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Having A Backup Plan May Keep You From Achieving Your Goal, Research Finds

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“There is no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from plan A” ~Will Smith

Such a profound and thought provoking statement. But is it accurate?

Professor Jihae Shin, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources at the Wisconsin School of Business (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Katherine L. Milkman from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) conducted an experiment to research this topic and have concluded that it is–indeed–a very accurate statement. Their research proves that merely thinking through a backup plan, in most cases, reduces overall goal performance and hurts the chances of successfully achieving the primary goal.

The Research

Shin and Milkman conducted a series of experiments set out to test the notion that backup planning does more harm than good. They set up a series of laboratory experiments to test this theory. In one experiment, participants were given a sentence-unscrambling task and told that if they showed high performance on the task, they would be given a free snack or the chance to leave the study early. One set of participants were then instructed to find other ways they could get free food on campus, or make arrangements to eat later in the day in case they didn’t do well enough to earn the snack or the early dismissal. And you probably guessed the outcome. Those that were able to make plans to get food later did not perform as well as the group that did not have other plans.

Through a series of similar experiments, the cohort was able to determine that making a plan B caused people to exert less effort and energy and to be less successful at attaining their primary goal.

An article published in Science Daily further investigates and validates that backup plans are not as beneficial as once thought. The article discusses the findings of scientists from the University of Zurich who have developed a new theoretical model to study the use and usefulness of backup plans.

“Our model is based on a straightforward idea: backup plans change the way you pursue your goal, even if you aren’t using them, and even if you never use them,” said Dr. Christopher Napolitano, who is a researcher and lead author of their essay.

Simply put, research shows that the “backup plan effect” is counterintuitive and works by diminishing the desire to achieve the goal. Reduced desire means reduced motivation, which translates into a reduction in effort and performance.

Throw caution to the wind–cautiously

So are these research findings suggesting that we throw caution to the wind and chase our dreams with reckless abandon? Not exactly… It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Research shows that only having a plan A works when the outcome of the goal is largely under your control. For example, winning the lottery should not be your only goal. The ability to reach that goal is largely outside of your control making it imperative that you have a plan B. However, if obtaining a college degree is your goal, having a backup plan may sabotage your efforts of toughing it out and seeing it through to the end. The backup plan effect is particularly counterintuitive when it comes to things like marriage and certain financial, educational and career goals. If you give yourself an out–you are probably going to take it.

However, scientists suggest that while making a backup plan can be detrimental and counterproductive, it does not mean that people should go through life without EVER having one. Experts say you could explore ways to mitigate the negative effects — such as being more strategic about when you make a backup plan.

“You might want to wait until you have done everything you can to achieve your primary goal first,” Shin suggests.

At the end of the day, investing too much time and energy in making backup plans could create a sort of ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ where one becomes more susceptible to using a well-developed backup plan, and subsequently failing to make a sufficient investment into succeeding with a plan A.

The post Having A Backup Plan May Keep You From Achieving Your Goal, Research Finds appeared first on Lifehack.

Author: Denise Hill

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5 Factors That Can Make or Break Your Brand’s Reputation

A brand’s reputation is a precious thing that needs to be cultivated and constantly cared for in order to further that brand’s success. As with a lot of things in life, it’s a lot easier to break it than it is to make it. Here are five vital points that you need to remember when considering your brand management or thinking about rebranding strategies in London.

1. Positive Reviews and Your Response to Them.

Your business will be under constant scrutiny whether you like it or not. With the now ubiquitous nature of the internet, there is more chance than ever that you will be reviewed somewhere, either on your own website or on an independent site ranking your sort of business. Getting a positive review is great for your business and shows that you are doing the right thing but don’t feel content in just reaping that five-star reward, leverage it into customer interaction and brand development. If someone gives your restaurant a five-star review then respond in a kind manner and describe how much has gone into a particular recipe or idea. These interactions will show people that you are dedicated to following up on reviews and capitalising on what makes you great.

2. Negative Reviews and Your Response to Them

Just as important is the flipside of a positive review. If someone reviews you negatively, you need to ignore any defensive notions you may have and engage them and find out how you can improve. It’s easy to dismiss negative feedback as trolling but if you want to be successful, you need to engage with the naysayers and find out what steps can be taken to turn that one-star into a five-star next time.

