The research
What keeps motivation going. The studies point the same way, but none has tested this exact plan, so read them as support, not proof.
In a review of 128 experiments, rewards promised for doing or finishing a task made people less likely to choose that task on their own afterward. Surprise rewards didn’t, and genuine praise helped.
Deci, Koestner & Ryan, 1999. Researchers still debate how big the effect is.
Vacationers were happier before their trip than people who stayed home. After the trip, most of the lift was gone within about eight weeks.
People who gave up chocolate for a week savored it more and felt better after eating it than people who ate it freely.
Quoidbach & Dunn, 2013. A small lab study.
Across 138 experiments with almost 20,000 people, keeping track of progress helped people reach their goals, especially when it was recorded or shared.
In a 14-week classroom study, the boost from game features dipped after roughly a month before partly recovering.
Rodrigues et al., 2022. One study of students, not a rule for everyone.
A large review found that deciding in advance when and where you’ll do something helps people follow through.
Studies of New Year’s resolutions, studying and exercise found that people who enjoyed the activity itself were the ones who kept going. Caring about the far-off result helped them set goals, but it didn’t predict sticking with them.
In five experiments, people paid a bonus at the start of a task instead of the end showed more interest in it and kept going after the bonus ended. The studies looked at work-like tasks that people are already paid for.
People on a diet plan with one planned relaxed day a week reported more self-control left, and more motivation, than people on a strict plan. The benefit depended on the treat being planned.
Coelho do Vale, Pieters & Zeelenberg, 2016. Small studies, mostly students.
Studies describe averages across groups, not guarantees for any one person.
