to become mere velleities.

The only exception is when intentions express deep desires. Your compelling life’s purpose and deepest desire lay the groundwork for actionable ideas.

How I want to feel is one candidate for your deepest desire. What meaningful purpose you possess is another fertile source of such desires.

And what your inner guide dictates to you as a proper course of action also gives a serious tone to your inner promptings.

But how you use the energy you want to feel to create your best life is the best candidate for your deepest desires. Mere velleities have no place here.

Now it’s time to get serious. I have chosen this path, the path of more worthiness and self-respect. I must say that, so far, it has proved a wise choice because it has led to tangible benefits of improved health, self-care, and skill building.

My experience of a lifetime has taught me that many projects bite the dust well before they survive the light of day. They lack a firm foundation and do not reflect core values.

Setting an intention is the first step in launching your story. You can move forward with fewer distractions if your purposes express your values.

Conclusion

The essay argues that announcing one’s goals and intentions to others is ineffective. Research shows that those who profess their intentions are less likely to act on them, due to feeling a premature sense of completeness. I argue that the most effective intentions come from deep desires and a compelling life’s purpose rather than simple wishes. The first step in achieving one’s goals is setting intentions grounded in deep desires and values.

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