3. Social Media Presence and Interactions

Whether you are maintaining a brand or considering rebranding strategies, full engagement in social media is a must. Hopefully, you have someone in-house who can deal with it or you yourself are a whizz, but if not, consider taking help so you can utilise social media to the maximum extent. You need to make sure that any paid advertising on social media is reaching the right markets and that your day to day posts are reflecting the business in the right way. If you find people are responding well and sharing posts then use that and engage with the public on a personal level. Nothing lets people know you care about your client base than a bit of one on one attention, even if it’s fleeting.

4. Market Research

It’s not just new brands that need to conduct market research, established brands need to know that the market they’re focusing on is still the one they originally aimed at. It’s an ever changing marketplace out there so make sure that you’re keeping up to date with the trends and if you’re not, have a good long study of the environment you’re aiming at and consider rebranding to match the current climate.

5. Quality Control

All of the market research and social media interaction in the world won’t help you unless you are maintaining a level of quality in your product that ensures continued custom. Keep as keen an eye on your in-house operations and output as you do on your marketplace and you should be able to advertise your company effectively and consistently. Balance is the key here and ensuring your outreach is matched by a quality product will ensure brand security for years to come.

The post 5 Factors That Can Make or Break Your Brand’s Reputation appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Author: Editor

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7 Common Acts People Don’t Know Are Turning Kids Into Brats

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What a better place to catch kids misbehaving than on an airplane that is waiting to take off. Here you’ll see a variety of kids showing different kinds of behaviors as a reaction to the small and tight space, fear of flying, strangers around them, and the unfamiliarity of the environment.

You’ll also see different parents doing their best to handle these situations. Sometimes appropriately, but sometimes just enabling the child to misbehave, which makes the viewers cringe. Many of us are guilty of contributing to these kinds of child misbehaviors. Here are some acts that we as adults tend to do, that make kids behave like brats:

1. Trying To Make Them Happy All The Time

Life is not a fairy tale. In reality, it is tough. What a better way to prepare kids for it than by letting them experience life as it is. Sure, we want them to have a fairy tale birthday, or give them candies every time they lose a game with their playmate, but this will make them feel that that there is no room for anything, but the good ones. And then, when they experience anything but happiness, they will act out.

So just let them experience the ups and downs of their daily activities and interactions with others. From this, they will learn that feelings can get hurt, or that healing comes after getting their knee wounded from running and falling. These things will strengthen their character, which will definitely be of good use when they become adults.

2. Tolerating When Complaining About Authority

It’s understandable. You are a parent, an aunt, a grandma, or someone that has authority over a child. But when the child comes to you complaining about their teacher or another authority, if you immediately assume the role of a protector in shining armor before taking a few minutes to be objective and hear the whole story, then the kid will think that it is ok to question another authority.

Before talking to the teacher or the individual involved, have your kid explain first how he or she feels and what had happened. And then based on it, be objective and do your guardian responsibilities. This lets the child see that authorities are to be taken seriously and are to be respected.

3. Showing Bad Temper When Dealing With Tantrums

A kid’s bad temper while getting reprimanded is bad enough, and if you double it with your bad temper, then that’s asking for mayhem. Also, you are just reinforcing bad behavior. Remember to be calm when reprimanding kids, and explain why they are getting reprimanded and what your expectations are.

If you don’t, they will keep acting out for the pleasure of watching you scramble and get upset. And they would love to see you in that same situation over and over again, as if it was an accomplishment.

4. Rewarding Everything

Kids can get used to routines. They may get up in the morning, eat breakfast, play with their lego and watch TV. If they refuse to eat breakfast and you give them a reward before or after they eat, they might not eat another meal again without that reward. If they don’t get that reward, they will act out.

So make sure that when you give a reward, you explain that you are only doing it this time, and that you expect them to do the same task again the next time without the reward.

5. Offering Too Much Help

Offering too much help may breed lazy kids that might turn them into adults that lack motivation for success. We can’t always turn the TV on for them, or put toothpaste on their toothbrush, because if you are not around to do that anymore, then they will act out.

