EMOTIONS / 002 [HOW DO OTHER PEOPLE AFFECT YOUR GOALS?]

Question
Do the people around you make it easier or harder to reach your goals?

Study
Researchers reviewed studies on how other people influence the way we set, chase and track our goals. Most were lab experiments with students.

Findings
Others can switch on your goals: thinking about someone important to you, or watching others work toward a goal, can activate that goal without you noticing. Role models inspire, but controlling people can trigger resistance. Others can also cost or give you energy. After an awkward, inefficient conversation, people performed worse on the next task. After a smooth one, they solved 56% more word puzzles. Support from others helped people reach their goals. And comparing yourself to someone better often lowered motivation, while someone who believes in you raises your confidence.

What It Means for Athletes
Your goals are not just yours. Teammates, coaches and parents shape your energy, your focus and your belief in yourself. This research is mostly from the lab and not from sport, so see it as a useful lens rather than hard proof.

Try this: before your next important match, notice who gives you energy and who costs you energy. Spend the last hour before the match with the first group. And compare yourself with yourself a month ago, not with your teammate.

Source
Fitzsimons, G. M., & Finkel, E. J. (2010). Interpersonal influences on self-regulation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(2), pp. 101 to 105.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE
Translating sports science into information athletes can actually use.