{"id":9546,"date":"2018-10-14T12:15:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-14T12:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blackbeltwhitehat.com\/?p=9546"},"modified":"2018-10-14T20:24:37","modified_gmt":"2018-10-14T20:24:37","slug":"intrinsic-goals-vs-extrinsic-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbeltwhitehat.com\/en\/2018\/10\/14\/intrinsic-goals-vs-extrinsic-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Intrinsic Goals vs Extrinsic Goals – How they can hinder success & happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goals have been associated with sports psychology and general high-achievers for several decades.<\/p>\n

They’re also inherently tied to personal development and Positive psychology.<\/p>\n

The type of goal you set is in many ways, as important as the outcome.<\/p>\n

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Coaches and athletes tend to set outcome\/extrinsic goals.<\/p>\n

However, according to Hardy, Jones and Gould (1993) elite athletes must have high levels of intrinsic motivation in order to sustain effort through dips in form and confidence (reference<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Extrinsic Goals<\/h2>\n

Extrinsic Goals are outcome orientated. You have less control over intrinsic Goals, so they can actually increase levels of anxiety, and even depression and learned helplessness in the longer term.<\/p>\n

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Examples of extrinsic goals<\/p>\n

“I will have a 10-0 fight record by 2020”<\/p>\n

“I want to earn $100,000 per year within the next 3 years”<\/p>\n

“I want to be a Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt by December 2019”<\/p>\n

These goals are ultimately dependent on other people and other factors.<\/p>\n

If you seek out or are matched up with the best opponents for example, it can be difficult to ensure an unbeaten MMA record.<\/p>\n

Extrinsic goals can be motivating and can be very objective.<\/p>\n

In that sense, they have the advantage that they are easily set out into SMART goals.<\/p>\n

Specific<\/p>\n

Measurable<\/p>\n

Achievable<\/p>\n

Realistic<\/p>\n

Time-Based<\/p>\n

SMARTER goals are also Evaluated and Revised when necessary and rewarded when achieved.<\/p>\n

A classic SMARTER goal would be:<\/p>\n

“I want to bench press 100kg, by December 2020.”<\/p>\n

This is very objective and measurable. Whereas something like “I want to do my best” is not measurable, in an objective sense anyway.<\/p>\n

Extrinsic goals do promote greater achievement, and provide additional motivation.<\/p>\n

They can therefore be helpful for developing a person’s career or progress in sport. But they are not known for making people happier and may actually reduce wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the abstract from this study<\/a> for example:<\/p>\n

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“Aspirations for intrinsic (e.g., self-acceptance, affiliation, community feeling) versus extrinsic (e.g., financial success, appearance, social recognition) goals were examined in German and U.S. college students. The structure of students’ goal-systems in terms of goal content was remarkably similar in the two cultures, as evidenced by examination of the ordering of goals. Also, as in past work in the U.S., German college students who were especially focused on intrinsic goals had high well-being, whereas the reverse was true for a focus on extrinsic goals.<\/strong> Some differences between the cultures in terms of specific goals are also discussed.”<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Another study<\/a> on US college grads concluded:<\/p>\n

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Life goals, or\u00a0aspirations<\/a>, organize and direct behavior over extended periods of time. The current study, guided by self-determination theory, examined the consequences of pursuing and attaining aspirations over a 1-year period in a post-college sample. Results indicated that placing importance on either intrinsic or extrinsic aspirations related positively to attainment of those goals. Yet, whereas attainment of intrinsic aspirations related positively to psychological health, attainment of extrinsic aspirations did not;<\/strong> indeed, attainment of extrinsic aspirations related positively to indicators of ill-being.<\/strong> Also as predicted, the association between change in attainment of intrinsic aspirations and change in psychological health was mediated by change in the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Discussion focuses on the idea that not all goal attainment is beneficial; rather, attainment of aspirations with different contents relates differentially to psychological health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In an age of terrible levels of happiness and mental health, this stuff is important!<\/p>\n

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Intrinsic Goals<\/h2>\n

Aristotle promoted living by virtues.<\/p>\n

\u201cAct as a virtuous person would act in your situation.\u201d<\/pre>\n
Ensure you act by a specific set of standards on a daily basis regardless of external factors and events.<\/p>\n
Intrinsic goal setting also aligns well Stoic philosophy.<\/p>\n
Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. You can also control your emotions, attitude and response to external events but you cannot control what happens to you in general.<\/p>\n
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Examples of intrinsic Goals include;<\/p>\n