SELF REGULATION / 003 [WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START DOUBTING YOUR GOAL?]

Question
What does it cost you to be stuck between pushing on and giving up?

Study
Researchers ran three studies. In two, university students (58 and 283) were followed through a semester. In the third, 65 male marathon runners filled in a questionnaire about their doubts two weeks before a marathon. During the race, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva at 10, 20, 30 and 40 kilometres, and recorded their finishing times.

Findings
The researchers call this stuck phase an action crisis: you're doubting whether to continue, but you haven't let go either. Students in this phase later felt less satisfied with life, had more negative feelings, worse health and more sleep problems. They also saw their goal as less reachable and less important. Runners with more doubts before the marathon showed a steeper rise in stress hormones during the race and ran slower, even after taking into account their experience, preparation and pain during training.

What It Means for Athletes
Doubt is not just a mood. It costs energy, and you can even measure it in your body during a race. Being stuck seems to be worse than making a clear choice either way. These studies show strong links over time, but not definite proof of cause.

Try this: if you've been doubting a goal for weeks, plan a conversation with your coach and make a decision. Recommit with an adjusted plan, change the goal, or let it go. Write it down and pick a date.

Also read: SELF REGULATION / 004, on how top runners adjust their goals during a race.

Source
Brandstätter, V., Herrmann, M., & Schüler, J. (2013). The struggle of giving up personal goals: Affective, physiological, and cognitive consequences of an action crisis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(12), pp. 1668 to 1682.

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