In real life, there will be situations where there can be no one else to depend on, but themselves. The earlier that we teach our kids that they are able to get up and fill that glass with water to quench their own thirst, the better because this translates into the real world they will face in their future.

6. Letting Them Win All The Time

We can’t be around our kids all the time. If we always make it a point that they take the winning spot every time they are around us, they would think that the world is built like this. But it is not. When they get to the outside world and be with their playmates and experience losing, they will act out because they are not used to it.

In real life, there will be best and second best, and being second best is not necessarily a bad thing. We should teach our kids that defeat breeds resilience and hard work.

7. Having Them Avoiding Conflicts and Confrontations

Shielding kids from conflicts and confrontations can turn into a bad thing, if done too much. If we provide guidance, but ultimately let them deal with their own small conflicts and confrontations, then they become more self-aware and aware of other’s feelings. They will learn to share, play fairly and treat another human that is their equal with care and compassion. This helps them have a smoother relationship with their playmates, and ultimately with their peers as adults.

Kids can be tough and a lot of work to deal with, but we can make it easier. By being mindful of the simple acts that we show them, we can prevent future misbehaviors so they turn out to be good kids, and hopefully become adults that are ready for the real world.

The post 7 Common Acts People Don’t Know Are Turning Kids Into Brats appeared first on Lifehack.

Author: Nina Bonander

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5 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re Feeling Lazy

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Picture this: you have a mile-long to-do list and three hundred goals you’re working towards achieving. You know you should be working, but you just don’t feel like doing anything. It’s hard to stay focused and you’re just so unmotivated. Sound familiar? If your answer is yes, just know that you’re not alone.

Honestly, everyone has days like this. I know I do. Sometimes we don’t feel good, sometimes we’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the work that’s in front of us, sometimes we’re in a bad mood, or sometimes we’re just feeling lazy. But no matter why you’re feeling so unmotivated, the bottom line is that it’s a struggle – and sadly, you’re on the losing side.

The way I look at it, you have two options on these lazy days. You can either sit around and let your to-do list mock you and cause you even more stress, or you can find ways to be productive and motivate yourself. If you choose the second option, here are some tips that you can use to get stuff done even when you just don’t feel like it.

1. Break down your big tasks

Big tasks or goals can obviously seem daunting, especially if you’re in a ‘blah’ sort of mood. So you should try to break down the big tasks into smaller ones. This will be less intimidating and more motivating. For example, if you have to create a big presentation for work, you could break that down into each step that’s involved in that process and then start working towards them. This makes the steps smaller and you’ll probably feel more motivated to complete each one of them.

2. Get your body moving.

Sometimes, you don’t feel like doing anything because you…well, haven’t done anything. Not getting enough exercise can definitely make you feel lazy and crummy. So do some jumping jacks, jog around the block, or just walk around your house. Anything will work as long as you’re getting your blood pumping. This is a sure-fire way to give yourself more energy to get things done.

3. Just focus on one thing.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed because you just have so many tasks to do, this alone can make you feel like you don’t want to do anything. It can just destroy all of your motivation because it’s stressing you out. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just pick one task to work on – preferably your most important one. Just put all of your focus on that one task and get it done. Once you’ve finished it, you’ll probably find that you have motivation to work on the rest of your list. Sometimes you just have to get started.

4. Take a break to recharge.

One of my favorite ways to motivate myself is to take a break from whatever I’m feeling so unmotivated to do and spend time doing something that makes me feel energized instead. Take some time to focus on a hobby that puts you in a good mood. When you’re done, you’ll go back to your to-do list happy and refreshed. This could give you the motivation you need to work on your less fun, ickier tasks.

5. Give yourself a reward.

Research shows that people are more likely to do a task, if they are offered an incentive for completing it. So set a reward for yourself that you only get if you complete your to-do list – or complete each task if that’s more appealing to you. Treat yourself to something that you’ve been wanting or even something small like a relaxing bath or a glass of wine. Here’s a list of over 50 ways to reward yourself for reaching your goals, if you need some ideas.

The post 5 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re Feeling Lazy appeared first on Lifehack.

Author: Tami Walker

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